What's worrying you?
Depression is more than just being sad and it is way more magnified than the sad, moody low that we feel from time to time. It is deeper, intense and continues to prolong for weeks, months, sometimes even years for no real reason. Although taken lightly, depression is actually a serious condition that affects your physical and mental health.
Areas of concern
- Feeling sad, helpless, hopeless, worthless or guilt
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
- Loss of sexual desire
- Difficulty sleeping or excessive sleeping
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Impaired ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions
- Thoughts of self-harm
- Frequent crying spells
- Irritability, mood swings
Feeling anxious on special occasions can be unsettling, but severe anxiety can disrupt daily life to a large extent. Disorders that include strong feelings of nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying are generally termed as Anxiety disorder.
Areas of concern
- Nervousness, restlessness, or being tense
- Feelings of danger, panic, or dread
- Rapid heart rate, breathing, or hyperventilation
- Increased or heavy sweating
- Trembling or muscle twitching
- Difficulty concentrating
- Insomnia
- Digestive or gastrointestinal problems
- Avoidance behaviour
- Performing certain behaviors over and over again
Addiction has its hold on us because of the effect it has on us from the first time we use it and the desire to achieve the same or more pleasure out of the substance, till it doesn’t have the same desired effect but withdrawal is unpleasant. Its dependency often leads to tolerance.
Areas of concern
- Often taking more of the substance for a longer period than intended
- Ongoing desire or unsuccessful efforts to reduce use
- Great deal of time spent to obtain, use or recover from substance
- Failing to fulfill obligations at work, home or school as a result of continued use
- Continued use despite ongoing social or relationship problems caused or worsened by use
- Craving the substance
- Giving up or reducing social, occupational or recreational activities because of use
- Repeated use in physically dangerous situations
- Continued use despite ongoing physical or mental health problems caused or worsened by use
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms after reducing use
Stress being a disorder that is psychological, physical and behavioural reaction to difficult situations, spreads out its branches to all aspects of life, including emotions, behaviors, thinking ability and physical health. Hence if went untreated, can impair professional, personal and physical health.
Areas of concern
- Blood pressure and pulse rate rise
- Breathing is faster
- The digestive system slows down
- Change in appetite
- Difficulty concentrating
- Avoidance behaviour
- Increased use of substance
- Immune activity decreases
- The muscles become tense
- A heightened state of alertness prevents sleep
Parenting is technically the tedious process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. This involves a variety of skills which are incredibly challenging and rewarding.
Areas of concern
- Academic difficulties
- Adolescent crisis
- Hyperactive or attention seeking
- Sibling rivalry
- Difficulty maintaining or initiating relation with peers
- Drug abuse
- Lying or stealing
- Stubbornness or Defiant behaviour
- Verbally or physically aggressive
- Temper tantrums or emotional outbursts
Relationships are a beautiful part and parcel of life that adds meaning to our lives filling it with joy and fulfillment. They too demand work and challenges that range from small disagreements to unresolved issues that can threaten the stability of the relationship if left overdue.
Areas of concern
- Infidelity
- Different parenting goals
- Conflicting views on finance
- Lack of time spent cultivating a relationship
- Sexual Problems
- Incompatibility in life goals
- Repeated arguments
- Lack of concern
- Physical or verbal abuse
- Different views on roles and responsibilities
A little shift in sleeping patterns is something everybody experiences due to many factors like stress, travel, illness, or other temporary interruptions to your normal routine. But if they keep reoccurring and cause waves of interference in your daily life, then it might be an example of sleep disorder.
Areas of concern
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Excessive sleepiness during the day
- Fatigue and irritability due to lack of sleep
- Frequent awakening and inability to fall back to sleep
- Oversleeping
- Difficulty staying awake during activities
- Trouble controlling emotions
- Require caffeinated beverages to keep going
- React slow or look tired
Everything that we experience in our life, every circumstance, changing environment all teaches us to adapt to them facilitating mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual growth to live a more productive and satisfying life along with respecting the rules and regulations of the society.
Areas of concern
- Low Self-Esteem
- Poor Communication skills
- Lack of Emotional expression
- Poor Decision-making
- Goal setting
- Procrastination
- Poor Listening skills
- Lack of motivation
- Low concentration
Our mind and body are as interconnected as any other parts of our body and influence each other at each stage of our lives. Living with or experiencing a chronic illness(Diabetes, Heart conditions, Headaches/back pain and cancer) needs many adjustments and changes, resulting in loss of independence and not being able to do all the active things you used to do or usually enjoy, making one anxious or depressed.
Areas of concern
- Constant worrying thoughts, often about the illness and its treatment
- Fearing the worst
- Being very aware of heart beating or breathing too fast
- Tension and pains in muscles
- Being unable to relax or constant sweating
- Feeling dizzy or faint
- Feeling irritable, tired, restless and agitated
- Disturbed appetite and difficulty in sleeping
- Losing interest in life and sex
- Losing self-confidence and feeling useless, inadequate and hopeless
- Thoughts of self-harm
LGBT individuals are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and addiction or substance abuse. Due to the stigma and discrimination LGBT individuals face on a regular basis, from society, family members, peers, co-workers, even classmates, there is high risk for addiction and mood disorders.
Areas of concern
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
- Homophobia
- Biphobia
- Transphobia
- Isolation
- Discrimination
- Coming out
- Trauma
- Stress
Sex problems make one feel very alone and helpless. Shame, fear and embarrassment are other common emotions felt by people living with sexual dysfunction, and many suffer for months, even years in silence – too afraid to discuss their concerns with anyone.
Areas of concern
- Sex education
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexual preferences
- Lack of intimacy
- Different levels of sexual desire
- Power struggles
- Difficulty feeling connected
- Trusting issue due to past experience
- Sex during pregnancy
- Sexual addictions or fetishes
A child can display developmental problems or acts out in ways that are beyond what’s considered normal. Change in behaviour can be due to recent trauma or significant event that impacted their lives, like a death or divorce. Some other reasons could be study stress, bully, abuse, peer pressure, sibling rivalry and many more.
Areas of concern
- Unwarranted aggression
- Attention seeking
- Urinary incontinence or Bed wetting
- Difficulty adjusting to social situations
- Frequent nightmare and sleep difficulties
- Sudden drop in grades at school
- Persistent worry and anxiety
- Withdrawing from activities they normally enjoy
- Loss of appetite and dramatic weight loss
- Performing obsessive routines like hand washing
- Expressing thoughts of self-harm
- Talking about voices they hear in their head
- Social isolation and wanting to be alone
- Alcohol or drug use
- Increased physical complaints despite a normal, healthy physician’s report
