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Depression is a condition in which a person feels sad, hopeless, unmotivated, or disinterested in life in general. Most people feel anxious or depressed at times, but when these feelings last for more than two weeks or interfere with daily activities such as taking care of family or going to work or school, it is considered a major depressive episode. About 12 percent of women experience depression compared to 6 percent of men, making women twice as likely to be affected. At any point in time, 3 to 5 percent of people suffer from major depression. Signs & Symptoms Depressed mood Loss of interest or pleasure in activities they used to enjoy Feelings of guilt, hopelessness and worthlessness Sleep disturbance (sleeping more or sleeping less) Appetite and weight changes Difficulty concentrating Lack of energy and fatigue Suicidal thoughts or recurrent thoughts of death Women suffering from depression often turn to alcohol abuse years after the onset of depression. Men are more likely to internalize or ignore their emotions, and can start unhealthy practices to cope with these feelings. These unhealthy coping methods can lead to mental health disorders and even suicide. The good news is that even the most severe cases of depression can be treated. The earlier treatment begins the more effective it is. Treatment typically involves medications, therapy or a combination of the two. Couples counseling/Marriage Counseling can help you manage your feelings and cope with your depression. Starpointcounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com affordablecounselingbrandon.com

As in marital relationships, unmarried couples can experience an endless cycle of arguments, with even the smallest thing leading to a prolonged battle of who is right and who is wrong.  Sometimes, it is difficult to understand why such things are happening in your relationship despite the fact that you started it right. Where did the intimacy go?  Why do our differences seem so irresolvable? In couples counseling, we can help you make sense out of what is happening between you and help you restore the emotional connection you are both longing for. affordablecounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com starpointcounselingbrandon.com

Happy Easter to you and your families!! affordablecounselingcenter.com starpointcounselingcenterbrandon.com starpointcounselingcentertampa.com

An integrative model of narrative identity builds on a dual memory system that draws on episodic memory and a long‐term self to generate autobiographical memories. Autobiographical memories related to critical goals in a lifetime period lead to life‐story memories, which in turn become self‐defining memories when linked to an individual’s enduring concerns. Self‐defining memories that share repetitive emotion‐outcome sequences yield narrative scripts, abstracted templates that filter cognitive‐affective processing. The life story is the individual’s overarching narrative that provides unity and purpose over the life course. affordablecounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com

The reality is couples who don’t have at least the occasional battle might have bigger problems than those who argue regularly. They may have issues with trust and honesty, or are emotionally disconnected and so they keep their interactions at superficial levels. Or they may avoid conflicts because they believe their issues cannot be resolved, or their communication styles may be so dysfunctional that even minor confrontations turn into major fights. Other couples, such as those who have traditional views of the roles of men and woman, may avoid certain issues because they’re considered to be closed to discussion and one or the other partner is not willing to change. Whatever the reason, when a couple dismisses issues to avoid conflicts, any aspect of their relationship that causes discontent will remain unresolved. Consequently, an unhappy partner doesn’t feel they have to power to make his or her relationship better. affordablecounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com starpointcounselingbrandon.com

Unusually quick to lose his temper Ignores or rebels against rules, at home or at school Quick to blame others for mistakes or misbehavior Prone to annoy others and be easily annoyed himself Disruptive behavior appears to be intentional rather than impulsive Refuses to cooperate reflexively—even before he knows what is being asked affordablecounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com starpointcounselingbrandon.com

Your self worth is a function of how you value yourself. To build your self worth you must first discover your values and then make up your own definition of success. Your values are nothing more than what you value in life. You probably already know that society places excessive value on the outward appearances of success, such as money, material possessions, physical appearance, marital status, career and so on. In contrast, little consideration is ever given to the loftier values of a person, such as love, integrity, kindness, emotional intelligence, forgiveness and inner balance, when defining one’s success. This means that we have a warped definition of success based largely on outward appearances, which really results in a warped sense of self worth. starpointcounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com affordablecounselingbrandon.com

Signs of oppositional defiant disorder in children are usually apparent before the age eight. Behaviors may occur most with people the child knows well, such as family members or care providers. These behaviors are frequent, not age appropriate, and cause significant issues at school, at home, and/or with peers. Losing one’s temper often. Frequent arguing with adults or refusing to comply with adults’ rules or requests. Often getting angry or being resentful or vindictive. Deliberately annoying others; easily becoming annoyed with others. Often blaming other people for one’s own mistakes or misbehavi affordablecounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com starpointcounselingbrandon.com

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic, debilitating disorder which may impact upon many aspects of an individual’s life, including academic difficulties, social skills problems, and strained parent-child relationships. Whereas it was previously thought that children eventually outgrow ADHD, recent studies suggest that 30–60% of affected individuals continue to show significant symptoms of the disorder into adulthood. Children with the disorder are at greater risk for longer term negative outcomes, such as lower educational and employment attainment. A vital consideration in the effective treatment of ADHD is how the disorder affects the daily lives of children, young people, and their families. Indeed, it is not sufficient to merely consider ADHD symptoms during school hours—a thorough examination of the disorder should take into account the functioning and well being of the entire family. affordablecounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com starpointcounselingbrandon.com

As an adult, traumatic life events such as an accident, illness, theft of or damage to personal property, or loss of a loved one may lead to issues with trusting others and feeling safe and secure. Being physically violated or attacked, as in the case of rape or assault, is likely to dramatically impact a person’s trust in the goodness of others. Veterans of military combat may also experience difficulty trusting others following the stresses of wartime violence. And within a committed relationship, being cheated on, or left for another will often lead to the development of trust issues. Post traumatic Stress, which results from a person’s exposure to severe danger or perceived danger, can lead a previously healthy person to experience tremendous difficulty with trust. People may experience and re-experience the trauma in their minds, along with the associated anxiety, and often go to great lengths to create a feeling of safety, sometimes isolating themselves from others or becoming overly dependent. affordablecounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com

Means that an individual has substantial or total responsibility for the events and circumstances that befall them in their personal life, to a considerably greater degree than is normally thought. Strong adherents of responsibility assumption consider that whatever situation they find themselves in, their own past desires and choices must have led to that outcome. The term “responsibility assumption” has a specialized meaning beyond the general concept of taking responsibility for something, and is not to be confused with the general notion of making an assumption that a concept such as “responsibility” exists. In particular the general use of the term “responsibility” in everyday life and the legal field in particular is about assigning or apportioning blame for an event; responsibility assumption suggests a greater ability to affect the future. starpointcounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com affordablecounselingbrandon.com

Cognition and mood symptoms can begin or worsen after the traumatic event, but are not due to injury or substance use. These symptoms can make the person feel alienated or detached from friends or family members. It is natural to have some of these symptoms after a dangerous event. Sometimes, people have very serious symptoms that go away after a few weeks. This is called acute stress disorder, or ASD. When the symptoms last more than a month, seriously affect one’s ability to function, and are not due to substance use, medical illness, or anything except the event itself, they might be PTSD. Some people with PTSD don’t show any symptoms for weeks or months. PTSD is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or one or more of the other anxiety disorder. Trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event Negative thoughts about oneself or the world Distorted feelings like guilt or blame Loss of interest in enjoyable activitie starpointcounselingbrandon.com starpointcounselingtampa.com affordablecounselingbrandon.com