Category: In the Loop

A certain degree of anxiety is not necessarily bad. It helps us stay alert, motivates us, and makes us more energetic. But a perpetual state of concern and worry can affect your ability to live life to its fullest potential. Anxiety is a top mental disorder in the US affecting 40 million adults. The global prevalence of anxiety and depression further grew by a whopping 25% in the first year of COVID-19 alone. This had pushed 90% of the countries to include mental health and psychosocial support in their pandemic response plans. The good news is that EMDR therapy is highly efficient for anxiety. It is an integrated psychotherapy approach that targets and improves negative thoughts. This was initially used to ease post-traumatic stress disorder. It is growing in popularity and 7 in 10 studies found EMDR therapy to be more effective than trauma-focused cognitive solutions. See how the therapy is useful to curb anxiety. How Does EMDR Therapy Work? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is moving your eyes in a specific way by following the back-and-forth motion of a finger before your face. This is when you remember past traumatic events simultaneously. It is the treatment choice for different… Read more »

Out-of-control or compulsive sexual behavior is often called sex addiction, hypersexuality disorder, or simply hypersexuality. It involves too much preoccupation with sexual fantasies or sexual behavior and urges that are hard to control. Although the causes are unclear, the disorder may stem from an imbalance of natural brain chemicals, brain conditions, or changes in brain pathways. The results are distress and deterioration of health, relationships, job, and other aspects of life. But thankfully, there are healthy ways to address this disorder. Here is how to manage compulsive sexual behavior in 2023. Psychotherapy (Talk Therapy) It is one of the primary ways to manage hypersexuality. Here are some common types of psychotherapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): It helps in identifying negative and unhealthy behavior and beliefs and substituting them with adaptive coping methods. You learn ways to prevent yourself from easily accessing sexual content and make your behavior less private. Acceptance and commitment therapy: It’s a kind of CBT that focuses on the acceptance of urges and thoughts and committing to value-based actions in a committed way. Psychodynamic psychotherapy: It helps you become more aware of unconscious behaviors and thoughts, develop motivation with new insights, and resolve conflicts. These therapies are… Read more »

As we enter a new year, many of us are setting goals and resolutions for how we want to improve ourselves and our lives. One important area to focus on is our relationships. Relationships and their quality play an important role in determining your health and well-being. Great relationships make you happy, reduce stress, and encourage healthy behaviors. Social support is an important part of being human and so when social relationships break down or are damaged, they can have a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of a person, mention experts. To ensure that you have a healthy and happy life, you should not only build relationships but also nourish and nurture them on a continued basis. The adoption of certain habits can help you maintain great relationships and stay happy. Here are five habits to adopt in 2023 for great relationships: 1. Spending One-on-One Time with People You Care About Spending time with each other talking, sitting together, watching a movie, or having a meal together is an excellent habit that can help you build good relationships. It provides you with an opportunity to interact well and understand each other. Allocating a special time to be… Read more »

Holidays are typically known to bring happiness! But many are often overwhelmed by both internal and external stressors that the season brings. These are the added responsibilities that the festivities come with. A 2015 survey once found that 44% of people say that they are ‘somewhat’ stressed while another 18% reported that they are ‘very’ stressed during this time of the year. The main reasons were the pressure of: spending money on parties choosing appropriate gifts for all coordinating and organizing events trying to eat right and healthy. The brain’s prefrontal cortex enters a state of overdrive during the holidays that may decrease memory and cause the present cells to die. Your shoulders could tense up at the mere thought of the upcoming hustle and bustle. For instance, spending the whole day with your extended family can be quite taxing. The good news is that holiday blues are temporary. Yet look at a few ways to cope with this feeling in a structured and result-oriented way. Why Does Holiday Depression Occur? Studies found that 64% of people with an existing mental illness report that holidays worsen their condition. This happens since the ‘busy season’ is high on demands and emotions…. Read more »

The Family Counseling and Crisis Intervention Services industry revenue is $48.1 billion in 2022. The annualized market growth has been 2.9% since 2017. What does family crisis intervention mean? It is a therapy session where a ‘neutral mediator’ boosts communication and resolves conflicts between family members. They try to nurture a change in intimate relations and ease the issues that might otherwise affect your health and functioning. Most families experience disagreements and conflicts. A therapist can be the greatest resource for handling any concern and reducing distress. The idea is to make sure everyone gets heard, understands one another, and learns healthy methods of resolution. This way there are fewer chances of dysfunction, and your family is happy, healthy, and in good spirits. There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking help instead of hesitating due to the stigma around therapy. Here’s when you may visit a counselor. When to Book a Session? Domestic violence grew worldwide during COVID shelter-in-place. There was an increase of between 20-68% cases. Globally, 1 in 3 women experienced sexual violence with a partner. If you are still undergoing abuse related, it is the right time to visit a therapist with your spouse and children. Look… Read more »

