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Anxiety affects individuals on a physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioural level.
There are also differing degrees and types of anxiety.
Some people may experience panic attacks while others feel dread, worry, and anticipate the worst case scenario for given situations.
COMMON SIGNS OF ANXIETY:
• Tightness in chest, pain, discomfort
• Difficulty breathing, shortness of
breath
• Pounding heart
• Feeling of choking
• Sweating
• Shaking/trembling
• Nausea / knot in stomach
• Dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, faint
• Feels unreal or detached from self
• Feel losing control, going crazy
• Fear of dying
• Numbness or tingling sensations
• Chills or hot flashes
• Preoccupied/worried
• Avoid situations, places, people
• Irritability
• Increased muscle tension; increased
blood pressure
• May also have problems with drug
abuse, alcohol, depression
• Difficulty concentrating
• Apprehension
• Fear losing control or going crazy
• Sense of impending death
to learn how to manage & deal with anxiety.
DEPRESSION
Depression is a "whole-body" illness, involving behaviour, emotion, and thoughts. Depression may result from a single traumatic life event, numerous cumulative life problems and personal disappointments over time, or without any obvious life crisis
Depression can last for short or long periods of time, depending on the person, the circumstances, and the support available. Therapy can help to end the depression more quickly.
Many people do not realize that they are depressed, or they wait too long to get treatment. Yet 1 out of 20 people experience depression in their lifetime. It is much more common than people think!
Remember, DEPRESSION IS TREATABLE!
COMMON SIGNS OF DEPRESSION:
IN ADULTS:
•feelings of sadness most of the time
•don’t enjoy usual activities
•change in appetite/weight
•change in sleep patterns
•don’t feel well rested in morning
•feeling restless or sluggish
•feelings or worthlessness or guilt
•difficulty making decisions or
concentrating
•thoughts of suicide or death
•decreased sex drive
•avoiding other people/isolating self
to talk to someone today to start creating hope and feeling better.
COMMON signs of RELATIONSHIP
DIFFICULTIES:
-
consistent arguing
-
difficulty communicating
-
dissatisfaction with relationship
-
feel nothing in common
-
avoid topics/issues to keep the peace
-
feel distant or detached
-
difficulty being honest in relationship
-
thinking about or committing infidelity
-
being emotionally unavailable
Relationships are an investment. The more you put in, the more you get back.
A healthy love relationship involves: honest, direct verbal and non-verbal communication where each partner is heard and listened to; being able to work through and manage conflict where a productive resolution results; staying involved with each other where you feel connected, as opposed to just co-existing; and maintaining outside friendships and interests in order to have various sources to meet your needs instead of relying on your partner to satisfy all your needs.
However, every couple has their ups and downs. These difficult periods can manifest through stress and conflict resulting from: miscommunication, lack of trust, not finding things in common anymore, not having the connection or intimacy that was once present, or other issues.
When we feel stress in a conflict or disagreement, it tends to cause difficulty in the following areas:
▪Accurately reading another person's nonverbal communication.
▪Hearing what someone is really saying.
▪Being aware of your own feelings.
▪Being in touch with your deep-rooted needs.
▪Communicating your needs clearly.
Once these obstacles are present, it can be challenging to communicate effectively. Fortunately we can learn ways to manage stress and deal with conflict.
It may be time to seek assistance in learning some new tools to manage differences, manage stress, learn how to resolve conflict, or to deal with other issues that are affecting your relationship.
The patterns you have established in your marriage have likely existed for quite some time. While these may be negative patterns, at least they are familiar. When you and your partner start developing new patterns and ways of relating, expect this to feel unfamiliar and possibly uncomfortable. Try not to lose faith and revert back to patterns which although familiar, did not produce a healthy marriage.
To talk to a therapist about creating a happier relationship.
Stress can come from a variety of different sources such as: school, work, finances, relationships, illness, and many others. Not only do adults experience stress, but children and teens also!
The most significant factor that contributes towards stress is the thoughts that we have about a certain situation. It is how we evaluate the situation that determines our response.
When the situation demands more resources and skills than we currently have available, then the situation is seen as stressful. Everyone interprets situations differently and has different levels of coping.
If ways are not learnt to effectively deal with stress, then it can lead to serious illnesses such as heart disease, ulcers, lowered immune system, and mental illness.
To more effectively deal with stress we need to look at coping responses, utilize your strengths, and develop more positive thoughts and feelings to solve problems, feel more in control, and modify your responses to stressful situations.
