Mental Health Counselling

PTSD Symptoms

- Nightmares about trusted people hurting you
- Everything is too loud
- Nightmares that are completely different to the event
- Impulsive hair cutting
- Bad hygiene management

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Generalised Anxiety Disorder
(GAD)

-Trouble sleeping
- sweating
-Irritability
-Fatigue
-Muscle tension
-Difficulty concentrating
-Overthinking
-Trembling
-Nervousness
-Indecisiveness
-Inability to relax
-Nausea
- Ongoing worry

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Trauma Responses

- Craving control
- Chronic feelings of emptiness
- Seeking constant escapism
- Saying yes for fear of losing security
- Feeling responsible for others feelings
- Constant agreement
- Reckless impulses
- Negative view

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Physical symptoms of depression

- Headaches
- Eye problems
- Chest pain
- Stomach pain
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Back pains
- Aching muscles
- Digestive problems
- Decreased pain tolerance

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Endorphin
(Pain killer)

How to increase:

- Laughter exercise
- Essential oils
- Watching a comedy
- Dark chocolate
- Exercise

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Oxytocin
(Love hormone)

How to increase:

- Playing with a dog
- Playing with a baby
- Holding hands
- Hugging
- Giving compliments

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Serotonin
(Mood stabilizer)

How to increase:

- Meditating
- Running
- Walk in nature
- Swimming
- Sun exposure
- Cycling

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Dopamine
(Reward Chemical)`

How to increase:

- Completing a task
- Doing self-care activities
- Eating food
- Celebrating wins

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Coping with Grief

- Accept & express your emotions
- Prioritise eat & sleep
- Keep a routine
- Write & reflect in a journal
- Talk about it with a trusted person
- Don't make important decisions
- Be patient with yourself
- Avoid substance use
- Reach out
- Allow time to

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Self-care acts

- Clean your space
- Clear your schedule
- Spend time in nature
- Go out with friends and family
- Take naps
- Watch a film
- Read a book
- Take a break
- Take a long shower/bath
- Social media break

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Small accomplishments

- Eating
- Getting out of bed
- Drinking water
- Going outside
- Doing a chore
- Moving your body
- Taking a shower
- Reading a part of a book
- Complete a portion of work

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On bad depression days...

- Be kind to yourself
- Get sunlight and fresh air
- Drink water and snacks
- Write/ draw something happy
- Take a bath
- Talk to someone
- Celebrate small accomplishments

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Stress Relief

- Writing it down
- Taking a bath
- Go for a walk
- Meditate
- Listen to favourite songs
- Breathing exercises
- Light candles
- Read a book
- Technology break
- Talk to a loved one
- Bake

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Trauma triggers

- Anniversaries of the event
- Holidays
- Loud sounds
- Medical care
- Similar places
- Arguments
- Certain smells, places, people
- Weather, time of day
- Revisiting location
- Media relating to the trauma
- Witnessing traumatic event

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Imposter symdrome

- Feeling unworthy of success
- Undervaluing your skills and abilities
- Feeling guilty of success
- Self doubting
- Pointing out smallest of mistakes
- Hiding failures
- Set challenging goals
- Feels it was luck not talent
- Feels all compliments are art

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Emotional Burnout

- Loss of motivation
- Headaches
- Changes in appetite
- Weakened immune system
- Neglecting responsibility
- Changes in sleeping pattern
- Anxiety or depression
- Decline in productivity
- Anger or irritability
- Feeling exhausted
- Body aches
- Social

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Borderline Personality Disorder
(BPD)

- Fear of abandonment
- Unstable relationships
- Self harm
- Explosive anger
- Chronic feelings of emptiness
- Paranoia, dissociation
- Unstable self-image
- Extreme mood swings
- Impulsive self-destructive behaviours

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Recognising Anxiety

- Overthinking
- Memory issues
- Insomnia
- Rapid heartbeat
- Headache
- Avoidance
- Trouble breathing
- Constant state of worry
- Procrastination
- Sweating
- Stomach aches
- Panic/ anxiety attacks
- Lack of patience
- Trouble concentrating
- Needing re

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Unhealed Trauma

- Low sense of self worth
- Co-dependency in relationships
- Fear of abandonment
- Craving for external validation
- An innate feeling of shame
- Putting others needs before your own
- Not being able to tolerate conflict
- Being overly agreeable
- Tole

