Anxiety and depression Counselling
Those suffering from depression will often describe themselves as pawns in their own life. They can be overwhelmed by emotions caused by people, events and feelings. There is a sense of wanting the world to stop so that you can catch up and get on top of things again.
Anxiety can play a big part too; it can accompany our thoughts always spiralling down to the worst possible outcome. For example: ‘we will lose our job’ or ‘our friends will leave us’. There can be a certain resignation, a fatalism that the worst will happen and, in some senses, we deserve it. It can be very hard to get out of these negative thinking patterns especially when you feel that others will judge you (negatively) for being like that.
Phobias and panic attacks are often associated with those with anxiety and these produce strong (unpleasant) emotional responses, that in themselves set up a fear of them happening again and others seeing which can lead the person to withdraw further.
Counselling, in the first place, is about providing a safe space. One in which you will not be judged and that what happens and is said follows your agenda – you are in control. With your counsellor you will start to look at the emotional responses that you are having. You will learn to confront assumptions about your issues, are they based on evidence or what you think you know. You will look at what you are worried will happen and look at all the outcomes not just the worst scenario.