Clear Minds Counselling and Psychotherapy

23/10/2024

Conditions such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD can lead to rumination, where individuals repeatedly think about past events, often in a negative light.

Struggling to get over past events can stem from a variety of factors, including emotional, psychological, and other situational influences.

Significant events, especially those involving loss or trauma, can create strong emotional connections that are built to sever.

You can’t change what happened but you can control how you deal with it going forward.

10/10/2024

✨ World Mental Health Day ✨

Mental strength is not about being strong all the time, but being able to pick yourself up and keep going when life gets tough. 💞

25/09/2024

The body holds on to trauma through our five senses. Sound, smell, sight, touch, or taste.

Trauma comes back as a reaction, not a memory. This is because trauma literally causes malfunctions in our memory system. Traumatic memories are not stored properly in our brains.

It leaves an imprint on your body that can lead to emotional and physical symptoms years after the traumatic incident.

It can affect your mind and body, even when you aren’t aware that it does. Years after the event, you can experience headaches, jumpiness, physical pain, and a suppressed immune system.

23/09/2024

Struggling with depressive thoughts can be overwhelming. By asking specific, targeted questions, you can challenge and change harmful thought patterns. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) provides effective questions to reframe negative thinking.

08/09/2024

Parenting teenagers can be challenging, worrying and overwhelming at times, as they push for new independence and try to broaden their horizons.

Teenagers can also feel a lot of pressure too and need to know they have their parents love and support to help to guide them through these exciting but often difficult years.

07/09/2024

Because the teen brain is still developing, teens may respond to stress differently than adults. Research has shown that this increases teens’ chances of developing stress related mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.

Teenagers do not always understand, and have the ability to rationalise, all of the emotions that they face. Teenage brains are also wired to seek reward, act out, and otherwise exhibit immaturity, but this will change as they become adults.

Teenagers are more likely to develop addictions or take risks, as the reward elements in the brain becomes more highly triggered. This is at its peak in teens.

It is also known that the habits that develop and form in the teenage years can be the ones that last through a lifetime, so it is important to try and encourage positive choices and gently “steer” them in the right direction.

01/09/2024

When you are feeling down, your body may be searching for a way to release the bottled-up emotions, often finding relief through the act of crying. While many people try to hold back their tears and avoid crying for fear of looking weak, crying has numerous benefits for your overall mental health.

Research has found that in addition to being self-soothing, shedding emotional tears releases oxytocin and endorphins. These chemicals make people feel good and may also ease both physical and emotional pain. In this way, crying can help reduce pain and promote a sense of well-being.

With many different connotations surrounding crying, most people tend to associate it with negative thoughts and feelings. However, crying has numerous health benefits that can positively affect your life.

If you find yourself crying emotional tears frequently, it could be time to seek professional help. This way, you can begin the journey to healing sooner and start living your best life. 💞

20/08/2024

We all worry. It’s a natural part of life and human nature. And let’s be honest, there is a lot in life that can cause us to worry.

When we choose to focus on, fret over and worry about things that are out of our control, we easily get caught up in that thin trickle of fear. It does not mean that those things are not real and very present. However, worrying about them achieves nothing, and robs us of energy, sleep, and joy.

Studies have shown that people who focus on seeking pleasure in the moment can feel more fulfilled, energised, and content.

11/08/2024

Panic attacks and anxiety attacks share some symptoms, but they differ in intensity, duration, and whether or not there is a trigger.

The main difference is that certain stressors often trigger anxiety attacks, and they may build up gradually. In contrast, panic attacks typically happen unexpectedly and suddenly.

While a little bit of anxiety can be healthy for us as it tells us when we must fight, flee, or freeze and mobilises our body to respond quickly, without thinking. Without anxiety we would not be able to avoid real threats to our well-being. Although too much anxiety worry or panic may be a reason to seek help from a mental health professional.

05/08/2024

When you encounter a trigger after trauma, a strong emotional and behavioural reaction comes over you. It’s as if you are reliving that trauma all over again.

Triggers can include sights, sounds, smells, or thoughts that remind you of the traumatic event in some way. Some triggers are obvious while others are less clear.

An important step in learning how to manage triggers is clearly identifying them. Therapy can help you with this.

A few ways to help counteract the impact of a trigger may be to practice some grounding techniques such as putting on a song that is comforting, physically holding on to someone you trust, or smelling a scent that relaxes you.

With time and practice, it is possible to manage your response to triggers so that they become less disruptive.

01/08/2024

💞 Love this 💞

There's a quote from the movie Inside Out 2 that really struck a chord with me. It's easy to miss if you're not paying close attention.

It's the scene where Sadness timidly asks Joy if she can come down with her to the Memory Pond. In response, Joy takes Sadness' hand in hers and tells her friend, 'Of course! Remember Sadness, wherever I go, you're coming too.'

When I heard that, it reminded me of how some people fear being too happy because they know sadness might follow. That's not how life works, nor is it true. One doesn't follow the other because they always travel together, side by side, hand in hand.

Joy and sadness are like train tracks. Even on the saddest days, if we look closely enough and allow ourselves to experience it, there's always some joy. Similarly, even on the happiest days, like the birth of a child, a wedding, a graduation, a championship, or a promotion, when we remember someone or something missing, there's always a hint of sadness.

That's why when we say we're grateful for life, we can't just be grateful for the joyful moments; we must be grateful even for the sad parts. We must be grateful for everything. Joy and sadness carry us (or we carry them) as we move from one stage of life to the next.

31/07/2024

One in five adults experience a mental illness in a given year. It can be incredibly difficult to watch a loved one suffer and feel helpless. Often, the person experiencing mental health issues delays getting help unless someone close to them suggests it.

Just listening and being understanding can be powerful healing tools. Give positive reinforcement. People with depression may judge themselves harshly and find fault with everything they do. Remind them about their positive qualities and how much they mean to you and others.

Offer consistent emotional support and understanding. Offer the person kindness and attention and let them know that there is no risk of abandonment.

Most importantly, take time for you. Looking after someone who is struggling can be incredibly difficult and draining. You can’t pour from an empty cup. 💞