Distinguishing Healthy Guilt from Unhealthy Guilt to Safeguard Mental Health and Build Resilience

Guilt is a complex emotion that can have a significant impact on our mental well-being. While a certain degree of guilt can be a healthy response to our actions, excessive and irrational guilt can lead to severe mental health consequences. In this article, we explore the difference between healthy guilt and unhealthy guilt, and how understanding this distinction can protect our mental health from potential disasters.

Healthy Guilt: A Natural Check on Behavior

Healthy guilt is a normal and adaptive emotion that arises when we recognize that we have done something wrong or hurtful to others. It acts as a moral compass, prompting us to reflect on our actions, take responsibility, and make amends. This type of guilt can lead to positive behavior changes and foster empathy and compassion in our relationships.

Unhealthy Guilt: The Burden of Excessive Self-Blame

Unhealthy guilt, on the other hand, goes beyond the reasonable bounds of self-examination. It occurs when an individual feels excessively responsible for negative events, even when they are not directly responsible or have little control over the situation. This form of guilt can be irrational, unwarranted, and lead to a persistent sense of inadequacy and self-blame.

The Impact on Mental Health

Recognizing the difference between healthy and unhealthy guilt is crucial because they can have drastically different effects on mental health. Healthy guilt can lead to personal growth and improved relationships, but unhealthy guilt can be emotionally crippling, leading to anxiety, depression, and a diminished sense of self-worth. Individuals burdened by excessive guilt may withdraw from social interactions, experience sleep disturbances, and develop a negative self-image.

Identifying Unhealthy Guilt Triggers

Understanding the triggers of unhealthy guilt is essential in addressing and managing this detrimental emotion. Unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, traumatic experiences, and unresolved conflicts are some common factors that contribute to the development of unhealthy guilt. By identifying these triggers, individuals can work towards challenging irrational thoughts and perceptions.

Strategies to Cope with Unhealthy Guilt

Overcoming unhealthy guilt requires a proactive approach towards mental well-being. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective method for challenging negative thought patterns and replacing them with healthier beliefs. Seeking support from friends, family, or a mental health professional can provide a safe space for expressing emotions and gaining perspective. Mindfulness and self-compassion practices can also help individuals accept their imperfections and cultivate a more forgiving attitude towards themselves.

Cultivating Emotional Resilience

Building emotional resilience is key to managing guilt and protecting mental health. This involves developing coping skills to navigate life's challenges, learning to forgive oneself, and understanding that everyone makes mistakes. Embracing a growth mindset allows individuals to view setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth rather than reasons for constant self-blame.

Self-Awareness: Start by developing a deeper understanding of your emotions and how they influence your thoughts and behaviors. Recognize patterns of emotional responses and identify triggers that lead to stress or negative feelings.

1. Positive Mindset: Cultivate a positive outlook on life by focusing on the aspects you can control and the opportunities for growth in difficult situations. Practice gratitude and try to reframe negative thoughts into more constructive ones.

2. Social Support: Building a strong support network of friends, family, or colleagues is crucial for emotional resilience. Connecting with others, sharing experiences, and seeking support during challenging times can help reduce feelings of isolation and provide valuable perspectives.

3. Problem-Solving Skills: Enhance your problem-solving abilities to tackle challenges effectively. Break down complex problems into smaller, manageable steps, and approach them with a clear and systematic strategy.

4. Emotional Regulation: Learn to manage and express emotions in a healthy and constructive manner. Practice mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation, to help regulate emotions and reduce stress.

5. Flexibility and Adaptability: Life is full of uncertainties, and being flexible and adaptable is key to resilience. Embrace change as a natural part of life and develop the ability to adjust your plans and expectations accordingly.

6. Set Realistic Goals: Set achievable and realistic goals for yourself. Break larger goals into smaller milestones, and celebrate each step of progress, no matter how small.

7. Learn from Adversity: View challenging experiences as opportunities for learning and growth. Reflect on how you've overcome past difficulties and use those lessons to strengthen your resilience for the future.