Chemistry brings intimacy and excitement between a couple. The emotional connection grows along with a lasting commitment. It helps with an active sex life too and is crucial for a happy and healthy marriage. But the dopamine level might fade eventually in a long-term relationship. It is normal to feel out of love with your partner at this point. You can go through stages of rough patches while things start to feed ‘dead’ or ‘boring’. This may cause infidelity or an extra-marital affair. It has been cited as a turning point in a deteriorating relationship and 59.6% of divorces occur for this reason. Separated individuals, when compared to their married counterparts, have higher incidents of depression, distress, and substance abuse. The good news is that you do not have to part ways if there is good compatibility. All you have to do is work consciously on your chemistry to make your bond more beautiful and intense. Here’s what to do. What is Couple Therapy? Issues with a romantic partner or spouse may leave us feeling crazy. This is when you may consider therapy to save the relation- ‘ship’. Couples on average wait for seven years after experiencing problems in their… Read more »

Did you know that as many as 28.8 million Americans are estimated to have an eating disorder once in their lifetime? So, if you feel you have an eating disorder, you’re not alone. The good news is that help is available. The National Center for Biotechnology Information says that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that is suitable for all forms of eating disorders. Eating unusually large amounts of food or excessively restricting food intake are both eating disorders and stem from attempts to deal with a deeper issue, which is why cognitive behavioral therapy is regarded as the most effective way to overcome them. Let’s first understand the signs of the two types of eating disorders. Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa Both Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are caused by the fear of gaining weight. While Anorexia Nervosa makes a person restrict food, at times to the point of starvation, Bulimia Nervosa makes a person overeat and then purge it to avoid adding calories. Signs of Anorexia Nervosa Intense fear of weight gain Dramatic weight loss Repeatedly weighing oneself Preoccupation with calories and dieting Constipation Cold intolerance Abdominal pain Excessive exercising Difficulty concentrating Anemia Low thyroid levels… Read more »

Not feeling ‘at home’ with your gender is known as gender dysphoria. It is a sense of distress and discomfort with your physical sexual characteristics. The victim is unable to align their orientation with their body which creates internal conflicts and mental agitation. A national survey in 2022 found that 1.4 million individuals (0.6%) in the US are transgender. Another sex health study published in 2017 found that there is a high prevalence ranging from 0.5% to 1.3% for self-reported transgender identity in adults and adolescents. They are people whose gender identity is different from the gender assigned at birth. It means their innate knowledge of who they are do not match what was expected when they were born. This makes it tough to ‘fit it’ and many avoid talking about it out of fear, shame, and confusion. They also risk harassment, discrimination, and strong judgment. While there is no easy fix, here’s what you can do to soothe dysphoria. Gender Issues: Here’s What it Looks Like Gender variant people can believe themselves to be of the opposite sex, neither of the sexes or anything ‘in between’ or fluid. The good news is that Gender Identity Therapy navigates the difficult… Read more »

Mental disorders in teenagers and adolescents are a significantly common issue. Worldwide, one in seven 10-19-year-olds experience depression or anxiety accounting for 13% of the global burden of disease in this age group. The usual ones are mood, attention and behavior problems. They translate into adulthood when left untreated and unrecognized. This can subsequently restrict the opportunities of living a wholesome and productive life. A few common ones in teens are: Borderline personality disorder Trauma and PTSD Substance use disorder Teen trauma and PTSD Eating disorders They could be a direct result of social harassment like physical and cyber-bullying. It may also be due to verbal/sexual abuse at learning institutes and playgrounds. These tremendously distressing experiences can shatter the confidence of young adults. Other issues are break-ups, death of loved ones, parents’ divorce, exam pressure, financial uncertainty and self-doubts. These events can push them to take drastic steps. A 2019 Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Survey found that 18.8% of students nationwide reported serious suicide attempts. As a parent, here’s what you can do to help your child overcome life stressors. Child Psychotherapy Counseling is an effective way to get inside the mind of teens and children. An expert can help… Read more »

Death is the most common experience of the human race. The COVID pandemic, especially taught us, ‘how little separates life from death.’ It throws everything off gear and takes a significant toll on physical and mental health. Apart from guilt, numbness and regret, grief is the most universal response to loss. There are 5 stages of grief according to the Kubler Ross model – Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. You can reach out to a therapist to help you work through these emotions if you are highly overwhelmed. Grief is not classified as a ‘feeling’. It is a ‘journey’ that you have to go through to be able to heal completely. Spending time with a professional is the most effective way to return to a balanced state of mind and recover speedily. No wonder the market size of the behavioral therapist industry in the US is $9 billion in 2022 and is expected to increase by 0.4% in the same year. There are several techniques like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Group Therapy. Read on to know how a session is helpful to overcome mental suffering. What is Grief Counseling? Professional therapy is the… Read more »