Hoover & Associates Mental Health Services

Women's Issues

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:35:03 +0000

Both men and women certainly have stressors inherent in living busy lives, trying to manage all the things that come their way. Women, with the challenge of balancing many roles and with typically being raised to be caretaking, sometimes feel pulled in many different directions to meet the needs of others. To manage all the stressors while also nurturing herself is a difficult balance at times.

Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. Self-esteem issues, lack of assertiveness, and negative thoughts can contribute to depression. Expectations women have about how they look and act can contribute to eating problems, relationship problems, and poor self-image. In addition, hormone changes can play a role in altering mood.

Therapy can allow women a safe place to discuss worries and fears, and it can provide assistance with identifying and working on goals. Building patterns of healthy action in relationships, along with making self-care a priority, can help with a more satisfying lifestyle.

Stress

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:34:04 +0000

Stress often refers to physical, emotional or psychological strain or tension. Many, if not most, people say they feel “stressed” from time to time. However, some people feel a greater than average level of stress which their usual ways of coping are unable to handle.

Therapy can help people manage or reduce the sources of their stress and learn better ways of handling it. The benefits of coping effectively with stress include improved physical and psychological health, better relationships with others, and feeling more satisfied with the quality of everyday life.

Social Anxiety

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:33:07 +0000

Social anxiety, also called social phobia, is an intense fear of becoming humiliated in social situations, specifically of embarrassing yourself in front of other people. It often runs in families and may be accompanied by depression, alcoholism, or other anxiety disorders. Social phobia often begins around early adolescence or even younger.

Smoking

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:32:03 +0000

Smoking remains one of the most addictive and unhealthy habits. Breaking the smoking habit is difficult but rewarding. Research indicates that a combination of approaches including social support, reduction in nicotine dependency through several means, relaxation training and self-hypnosis seems to work best. The more often a person attempts to quit, the more likely they are to eventually succeed. The typical ex-smoker tried to quit many times before finally succeeding. Don’t give up; you can beat the cigarette habit.

Sexual, Physical, and Psychological Abuse

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:31:11 +0000

Sexual and physical abuse during childhood or adulthood can have significant impact on people’s views of themselves, the world and the future. Without an early sense of security, people are often left feeling distrustful, inferior, and alone. In addition, there is often a secrecy about abuse in childhood, and this leaves adult victims of abuse feeling stigmatized and different from others. Often, children blame themselves for abuse, and carry a view of themselves as “bad,” “worthless” or “undeserving” into adulthood. This can negatively impact how people act in relationships, sometimes replaying the same patterns in adult relationships that they experienced in childhood. Adults who were abused may have more of a tendency toward self-destructive actions, such as substance abuse, unhealthy relationships, and sabotaging any successes that they may be capable of. Depression is a common outcome of childhood abuse.

Sexual Identity Issues

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:30:03 +0000

Although a majority of people identify as heterosexual, many have different sexual preferences. People who identify as homosexual or bisexual often experience rejection and discrimination by the mainstream culture. Coping with the response of many in the culture to a minority sexual orientation can bring many difficulties, including problems with one’s own self-acceptance, and whether and when to share one’s sexual identity with family members or other important people in one’s life.

Clinicians sensitive to these issues can help navigate the sometimes rough waters of accepting one’s sexual identity and adapting to an environment that may sometimes be hostile to differences.

Procrastination

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:28:52 +0000

Procrastination is the tendency to “put things off” until the last minute. Although we are all “guilty” of this occasionally, it is a way of life for some people. In those cases, procrastination is often a sign of a larger problem, such as with attention or with mood.

Often, individuals with these types of problems have trouble with planning and with organization. If this is a persistent problem, a psychological evaluation that might include neuropsychological testing may be helpful in determining its source and how best to address it

Postpartum Depression

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:27:59 +0000

Postpartum depression is the experience of an extremely unhappy, anxious, and unmotivated state following the birth of a child. Often times the new mother is additionally distressed because as a result of the depression she is unable to “fall in love” with the baby until she is able to recover and this causes additional self-criticism about being a “bad parent” which accentuates the depression.

The onset of this depression seems to be precipitated by the changing hormonal balances in the woman’s body following the birth, and to the usual increased demands for parenting work required of a woman who has just undergone the very strenuous experience of giving birth. When a woman becomes this physically depressed, the chemistry of the brain is affected in such a way that she is unable to think clearly, reassure herself, or reason her way out of the depression.

The depression actually erodes her capacity to cope with the depression and the situation. Usually, a combination of medical intervention, therapy, reassurance and support will allow her to make a complete recovery, fall in love with the new baby, and return to a much happier state.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:26:42 +0000

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) sometimes follows a very dangerous or life-threatening event that a person experienced or witnessed. Combat, assault, car accidents, and natural disasters are examples of potentially traumatic events that may result in PTSD. Following the incident, a person may re-experience the event in intrusive, distressing ways; for example, through dreams, flashbacks, or unwanted thoughts about the event. Also, attempts are made to avoid stimuli associated with the trauma, and people with PTSD often experience a general numbing, such as feelings of detachment from others, loss of interest in activities, and difficulty experiencing certain feelings, such as happiness.

Finally, people with PTSD often have symptoms of extreme arousal, such as startling easily, trouble sleeping and concentrating, and angry outbursts.

Physical Illness

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:25:46 +0000

Persons with chronic physical or medical problems face stressors that others may not understand or sympathize with. Everyday activities such as taking a walk or washing dishes may be difficult if not impossible for someone with a chronic physical illness. Along with any physical limitations, there are emotional trials to cope with, and depression, anxiety, anger or guilt may be present.

These feelings can then translate into destructive behaviors. If a person with a chronic medical illness loses hope, he/she will be less likely to follow medical recommendations that may help in the long run. Therapy can help build hope, increase positive thinking, and help a person manage their illness in a way that allows for the most independence possible.