Ending a relationship can be simple or it can be problematic, and for every one person, there is a point where enough is enough. Regardless of the kind relationship, it sometimes helps to seek counseling to find therapeutic ways to overcome emotional hurdles. So, when is it time? For starters, when you start coming second to everything else. Feeling desired and wanted are necessary in every romantic relationship because that is the foundation of why two people come together. It may be difficult to articulate, but voicing to your partner that you need quality time with them is imperative. Human nature sometimes allows us the ignorance of knowing when we are in the wrong and at that time it is the duty of another person to point it out. Secondly, people talk about long distance relationships being difficult and unrealistic, but what about the person who is sitting next to you but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually somewhere else? Some couples describe their relationship being in a rut, and that can be a clue to ending it or working on the issues. Delicately and sensitively deciding on that issue can be tough. Another difficult situation is when a partner is pulling…
OCD is obsessive-compulsive disorder, a mental illness under the umbrella of anxiety disorders. However, OCD is not just needing your hair to look perfect on the day of a presentation or ironing your underwear, for those who suffer from this disorder, their day to day life is functionally impaired. The individuals affected by OCD have intense feelings of obsessive thinking and compulsion that are persistent, repetitive, and require an urgent need for action. Living with OCD directly interferes with a person’s quality of life. For a person who suffers from OCD, a typical day consists of a vicious cycle filled with doubts, anxieties, and inconsolable feelings. Some common afflictions are: Fear of contamination: This can be food, water, or even the clothing you wear. Poor hygiene, Hand washing, face washing, doing laundry, doing the dishes. Ideas of personal harm: Suicide, cutting, stabbing. Ideas of harming others: This is not limited to homicide, but even harming family members, i.e. stabbing a loved one in their sleep. Ideas of physical damage: Property or personal belongings Resisting the urge to carry out a compulsion can be difficult short term, but extremely useful long-term. OCD gives a person these consistent intrusive thoughts that are…
Social anxiety is anxiety related to anticipating or around a social situation. For most, the underlying fear is of evaluation from others in social circumstances, whether it be positive or negative. When you suffer from social anxiety, your goal may be to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Unfortunately for some, they may find themselves avoiding the situations where they anticipate being anxious or use alcohol or drugs to self-medicate before entering these situations. Speaking to an anxiety counselor sooner rather than later, can decrease your risks associated with alcohol abuse, depression, loneliness, decreased occupational advancement and the increased likelihood of remaining single. If social anxiety is stopping you from doing the things you want or need to do, seek professional help today. Challenging yourself on your own is effective until it is ineffective. Lifeworks anxiety counselors are experts in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and stay up to date on all advances for a drug-free approach to dealing with your individualized needs. CBT works by focusing on your behavior and what you are thinking about the why and how of your social anxiety. An integral part of CBT is to help you practice approaching social situations and remain in them in order to learn that nothing really…
Break ups are emotionally, mentally, socially, and physically difficult. For many people, their partner becomes a center focus of their day to day life, so when that person leaves, their day to day life is significantly impacted. The first feeling you may feel is rejection, then anger or sadness or self-shame. There is a time in which these feelings come and go, it’s a natural healing process, however, if these feelings become overwhelming, then it may be a good idea to seek counseling. Overcoming the codependency in the relationship is very important to find new perspective in your life. Entering a relationship opens you up with ideas and possibilities of a future, and when there is a break up a part of the grieving process is accepting that what you wanted to happen no longer may happen with that person. The initial feelings of rejection are related to feelings of self-worth and self-love. When you seek counseling, the therapeutic process will help you recognize and then accept the way you feel about yourself affects the way you relate to people in the world. Taking a closer look at rejection and examining whether someone is a dumper or a dumpee in…
Hitting rock bottom means different things for different people. Lifeworks counselors in the DFW have spent countless hours helping and researching the many ways any one person can find their way up from rock bottom. Taking steps towards happiness is an initial step. At times, we forget what makes us happy, especially if we have not done it in a long time. Adding happiness to your life, even in small ways like a manicure or bird watching, can increase stability and predictability while decreasing chaos. The daily flow you follow is a big player in how you can break bad patterns and find positive ones to find your way up. Creating a flow that allows you to take a mental break will help promote positive thoughts. This takes time, so when you begin the therapeutic process, your counselor will set up a plan that works for you while adjusting to your needs as time passes. Throughout your days of finding your way back up, there will be issues that will arise and possibly nag at you. Some of these issues may help the therapeutic process, allowing you to see what it is you are holding on to. At this point,…
