The hardest thing in managing your mental health is taking that first step.
First things first, how in the world does one take the first step towards battling depression, anxiety, anger or stress? With depression you just don’t care about…..anything. With anxiety you’re too paralyzed with fear to act. Anger tells you that you don’t need any help. Stress sucks all the energy out of you so doing anything becomes just “too much”.
So, some might eventually call up their doctor and get referred to see a mental health person. You go in and they listen to your issues and start challenging you to analyze your feelings, identify your triggers, think back to where this might have all stemmed from, chart out
patterns of behavior, and train you to look at the issue and change the way you think about it. It often just takes all the energy you have to just go to the appointment. Now, you have to do all this work too? Well, what frequently happens is that you’re given all this “homework” and told to utilize what little energy you have to undertake strategies right-away in battling your depression, anxiety, anger or stress. During the session or afterward, you find that you’re just too drained: emotionally, mentally, and physically. You come back to the office over and over again repeating many of the same visits you’ve had previously. Homework doesn’t get finished, maybe you start missing appointments, your focus blurs and the precious little motivation you’ve managed to muster is gone. You might even quit treatment saying how all that mental health and psychology stuff is bullshit. Or, you may no longer have the resources (insurance-wise, monetarily, etc.) to continue treatment. In this age of managed care, insurance companies tell mental health clinicians they only have so many sessions to work with their client. What happens after this period? Insurance stops covering the sessions and you know have to pay the full expense out of your own pocket. No problem if money is no issue, but to most folks this throws a wrench into their plans.
This is why my philosophy is that in order to do all the work the therapists give you and to maximize the effectiveness of treatment; you have to create a strong foundation upon which to build on. With a weak foundation you might become bored with treatment, disengaged from caring, too tired or too stressed to act. If you are someone who is battling anxiety, you’re already thinking and analyzing up a storm. To have to go into an office and be told to do even more thinking can sometimes be just too much for someone. Their thoughts are just out of their control and its extremely hard to make progress.
What I have learned in my time of being a counselor is that in some cases mental health issues arise out of physical, environmental and social issues. To take action on these most basic issues will allow you to have the drive and energy to really tackle your depression, anxiety, anger or stress. In a nutshell, there are some basic things you should do before, or during, treatment to give you the best chance of finding success in dealing with your issues. It’s not that you’re not getting help, but you need to eliminate some basic underlying issues that may be preventing you from feeling better or be the cause of why you aren’t feeling ok.
In the next couple articles, I’ll take about building a solid foundation upon which an effective treatment plan can be built upon. You’ll be more engaged and energized during sessions and come out feeling just a little bit better every day. Progress might be painfully slow and not as fast as you like, but over time these strategies will build on each other and over time will amount to something significant and tangible.
Incoming search terms:
- landscape
- sunset
- describe how underlying personal issues might be addressed
- landscape sunset
- Identify underlying personal issues that may be a cause of poor personal hygiene
- sunset landscapes
- Sun Set
- sunset landscape
- landscape pictures
- landscapes
- how to fight stress and depression
- how to fight stress and anxiety
- how to fight anger and depression
- how underlying personal issues might be addressed
- how to fight anger
- underlying personal issues that may be a cause of poor personal hygiene
- landscapes sunset
- underlying personal issues
- describe how underlying issues might be addressed
- landscape photos
- fighting depression quotes
- sun landscape
- how to fight depression
- scenery paintings
- sunset depression
- landscape with sunset
- fighting stress and anxiety
- landscape images
- landscapes sunsets
- landscape sunsets
- fighting depression and anxiety
- things to do to fight depression
- Describe how underlying personal issues may be addressed
- fight depression and anxiety
- fighting depression at work
- mentally fighting depression and anxiety
- sunset landscape pictures
- Sunset images
- fighting depression
- fighting anger depression
- sunset pictures
- sunset landscape photos
- how to fight depression and stress
- gambar landscape
- 3 2 describe how underlying personal issues might be addressed
- sunset landscape picture
- paralyzed by depression and anxiety
- battling depression and anxiety
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups absolutely free business
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups providing emotional support
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups roleplaying blogs
- anger depression anxiety
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups steps to starting a business
- photo landscape
- how to fight depression and anxiety
- photos of landscape
- yhs-d2s_a
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups running images
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups successful business
- how can you describe how underlying personal issues might be addressed
- you feel paralysed anxious and angry
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups free business card template
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups ways to give emotional support
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups tom tom
- describe underlying personal issues might be addressed
- identify underlying personal issues that might be addressed
- paralyzing anxiety depression
- paralyzed by anger
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups online business degree
- how to fight depression and anger
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups love painting
- i am strong in fighting depression
- how to fight my anger
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups card holder
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups calling card
- landscape images sunset
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups business plan outline
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups business insurance services
- pictures of landscape
- how to deal with depression anxiety and anger
- foods to fight anger and depression
- fighting depression and anger
- strategies for fighting depression
- strategies to fight depression
- strategies for dealing with anger and depression
- strategies to fight stress
- sunset\landscapes
- best way to fight depression and anxiety no health insurance
- battling depression and stress
- anger and anxiety strategies
- underlying issues of anger
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups tom of finland artwork
- nvq level 2 describe how underlying personal issues might be addressed
- words to fight anxiety and stress
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups writing a reference
- things to do combat depression on a budget
- fighting anxiety and stress
- to much stuff to do causing depression
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups wise money tips
- think too much and dont act when stressed
5 comments
Skip to comment form ↓
Gamma-GT
April 8, 2011 at 1:18 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Hello,
I’ve read a few posts here, but find myself looking for an ‘About me’ page. What’s your background?
