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Everyone is unique and as a result, so are their emotional problems. Therefore there can never be a one-size-fits-all solution. Something has been troubling you or a loved one. Something has to change in your life but you might not be sure what it is or how to go about changing the direction you are headed. You may be wondering if you have the self-discipline to undergo self-help or if you can even benefit from it at all.
Self-Assessment Tools
Our vast knowledge base offers a way to look at the most predominate of emotional problems with proven, helpful ideas refined by leading therapists and behaviorists. In addition, there are dozens of self-assessment surveys and quizzes to assist you in identifying specific problems. Periodic self-assessment will also show where you are making progress and what areas still need to be worked on.
Shared Traits
The major depressive disorders of depression, low self-esteem, shame and guilt, anger issues as well as stress, many phobias and anxiety share certain traits. Human beings everywhere tend to seek experiences that allow us to be comfortable. We enjoy familiar surroundings and are happiest when our experiences keep our mental and physical senses in a state of balance. This tendency leads us to label experiences as either “good” or “bad” depending only on the levels of pleasure or discomfort they may provide. These labels conflict with a basic process that leads to immense growth and development.
Key Points Round-Up
The key to making major changes must include adjustments to any negative, irrational thinking and harmful attitudes as well as automatic thoughts or self-talk:
- Rational self-analysis proves that by changing how you interpret an event or situation, you can change how the event affects you, realzing that it wasn’t the event that caused your bad mood, but how you interpret it.
- Thoughts, feelings and perceptions are the primary causes of bad moods, low self-esteem, shame, guilt and anger.
- Change irrational thinking errors into positive rational thinking and you begin to change the course of your life.
- Spend a little time focusing on your use of language and you make another life-changing course correction.
- Coming to terms with reality by embracing acceptance, where we accept all forms of experience equally as neither good nor bad. We need to learn to accept our negative feelings rather than avoiding or repressing them. Understanding that sadness and unhappiness are temporary, not pathological issues that need to be fixed. They are natural and essential parts of being human.
- Learning and practicing mindfulness will teach you how to remain centered by living in the present, and understanding what thoughts are.
- Learning how to relax requires regular manipulation of specific muscle groups and deep breathing exercises, not laying on your sofa watching TV or a good movie.
All of this however merely scratches the surface of what is available on Self-Psych.com. The possibilities are truly life-changing.
What if Problems Persist?
Sometimes it is difficult to break through and you might not be able to rid yourself of an unwanted problem, even though you’ve worked on it conscientiously. This may be the result of misplaced emphasis or symptoms that hide other problems.
It is possible for example, that you are working on anger, when the real underlying issue is fear. You might be working hard on alleviating depression when the main goal should be correcting a substance abuse problem. You could be concentrating on anxiety when there could actually be a physical ailment that needs the attention of a doctor and a medical check-up.
Three Areas of Study
Keep in mind there are three broad areas that are covered under cognitive behavioral therapy: The physical, the cognitive, and the behavioral.
- The physical approaches are primarily relaxation techniques such as exercise, breathing, and yoga.
- Cognitive approaches include uncovering and correcting negative thoughts, thinking errors, self-talk, language, and mindfulness.
- Behavioral techniques include getting mobilized, and exposure to triggers and phobias, etc.
If you have been doing most of your work in just one area, you may want to shift your emphasis to one or both of the other two approaches and see if that provides greater success.
I’m OK With My Problem
Also, as difficult as it may seem, people get comfortable and attached to their problems. These may actually be an important crutch in their life. For example, a fear of being with unfamiliar people may be used as a reason to avoid going to social functions, and be a way of not taking responsibility. One way to determine this is to keep a log of such occurrences. After reviewing your log, you might see that it’s not the social event that is the issue. It is the flirting by certain people that makes you uncomfortable. Or, you might fear panic episodes, and avoid getting into any car. But the real issue could be driving through tunnels.
Another possibility is that you share a common symptom with another family member. This may indicate a genetic issue and therefore a different approach might be necessary.
When Should I Consult a Professional?
If your problems persist despite your best efforts, by all means consult a therapist or mental health professional. Many patterns and beliefs that produce symptoms can be troublesome to identify. A professional can help you uncover the root cause of your problem and outline a treatment plan while providing support during difficult times.
But do not give up. You have made great strides in healing yourself already by changing your thoughts and feelings. This alone has given you tremendous power. You learned that you can change how you think and how you feel. You learned you can change your life with rational thinking and positive self-talk. You now know how to take away your pain by watching your negative thoughts float right on by while living mindfully in the present.
Many emotional and behavioral problems require immediate and expert medical assistance that is beyond the scope of this website. The following sites offer information and further guidance: The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill www.NAMI.org, The National Institute of Mental Health www.NIMH.org, the American Psychological Association www.APA.org/pubinfo.
This report is not a diagnosis. We hope this information can guide you toward improving your life.
Review our Knowledge Base or the links displayed on this page for similar and related topics.