Blog

Dealing with Chronic Pain and its Influence on Mental Health

Nobody wants to be in physical discomfort. Accidently biting our cheek or stubbing our toe can make us feel furious, frustrated, or incapacitated. Though the misery passes quickly, it can be hard to abandon the lingering emotional condition. If the most threatening injuries we've encountered are biting our cheeks or stubbing our toes, we likely take physical wellness for granted. Most of us awaken without any severe pain issues. We consume breakfast, head to work, care for the k...

Conquering Your Social Anxiety

Everybody has social anxiety sometimes. We don't enjoy being in awkward situations where we are pushed to interact with individuals we might otherwise not communicate with. Betrothals, receptions, lunches, and community barbecues can make us feel anxious. However, we generally tend to settle down once we arrive and realize that the uncertainty of an affair is not as poor as the reality. However, when social anxiety is a routine part of your life and stops you from doing things you adore, ...

Absent-Mindedness and Memory Issues in Younger Individuals

Forgetfulness is expected as we age because of transformations in our brains. Diminished blood flow and fewer hormones and proteins utilized to restore brain cells and promote neural growth are pervasive in older people. While aging people can use numerous tricks and best practices to enhance cognitive skills, many are beyond their control. But what if you are a younger individual who struggles with memory issues? Maybe you've been dubbed absent-minded or spacey. You forget keys...

Turning Pain into Change

Do you long for peace over tension? Are your efforts lining up with your desires? Do you feel weighed down by your efforts? Our counselors in Richmond, VA, want you to stop making things so complicated and move freely. Have you ever worked tenaciously to justify, reject, or evade something because you did not like how it made you feel? If you have, you might find accepting what you were attempting to avoid less distressing than the effort it required for you to overlook it. ...

Three Ways to Relieve Anxiety About Therapy

It is not uncommon to feel anxiety before your first therapy session. Deciding to seek the help of a therapist is a massive step toward mental health improvement. It signifies that you are ready to make meaningful choices toward improving your situation. While attending therapy benefits your mental health, you don't have to be completely comfortable with the process. The first time seeing a therapist can initiate anxiety towards attending therapy, especially when you don't have prior ...

Understanding Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, otherwise known as bipolar affective disorder, is a mood disorder that used to be called manic depression. Bipolar disorder causes a person's mood to swing from extreme lows to extreme highs. The depressive symptoms can include low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness, lack of energy, and suicidal thoughts. In contrast, the manic symptoms of this disorder can include agitation, impulsive behavior, excitement, and increased energy. Some sufferers also experience psychot...

Panic Attacks and Panic Disorders at a Glance

Panic attacks are sudden episodes of extreme fear that trigger intense physical reactions when no apparent cause or real danger is present. A panic attack can be highly frightening. When panic attacks occur, you may feel like you're ultimately losing control, having a sudden heart attack, or even dying. However, most people experience just one or two panic attacks throughout their life, and the problem goes away because perhaps a stressful situation has ended. On the other hand,...

Steps Toward Healing from Past Trauma

Experiencing trauma can cause lasting impacts on your life. Trauma can leave you feeling afraid, hopeless, sad, or confused. You may not understand how to move forward with your life, whether your trauma occurred yesterday or whether it happened years ago. Living with trauma is never easy. When you want to overcome your trauma and start the journey towards healing, you will want to start taking these steps. Recognize Your Feelings Many people may want to blame themselves...

Why You May Need to Take a Mental Health Day

When life is constantly moving and your schedule is always full, it can be difficult to take time for yourself. Prioritizing your self-care is essential in caring for your mental health. Although life may seem too busy to actually take time for yourself, this is a great reason to take a mental health day. Taking a step back from all of your responsibilities is just one way to boost your mental health, as our experts in counseling in Richmond, VA suggest. These are a few reasons why you may ne...

How to Set Boundaries (and Actually Stick to Them)

Are you tired of telling yourself that you are done doing certain activities? Do you spend time toiling over how to let people down easily? When you do not want to do something, you should not spend hours worrying about other people’s hurt feelings. Setting boundaries can be a difficult process, but it can lead to a life without burden and with self-care as your priority. When you are always saying yes to things you truly do not want to do, it may be time to set some much-needed boundar...