Blog - NewBeginningsPsych

September 11, 2023 by Andrea Leave a Comment

How Do The Holidays Effect Emotional Trauma?

The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time. Yet the holidays can also be an especially stressful and traumatic time for many people. On the surface, it can seem like everyone is feeling bright and cheerful. But on the inside, plenty of people are actually dealing with intense emotional trauma.

There are so many factors that can make the holidays traumatic. The pressure to seem happy on the outside can leave people feeling even worse. If everyone else is having such a good time, why can’t they? In reality, it’s unfortunately fairly common for the holidays to stir up emotional trauma. Here are a few reasons why.

Dealing With Unhealthy Family Dynamics

During the holidays, you might have more family gatherings on your calendar than at any other time of the year. Even if you struggle with unhealthy family dynamics, and you try to avoid spending time in the same room with certain family members, you may feel like you can’t skip a holiday get-together. You may have been mistreated by certain relatives in the past, or you might have deep, ongoing disagreements with them. Perhaps you’re worried that a conflict will boil over at the gathering, or that one of your relatives will say something hurtful to you that opens an old wound.

Bringing Up Memories Of Past Holidays

Maybe your past holidays with family haven’t gone well. Now, whenever this time of year rolls around, you can’t help but reflect on holidays gone wrong over the years, or even decades. You might have tried to forgive your relatives for some of their indiscretions, yet try as you might, the holidays always dredge up these painful memories. Part of you wishes that you could somehow block out these reflections, but time doesn’t heal all wounds.

Pressure To Have The “Perfect” Holiday

Everywhere you look, it seems like other people are filled with holiday cheer. You know that you can’t be the only one who feels the way you do, but you still feel intensely alone with your feelings. When you go shopping, watch a holiday movie, or go to a local event, you’re surrounded by people who seem to be enjoying the holiday spirit. Feeling like you’ve “failed” at having the ideal holiday only exacerbates your disappointment and emotional trauma.

Feeling Isolated From Friends And Family

Perhaps you’re not going to be attending gatherings with family members who you have a rough history with. Instead, you might be estranged from family and spending the holidays alone. Maybe you’ve turned an invite from a friend, simply because you feel embarrassed about your circumstances. You may have even tried to make the best of spending your holidays alone by booking a trip to a new destination, yet you still feel frustrated. Feeling isolated during the holidays can contribute to emotional trauma.

Depression And Anxiety Worsen

Finally, the stress around the holidays can worsen existing mental health conditions. If you’re struggling with anxiety, you might be nervous about socializing at big family gatherings or work parties. People who are having trouble with their finances may be under an immense amount of strain to put up a “front” for the holidays and spend lots of money, even though their budget is very tight. Individuals who are dealing with depression may experience severe symptoms as the days get longer and colder, yet they’re expected to put on happy faces. The holidays can push existing emotional trauma even further.

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Are you worried about coping with emotional trauma around the holidays? Working with a therapist can help. Reach out to us to discuss your options for scheduling your first session for trauma therapy.

July 17, 2023 by Andrea Leave a Comment

Mapping Depression: How Long Does It Last?

Maybe you haven’t felt like yourself in months. You don’t have the energy for hobbies or socializing. You’re having trouble keeping up at work because you’re so fatigued. Some days, you feel like you’re on the verge of tears even though nothing specific has gone wrong. But sometimes, you just feel numb. You might experience a lingering sense of guilt because you haven’t been truly happy in so long. But to other people, your circumstances seem favorable from the outside looking in.

If you’re suffering from depression symptoms, you may be wondering how long it will take for you to feel genuinely happy and content again. Let’s explore how long depression can last and when you may start seeing the benefits of treatment.

Circumstantial Depression

Sometimes, people experience depression because of specific circumstances. You might feel depressed because you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, coping with a layoff and difficult job search, or adjusting to life in a new city where you don’t know anyone yet. If you’re dealing with depression due to a specific set of circumstances, you may overcome these symptoms as your circumstances gradually improve. This does not mean that seeking help isn’t worth it. Talking to a therapist can certainly help you adapt to tough circumstances. But circumstantial depression can dissipate with time.

