But in between these two extremes, theres a handful of themes that I hear all the time.
If anything, it means you’re not alone in having a hard time with it.
I absolutely do not believe that any of my clients are inherently f***ed up.
Verywell Mind / Stocksy
Idobelieve that a lot of really messed up stuff has happened to them, though.
I really findself-compassionto be at the core of so much of the work we do on ourselves.
Self-touch can regulate our cortisol levels,which will then also regulate how we perceive stress.
But many people think they are.
This served us when we were competing with others not to be eaten alive by a predator.
Wehadto literally size up our competition to figure out our survival strategy.
But in the modern-day, behind our keyboards, comparing ourselves to others will mostly hurt us.
Research shows that spending more time onsocial media is linked to higher rates of depressionand anxiety.
While that can be scary, it can also be really exciting.
I’ll help people focus on whether they even want to play that game.
Our society puts unrealistic expectations on just about everything mental-health related, but grief especially.
Or, I ask them to pretend that it is their best friend that they are telling me about.
Would they say these same mean or unrealistic things to their best friend?
Loneliness, I told her, is one of the most universal human emotions.
…all Im going for is interrupting those well-worn neural pathways with a bump in the road.
Ill also do some reality testing with them of if these beliefs are accurate.
But, of course, there are plenty of people whoaregenuinely isolated.
I want to know what that means to them.
Depending on their answer, I may tell them to do less because they’re actuallyburnt out.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
There is no issue too shameful to bring to therapy.
Am J Health Behav.
2014 Apr;61(2):191-207. doi:10.1037/a0036189