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Flight response

- Workaholic
- Over-thinking
- Anxiety, Panic, OCD
- Difficulty sitting still
- Perfectionist

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Fight Response

- Anger outbursts
- Likes to Control
- Bully behaviour
- Explosive behaviour

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Freeze response

- Numb (physically, emotionally)
- Isolating
- Dissociation
- Stuck
- Difficulty making decisions

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Fawn response

- People pleaser
- Lack of identity
- No boundaries
- Overwhelmed
- Co-dependent

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Self-soothing responses
(Sight)

- Low lighting
- Soothing colours
- Colouring books
- Collages
- ASMR videos

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Self-soothing responses
(Touch)

- Soft things
- Cuddly teddies, pillows
- Hot/cold showers
- Heated/ weighted blankets
- Massage
- Fidget toys, stress balls

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Self-soothing responses
(Sound)

- Calming noise
- Headphones
- Nature sounds
- Guided meditation
- Favourite music
- ASMR

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Self-soothing responses
(Smell)

- Aromatherapy
- Time outside
- Candles/ incense
- Flowers
- Fresh air

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Self-soothing responses
(Taste)

- Favourite foods/drinks
- Eating slowly
- Strong flavours
- Healthy foods
- Nostalgic flavours
- Warm drinks

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Defence mechanisms
(Denial)

Refusal to accept reality

E.g., A friend acts as if their pet hasn't died

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Defence mechanisms
(Rationalisation)

An attempt to justify one's actions with an excuse

E.g., Justifying cheating on an exam by saying everyone does it

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Defence mechanisms
(Projection)

An attempt to protect one's feelings or self-esteem by blaming others

E.g., Accusing your partner of cheating on you because you have thoughts about cheating

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Defence Mechanisms
(Repression)

The unconscious exclusion or holding back feelings

E.g., Not remembering a traumatic incident in which you witnessed a crime

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Defence Mechanisms
(Displacement)

Directing feelings at someone or something other than the source of those feelings

E.g., Taking anger from work out on your partner/family/friends

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Defence Mechanisms
(Regression)

Acting as if back in an earlier, less troublesome time of life

E.g., Throwing temper tantrums as an adult when you don't get your own way

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Defence Mechanisms
(Sublimation)

Transforming unacceptable behaviours into acceptable ones

E.g., A very aggressive person might become a professional athlete

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Rational emotive therapy

A -> Activating event
B -> Belief or irrational thought
C -> consequences resulted from the belief

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Sensory Cortex

Responsible for receiving and processing sensory information from across the body, such as touch, temperature and pain

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Pre-frontal cortex

- Key to reasoning, problem solving, comprehension, impulse control, creativity and perseverance
- plays a central role in cognitive control functions, and dopamine modulates cognitive control, thereby influencing attention, impulse inhibition, prospectiv

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Inner child wounds
(Guilt)

- Feels 'sorry' for 'bad'
- Doesn't like to ask for things
- Uses guilt to manipulate
- Is afraid to set boundaries
- Attracts people who make them feel guilty

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Inner child wounds
(Abandonment)

- Feels 'left out'
- Is afraid of being abandoned
- Hates being alone
- Is co-dependant
- Threatens to leave
- Attracts emotionally unavailable people

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Inner child wounds
(Neglect)

- Struggles to let things go
- Has low self-esteem
- Gets angry easily
- Struggles to say no
- Represses emotions
- Quick to leave
- Shies away from being vulnerable
- Attracts people who don't appreciate them or make them feel 'seen'

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Inner child wounds
(Trust)

- Is afraid to be hurt
- Doesn't trust themselves
- Finds ways/excuses not to trust people
- Doesn't feel safe
- Feels insecure and needs lots of external validation
- Attracts people who don't make them feel safe

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Trauma presents as...
(Part 1)

- Toxic relationships
- Difficulty trusting others
- Difficulty with intimacy and deep love
- The need for perfection
- Trouble concentrating
- Difficulty setting boundaries
- Struggle to demonstrate and/or feel empathy

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Trauma presents as...
(Part 2)