If you are experiencing symptoms of stress, let us help you manage your stress more effectively, alleviate the symptoms, and build healthy ways of coping. You will feel better for it.
To begin managing your stress and
alleviate your symptoms.
COMMON SIGNS OF STRESS:
• feeling overwhelmed
• worrying
• muscle tension
• difficulty sleeping
• outbursts of anger/frustration
• outbursts of crying
• increased heart rate & blood
pressure
• rapid breathing
• headaches
• sweating
• decreased digestion rate,
butterflies in stomach, or
indigestion
• feeling pressured
• feeling tired or fatigued
• increased consumption of
coffee,smoking, alcohol, drug use
• anxious or feeling tense
• memory loss
• more frequent colds or flu
• ulcers
• errors in judgement
• personality changes
• lowered libido
• stomach complaints
Trauma occurs when an individual is exposed to an event by either witnessing or experiencing an event(s) where actual or threatened death or serious injury is involved to yourself or to others. Such events are extremely stressful.
For example, trauma can occur from a car accident, harassment, bullying, from being molested or assaulted, abortion, domestic violence, living with an alcoholic, catastrophic events, or other such events.
SEXUAL ABUSE:
The Canadian National Clearing House defines sexual abuse as, “the use of a child for any form of sexual activity or behaviour by an adult or adolescent. It is a betrayal of trust by someone who has power over the child”. 92% of the time, perpetrators are family, relatives, and friends - people that you know, not strangers!
1 in 3 girls/women are reported to have experienced sexual abuse or assault, and 1 in 6 boys/men have experienced the same. You are not alone!
Many people who have been abused fear that they will not be believed. It is important to tell someone who you trust; and if they don’t believe you or don’t do anything about it, keep telling someone. You can call a social worker, therapist, or family doctor and they will help you through. There are many people who will believe you and support you.
People who have experienced abuse, assault, or trauma are often consumed by surviving (symptoms of the trauma) which prevents them from focusing upon addressing the larger issue within their own life (the actual abuse, assault, or trauma). Yet once you are able to address the actual incident(s) and begin the healing process, your life will begin to reassemble itself and you will notice changes in all areas of your life. You can heal from abuse, enabling you to live a full, satisfying and happy life.
EMOTIONAL & MENTAL ABUSE:
Not all scars have physical marks, but verbal, emotional, and mental abuse can be even more harmful.
Verbal/emotional abuse is anything that the abuser says or does to the victim which causes the victim to be afraid, lowers the victim's self esteem, or manipulates the victim's emotions in order to control the victim's behavior. It is designed to control another person through the use of fear, humiliation, and verbal or physical assaults. It can include verbal abuse and constant criticism to more subtle tactics like intimidation, manipulation, and refusal to ever be pleased.
Emotional abuse is like brainwashing in that it systematically wears away at the victim's self-confidence, sense of self-worth, trust in her perceptions, and self-concept. Whether it be by constant berating and belittling, by intimidation, or under the guise of "guidance" or teaching, the results are similar. Eventually, the recipient loses all sense of self as it slowly eats away at the victim's self-esteem until she is incapable of judging the situation realistically. She has become so beaten down emotionally that she blames herself for the abuse. Her self-esteem is so low that she clings to the abuser.
If you have been abused or assaulted, it is not your fault.
about the different types of abuse.
to talk about healing from past or present trauma.
SELF-ESTEEM
A man said to his neighbour, "Why do you spend all day with your son fixing that bike when the bike shop could have fixed it in an hour?" The neighbour replied, "Because I am building a son, not fixing a bike."
Self-esteem is the realistic,
appreciative opinion of oneself.
~Glenn R. Schiraldi,PhD
How we feel about ourselves affects our confidence, sense of worth and value, our sense of belonging and acceptance, and the degree to which we like and love ourselves.
Healthy self-esteem contributes to achievements, academic and professional success, good relationships, and overall life satisfaction.
Low self-esteem can be deeply rooted, with origins in traumatic childhood experiences such as prolonged separation from parent figures, neglect, or emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. In later life, self-esteem can be undermined by ill health, negative life events such as losing
a job or getting divorced, deficient or frustrating relationships, and a general sense of lack of control.
People with low self-esteem tend to see the world as a hostile place and themselves as its victim. As a result, they are reluctant to express and assert themselves, miss out on experiences and opportunities, and feel powerless to change things. All this lowers their self-esteem still further, sucking them into a downward spiral.
to learn to recognize your value, worth, and to know you are good enough.