Anxiety Disorders are the most common mental health issue in the U.S. with nearly 1/5 adults experiencing one each year. Healthy anxiety aids us in analyzing events, adapting, and planning for the future. Anxiety becomes unhealthy when it interferes with daily life, relationships, sleep or your ability to relax and feel well.
Depression is the second most common mental health disorder in the United States, and the leading cause of disability worldwide. It is a mood disorder which causes regular sadness, loss of interest, or agitation. Depression is an inflammatory condition which can cause problems with mood, thinking, energy, behavior and relationships which can cause problems with work, home, or social life. Stress, body chemistry, genetics, problems with relationships, grief, or environmental factors are some of the leading causes of depression.
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the mind body that happens as a result of either a singular distressing event – or a multitude of stressful events over time – that exceeds our ability to cope. This can include (but isn’t limited to): physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, isolation, accidents, natural disasters, oppression, bullying, violence, life threatening situations, accidents, abandonment, or neglect. In fact, you can experience psychological trauma just by witnessing or learning about an event. In the case of secondary trauma, exposure to someone who has been traumatized becomes traumatic.
The basics of our stress response system is our fight-or-flight reaction . The mind body can take this to extremes during traumatic events. When flight to safety isn’t possible, flight from the present can be the next step. In such cases the mind may detach from the body, turn inward, and withdraw from its connection to the present moment. If the fight instinct is activated it can project immense energy outward, expressed in tension, explosive emotions (like anger), thoughts, and behaviors in order to gain control.
When psychological trauma occurs the mind undergoes some fundamental changes in its assumptions of reality. The mind may learn lessons like: the world is unsafe, other people are threats, or that the self does not have the tools to cope with reality. Sometimes the mind blames the self for trauma tells you that you are, unlovable, incomplete, or deserving of pain. These narratives shift people’s worldview and connection with the Self and as a result they become very sensitive to any sign of potential threats including: feeling trapped, close connections to others, isolation, or any physical, mental, or emotional reminders of the trauma.
As a whole psychological trauma disturbs thinking patterns, arousal, concentration, memory, sleep, appetite, attachment, and energy. Psychological makes it more difficult to regulate and self-soothe. Trauma can disrupt relationships, work, family, health and social lives.
About 5% of adults in the U.S. have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a disorder that affects concentration and/or hyperactivity and impulse control. Some people are the inattentive type, others are the hyperactive type, and some people have both.