Depression is commonly known as a pervasive sense of sadness. It’s often not something thought of from a tangible standpoint. However, like any illness, it has physical effects on the body. Not only does depression affect our bodies through fatigue and appetite changes—it also has specific effects on the brain. Let’s look at how depression affects your brain.
Your friends and family have always said you were a little too sensitive. You’ve been told that it isn’t as big of a deal as you’re making it seem, that you shouldn’t be crying, or to just get over it more times than you can count. If only it were that easy. You can’t just turn it off. You’re not choosing to be this emotional or sensitive, it just happens. It’s who you are. It’s part of your personality. You’re a highly sensitive person. You know you’re different from most of your loved ones with your sensitivity levels and emotions, but in what other ways are you different? Let’s learn more about how a highly sensitive person’s brain is different.
Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night? No matter how tired or exhausted you are, you can’t seem to quiet your mind enough to relax and fall asleep. Maybe you actually can’t remember the last time you had a good night of sleep. Instead of counting sheep, you’re counting the number of hours you’ll get if you fall asleep right at the present moment. Unfortunately, with each passing minute, your number of hours is reduced. Nighttime anxiety is a struggle many people face. Fortunately, there are ways to address it.
Day in and day out, you’re taking care of other people. You’re listening to them, asking them to dive deeper into their thoughts and emotions, and helping them with healthy coping strategies. You’re there for all of your clients, each and every day. You’re the person they run to when they need help or when they’re seeking advice. But who’s taking care of you? Who’s there for you when you need help? Therapists need help every now and then too. Part of the job is to empathize with others’ experiences, which can take a toll. Here’s how therapists can cope with the emotional burden of their work.
It’s highly likely that you’ve been compared to at least one member of your family within your lifetime, especially while you were growing up. Certain traits or qualities are known to run within a family. You may share similar features or skills to your parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles. Your hair and eye color may have been passed on from one or both of your parents. The height, weight, and build you are may run in your family as well. Even some of your personality traits may have been passed on or even learned from watching members of your family while you were growing up. Unfortunately, both positive and negative traits can be passed on or inherited. Diseases, disorders, and even trauma can also be passed on from a grandparent to a parent and then onto you and your family. You might be thinking, “How can trauma be passed on if you didn’t experience the trauma yourself?” Let’s find out what exactly generational trauma is, and, and how it gets passed down.
Culture is defined as the way of life that is passed down from generation to generation. Culture includes things like art and beliefs, as well as institutions like social, religious, and educational organizations. The way that a society dresses, behaves, thinks, and speaks is defined by its culture. There are differences based on culture all across the world. Another way that culture can impact an individual is with an individual’s mental health. Let’s learn more about how cultural expectations can play a role in depression.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “I am a perfectionist” before. Whether you were the one that spoke those words or you heard them from a loved one, classmate, or colleague, you’re familiar with the phrase and what it means. Perfectionism is often seen as a good thing. You’re striving for the best. You have extremely high standards for yourself. 10 out of 10. 100%. A perfect score. No errors or mistakes. No need for improvement. In reality, perfectionism can actually be an issue because nothing can be truly perfect all the time. Let’s learn more about perfectionism and why it’s actually a problem.
You have enough on your plate, but you feel the pull to help your friends, family, and co-workers when you know they need it. You can sense when they’re in a good mood versus a bad one. It’s almost as if how they feel radiates onto you and affects your mood as well. You love being able to help your loved ones, but you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t physically and mentally draining. You’re exhausted. If that sounds familiar, here’s how to cope with anxiety as a highly sensitive person.
The holidays are officially here. For most, this time of the year means togetherness, bright lights, and holiday cheer. There’s only one problem: You can’t seem to find any of that this year. You want nothing more than to be alone, because that’s how you feel. Flashbacks and traumatic memories may constantly circle in your head preventing you from mustering up even an ounce of holiday cheer. Here’s how the holidays can trigger emotional trauma and hope to cope with it all.
As a therapist, you sit there daily and open yourself up completely and fully for each client. You throw all of yourself into each and every session. You’re fully invested physically, mentally, and emotionally. It can be a very intimate experience, especially when working with ongoing clients. You love the bonds and relationships you’ve been able to build with your clients. You wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. That being said, you’re still feeling like you’re missing out. The emotions, connection, and intimacy you’re feeling in each session don’t really replace the true 2-way intimacy you would receive from a romantic partner. Here’s what to keep in mind as a therapist when one-way intimacy falls short.