- Not being comfortable with touch
- No desire to connect and/or bond with others
- Impulsive behaviours
- Sexual problems
- Substance abuse
- Social withdrawal
- Self-destructive behaviours

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External Triggers

- Certain situations
- The end of relationships
- Events
- Specific places
- Seeing a news article or watching a movie/tv show which reminds of trauma
- Certain sounds, smells, tastes and sights

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Internal Triggers

- Memories
- Racing heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Muscle tension
- Feelings of anger, anxiety, guilt, sadness, loneliness, abandonment, frustration, loss of control

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Serotonin

Serotonin is linked to our wellbeing and happiness and our levels of it are affected by exercise and exposure to sunlight. It also helps to regulate out mood balance, sleep cycle and digestion

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Endorphins

Triggers by the sensation of pain, endorphins work to inhibit the transmission of pain signals. Capable of producing a sense of euphoria, studies have suggested endorphins may also be stimulated by laughter

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Adrenaline

Released by the adrenal glands that sit on tip of each kidney, adrenaline increases the flow of blood to our muscles, raises out heart rate and dilates our pupils. It is crucial in our fight or flight survival response.

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Dopamine

This is the addictive reward chemical that your brain craves. It serves to motivate you to seek out the things you need for your survival. We can sometimes find ourselves enslaves by this ancient reward mechanism

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Glutamate

The most abundant neurotransmitter in the vertebrate nervous system. Glutamate is used by nerve cells to transmit signals to other cells. Too much of it can cause cognitive impairments

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Oxytocin

Also known as the 'love hormone', oxytocin is released when you're close to another person It's essential for making strong social bonds, and it's also a key part of why we want to trust people.

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Noradrenaline

Similar to adrenaline, the release of this chemical can result in increased levels of alertness, helping to prime us for action if needed. It also increases our blood pressure and widens our air passages,

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GABA

Responsible for regulating muscle tone, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) also regulates the communication between brain cells. It can calm us down by reducing the rate at which our neurons fire.

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Acetylcholine

This is the main neurotransmitter in the parasympathetic nervous system that slows out heart rate, contracts smooth muscles, dilates blood vessels and increases bodily secretions.

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)

- Can occur if people experience an event where they thought they or someone close to them would die or be seriously hurt.
- In the event of war, sexual abuse, terrorism, attack etc

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Panic disorder

- Panic attacks or panic disorder is a sudden rush of symptoms such as: Breathlessness, palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, trembling, sweating, dry mouth, tingling, chills or hot flush.

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Health Anxiety

- Worrying about health is excessive, out of proportion to the realistic likelihood of having serious medical conditions, persistence despite having negative results.

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Generalised Anxiety Disorder
(GAD)

Diagnosed if people have persistent symptoms of dizziness, breathlessness, dry mouth, fear of abandonment, worry

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Social Phobia

Excessively anxious in situations where they believe others are critically judging them, they are terrified of embarrassing or humiliating themselves

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Conditional positive regard

- Is the offering of warmth, respect, acceptance only when the other fulfils some particular expectation, desire or requirement.
- Can also be a facet of therapy when the therapist has an agenda different from that of the client.

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Trauma in children

- Suddenly acquiring new fears and phobias they didn't have before
- Separation anxiety
- Frequent sleep disturbances and vivid nightmares
- Closing themselves off from people, suddenly being very quiet when they were lively and cheerful before
- Losing i

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Physical symptoms of trauma

- Stomach aches
- Hair loss
- Fatigue & exhaustion
- Headaches
- Restlessness & agitation
- Insomnia
- IBS
- Hypervigilance
- Tachycardia
- Sexual Dysfunction

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Trauma effect on brain
(Pre-frontal cortex)

Rational thinking- regulates emotions such as fear responses from the amygdala- with PTSD this has a reduced volume

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Trauma effect on brain
(Amygdala)

Wired for survival, when active it is hard to think rationally. The more hyperactive the amygdala is, the more signs of PTSD are present

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Trauma effect on brain
(Hippocampus)

Responsible for memory and differentiating between past and present- works to remember and make sense of the trauma. With consistent exposure to trauma, it shrinks.

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Physical impact of trauma
(Brain architecture)

Shrinkage in the prefrontal cortex, corpus callosum and hippocampus. Enlarged and more attractive amygdala.