Clinical Depression

Clinical depression can last much longer than circumstantial depression. People may live with clinical depression due to a genetic predisposition or unexplained factors. The root cause of depression is not always obvious. People can become depressed even when everything is going “right” in their lives.

Someone who has major depressive disorder (MDD) might struggle with their symptoms for anywhere from six to eighteen months. However, the timeline can vary for every individual. However, persistent depressive disorder (PDD) can last for two years or more.

There’s No Specific “Timeline” For Depression

It’s important to keep in mind that while it’s natural to wonder how long it will take to feel relief from your symptoms. However, thinking of yourself as being on a “timeline” to overcome depression can feel like a burden. You might start putting on pressure on yourself to feel better or fake a positive attitude when you’re still struggling inside. It can be helpful to understand some basic facts regarding how long depression can last. But these metrics should not be viewed as “deadlines.”

When Can You See Improvements?

Maybe you’ve started implementing some helpful lifestyle changes, like exercising, getting more sleep, cooking healthy meals, and reducing your screen time. Perhaps you’ve even reached out to a therapist and booked your very first session. Now that you’re actively taking steps toward healing, you might be wondering when you can expect to find some relief from your symptoms. It can take about two to three months of active treatment with consistent effort in your daily life to notice benefits.

If you are prescribed medication, pay close attention to any side effects so that you can tweak your dosage or switch prescriptions if necessary. It can still take time to experience the benefits of medication, and it is not a “fast track” to healing from depression.

Depression Can Re-Occur

For some people, depression does re-occur. This does not mean that you have failed or done something wrong. Sometimes, people are just particularly vulnerable to depression. Even when your symptoms lift, monitor how you feel on a daily basis so that you can act quickly if symptoms pop up again.

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Are you struggling with symptoms of depression? Working with a therapist can help. Reach out to us to discuss your options for scheduling your first session for depression therapy.

July 3, 2023 by Andrea Leave a Comment

Clinical Depression: Signs, Symptoms, & Treatment

It can be hard to spot the signs and symptoms of depression in yourself or a loved one. While depression can present differently in many people, there are some prominent symptoms that tend to crop up. Furthermore, people might not be aware of their treatment options, so they delay seeking help because they don’t know where to turn.

Whether you’re concerned that you might be struggling with depression or you’re worried about one of your loved ones, learning more about the symptoms and treatment options for this condition is important. Here are some signs and symptoms that lots of people with depression tend to experience, as well as some of the most popular treatment routes.

Signs & Symptoms

1. Difficulty Handling Basic Tasks

People with depression often have trouble with simple tasks. You might struggle to remember your to-do list at work, leave your room untidy, or even have trouble simply getting out of bed in the morning. You may come across as forgetful or absent-minded. But inside, you’re grappling with brain fog that makes it hard to concentrate on anything. It’s easy to lose your focus at any given moment, and even crucial responsibilities don’t seem so important anymore.

2. Emotional Numbness Or Pervasive Sadness

Some people with depression experience a deep, overwhelming sense of sadness that hangs over their everyday life. No matter what they’re doing or how “good” their circumstances seem from the outside, they can’t shake this feeling of pervasive sadness.

On the other hand, other people with depression may feel emotionally numb. Even if you’re doing something that you used to enjoy, you may not feel any real joy. A lack of interest in activities or hobbies you used to love can be a prominent symptom of depression.

3. Lack Of Energy And Physical Symptoms

Depression can also affect your physical health. You might have trouble sleeping and stay up tossing and turning all night, even if you’re exhausted. Sometimes, you may feel like you have no appetite, or you might suffer from stomachaches and headaches. Overall, depression can sap you of your energy. Even when you do manage to get enough sleep, you still feel tired the next day.