8. Take Care of Yourself: Prioritize self-care, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, and time for relaxation and hobbies. A healthy lifestyle can significantly contribute to emotional well-being.

9. Seek Professional Support: If you find yourself overwhelmed by emotions or struggling to cope with difficult circumstances, consider seeking help from a mental health professional. They can provide guidance, support, and additional coping strategies tailored to your specific needs.

Conclusion

Guilt, in its healthy form, serves as a guide to living ethically and empathetically. However, when guilt becomes excessive and unwarranted, it can lead to mental health disasters, affecting self-esteem, relationships, and overall well-being. By recognizing the distinction between healthy and unhealthy guilt and adopting strategies to cope with excessive guilt, individuals can protect their mental health and lead more fulfilling lives. Seeking professional help when needed is a sign of strength and a step towards building emotional resilience and self-compassion.

Anxiety Attacks

PANIC DISORDER TREATMENT

Now is the time to stop panic attacks from ruining your life!

We have the solution that will put you in control today

A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming anxiety and fear. Your heart pounds and you can’t breathe. You may even feel like you’re dying or going crazy. Left untreated, panic attacks can lead to panic disorder and other problems. They may even cause you to withdraw from normal activities. But panic attacks can be cured and the sooner you seek help, the better. With treatment, you can reduce or eliminate the symptoms of panic and regain control of your life.

Signs and symptoms of a panic attack

Panic attacks often strike when you’re away from home, but they can happen anywhere and at any time. You may have one while you’re in a store shopping, walking down the street, driving in your car, or sitting on the couch at home.

The signs and symptoms of a panic attack develop abruptly and usually reach their peak within 10 minutes. Most panic attacks end within 20 to 30 minutes, and they rarely last more than an hour.

A full-blown panic attack includes a combination of the following signs and symptoms:

• Shortness of breath or hyperventilation

• Heart palpitations or a racing heart

• Chest pain or discomfort

• Trembling or shaking

• Choking feeling

• Feeling unreal or detached from your surroundings

• Sweating

• Nausea or upset stomach

• Feeling dizzy, light-headed, or faint

• Numbness or tingling sensations

• Hot or cold flashes

• Fear of dying, losing control, or going crazy

Treatment for panic attacks and panic disorder

Panic attacks and panic disorder are treatable conditions. They can usually be treated successfully with self-help strategies or a series of therapy sessions.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY

Cognitive behavioral therapy is generally viewed as the most effective form of treatment for panic attacks, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the thinking patterns and behaviors that are sustaining or triggering the panic attacks. It helps you look at your fears in a more realistic light.

For example, if you had a panic attack while driving, what is the worst thing that would really happen? While you might have to pull over to the side of the road, you are not likely to crash your car or have a heart attack. Once you learn that nothing truly disastrous is going to happen, the experience of panic becomes less terrifying.

EXPOSURE RESPONSE PREVENTION THERAPY FOR PANIC ATTACKS AND PANIC DISORDER

In exposure therapy for panic disorder, you are exposed to the physical sensations of panic in a safe and controlled environment, giving you the opportunity to learn healthier ways of coping. You may be asked to hyperventilate, shake your head from side to side, or hold your breath. These different exercises cause sensations similar to the symptoms of panic. With each exposure, you become less afraid of these internal bodily sensations and feel a greater sense of control over your panic.

If you have agoraphobia, exposure to the situations you fear and avoid is also included in treatment. As in exposure therapy for specific phobias, you face the feared situation until the panic begins to go away. Through this experience, you learn that the situation isn’t harmful and that you have control over your emotions.

MEDICATION TREATMENT FOR PANIC ATTACKS AND PANIC DISORDER

Medication can be used to temporarily control or reduce some of the symptoms of panic disorder. However, it doesn't treat or resolve the problem. Medication can be useful in severe cases, but it should not be the only treatment pursued. Medication is most effective when combined with other treatments, such as therapy and lifestyle changes, that address the underlying causes of panic disorder.

The medications used for panic attacks and panic disorder include:

• Antidepressants. Not what you think. This is the name of a couple classes of medications. Some of them are also effective at treating depression. Some of them are better for anxiety. Just know that these medicines take several weeks before they begin to work, so you have to take them continuously, not just during a panic attack.

