What is depression?
Depression is a mental disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can also cause physical symptoms such as fatigue, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, and difficulty concentrating. Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.
How is depression developed?
The exact cause of depression is not known, but it is believed to be a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.
It is important to note that depression is a complex disorder and not a result of personal weakness or a character flaw. It is treatable with therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
How can depression be treated?
There are several effective treatments for depression, including:
It’s important to work with a healthcare professional to determine the best course of treatment for your individual needs. A combination of medication and therapy is often the most effective treatment for depression.
Can art therapy help with depression?
Art therapy can be an effective form of treatment for depression. It is a form of psychotherapy that uses art as a medium for self-expression and communication. Art therapy can help individuals to express emotions that they may find difficult to put into words, and can also provide a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.
Art therapy can be used to address a wide range of issues, including depression. It allows people to explore their feelings in a safe and non-threatening way and can help them to gain insight into their emotions. Additionally, the creative process of art-making can be a form of self-care and can help individuals to relax and feel more in control of their emotions.
Art therapy is often used in combination with other forms of therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication. It is usually led by a trained art therapist and can be done individually or in a group setting. It is important to note that art therapy is not a substitute for medical treatment, but it can be a valuable addition to a treatment plan. It is always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional or a licensed art therapist before starting art therapy as a treatment for depression or any other mental health issue.
When is it best to seek help for depression?
It’s important to seek help for depression as soon as possible. If left untreated, depression can become more severe and difficult to manage. The longer you wait to get help, the harder it may be to overcome your symptoms.
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, it’s important to seek help:
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to talk to a healthcare professional, such as your primary care physician, a mental health professional, or a therapist. They can help to determine the best course of treatment for your individual needs.
It’s also important to remember that seeking help is not a sign of weakness, it takes a lot of strength and courage to address mental health issues and make positive changes in your life. And remember that depression is treatable, and support is available.
Books recommended for depression:
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. It is a normal and often healthy emotion, but it can become overwhelming in some individuals. Anxiety disorders, a group of mental illnesses, are characterized by excessive, irrational fear or dread. These disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. Symptoms of anxiety can include restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances.
How is anxiety developed?
Anxiety can develop from a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.
Genetics: Some people may be more prone to anxiety due to inherited traits from their parents or ancestors. Studies have found that anxiety disorders tend to run in families, suggesting a genetic component.
Biological Factors: Anxiety may also be linked to imbalances in brain chemistry, specifically with neurotransmitters such as serotonin and GABA. Hormonal imbalances and certain medical conditions can also contribute to the development of anxiety.
Environmental Factors: Trauma, abuse, neglect, or other adverse experiences in childhood can increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders. Chronic stressors, such as financial problems or relationship issues, can also contribute to the development of anxiety.
Psychological Factors: Negative thinking patterns, perfectionism, and low self-esteem can contribute to the development of anxiety. Additionally, some personality traits such as being highly sensitive, introverted or overreacting to situations can increase the risk of developing anxiety.
It is important to note that the development of anxiety is complex and different factors may have different levels of influence for different people. In many cases, a combination of factors may contribute to the development of anxiety.
How can anxiety be treated?
Anxiety can be treated through a combination of therapies, medications, and lifestyle changes.
Therapies:
Medications:
Lifestyle changes:
It’s important to find the right treatment plan that works best for you and to work closely with a mental health professional to monitor your progress and adjust the treatment as needed.
Can anxiety be treated with art therapy?
Yes, art therapy can be used as a treatment for anxiety. Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses artmaking as a means of expressing emotions and exploring inner thoughts and feelings. The process of creating art can help individuals with anxiety to gain insight into their emotions and develop coping mechanisms for managing their anxiety. Additionally, the act of creating art can be a form of self-expression and can serve as a means of release for pent-up feelings.
When is it best to seek help for anxiety?
