Depression can often be brought on by life stress, or by a sudden loss, such as relationship breakdown or the loss of a job. It is characterised by low mood, pessimistic thoughts, hopelessness, poor sleep and the thought that life is not worth living. People with depression are often also anxious; they can feel restless and irritable, worried that they…
Anxiety is the feeling you have when you think that something unpleasant is going to happen in the future. Other words such as feeling ‘apprehensive’, ‘uncertain’, ‘nervous’ and ‘on edge’ also provide a good description of feelings linked to anxiety. This is completely normal and something that all human beings experience from time to time, when faced with situations that…
Is your temper hijacking your life? These tips and techniques can help you get anger under control and express your feelings in healthier ways. Anger is neither good nor bad; it is normal and healthy. It tells you that a situation is upsetting, unfair, or threatening, just like any other emotion. However, that message never has a chance to be…
Low Self-esteem – I accept myself because I’m alive and have the capacity to enjoy my existence. I am not my behaviour. I can rate my traits and my behaviour, but it is impossible to rate something as complex as my ‘self.’ Self-esteem refers to how good we feel about ourselves. Most people feel that they do reasonably well most…
Trauma or PTSD is an anxiety disorder which may develop following exposure to any one of a variety of traumatic events that involve actual or threatened death, or serious injury. The event may be witnessed rather than directly experienced and even learning about it may be sufficient if the persons involved are family members or close friends. Typical traumatic events…
Social anxiety/phobia refers to an excessive anxiety about social situations. Someone with social phobia might be afraid of blushing or stammering in conversation, and believe that if he does these things, others will judge him harshly, or he may believe that he seems boring or unattractive to others. Sufferers often describe a vivid image of themselves as seen by others,…
Overview Abnormal attitude to food They tend to focus exclusively on their fat leading to making unhealth choices with damaging results Types of Eating disorders Starving and excessive Anorexia – keep weight low Bulimia – Control body weight by binge, vomiting, purging laxatives. Binge Eating – Compulsion to overeat Unhealthy Beliefs How is problem being maintained. Unhealthy beliefs are prominent…
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) Well-established research suggests that a large majority of people sometimes experience unwanted, intrusive thoughts (OCD). Most people are able to ignore such thoughts, but for some they can cause difficulties. In such a case we speak of obsessional thoughts or obsessions. A common thought is that the sufferer, either through carelessness or deliberately, might harm someone,…
Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS is a condition whereby the intestines squeeze too hard or not hard enough and cause food to move too quickly or too slowly through the digestive system. This is not a disease, but rather a collection of symptoms shared by many people. It is because this is such a varied condition that there is no single…
Phobias are an excessive fear; sometimes it is focused on an object like spiders, or situation, like going to the dentist; sometimes, as in social phobia, it involves a fear of social situations, and sometimes people with a phobia will also suffer from panic attacks. Having a phobia can be very embarrassing, and many sufferers will go to great lengths…