admin
April 8, 2011 at 11:34 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Thanks for stopping by.
As for me, I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice and have been one for several years now. Many of the clients I’ve worked with, regardless of symptoms, seemed responsive to the strategies I’ve written about if they chose to undertake them. Was it a coincidence or, rather, a shared set of circumstances? Everyone is different, of course, and walks their own path, but there were some commonalities I kept seeing. I saw this website as a way to give back to so many of the people looking for answers out there. Of course, I don’t have all the answers, but my hope is that some of the tips and suggestions I lay out strike a chord with at least a few people.
Hope to see you around again soon!
Tom
April 22, 2011 at 4:57 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Have been fighting depression for some time.. I am suppose to be the stength of the family and will not show weakness.. I hide my feelings and and need to show strength to all surrounding me.. Havingt dealt with the deth of my son and my wives illness for twenty years .. I need to find my strength somewere..I am 75 years ld aqnd never asked for help.. I do not take medicatiopns..
admin
April 22, 2011 at 7:39 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Thanks Tom for having the courage to reach out for some help.
What you’ve had to deal with can really be too much for a person to bear. It’s great that you’ve already gotten into the mindset of asking for some help and I would strongly encourage you to follow-through with that and make an appointment to talk with someone. There was quite a stigma associated with getting mental health help years ago, but now more than ever, seniors are finally getting the help they need and in large numbers. You’d be surprised at the numbers and how many of your friends are no doubt getting help as well. We all have rough patches and crisis to deal with in our lives, but having the courage to seek help is the most important step. I am very glad that you’ve reached out and hope you can call someone to get the help that I am unable to provide via this website. If you don’t know where to go, I would start with calling your doctor and asking him for a recommendation on who he would suggest seeing in your area.
In the meantime, read the articles on my site. They’re not meant as a cure-all, but as a patchwork process that you can mix and match to fit your needs and help find a little relief while you’re waiting to talk with someone.
I wish you luck and kudos to you for having the strength and courage to seek out the help and care you deserve.
Priya
May 23, 2011 at 6:10 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Hi!
After a failed suicide attempt, now I realize that I have been suffering from depression for a long, long time without realizing. I had always thought that those were just “bouts of lows” that will pass. They never did completely and now, and has terribly affected my life. I am stuck with my undergraduate degree, unable to complete the last two courses for the last three semesters(almost a year).
As much as I want to get done, I just don’t find myself studying. I have continuously missed exams for the last one year and I seem to repeat it again and again. I got admission for masters this year, but had to defer admission since I couldn’t finish college. I seem to be sabotaging my own wishes. Now, everything seems like a burden and I just feel like dying.
I somehow can’t have the confidence that a psychiatrist can help. Everyone I talked to tried to link my problem with romance or abusive parents. (I believe though my parents can be quite protective,they are fine. And I couldn’t have a better, supporting boyfriend). I just worry, the rate at which I am becoming moody and cranky, someday, everyone would stop being supportive towards me.
Thanks for your articles. I always blamed myself for my actions. Your articles made me feel less bad about myself:)I hope I can get out of this!
Cheers!