• Benzodiazepines. These are anti-anxiety drugs that act very quickly (usually within 30 minutes to an hour). Taking them during a panic attack provides rapid relief of symptoms. However, benzodiazepines are highly addictive and have serious withdrawal symptoms, so they should be used with caution.

SELF-HELP TIPS FOR PANIC ATTACKS AND PANIC DISORDER

When it comes to panic attacks, professional treatment and therapy can make a big difference. But there are many things you can do to help yourself, too:

• Learn about panic. Simply knowing more about panic can go a long way towards relieving your distress. So read up on anxiety, panic disorder, and the fight-or-flight response experienced during a panic attack. You’ll learn that the sensations and feelings you have when you panic are normal and that you aren’t going crazy.

• Avoid smoking and caffeine. Smoking and caffeine can provoke panic attacks in people who are susceptible. As a result, it’s wise to avoid cigarettes, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages. Also be careful with medications that contain stimulants, such as diet pills and non-drowsy cold medications.

• Learn how to control your breathing. Hyperventilation brings on many sensations (such as lightheadedness and tightness of the chest) that occur during a panic attack. Deep breathing, on the other hand, can relieve the symptoms of panic. By learning to control your breathing, you develop a coping skill that you can use to calm yourself down when you begin to feel anxious. If you know how to control your breathing, you are also less likely to create the very sensations that you are afraid of.

• Practice relaxation techniques. When practiced regularly, activities such as yoga, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation strengthen the body’s relaxation response—the opposite of the stress response involved in anxiety and panic. And not only do these relaxation practices promote relaxation, but they also increase feelings of joy and equanimity. So make time for them in your daily routine.

ARE YOU TIRED OF PANIC ATTACKS CONTROLLING
YOUR LIFE?

• Are you afraid to go outside your home or another “safe” environment?

• Do you feel unease when in unfamiliar places for fear that you might have a panic attack?

• Do you ever suddenly feel overcome with fear or dread for no reason?

• Has your heart raced and pounded so hard that you thought that you were going to die or have a heart attack?

We would like to help you be free of panic and terrible feelings such as a racing heartbeat, sweaty palms (diaphoresis), tunnel vision, or feeling like your thoughts are racing.

You may not know what is happening when you experience those feelings and you are unsure of where they come from and how to stop them. We can help you find relief!

You may have thoughts that you will do or say something embarrassing or that you are going crazy. Maybe you even experience shortness of breath, shaking or trembling and really fear that you are about to die. Therapy can help you return to a safe place and get rid of panic attacks forever. 

Perhaps you feel stuck. You may find that you do things in a certain way so that you can feel prepared for a quick escape. For example, you might sit at the end of the aisle in a theater because you know that you can get out quickly if you need to. Or, you may use certain roads because these are your “safe” routes. When what you really desire is to be able to enjoy life and stop basing your decisions on fear and worry about having a panic attack and do things because you want to do them.
 

PANIC ATTACKS ARE COMMON

You may be suffering quietly, thinking that no one else has such fearful thoughts and scary bodily symptoms. You are not alone. In fact, according to the National Institute for Mental Health, panic disorder affects about six million people a year and is more common in women than men. But that doesn’t mean that you have to live with it. 

The body’s response, with all of these bodily sensations, goes back to the days of the cave man. If the caveman found himself facing danger, the fight or flight response was automatically triggered in his body. His adrenaline began to pump, his sense of sight and smell became much more acute and his body began to perspire to cool him down. This along with other physiological changes prepared him to either fight for his life or flee.

Because it is linked to these old survival behaviors, panic can actually be a good response.  If you walk into the street and there is a car speeding toward you, you want this alarm system to kick into action to get you out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, this response can kick in when there is no real danger. It seems to come out of the blue.

Panic disorder can develop when you begin to fear having more panic attacks. You may constantly feel a sense of dread and find that you avoid places where you had a panic attack. This can really negatively affect your quality of life. Thankfully, with the help of an experienced therapist, you can find peace and ease in your body and your mind.
 