Treatment

1. Talk Therapy

Talk therapy is one popular treatment path for depression. By talking to a therapist about your symptoms and when you begin feeling this way, you’ll be able to address the root cause of your depression. You can also learn helpful strategies for managing your symptoms and improving your quality of life. Working with a therapist gives you the chance to open up about everything that’s on your mind.

2. Medication

Sometimes, talk therapy isn’t enough to help someone work through their depression and overcome their symptoms. Many people with depression benefit from taking medication. However, it’s a good idea to try talk therapy before asking about medication, as many people see major improvements from a combination of sustained talk therapy and medication.

3. Lifestyle Changes

It can be difficult to make big lifestyle changes when you’re living with depression. However, depending on your specific symptoms, the resources you have available, and your personal goals, your therapist might recommend specific lifestyle habits. They can help you set up realistic systems and routines that will allow you to gradually implement these habits. This might include going to bed earlier, making some dietary tweaks, creating room in your schedule for gentle exercise, meditating, or writing in a journal to let your feelings out.

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Are you concerned that you’re experiencing symptoms of depression? Talking to a therapist can help. Reach out to us to discuss your options for scheduling your first session for depression therapy.

June 19, 2023 by Andrea Leave a Comment

How to Care for Your Partner After a Traumatic Birth Experience

You and your partner have recently welcomed a child. You couldn’t be happier to meet your new addition—but unfortunately, your partner’s birth experience was quite traumatic. Right now, you’re balancing parenting with caring for your partner’s needs. You care deeply about your partner, and you know that her birth experience was much more difficult than she could’ve imagined.

Your partner might still be in physical pain, and she’s emotionally shaken. You want to do everything in your power to help her recover. What should you prioritize? Here are a few ways to help your partner heal after a traumatic birth.

Care For Your Partner’s Physical Needs

First, it’s important to ensure that your partner is getting enough to eat and drink, as well as following any treatments that her doctor has prescribed. If the doctor has recommended that she restrict certain activities until a specific date, gently encourage her to heed the doctor’s advice. This likely means you will have to do extra housework, so keeping a to-do list and tidying up regularly are smart choices. Additionally, if you have wiggle room in your budget, you could invest in convenient services like grocery delivery.

Set Strict Boundaries Around Visitors

It’s only natural that people will want to meet your new baby—but right now, your partner might not be up for receiving any visitors. It’s up to you to set boundaries around who can visit and for how long. Check in with your partner to see if there is anyone she would explicitly like to visit, such as her parents, your parents, or any siblings. Beyond that, you’ll need to let people know that they will have to wait if they want to visit.

Go Above And Beyond On Childcare

Perhaps you and your partner had discussed how you would split up certain childcare tasks once the baby arrived. But now that your partner needs extra downtime to recover from her traumatic birth experience, these plans might have gone out the window. You may have to handle the majority of childcare tasks aside from breastfeeding. If you need advice, reach out to your loved ones for guidance.

Advocate For Your Partner

After giving birth, your partner will later have a checkup with their doctor. You might need to serve as an advocate for your partner in medical settings. Sometimes, women’s pain and discomfort are dismissed by doctors, so if your partner is still struggling, make sure to speak up on her behalf. Pay close attention during any appointments.

Consider Reaching Out To A Therapist

Your partner might be struggling emotionally in a way that physical treatments will not help. If your partner is dealing with anxiety, depression, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or any other mental health condition, talk to them about connecting with a therapist. There are therapists who specialize in helping postpartum mothers. If your partner is not ready to leave the house yet, they might be interested in trying virtual therapy.

Pamper Your Partner

Finally, don’t forget to pamper your partner. You don’t have to go out of your way with expensive, grand gestures, but think about how you could brighten her day. In the midst of the chaos that comes with the newborn days, there is still room for surprises. You may want to plan something special for the future when she’s physically feeling better, like a spa day.

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Are you trying to find a way to support your partner after birth trauma? Working with a therapist can help. Reach out to us to discuss your options for scheduling a session for trauma therapy.