We provide Counseling and
Therapy for the following issues:
Suicide Warning Signs
- Talking directly or indirectly about suicide or wanting
to die
- Depression, Sadness
- Change in eating or sleeping habits
- Boredom,withdrawl and loss of interest in activities
- Mood shifts
- Giving away prized possesions
- Anicrease in drug or alcohol abuse
- A Decrease in school or job performance
- A Recent experience of loss
- A Previous Suicide Attempt
Domestic Violence
Any physical abuse or threat or pattern thereof, between
intimately involved partners, roommates, or family members.
Domestic violence and other domestic friction is a significant
contributor to homelessness and general domestic upheaval..
Although most domestic violence victims are ostensibly women,
some social recognition is beginning to manifest for male
domestic violence victims as well.
Marriage/Relationship Counseling
In marriage counseling, you talk about yourself, express
your own feelings and thoughts, and discuss life experiences.
You identify the changes you need to make to increase your
happiness and with the support of the therapist, you go about
making these life changes. To go through this marriage counseling
experience, you will ultimately understand your relationship
or your marriage and become proficient at your role.
Addictions
We must live in one of the most addictive ages that has ever
been! This is certainly not the only period of time plagued
by this, but the easy availability of substances that have
addictive properties must be at an all-time high. Some substances
that promote addiction, such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine,
are legally obtainable in virtually every market in America.
Others, like cocaine, heroin, opium, speed and marijuana,
while not legally obtainable, are almost ridiculously easy
to purchase.
People use these substances because they want their effects.
Some elevate the person's feelings, lifting them out of depression
or putting them into a better frame of mind. Others want to
be "lowered" or brought down from feelings of high
excitement, panic or insecurity so that events do not seem
to be out of control, making life seemingly more manageable.
Regardless of why they are used, they have the sinister quality
of making the user dependent on them. Not only do they create
dependence, they also create a need for a larger amount than
previously needed to produce the desired effect. Gradually,
if not controlled when the amount is small, the person is
pulled into a dependence that is both chemically and psychologically
so powerful he cannot get along without the drug. His whole
life is circumscribed by his addiction. He is a slave to the
drug and knows it.
The addict usually hates himself for allowing this to happen.
Struggling hard to resist the drug's alluring pull, he more
often than not fails to free himself from its vice-like grip.
What began as a seemingly simple escape from one kind of pain
ends in the prison of a potentially life-threatening calamity.
Included in the damage from the substance abuse are usually
numerous family, social and business relationships. The abuser
usually wants desperately to repair these ties, along with
his own self-esteem. Where can he turn?
Panic / Anxiety Disorder
"It started 10 years ago. I was sitting in a seminar
in a hotel and this thing came out of the clear blue. I felt
like I was dying."
"For me, a panic attack is almost a violent experience.
I feel like I'm going insane. It makes me feel like I'm losing
control in a very extreme way. My heart pounds really hard,
things seem unreal, and there's this very strong feeling of
impending doom."
"In between attacks there is this dread and anxiety
that it's going to happen again. It can be very debilitating,
trying to escape those feelings of panic."
People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike
suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. They can't predict
when an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety
between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will
strike. In between times there is a persistent, lingering
worry that another attack could come any minute.
When a panic attack strikes, most likely your heart pounds
and you may feel sweaty, weak, faint, or dizzy. Your hands
may tingle or feel numb, and you might feel flushed or chilled.
You may have chest pain or smothering sensations, a sense
of unreality, or fear of impending doom or loss of control.
You may genuinely believe you're having a heart attack or
stroke, losing your mind, or on the verge of death. Attacks
can occur any time, even during nondream sleep. While most
attacks average a couple of minutes, occasionally they can
go on for up to 10 minutes. In rare cases, they may last an
hour or more. Panic Attack Symptoms
- Pounding heart
- Chest pains
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Nausea or stomach problems
- Flushes or chills
- Shortness of breath or a feeling of smothering or choking
- Tingling or numbness
- Shaking or trembling
- Feelings of unreality
- Terror
- A feeling of being out of control or going crazy
- Fear of dying
- Sweating
Post-Traumatic Stress
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder
that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal
in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic
events that can trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults
such as rape or mugging, natural or human-caused disasters,
accidents, or military combat. PTSD can be extremely disabling.
Military troops who served in the Vietnam and Gulf Wars; rescue
workers involved in the aftermath of disasters like the terrorist
attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.; survivors of
the Oklahoma City bombing; survivors of accidents, rape, physical
and sexual abuse, and other crimes; immigrants fleeing violence
in their countries; survivors of the 1994 California earthquake,
the 1997 North and South Dakota floods, and hurricanes Hugo
and Andrew; and people who witness traumatic events are among
those at risk for developing PTSD. Families of victims can
also develop the disorder.
Co-dependancy
A codependent person is one who has let another person’s
behavior affect him or her, and is obsessed with controlling
that person’s behavior. A codependent is also someone
who accepts responsibility for someone else’s irresponsible
behavior. A pattern of behavior in which those who are in
a close relationship with an alcoholic/addict become in turn
dependent upon that person’s chemical dependency. The
codependent builds his or her needs and life around the dependent
person. The addict is addicted to the drug, but the codependent
is addicted to the addict. The addict may also be codependent.
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