Depression has a way of robbing its victims of hope. So I want you to know that I have hope for your recovery. I know from my own past experience with depression and the experiences of my clients that it is possible to recover from depression and live the happy life that you deserve. You can get your energy back, feel like your old self again, and rediscover your joy and passion for life. …
Healing Childhood Wounds
Understanding your past can help you understand why you think and behave in certain ways in the present. In my experience, many adults who come for therapy to address anxiety, depression, anger, or relationship problems have a history of painful childhood experiences that are unresolved and still cause emotional pain. Our “family of origin” is the family we grew up in, including parents, …
Trauma Recovery & PTSD
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) involves a set of symptoms that can develop after a person experiences one or more scary, shocking, or life-threatening events. Examples of events that can lead a person to develop PTSD include: child abuse, military combat, domestic violence, sexual assault, car accidents, natural disasters, and being the victim of a crime. Not everyone who experiences a …
Anxiety
Almost all of us experience anxiety sometimes. We may feel it when we try new things, when we are evaluated on our performance, or when we are having financial difficulties. The difference between normal anxiety and an anxiety disorder is not always clear. So how do you know if you have an anxiety disorder? The distinction has to do with the level of distress you feel, how often your symptoms …
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness that is often misunderstood. A person with this disorder experiences extreme mood swings (called “episodes”) that can last for several hours, days, weeks, or months. The two primary kinds of episodes in bipolar disorder are depressive episodes and manic episodes. Some of the symptoms of each type are listed below. …
Relationship Problems
Relationships are perhaps the most rewarding, yet the most challenging, aspects of our lives. Most of us have occasional problems with relationships, not only with our intimate partners, but also with other family members, friends, coworkers, or neighbors. Relationship difficulties cause us significant distress because we are social creatures who need relationships to survive. …
Domestic Violence
If you are or have been in an intimate relationship with someone who yells at you, belittles you, controls you, throws objects, threatens to take your children away, or attacks you physically or sexually, then you are a survivor of domestic violence (interpartner violence). Unfortunately domestic violence is all too common. Current research estimates that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have …
Grief
After the death of a loved one or other devastating loss, it is normal to experience a period of grief. Grief doesn’t always feel normal, however. Some symptoms of grief are the same as symptoms of depression: feelings of intense sadness, insomnia, a reduced appetite, weight loss, and loneliness. If you are grieving a loss, you may feel depressed, empty, remorseful, overwhelmed by thoughts about …
Self-esteem
Self-esteem refers to a person’s evaluation of his or her own self-worth. It involves a judgment about oneself. People with high self-esteem tend to view themselves positively and feel confident in their abilities. People with low self-esteem have a negative view of themselves that involves frequent self-criticism (negative self-talk). If you are experiencing low self-esteem, you likely have a …
Stress
We all experience a certain amount of stress in our lives, myself included. In fact, the American Psychological Association’s 2013 Stress in America Survey concluded that “stressed out” is the new norm for most Americans. According to the survey, only 37% of American adults said they were doing an excellent or very good job at managing stress. Most of us know what “stressed out” feels like, and …
Anger
Do you find that you are easily irritated over little things? Do you blow up at people, apologize, and then blow up again later? Do you feel angry all the time? Do you say hurtful things or lash out with physical violence when you’re mad? Do people say you have an “anger problem”? Then you are likely struggling with anger. Anger itself is not bad. It is just another emotion among the many …
Loneliness
Do you often feel alone and lonely? Do you find yourself thinking thoughts like: “No one likes me” or “I’ll be alone forever” or “I’m different than other people”? Living with depression, social anxiety, or other mental health issues can lead to a negative self-concept and a deep, pervasive feeling of loneliness. If you have been feeling depressed or irritable or anxious, you may find yourself …
Feeling Depressed? Here Are 10 Ways to Feel Better Today!
When you are struggling with depression, it may seem like your mood and energy level are out of your control. You may feel stuck, unable to feel any positive feelings (or any feelings at all) and unable to get yourself up off the bed or couch. Depression is really sneaky in this way—it robs you of the motivation and physical energy you need to do the very things that would make you feel better. …
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