THERAPY FOR PANIC ATTACKS CAN HELP YOU FIND LASTING RELIEF
 

You don’t have to suffer anymore.  One of the most common things that I hear from my clients is that they just want to get back to their old self. They want to do and be what they were before the panic took ahold of them and destroyed their lives.  You don’t have to live a life in fear that you will never know when your next attack is coming. 

With research based, effective therapy for panic attacks, the counselors at lighthouse have literally helped thousands of people over the last 17 years. We have a combined 64 years of experience helping people get back to enjoying life again.

Hypnosis:

In some instances, using Eriksonian Hypnosis and light hypnotic trance states can help certain people accelerate their progress. Please call and talk with us about available treatments. Let us restructure your brain’s electrical and chemical response in situations that trigger panic. Become unafraid of what many people view as deadly.

Panic attacks are a signal from the conscious and subconscious mind that something is a threat and needs to change. It is a big, scary red stop sign. But it is possible that the things that we should be afraid of Generalize to situations that we need not be afraid.

So while panic attacks seem to come out of the nowhere, they are often connected to things that happened early in life that have not yet been resolved

You, too, can get relief from panic attacks. Imagine what your life will be like when you are engaged in doing just what you want....Just the things that make you feel happy again!

No fear at having fun or gong out engaging in social settings without the fear of having a full blown panic attack. This relief is possible for you! 

You may believe that therapy for panic attacks can help you feel better and function with greater ease, but still have questions or concerns…
 

HOW DO I KNOW IF THERAPY FOR PANIC ATTACKS WILL HELP ME?
 

Give us 45 minutes. One single consultation and if you do not feel some sense of improvement, we can refer to you another mode or person for treatment. However in seventeen years of practice, we have never met anyone whom was not helped by our services. 

ISN’T THERAPY EXPENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING?
 

Many times when people think of therapy, they think it will drag on for years. We use a time conscious approach to therapy. We want to help you get well fast!

Many people feel they are able to step down to less frequent sessions after only a handful. Some feel they are making such great gains, that they want to work on other topcs or issues as well. However Therapy is neither expensive or time consuming.

We are in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PPO insurance which is the largest insurer in Illinois. In most situations, therapy is covered with a low $15 - $20 Copay. 

Stop and think for a moment how panic attacks have impacted you? Do they stop you from enjoying your life? Do they limit you? Therapy for relief from panic attacks is an investment in your long-term well-being. How much is that worth to you? Invest in yourself. Do something good for you and take your life and your performance to the next level. 

There is a saying that we only go through life once. How do you want to go through your life?

Change is possible! 
 

Now is the time to stop letting panic attacks control your life.

Make an appointment today to start living the rest of your life tomorrow.

Triggers to Anxiety

Common Anxiety Triggers and their Coping Strategies

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a disorder that compromises your mental health to an extent that it starts affecting your physical health as well. People going through anxiety disorder respond to otherwise normal situations with fear and worry. They face constant physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, etc.

Common Symptoms:

There are several symptoms depending on the type of anxiety disorder. Some common symptoms are listed below:

Physical:

·       Cold hands

·       Excessive sweating

·       Palpitations

·       Having a dry mouth

·       Constant feeling of nausea or vomiting

·       Numbness or tingling sensations

Mental:

·       Feeling fear, tension, panic

·       Having nightmares

·       Continuous flashbacks

·       Irrational and obsessive thoughts

Behavioral:

·       Always feeling restless

·       Difficult to stay calm

·       Abnormal behaviors, such as shaking legs, etc.

·       Insomnia or sleeping too

Common Anxiety Triggers:

Different types of anxiety are stimulated by different triggering factors. Certain habits, situations, events, or stressors can aggravate your anxiety if they are out of your control. Some of them are mentioned below:

ü  Caffeine:

ü  Research has shown that too much intake of caffeine triggers and even worsens anxiety symptoms. Its high doses can cause panic attacks in people already going through the disorder. 