It is generally recommended to seek help for anxiety if it is interfering with your daily life and activities. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, it may be a good idea to reach out to a mental health professional:
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to speak with a mental health professional to determine the best course of treatment. They can help you understand your symptoms and develop a plan to manage them.
Keep in mind that seeking help is a sign of strength and is not a weakness. Anxiety is a common and treatable condition, and with the right help, you can learn how to manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Please call Vittoria Boylan at I Am Counseling for a 30-minute free session regarding your well-being, I am happy to support you or recommend someone that may assist you. www.iamcounselling.com.au Mobile: 0447555043
If you have concerns about your mental health, you can also contact one of the free counselling services such as:
What books are recommended for anxiety?
COVID – 19 certainly has forced upon us changes that were not needed to be considered just over six months ago. So what does it really mean for us all? That answer is not as simple as it might appear to present. In fact, the answer is so personal it can only be addressed according to one’s own situation. I reflect with respect to a famous quote from an extraordinary man who wrote: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
What did Frankl mean by “change ourselves”? He further quoted “Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognise that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.” When I read this quote, it bears a confronting responsibility that I must take up my fears and own them as my own. How then do we own our fears of uncertainty without further retribution in the face of reality?
Sometimes it is ok to ask another for help. It is ok to allow another to acknowledge your fears and its ok that they are real in your world right now. It is ok to admit that right now something is not feeling right or good.
Sitting down with another in those moments for me is a privilege and well respected in many ways because I know it takes courage to ask for help in an uncertain moment.
I reflect again as I write and am reminded of another quote by Viktor Frankl; “Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality. No one can become fully aware of the very essence of another human being unless he loves him. By his love he is enabled to see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; and even more, he sees that which is potential in him, which is not yet actualized but yet ought to be actualized. Furthermore, by his love, the loving person enables the beloved person to actualize these potentialities. By making him aware of what he can be and of what he should become, he makes these potentialities come true.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning.
Please ensure you take up the offer of a free 30-minute session I am offering. You are not obligated to continue further counselling. Sometimes all you need is to hear the reassuring voice of another.
I continue to conduct all my counselling sessions by phone with the same presentation as if you were sitting in my room.
Take care and be safe and do not forget to reach out.
Vittoria
I Am Counselling
Contact: 0447 555 043
According the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society, massage is a great way to alleviate regular to chronic pain, stress, sore muscles, tension, strains, stiffness and restlessness.
It has also been noted in the American Psychological Association that seventy seven percent of people regularly experience stress-induced physical symptoms and seventy three percent of all psychological symptoms are caused by stress.
If you are suffering from pain caused by pulled muscle, feeling tension in your neck or shoulders, have a strained back, aching joints, stiffness or feeling stressed. You may choose from some of the following ways for immediate treatment.
Physical manipulation by a physiotherapist or chiropractor is also a good choice. They can sometimes help to relieve pain and tension from a person’s back, neck and shoulder or any other part of the body that is in pain.
The other way you can get pain relief is by choosing to use a massage chair.
Getting a hands-on massage can play a crucial role in alleviating back pain, tension and stress. Similarly, a well-designed and well-choreographed massage chair is designed to also provide some measure of pain relief and relaxation.
The benefits of getting a massage in the privacy of your own home, not only is convenient and time efficient but also allows you to become empowered to looking after your wellbeing at any time, day or night.
There are major reasons why some are opting to go with a well-designed massage chair. Not only is it a potential means to ease back pain, but also gain back control in their lives.
There are five immediate health benefits of using a well-choreographed massage chair:
The benefits from regular use of a massage chair will support the user both physically and psychologically helping to reduce the common symptoms of back pain.
Main Components of Massage Chairs:
Most massage chairs have numerous patterns pre-programed in the chair designed to massage the entire back and with some more advanced designed massage chairs, the neck, shoulders, feet, calves and legs.
The Massage chair nodes and rollers are designed to emulate fingers and hands, which target specified areas of the user’s back, neck, shoulders, feet, calves and legs that can move in a variety of ways.
