Blogs
Does your anxiety ever make you feel like a failure? Does it ever make you feel stupid? A reader's comment on my post, Top 10 Anxiety-Friendly Jobs really got me thinking about this issue. They indicated that anxiety at work had caused them to exhibit some of the common signs of low self-esteem, including difficulty holding down a job, and becoming easily confused and forgetful. Because I've struggled mightily with these same issues at work, it also got me thinking about other reasons why anxiety makes you feel stupid and like a failure.
Am I Being Emotionally Abused?
Sometimes, the signs of emotional abuse aren't readily apparent to the victim. Emotional abuse can come in many forms. It may be a peer degrading you, a boss or coworker berating you, a spouse or loved one belittling you, or many other possibilities. Unfortunately, because emotional abuse is often not as obvious as physical or sexual abuse, it can go unnoticed or ignored. However, it is not a less severe form of abuse. It is a valid and painful experience of being dehumanized or demeaned and the effects of emotional abuse can be devastating. Emotional abuse can also be difficult to respond to effectively because it can sometimes feel vague or subjective. As such, I will first explain the signs of emotional abuse, how to recognize it, and then discuss how to address it.
Last Friday I found myself searching for every stress relief tool I had (Stress Busters: 22 Ways To Be Kind To Yourself). Someone had stolen my car while I was sleeping the night before. I desperately wanted to stay relaxed and peaceful in the midst of the chaos. I needed some stress relief, and I needed it now.
There are many things your therapist won't tell you, but for today I want to focus on three. Some of these things are common knowledge, such as not everything is confidential (danger to self, danger to others, abuse). Some of these things are professional secrets (such as your psychiatrist is probably receiving free samples from the pharmaceutical company). There are at least three things your therapist won't tell you, and they vary by therapist. But as a general rule, the following statements are three things your therapist won't tell you.
Before being diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), I thought that my biggest issue was alcoholism. What I didn't understand was that there was a direct link between my drinking and dealing with my PTSD symptoms. I was self-medicating to control my symptoms without even knowing it.
I’ve written a lot about bipolar triggers over the years and usually I write about bipolar triggers you can control (Pushing Aside Daily Mental Health Triggers is Tough). But, as we all know, there are some bipolar triggers you can’t control. I’m dealing with one right now: the death of my father. His death was very inconvenient to me in that I certainly had no time for it. I have no time for a memorial, I have no time to write a eulogy and I certainly have no time (or brain space) to grieve (Coping With Loss: Bereavement and Grief).
But, of course, no one asks for permission to die and no one does it on a schedule. His death happened and I have to deal with it and it’s definitely a bipolar trigger I can’t control.
Do you know how community service affects psychiatric symptoms? It's a paradox--serving others is ultimately one of the best things you can do for yourself (Volunteering To Build Self-Esteem). Community service affects psychiatric symptoms with a healing power that should not be overlooked. Community service affects psychiatric symptoms by helping a person realize that his/her problems are not as catastrophic as he/she might believe, that he/she can make a difference in the world, and that love is one of the most powerful forces on earth.
When parenting a child who has low self-esteem it can be hard to know what to say or do. Psychotherapist Emily Roberts has 4 tips for parents that work.
Unfortunately, many soldiers experience traumatic brain injury when in combat, but is traumatic brain injury (TBI) linked to later combat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Two recent studies examined the link between traumatic brain injury and PTSD in marines and army soldiers.
You might want to consider how recovering alcoholics react to normal alcohol use, if, indeed, you choose to drink alcohol. If you have loved ones who are in alcoholism recovery, be aware that a recovering alcoholic's reaction to your alcohol consumption could change day by day. As I continuously grow and adapt to life around me, my tolerance for alcohol and sense of security evolve as well. I am my own best advocate for my sobriety, but I'm also the only one who truly knows where I stand in my recovery process. Here are some things for friends and family to keep in mind with regards to how recovering alcoholics react to normal alcohol use.
Where do we go from here? Most of the family thinks just to let her hit bottom and then if she reaches out to help any we can. Some want to just keep paying her bills and just let her sit in the house with no responsibilities. Never been on medication and impossible to get to her when she refuses to talk to ANYONE.
Help.
On the day we agreed to videochat to make things less awkward IRL she woke up with a migraine so we rescheduled to the day after, I made sure to assure her that it was okay and to take her time. Later that day, in the late evening we had a nice chat but suddenly she stopped replying, even though nothing had happened. The day after I texted her good morning and said I hope she was feeling a little better. she wouldn't open my texts.
A couple days after I sent her a longer text saying that even though I had only known her for a short time I care a lot for her and would like to know how she are doing, telling her I'm there for her, assuring her I'm not going anywhere even though things might not be very easy. She wouldn't open it.
A week later I sent a text saying not to feel bad about not answering and that I will be there when she is able to answer again. It's been two weeks since this and she still hasn't opened my texts. She hasn't been active at all.
I don't know what else I can do. I assumed she might have fallen into a depression. I have tried to just not think about it anymore, and I haven't that much but when I do it sort of kills me inside...