ü  Inappropriate Sleep:

Adequate sleep is really important for the proper functioning of the brain. Not having enough or quality sleep changes our mood and emotional state of mind and can be a triggering factor for anxiety.  

ü  Skipping Meals/ Inadequate Dietary Intake:

Good nutrition is really important for the optimal functioning of both mind and body. Taking an inadequate or inappropriate diet interferes with our daily life activities. Skipping meals can also trigger anxiety as it causes a lack of energy and low blood glucose levels leading to fight or flight response. 

ü  Certain Medications:

Medicines should always be used as prescribed by physicians. Using over-the-counter medicines can trigger anxiety in some cases. Some medicines that can be a triggering factor are:

-        Antidepressants

-        Corticosteroids

-        Anti-histamines

-        Thyroid medicines

ü  Self-doubt:

Low self-esteem and self-neglect are the major causes of anxiety. Ignoring your body cues and not taking care of your physical needs can aggravate stress. It makes you hopeless and irritable.

ü  Health Complications:

Encountering any severe health problem that is difficult to treat can lead to anxiety. Sadness and worry increase symptoms. Certain health conditions like thyroid problems directly cause anxiety due to hormonal imbalances.

ü  Sudden Change in Life:

Unexpected life changes can be disturbing for some people. Loss of a loved one, losing a job, or getting a new one, etc. can challenge your mental state. These events can cause anxiety or worsen the existing anxiety.

ü  Disturbed Relationships:

Having compromised relationships affects your mental health. If you are not able to manage certain arguments and conflicts, they can aggravate stress which can trigger anxiety. 

Improve your Coping with Anxiety?

When you recognize your anxiety triggers, the next step is to focus on their management. Make plans to decrease the times you experience anxiety symptoms and avoid those triggers which aggravate them. Some ways to control anxiety are given below:

o   Improve Your Physical Health:

Maintaining your physical health decreases the risk of developing stress. Avoiding excess intake of alcohol or caffeine, taking nutritious food, and staying physically active improve overall health.

o   Regulate Emotional Skills:

Learn to deal with stressful situations. Work on different tools of stress regulation like mindfulness, deep breathing, certain exercises, etc. It will help you to stay calm during a stressful situation. 

o   Meditation/Yoga:

Meditation is very good for your mental health. It enables you to focus on the present moment and helps you get rid of stressful thoughts and sad events of the past. Yoga has a very soothing and calming effect on the body as well. 

o   Stay Optimistic:

There is always a way out of a difficult situation. Try to look at the positive side of life. Staying hopeful and positive will help you decrease stress levels. 

o   Realize your Self-Worth:

Realize your self-worth. Give respect and love yourself. Work on positive self-talk. You are important and your mental health is very crucial to maintain your overall health.

o   Ask for Help:

Never feel shy to ask for help when you can’t control your situation. Go to people you feel comfortable with and share your thoughts. It will help you release your thoughts and decrease the risk of anxiety.  

o   Seek Professional Help:

Sometimes you unintentionally adopt habits to manage the anxiety that actually has damaging effects on your health. A therapist will help you recognize them and teach you to manage them. Anxiety can be life-threatening if not treated on time. Go to a professional physiologist who will help you to identify the root cause of anxiety, preventing its reoccurrence in the future. You can make an appointment with any of our counselors for in person, or telemedicine appointments at: http://www.orlandparkcounselors.com/appointment

Common Anxiety Triggers and their Coping Strategies

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a disorder that compromises your mental health to an extent that it starts affecting your physical health as well. People going through anxiety disorder respond to otherwise normal situations with fear and worry. They face constant physical symptoms such as palpitations, and sweating.