These movements are pre-programmed into the mechanics of the massage chair that can also be adjust by the user to best fit his or her needs.
The Computer assisted adjustability of the massage chair is the most essential factor to uses overall experience.
A well designed and choreographed massage chair will automatically adjust for the height, weight and width of each individual user.
The smart computer will locate specific areas of the anatomy in the back, neck, shoulders, feet, calves and legs and make the appropriate adjustments for a thorough and soothing experience.
As the user you may also Select various inputs on the control pad to refine these options, thus making it a personalised massage to meet your specified needs.
Most Massage chairs on the market will have one of three types of track systems that is the main component in the massage chair, S-Track, L-Track and the MaxTrack™
Another very important component of a good massage chair is that it offers a Zero-Gravity experience. What this means is that the massage chair will recline to a point where you are experiencing weightlessness. The benefit of this experience is that any pressure the user feels in their lower back is gone. This is highly beneficial in maintaining your lower back allowing the user relief from the compacting movements endured throughout their day.
Finding a Comfortable Massage Chair
This may sound daunting, but there is enough information on the wide Web to offer you a well-informed start to finding the right massage chair to meet your needs and desires.
When it comes to comfort-related products in the market, the final decision should always primarily rest on the opinions of the user.
Going out and testing the many different brands and styles of massage chairs available is advisable. Making it fun to do is also advisable.
Guidelines for Choosing a Massage Chair
So when it comes to your overall well being consider a well-choreographed massage chair that will support your body, relax your mind and elevate your aches and pains, this will not only benefit the quality of your life, but equally empower you to continue to enjoy an empowered, mindful active existence.
Written by Vittoria Boylan
www.iamcounselling.com.au
Visualise your ideal life. Write down or draw what is envisioned. Embody what is visualised.
Why is each step important?
Great Question… Let us go through each step.
First; the importance of visualisation. If you are unable to visualise your dream life, dream job, intimate dream partner or life partner, your dream lifestyle, dream home, dream wedding, your dream boss, your dream business, your dream doctor, dentist, counsellor, teacher, the list is endless. Then that’s all it is ever going to be ‘A Dream”.
Your mind is powerful, your thoughts are powerful, your visions are compelling, so, allow your mind to create a more excellent vision for your life.
Second; the importance of writing or drawing your vision. If you don’t take the time to write or draw what presents in your vision then you are not honouring your dreams and aspirations for your life. By writing and illustrating what you envisage in and for your life you are writing a form of a declaration over your life and for your life. Once it’s on paper, you can continue to refer back to it, you can speak to it, have a personal relationship with it, you can add to it, you can talk and even walk with it, and you can wake up with it staring back at us each morning.
Third; by embodying your dream, you are now living in it and experiencing it. This part is potent because it will allow you to be ready when your idea comes true. What you are doing is recreating your unconscious blueprint and reforming the body sensations of what you were told to experience and feel.
But Don’t Do Anything Just Yet:
Before you begin the following steps, read this article first, then choose the right time to start the process to create your new life.
Step 1
Having a clear vision with as much detail as possible is vital, and I mean right down to colour, shape, size, smell, the location, surroundings, weather, types of people, food, culture, and so on.
E.g., You’re wanting to change your job or you have been unemployed for a while or you’re feeling stuck and stale in your current position either because of the people you work with or the type of work you do each day, or it could be your wanting to step up the career ladder or move into a different department. Whatever the reason, or whatever the dream is, this process is always the same. However, you may need to ask different questions relevant to your desired dream, be it, a relationship, house, business etc.
In this example, we are focusing on the desire for a new job.
Ask yourself as many of the following items whilst visualising your new dream job. The more, the better!
