One of our most common challenges in life can be coping with emotional distress. We endure concerns in life, brushing them aside in the hope they will resolve or go away of their own volition, or commonly, and especially in the workplace, we are expected to just get through.
A Financial Analogy
In reality we store our troubles in the Bank of Emotional Turmoil where they simmer and grow interest until a tipping point is reached and we ‘break down’ – or reach emotional bankruptcy.
The symptoms may appear physically, at first, with longer and longer periods of:
- ‘butterflies’ in the abdominal area
- disturbed sleep leading to irritability and lower tolerance levels
- relationship struggles at home and at work
- eating and digestive problems.
Another unfortunate common side effect is to engage in less than nourishing addictive behaviours such as:
- excessive alcohol
- risk taking
- illicit drugs
The behaviours mentioned above can arise particularly when dealing with stress, anxiety, and depressed states but are also possible in many other conditions. Here are three reasons people give, for leaving their emotional and mental wellbeing so long:
- A perception that they may have ‘failed’ in some way.
- Feeling ‘ashamed’, because of the stigma sometimes inappropriately attached.
- Things are not bad enough yet!
In Reality
It is a successful person who reflects and addresses unhealthy emotions and behaviours. The most successful people in the world use ‘guides’ throughout their lives. Do you believe you deserve less?
When thinking back to the focus here in the UK around ‘our’ 2012 Olympics, it is a useful reminder of the efforts athletes go through; both physical and psychological. Do they reach such high levels of skill, stamina, and strength on their own? It is a hugely psychological affair, just as with your life. These finely tuned individuals are supported emotionally with guidance and coaching without which they would be unlikely to attain such amazing levels.
As with any illness, early intervention brings rapid and sustainable repair. For those who have suffered long term distress due to abuse (in any form), emotional trauma, or anxieties and busy minds, it is entirely possible to find release, to relax and to learn new ways to respond, react and behave to stimulus that otherwise causes you to withdraw or be fearful.
Contact me for more information on this and other topics around mental health and emotional wellbeing, or to discuss a confidential and appropriate assessment.
Bob provides bespoke counselling services to clients in the privacy and comfort of a truly welcoming environment at his Anglia Counselling company office, located near Newmarket in Suffolk, England. Bob also provides professional online counselling, for international clients around the world. The therapeutic models offered, are bespoke to the client’s needs whilst integrating a mindful approach to psychotherapy and cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) principles. For clients experiencing trauma and/or phobia, Bob offers EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).