Common Symptoms:

There are several symptoms depending on the type of anxiety disorder. Some common symptoms are listed below:

Physical:

Cold hands

Excessive sweating·       

Heart Palpitations·       

Having a dry mouth·       

Constant feeling of nausea or vomiting·       

Numbness or tingling sensations

Mental Symptoms:     

Feeling fear, tension, panic·      

Having nightmares·      

Continuous flashbacks·      

Irrational and obsessive thoughts

Behavioral:

Always feeling restless·      

Difficult to stay calm·      

Abnormal behaviors, such as shaking legs, etc.·      

Insomnia or sleeping

Common Anxiety Triggers:

Different types of anxiety are stimulated by different triggering factors. Certain habits, situations, events, or stressors can aggravate your anxiety if they are out of your control. Some of them are mentioned below:

Caffeine:

Research has shown that too much intake of caffeine triggers and even worsens anxiety symptoms. Its high doses can cause panic attacks in people already going through the disorder. ü  Inappropriate Sleep:Adequate sleep is really important for the proper functioning of the brain. Not having enough or quality sleep changes our mood and emotional state of mind and can be a triggering factor for anxiety.  

Skipping Meals/ Inadequate Dietary Intake:

Good nutrition is really important for the optimal functioning of both mind and body. Taking an inadequate or inappropriate diet interferes with our daily life activities. Skipping meals can also trigger anxiety as it causes a lack of energy and low blood glucose levels leading to fight or flight response. ü 

Certain Medications:

Medicines should always be used as prescribed by physicians. Using over-the-counter medicines can trigger anxiety in some cases. Some medicines that can be a triggering factor are:

Antidepressants- Prescribed by a doctor, these medicines are sometimes necessary to combat depression or anxiety. They may be necessary, but can cause their own side effects.

Corticosteroids-        Often prescribed for inflammation or chronic conditions these medications can have subtle side effects on our thinking and feelings.

Anti-histamines-        Powerful mediators of our body’s response to infection or inflammation, these medications can have subtle effects on our thinking and feelings including a new combination of an anti=histamine and atypical anti depressant that can combat cravings in addiction.

Thyroid medicines= Indirectly mediating our cognitive processes by balancing our thyroid function which left functioning abnormally can cause what mimics agitation, anxiety and depression.

Self-doubt:

Low self-esteem and self-neglect are the major causes of anxiety. Ignoring your body cues and not taking care of your physical needs can aggravate stress. It makes you hopeless and irritable. 

Health Complications:

Encountering any severe health problem that is difficult to treat can lead to anxiety. Sadness and worry increase symptoms. Certain health conditions like thyroid problems directly cause anxiety due to hormonal imbalances.

Sudden Change in Life:

Unexpected life changes can be disturbing for some people. Loss of a loved one, losing a job, or getting a new one, etc. can challenge your mental state. These events can cause anxiety or worsen the existing anxiety.

Disturbed Relationships:

Having compromised relationships affects your mental health. If you are not able to manage certain arguments and conflicts, they can aggravate stress which can trigger anxiety.  Do you want to Cope with Anxiety? When you recognize your anxiety triggers, the next step is to focus on their management. Make plans to decrease the times you experience anxiety symptoms and avoid those triggers which aggravate them. Some ways to control anxiety are given below

Improve Your Physical Health:

Maintaining your physical health decreases the risk of developing stress. Avoiding excess intake of alcohol or caffeine, taking nutritious food, and staying physically active improve overall health.

Regulate Emotional Skills:

Learn to deal with stressful situations. Work on different tools of stress regulation like mindfulness, deep breathing, certain exercises, etc. It will help you to stay calm during a stressful situation.

Meditation/Yoga:

Meditation is very good for your mental health. It enables you to focus on the present moment and helps you get rid of stressful thoughts and sad events of the past. Yoga has a very soothing and calming effect on the body as well.

Stay Optimistic:

There is always a way out of a difficult situation. Try to look at the positive side of life. Staying hopeful and positive will help you decrease stress levels.

Realize your Self-Worth:

Realize your self-worth. Give respect and love yourself. Work on positive self-talk. You are important and your mental health is very crucial to maintain your overall health.

Ask for Help:

Never feel shy to ask for help when you can’t control your situation. Go to people you feel comfortable with and share your thoughts. It will help you release your thoughts and decrease the risk of anxiety.

Seek Professional Help:

Sometimes you unintentionally adopt habits to manage the anxiety that actually has damaging effects on your health. A therapist will help you recognize them and teach you to manage them. Anxiety can be life-threatening if not treated on time. Go to a professional physiologist who will help you to identify the root cause of anxiety, preventing its reoccurrence in the future.

