Therapies
Bereavement & Grief
Grief is a positive emotion. And is one of the few certainties in life. It enables us to heal from the inevitable sadness and loss of life. There are many types of bereavement - death of a loved one, divorce and miscarriage are but a few.Other types of loss are disability, disfigurement, blindness, infertility and loss of independence. We all grieve differently. Some people feel devastatingly pained by it, they can talk of nothing else and appear to be stuck and unable to move on. Others believe they have to suffer in silence.
Stages of bereavement
Shock: This is experience as a sense of numbness, withdrawal, and an inability to express emotions.Denial: This is acting as though no loss has occurred, hallucinations (hearing your loved ones voice),
refusal to face facts. If it is around a loss of employment some people may even get dressed and head out to work as though they were employed.
Anger & other intense emotions: When the numbness wears off, the person may experience overwhelming emotions, grief, rage, regret, fear and anxiety. They may also feel angry at the deceased. This anger may be displaced towards others, such as doctors.
Depression: This is feelings of despair, pain, crying, moaning and wanting to give up. Hopelessness sets in. The person feels apathetic and tired and may become withdrawn. This is normal but if it goes on too long professional help should be sought.
Acceptance: This is letting go, saying good bye, appreciating, forgiving and moving on with hope.
Please contact Linda Brandon Psychotherapy for your comprehensive counselling service.
Some Psychotherapy issues explained:
Anger
Anger may express itself inappropriately, either towards others or yourself. We cannot control anger provoking situations, but we can manage our response to it.Anger is natural but rarely a useful emotion. It can be a reaction to our feeling threatened in some way. We can learn to control our anger by learning new responses. Some of the symptoms of anger are:
- Aggression
- Bad tempered & irritability
- Clenched fists or jaw
- Explosive outburst
- Hostility
- Refusal to follow directions or orders
- Sleep difficulty
- Social withdrawal
- Tense muscles
- Verbal abuse
Anxiety
The word anxiety comes from the latin word meaning 'worried about the unknown' and is a normal part of every day living. When we are afraid, chemical changes in our bodies take place that increases the energy levels and enables us to respond to the dangers or stress. Trouble starts when we cannot switch off this extra energy when we no longer need it - the body fails to adjust and we become 'wound up'. Anxiety speeds up activity of body and mind. Anxiety may range from mild apprehension to fully fledged panic attacks and phobias.The physical symptoms are:
- Being flushed
- Chest pains or palpitations
- Choking
- Difficulty in breathing
- Dizziness, headaches
- Dry mouth
- Faintness
- Hyperventilation
- Nausea and / or vomiting
- Panic attacks, sense of fear
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Tremors, Restlessness
- Vertigo
Psychological Symptoms
Some of the symptoms are as follows, things around unreal, sounds are distorted, your thoughts are faster, you suffer from tension in the muscle, insomnia, anxiety or over concern for others.Some things that may help are:
- Slow down
- Have a short breaks to relax
- Slow your breathing down & do some breathing exercises
- Eat regular meals
- Have plenty of fresh air exercises
- Use positive self talk
- Talk to a therapist
- Get enough sleep
Depression
Depression can take many forms and is an illness of the feelings. It ranges from an overreaction to normal sadness, to utter despair, hopelessness and prostration. It can come in the form of short lived feelings of sadness that most of us suffer in response to disappointments. It can also come in the form of severe depressive disorders which may require medical treatment. Depression often follows anxiety and slows the body down. Anyone can suffer from depression.How to recognise depression
- Feeling sad anxious or board
- Feeling tired, fatigued, slow movements
- Waking during the night or too early in morning, over sleeping or trouble getting asleep
- Slow thinking, poor concentration, forgetful or indecisive
- Loss of interest in food work sex and life
- Reduce sense of self worth, and low self esteem
- Headaches, chest or other pains, without a physical basis
- Not wanting to live and suicidal thoughts
- Move. Get the circulation going
- Try and get out of bed the same time each day
- Even if you cant do much, try and do something that is achievable
- Eat good food at regular times
- Try & walk 20 minutes a day
- Build up exercises force your limbs to move
- Use breathing exercises
- Talk to a therapist
- Try & get enough sleep at night