Counselling Articles

Panic attacks are extremely frightening. They seem to appear for no reason, strike at random and leave the sufferer feeling threatened and out of control. It is useful to be able to recognise the symptoms of a panic attack to help alleviate the fear of dying, ‘going mad’ and reduce the risk of developing phobias due to a panic attack.

Sufferers may not experience all of the below symptoms in one panic attack, but it is worth being aware of all symptoms in case you experience another attack or even encounter someone else who requires assistance in a panic situation.

How to Recognise a Panic Attack through Common Symptoms: (more…)

Depersonalisation Disorder (DPD) is a mental illness, medically documented for over 100 years, but relatively unknown by the public. Precise statistics about this disorder are not known, in part because those who suffer from the disorder are often misdiagnosed with depression or anxiety. Individuals might fear being viewed as “crazy” if they share their feelings, and some mental health professionals fail to recognize its symptoms. Leading experts on Depersonalisation Disorder estimate that at least 2% of the population may suffer from this disorder, so there may be at least 600,000 people in the UK now suffering from this disorder. Surprisingly Depersonalisation Disorder occurs almost as often as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Schizophrenia.

Definition & Symptoms of Depersonalisation Disorder

Depersonalisation Disorder is a type of disorder that classifies as a Dissociative Disorder in the  DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders). Strict criteria need to be met in order to give a positive diagnosis. Diagnosis is difficult, so it is important that a Clinical Psychologist or Psychiatrist do this. Individuals who suffer from the disorder may have symptoms including:  (more…)

Some individuals suffer in silence from an emotionally painful disorder called Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). This psychological condition is characterised by an obsession with an imaginary or minor flaw in his or her physical appearance.

Definition of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Individuals with BDD have a distorted body image in which they focus on (real or imagined) inadequacies with their size, shape, and form of their body. This distortion is often accompanied by intense dissatisfaction with their physical appearance. It can also lead to the dysfunctional development of behaviours and rituals to “treat” the problem including using excessive clothing to cover troublesome areas of the body. Some sufferers will wear heavy makeup, undergo frequent cosmetic procedures, engage in excessive grooming, hair plucking, and skin picking, in an attempt to reduce their suffering. Other common behaviours include the refusal  to be in pictures, obsessive comparison of themselves to others, and the need to frequently examine oneself in a mirror. The perceived problem may include any part of the body, and can change over time. However, the most commonly problematic Body Dysmorphic Disorder areas include:

• Nose
• Hair
• Skin
• Complexion
• Wrinkles
• Acne and blemishes
• Breast size
• Muscle size
• Genitalia (more…)

The Concept of Facebook

Created in 2004, Facebook is a popular free social networking website where members can add “friends”, upload photos, leave comments on friend’s “walls”, send private emails, talk live on “chat” and subscribe to pages of interest. What is the psychological impact of this method of interaction? Is Facebook psychologically harmful or beneficial on the whole?

Disadvantages of Facebook

Facebook has some commonly discussed disadvantages.

• Evidence has been found of a significant relationship between Facebook addiction, low-self esteem, depression and lack of social skills. Some people have replaced human interaction with cyber interaction, which often fails to satisfy the need to belong.
• There  are reported cases of Facebook being used as a method for cyber bullying, which is generally targeted at young adolescents. This often leads to depression and in extreme circumstances, cases of suicide. Although a very serious issue, theses incidences are fairly uncommon and do not pose as a major threat to the majority of Facebook users.

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