Resolution: Safe and stable nurturing relationships, walk in nature, touch, exercise

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Physical impact of trauma
(Neural pathways)

Need to 'rewire' our brain from old thought patterns and habits of mind, conscious and unconscious.

Resolution: Neurofeedback, meditation, mindful action, positive self- talk.

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Physical impact of trauma
(Brain waves)

Predomination of wrong brain waves in wrong part of the brain leads to anxiety, unable to concentrate and seizures.

Resolution: Neurofeedback

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Physical impact of trauma
(Neurotransmitters)

Vulnerable to addiction because dopamine transmitters not developed or damaged. Reduces motivation and focus, create fatigue, low serotonin causes depression

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Physical impact of trauma
(Hormones)

Prolonged high cortisol and ghrelin creates greater reactivity to stress. Long term damage to cells, structures of the body and other hormone glands (thyroid)

Resolution: oxytocin

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Physical impact of trauma
(Toxin elimination)

Intestines and kidneys less able to eliminate toxins (slow gut or unbalanced flora)

Resolution: Salt baths, sauna

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Physical impact of trauma
(Nervous system)

Supercharged sympathetic nervous system. Parasympathetic nervous system not engaged to bring back into balance

Resolution: Yoga, breathing, or other physical/ emotional regulation

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Physical impact of trauma
(Immune system)

Resistance to cortisol or lower cortisol creates unchecked inflammation. Cause of many diseases e.g., asthma, arthritis etc.

Resolution: Medication/ mindful action, walking in nature, diet, rest

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Physical impact of trauma
(Cellular change)

Shortens telomeres which prematurely ages and reduces reproduction of cells and can cause cancer

Resolution: Social support

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Physical impact of trauma

Epigenetics turns genes on or off in adaptation to dangerous environments. effect can last generation

Resolution: Safer environment

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Types of boundaries
(Physical)

- Personal space and contact
- Time and energy
- Touching (who, when, how & where)
- Sexual boundaries
- Physical needs (nutrition, sleep, exercise etc)
- Possessions and property
- Financial boundaries
-Ability to make decisions about your body health an

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Types of boundaries
(Mental)

- Topic of conversation
- How much, what & when you share with others
- How others speak to you
- The content you consume
- Respect for others' ideas/opinions
- Awareness of appropriate discussion
- Right to remain silent or refuse to answer questions
- A

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Types of boundaries
(Spiritual)

- Ability to determine your own beliefs
- Honouring your values and beliefs
- Ability to practice beliefs without interference
- Exploring your gifts and talents
- Defining your purpose
- Choosing your mentors
- Standing up for yourself

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Types of boundaries
(Emotional)

- Allowing yourself to feel your feelings
- Ability to self-regulate
- Respecting privacy
- Determining the pace of relationships
- Recognizing you're not responsible for other people's feelings
- Ability to separate your feelings from others' emotions an

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Trauma in relationships
(Part 1)

- Difficulty in being vulnerable
- Difficulty in trusting a partner
- Fear of rejection or abandonment
- Difficulty in engaging in physical intimacy
- Difficulty expressing one's wants/needs
- Feeling shameful, unlovable or undesirable
- Expectations of

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Trauma in relationships
(Part 2)

- Beliefs like "relationships don't last" or "love is difficult"
- Difficulty feeling that happiness/ safety is real and will last
- Difficulty in setting boundaries or having very rigid boundaries
- Feeling like you need to "put on a mask" or hide parts

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Injustice Trauma

- Chronic chest or back pain
- Feeling fatigued or drained
- Unpredictable and irrational emotions
- Disorientation and short attention span
- Isolating and cutting oneself off from resources

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Abandonment Trauma

- Fear of being left behind or abandoned
- inability to form healthy relationships on the teenage or adult years
- Low self-esteem and feelings of self-worth
- Depression
- Anxiety and insecurity

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Betrayal Trauma

- Trouble recognising, expressing, or managing emotions
- Anxiety, depression and other mental health symptoms
- Nightmares
- Physical pain or stomach distress
- Panic attacks

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Rejection Trauma

- You easily make negative assumptions about what others are thinking
- You're wary about letting people in
- You find compromising difficult
- You're a people pleaser
- You have a hard time trusting people with your feelings

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Get Revising

Mental Health Counselling

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