What does it look like? How old is the company? Is it a startup? Or has it been established for some years? What type of building? Is it in a modern or an older style building? What are the furnishings inside? Are they modern, classic, deco etc.? Where is the location? Is it in the centre of the city, close to home, suburbs, rural or overseas? Is it in a shopping complex or department store? What does the entrance look like? Is there a door or is it a wide-open entrance with no door? Does the entrance have a door handle or is it a rotating carousel? Is it glass or timber? Is there a lift or an escalator? Is it to the left, right or centre of the building? What are the colour schemes? Are they bright, neutral, dark, or just black or white? Flooring; Is their carpet, timber or concrete? Are there windows? How big are the windows? Do these windows have blinds, curtains or nothing at all? What is the ceiling like? High, low, covered in lights, ornate, plain etc.? What do the desks and chairs look like? Are they simple in design, modern, ergonomic with round or square shaped tables, high or low back chairs? Are there partitions or open-planed offices? Is there a reception area? Are there flowers, real or fake? What is the smell like? Is the scent coming from the flowers or aromatherapy diffuses or candles etc.?
So now that you are in the building, what is the atmosphere? Is it fast paced, laid back, well structured, well organised? What is the culture of the organisation? Is it supportive and inclusive of all religious backgrounds, LGBT communities, and culturally diverse? Is it a social environment, confident, and encouraging? Does it believe in both professional and personal development? What do the staff around you look like? Do they have a positive attitude? Are they healthy in mind, body and spirit? Do they have good habits? Are you working in a small or large team? Are they predominantly men or women or is it well balanced?
Now that you are working with the tribe of people you want to work with. Who is your employer or employers? Are they engaging, transparent, encouraging, positive, supportive, inclusive, polite, forward-thinking, Great leaders and BIG thinkers etc.
This is a small sample of questions you can ask your self in order to start visualising your next dream job…
Remember, you always want to be creating something greater and far more abundant than what you’re currently experiencing, hence the term “creating change.” This concept of developing a clear vision for your life is not limited to a work situation. Remember as I stated earlier, “this idea can be used in all areas of your life”.
Step 2
Once you have clearly visualised your dream job, write down every word and vision that comes to your mind. If you are a creative person, then draw what you see or find the images in magazines, cut and past them in a visual diary, or do both.
This part of the process will further imprint in your mind’s eye your dream or vision for your life. Again be sure to include every vision that comes to your mind’s eye. No vision in your mind is too extravagant. In fact the more extravagant, the better, so go for it and have a heap of fun with it. By being detailed and particular in this second part of the process will allow the third step of this process to be experienced more intensely and efficiently.
Step 3
Now that you can clearly see your new job both in your mind’s eye and on paper, Its now time to embody and feel what this new position offers you.
As you walk towards your new building how is it feeling? Are you feeling confident, relaxed, happy, excited, ready, empowered etc.? How is the ground beneath your feet feeling? How is the entrance feeling? Are you smiling, are you acknowledging the people in the building, office, shop as you enter? Is there a tingling sensation of joy because you love your new job? Are you experiencing clarity in your new job?
This part of the process is to be thoroughly experienced right down being able to feel another person’s hand as you shake their hand.
Now that you are in your work area sitting at your desk, you look at the ceiling, out the window and all parts of the interior, how is it all feeling? Are you loving being in this space? Are you loving the smells you can smell? Are your eyes loving what they see? Are your peers pleased to see you there? And how is this all feeling?
Are you feeling light and alive again? Are you feeling enthusiastic about being In your new job, business or job role? Think of as many more expressions of feelings as you can.
Here are a few to draw on see how they feel as you read them.
Allow yourself the time and space to enjoy this process. Find a private area that you know you will not be interrupted. Take your time, take a few deep breaths before you start, have a glass of water next to you or a warm cup of calming tea. Have paper and pens, pencils and magazines next to you. You may use glue or sticky tape to stick your images in your visual diary.
If you find this process difficult, seek a knowledgeable psychotherapist or counsellor who understands the value and power of visualisation.
Take your time, enjoy the process and love your created desire… and most of all… Aim greater!
Written by Vittoria Boylan @ I Am Counselling in Melbourne Victoria Australia.
