Dundrum Counselling MIACP

Our mental health is constantly under pressure from stresses at work, education, family, bereavement and loss, past childhood abuses, lack of resources, relationship pressures, and the list goes on.

We are affected by these pressures in a myriad of ways, but general symptoms that give us a clue to the state of our mental health would include but not be limited to:

 - Feeling anxious, stressed, constantly worried about work and relationships
 - Experiencing panic attacks, not sleeping well, not eating well
 - Low moods
 - Low self esteem
 - Emotional sensitivity
 - Irritability
 - Lack of confidence about ourselves or socially when we meet other people
 - Feeling generally depressed with a lack of drive or motivation for activities
 - Not feeling enthusiastic generally about events in our lives or interested in the lives of the people around us
 - Experiencing bodily aches or pains without an obvious physical explanation
 - Not feeling humourous or laughing and enjoying the things we previously have
 - Feeling that there is a force or forces against us in the world that we cannot see but appear to be working against all of our best efforts
 - Feeling generally worthless, misunderstood, unknown and unloved

All of these feelings can arise spontaneously, apparently without warning, and persist for a very long time, or they can be very clearly and obviously attached to a significant life event such as a bereavement or a change of life, like unemployment, moving house, going to college, the arrival of a new baby, or retirement, affecting both men and women differently but in equal measure.

Counselling and Psychotherapy are proven methods for dealing with these issues and sometimes, just making the first call, can be the first step to a genuine road to recovery and a life unbound by negative feelings and behaviours.