Couples therapy is a touchy subject for many, and it also holds some negative connotations. Lifeworks, located in Dallas and Carrolton, Texas, offers excellent couples therapy for those who feel it is the right step for them. But, how do you know if couples therapy is right for you? At Lifeworks, we understand that breaking up is hard and that staying together is a challenge. Constant fighting often signals that it’s time to get help, a notable lack of confrontation can also be a cause for concern. Just a few reasons to consider couple’s therapy: Repeated fights can corrode trust and a couple’s connection. Do you feel you are slowly drifting away from your partner? Do you find yourself slowly growing apart from your partner because of unresolved conflicts? Are you beginning to entertain the idea of pursuing other sexual relationships? At Lifeworks, we understand that the idea of bringing a third party into your intimate relationship is scary. However, we believe that it is a healthy option for many couples, regardless of the state of their marriage. Couples therapy can help make relationships stronger by giving partners a platform to speak their thoughts openly. The reasons why couples seek couple’s…
Allowing yourself to feel a strong emotion like anger is necessary before you can use it for something positive. Anger has the ability to both encourage you to believe that you have control over your future and motivate you to take risks. Shifting the focus of your anger away from external circumstances to what you strongly desire to change within is where an anger therapist would start. Anger therapist at Lifeworks counseling center help use your anger to recruit the positive shifts you need to make changes in your life. When anger is sustained for prolonged periods of time it turns into negative energy that affect your personal, emotional, and mental health. Unrestrained anger can also diminish your foresight causing you to lose what you want most. Whether you express your anger or you keep it within you, others around can feed off the oppressive or outward emotion, and they will gravitate away from you. The goal of this form of anger therapy will be to take the evoked anger and transform it into an inspiring passion. Understanding the root of the anger will be a part of the process as well. To begin, there are a couple of…
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be developed because of numerous reasons, including when you have witnessed or lived through a traumatic event. Counseling can be very helpful to overcome certain triggers of PTSD and get to the root of the problem. The truth is that the symptoms of PTSD only increase with time and do not decrease on their own. Though people experience PTSD differently, the symptoms fall into three main categories, and if you are experiencing these symptoms, you should contact Lifeworks to schedule a consultation: Are you re-experiencing symptoms or reliving the traumatic event in any of these forms? Intrusive, upsetting thoughts, memories Flashbacks – of an event particularly Nightmares – either of the event or anything negative Intense distress brought about by reminders of the event Strong physical reactions to reminders of the trauma – nausea, -rapid heartbeat, -shortness of breath, -muscle tension, or -sweating Are you avoiding events or activities that trigger memories of the trauma? Specific places, activities, feelings or thoughts (large crowds, frightening movies Selective memory loss – forgetting certain aspects of the traumatic event Anhedonia – loss of enjoyment in activities and loss of interest Feelings of emotional numbness or disinterest Hopelessness Anxiety…
There are moments in everyone’s life when they experience extreme sadness or happiness. At times we also experience stress, grief, and conflict. But, when is it time to seek help? Well, the truth is more often than not, Americans who need a professional do not either have one or are unaware that they need one. There are some identifying psychological factors that promote suffering needlessly, and those in distress may actually make the problem worse by avoiding professional help. In our fast-paced culture, many people find it difficult to juggle idealistic work and home life demands. Dealing with high levels of daily stress can negatively affect our physical and mental health. Some common physical ailments, such as headaches, digestive problems, high blood pressure, insomnia, and an impaired immune system, can be due to stress. This same idea applies to psychological issues, such as anger, irritability, depression, and anxiety. On a daily basis, we find ways to lower our stress levels is consequently extremely important for our overall health. Anything from eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, and meditating on a systematic basis are all factors that can contribute to a well-adjusted lifestyle. However, when these self-care techniques fail to help us feel better, seeking help from a third party may be…
Our counseling center, Lifeworks, employs excellent grief therapists to help cope with loss. Dealing with grief can be very difficult because it forces one to confront very painful emotions. Loss and grief can happen simultaneously or independent of one another. Grief is an inner sense of loss, sadness, and emptiness; mourning is a way to express those feelings. For many people acknowledging their feelings may be a difficult step to complete. If you don’t face your grief, your wounds might never quite go away. Accept that the pain you’re feeling is part of dealing with grief and moving toward a state of healing and acceptance. Grief begins as a natural response to loss. Generally, more significant the loss, the more intense grief can be. Some examples of loss include: Relationship breakeup Health related problems Being fired, quitting, or retiring from your job Financial loss Death of a pet Grieving is an individual experience; there’s no right or wrong way to grieve. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your temperament and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and how momentous the loss was to you. For some people, the healing process starts within weeks or months, for others, it…
