Well-being and mental health support
There are usually many factors that contribute to struggles with well-being and mental health. The impact of the global pandemic and world events, the cost of living crisis, concerns around our job, family or friends, overstretched and underfunded public services to name a few. These stressors and other challenging life events affect everyone differently. However, the pressures and demands of living in the modern world can, among other things, understandably result in :
- Anxiety & stress
- Panic attacks
- Generalised anxiety
- Chronic worry
- Health anxiety
- Social anxiety
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Phobias
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Depression & low mood
- Low self-esteem/self-worth
- Self-criticism & shame
- Perfectionism
- Low confidence
- Assertiveness issues
- Intense & overwhelming emotions
- Relationship difficulties
- Anger
- Insomnia & sleep problems
- increases, decreases in appetite & the relationship with food & eating
Childhood Trauma
There may also be experiences and trauma from childhood, adolescence and early adulthood that you have lived through which impact your mental health, well-being, sense of who you are and the version of yourself you have become. Adverse experiences might include:
- Abuse (physical, emotional, sexual)
- Witnessing &/or being involved in domestic abuse &/or violence
- Childhood neglect, emotional deprivation, & poverty
- Attachment & relationship difficulties & disruptions
- Repeated criticism, bullying or humiliation at home &/or at school
- Parental loss, illness &/or mental health difficulties
- Being sent to boarding school
- Being treated differently to your siblings
These types of experiences impact a child's developing nervous system leading to frequently being in survival states of either 'fight and flight' and 'collapse and shut-down'. The experiences above and other more 'subtle' but repeated experiences can contribute to Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) which has many emotional, psychological, relational and often physical health consequences including:
- feeling jumpy, hyper-alert & vigilant
- emotional dysregulation
- taking a long time to calm down after being upset
- feeling numb, shut down &/or cut-off from oneself (e.g. dissociation, depersonalisation)
- relationship problems, feeling distant or cut-off from others or the world (e.g. derealisation)
- upsetting dreams, memories & intrusions
- avoidance of thoughts, feelings, sensations
- avoidance of people, places, conversations, objects, activities etc
- feeling negatively about oneself (e.g. feeling like a failure, worthless or self-loathing)
- trouble functioning at home, in the workplace, college or university etc
- self-damaging or self-defeating patterns of behaviour (e.g. people pleasing, avoidance, perfectionism, over-working/using substances/food/exercise etc to try to feel better)
- gut/digestive problems &/or irritable bowel syndrome
- auto-immune health problems
Life events, transitions & personal development
Further, as we travel through life, there are inevitable life changes we may face or events that are undeniably challenging. In circumstances such as these, having a space to talk, understand, emotionally process and make sense of what you are experiencing is valuable. Additionally, discovering a way through the challenges, can be transformative and lead to significant personal growth. Life events, transitions and opportunities for growth include:
- Transitions, adjustments & change (eg. going to university, a new job, being made redundant, contemplating/becoming or not becoming a parent, separations & divorce, menopause, children 'flying the nest', retirement etc)
- Issues affecting women at different life stages
- Work stresses
- Bereavement, loss & grief
- Developing an health condition, illness, chronic pain
- Challenges supporting a family member
- An opportunity for reflection, understanding your coping patterns in your personal & professional life, discovering how your patterns may be keeping you stuck & no-longer serve you, bring you happiness &/or success
If you are facing any of these issues or others and would like some mental health & wellbeing support, please get in touch to discuss whether I can help.