Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety

Anxiety and fear is a natural response when our bodies think that we are at risk or in a dangerous situation and is preparing for fight or flight. Often when clients attend for therapy they have reached a period of crisis and are seeking relief from intrusive thoughts and excessive worry. You may have specific fears or anxieties. You may feel a sense of unease or distress or be catastrophising about the future but don’t know why. Your mind may get stuck in a negative spiral of thoughts. You may feel frozen in fear or terror or feel restless with a desire to escape. You may feel bombarded by negative thoughts which continue to circle around in your head, from which you are not getting any peace. You may feel a sense of disconnection and not being fully present in the world.

Anxiety not only affects our emotions, it can also affect our bodies resulting in physical symptoms such as digestive disorders such as IBS, abdominal pain, headaches, shortness of breath, palpitations and tension.

If you feel overwhelmed by your anxieties or it is impacting negatively on your day to day life then maybe it is time to seek the help of a professional.

Together we will explore the root of your anxieties working at a pace that is as fast or as slow as you feel comfortable with and you will learn coping strategies to better manage your negative thoughts and feelings.

Depression

Life naturally is full of ups and downs and we can all be affected by low mood from time to time, especially when life becomes challenging. However if you experience low mood or symptoms of depression for more than a few weeks at a time it may be a sign that something more serious is going on and that it is time to seek some help (See NHS website).

It may be you have experienced bouts of depression throughout your life. You may have noticed a connection to your mood and hormones eg childbirth, menstrual cycle or menopause or you may be experiencing fatigue and exhaustion and don’t know why. Your depression may have been triggered by a life changing event or significant loss or maybe this is the first time you have felt like this and you have no idea why you are feeling the way you do. You may feel unmotivated and struggle to get up in the morning. You may have lost your appetite or have difficulty sleeping with negative thoughts preoccupying your mind,

Depression can impact on relationships, your work and your perception of the world which can lead to a downward spiral of negative and dark thoughts. You may feel stuck, fearing that your situation cannot change and that life will always be this way. This may lead to an even greater sense of hopelessness, despair and in some instances suicidal thoughts.

As a counsellor I am here to listen and support you to explore, acknowledge and accept your feelings without judgement and help you to learn new ways of coping with whatever is going on, at the same time as encouraging you not to be so hard on yourself and building on your strength and resilience, (even if you have lost touch with it for now) to help you to move forward. We will work together at a pace where you feel comfortable and safe.

Depression can effect people of all ages and from all backgrounds and is nothing to be ashamed of. This short video gives an insight into some people’s personal experiences of depression