Counseling for Trauma

As humans, we experience different emotions and feelings in our daily lives. Some experiences are good others are bad. There are some painful experiences that are hard to forget, and they linger with us throughout our lives, it seems irreversible to detach yourself from that feeling or emotion. When any memory or feeling severely and negatively affects us without our conscious focus, and we are not able to let go of that, it becomes a trauma. It doesn’t always need to be a physical experience, anything that severely affects your emotions negatively can be traumatic. The immediate responses to this include denial or shock. Its long-term consequences include flashbacks, unwanted and uncomfortable emotions, strained relationships, trust issues, etc. It can also have a physical impact on an individual. It alters your way of thinking and behaving.  

Psychological trauma is an emotional response to some horrible life experiences. They shatter the sense of security of an individual and make them vulnerable, so they easily get affected by even a minor bad incident. Although trauma is considered to be a normal response to any unwanted bad experience, its consequences are damaging for some people. It hinders one’s ability to live a normal life and carry out daily life routines. Every person has different responses to different damaging events. The same event can be traumatic for one person but cannot be a big deal for another. It depends on the individual’s coping strategies and inner strength, that is how they overcome the situation.

Causes of Psychological Trauma:

-        any severe accident, injury, rape

-        any natural disaster

-        loss of a loved one

-        physical or emotional abuse, childhood bullying, or neglect

-        domestic violence

There are certain situations where you are not primarily or physically involved but they impact your mental health seriously. For example, you may not be present at the site of an earthquake but watching pictures of the victims online can emotionally affect you and disturb your mental health.

How Trauma Affects you?

Trauma has a different impact on different people.

Body’s Response to trauma:

During a stressful situation, our body releases the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. They prepare the body to fight any danger and it is an automated response.

-        body becomes paralyzed or numb

-        trying to fight or protest

-        trying to hide from everyone around

-        seeking the pleasure of the oppressor

Effects on mental health:

Some effects on mental health are:

-        reliving that incident as if it’s happening right now 

-        having panic attacks

-        feeling disassociated with people around, feeling like the world around is unreal

-        insomnia, nightmares

-        devaluing yourself, low self-esteem, self-blame

-        having suicidal thoughts, harming yourself

Impacts on physical health:

Scientific research has suggested that traumatic event makes you vulnerable to developing certain physical problems and can lead to chronic diseases. It can weaken your immune response and delay your natural healing process.

A psychological disorder can impact the mind and body at the same time making you more anxious and stressed. It further delays the coping process.

How can you Heal? 

Every person has different experiences with healing from trauma. Different people use different approaches. Here are a few options that can be used to heal.

Physical Movement/ Exercise:

Traumatic conditions impact the natural equilibrium of your body. Staying physically active can help you restore the momentum and nervous system. Exercising for a few minutes a day help improves your mood and physical well-being. You can take a slow start with 10-15 minutes then expand it to an hour. It helps strengthen your physical and spiritual muscles. Stay mindful while doing the exercise. Try to do an exercise that uses both arms and legs. It will help you move your focus from negative thoughts and shift your attention toward your growth and healing.

Stay in Touch:

Staying in connection is also an important point in the healing process. Don’t isolate yourself in a room, it will make you more negative and hopeless. Go out, meet people, and have fun. Spend more time with nature. Volunteer in activities that divert your thoughts from the stressful event. Try to participate in social activities. Helping others will make you happy. You can also join a support group of people struggling with trauma. It will motivate you and encourage you to fight the situation.

 Ask for Help:

If anything is continuously affecting your mental peace and health, don’t sit back, ask for help from OakLawnCounselors.com. If you feel uncomfortable sharing your thoughts with family or friends, you can share them with your counselor. An Oak Lawn Counselor will listen to you and understand your situation without judging you. They can help you have a better outlook on your situation and help you find a way out of it.

No matter what the cause of the trauma is and no matter how long it happened in your life, there is always a way of healing and moving on with your life.