Mental Health Issues
Therapy for mental health conditions aims to reduce psychological distress and improve symptoms. We offer a range of short-term and long-term talking therapies that can help you regain a sense of control and pleasure in life.
Common Mental Health Issues
Finding Sense treats its clients as individuals, tailoring therapeutic approaches to their needs. We are experienced at working with a broad spectrum of mental health issues. Have a read through some of the common difficulties people seek our help with below.
Issues with Low Self-Esteem & Confidence
What is it?
Self-esteem refers to a person's overall sense of self-value. It is essentially your opinion about yourself. It can encompass a range of factors such as your sense of identity, your self-confidence, feelings and competence, and feelings of belonging. Poor self-esteem can affect a person's thoughts, emotions, and patterns of behaviour. Some people with low self-esteem talk negatively about themselves, while others go out of their way to make sure that other people are pleased with them. in either case, this lack of personal worth and value can have a serious negative impact on a person's life and wellness. People with low self-esteem tend to have low self-confidence.
How common is it?
Low self-esteem and low self-confidence are very common and can affect people at various stages of the life cycle. Self-esteem is relatively common in children, especially in those who are parented in an environment that sets very high standards. Self-esteem continues to decline during adolescence (especially for young women). This is thought to be linked to body image and other problems associated with puberty.
Does this concern you? Get in touch with us.
Adjusting to Physical Health Problems
What is it?
Being diagnosed with a physical health condition can be stressful, frightening and difficult to manage at times. It is very common for health conditions to affect how you feel, this can affect how well you manage or don't manage your health condition. There are a range of physical, emotional, behavioural and social aspects to psychological adjustment to a physical health condition yet in the UK, we separate physical and mental health. This is a problem as it often means that the psychological aspects of physical health are ignored. This can lead to the psychological and emotional aspects of living with a physical health condition being ignored and result in poorer outcomes and reduced quality of life.
How common is it?
It is estimated that more than 40% of people with depression and anxiety disorders will also have a physical health problem that is contributing to their psychological distress. Around 70% of people with medically unexplained symptoms also have a mental health problem and there may be a psychological element that is contributing to the expression of these symptoms.
Does this concern you? Get in touch with us.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
What is it?
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. Some people start having symptoms early, often around puberty, but it usually starts during adulthood. OCD can be distressing and significantly interfere with you life. The symptoms of OCD include unwanted and unpleasant thoughts, images or urges that repeatedly enter your mind, causing you to feel anxious or disgusted. These are called obsessions. A compulsion is a repetitive behaviour or mental act that you feel you need to do to temporarily relieve the unpleasant feelings brought on by the obsessive thoughts.
How common is it?
Obsessive compulsive disorder affects around 2 in 100 people in the UK. Two-thirds of cases have their onset earlier than age 25, and only 15% occur after the age of 35. About one third of cases have onset in childhood or early adolescence. Symptoms may be present for years before treatment and those affected often suffer in silence.
Does this concern you? Get in touch with us.
Trauma
What is it?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events. Someone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt. They may also have problems with sleeping and find concentrating difficult. These symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person's day-to-day life.
People who repeatedly experience traumatic situations, such as severe neglect, abuse or violence, may have complex PTSD. This can cause similar symptoms to PTSD any may not develop until year after the event. It's often more severe if the trauma was experienced early in life.
How common is it?
It is estimated that around 3 in 100 people will experience post-traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lives. It is much more common in certain groups. For example, some studies have found that PTSD develops in about 1 in 5 firefighters, 1 in 3 teenage survivors of car accidents, 1 in 2 female rape victims and 2 in 3 prisoners of war. Some people have risk factors that make them more prone to develop PTSD when they are exposed to a traumatic event. For example, previous mental health problems and poor social resources.
Does this concern you? Get in touch with us.
Anxiety
What is it?
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their live. For example, you may feel worried and anxious about sitting an exam, or an interview. Feeling anxious at these times can be perfectly normal. But some people find it hard to control their worries. Their feelings of anxiety are more constant and can impact their daily lives. Anxiety is the main symptom of sever conditions, including panic disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and social anxiety disorder.
The symptoms of anxiety include feeling restless and tense, having trouble concentrating or sleeping, dizziness or racing heart.
How common is it?
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental heath disorders and affect over 30% of adults at some point in their lives. It is estimated that around 1 in 20 adults in the UK will be suffering with an anxiety disorder at any one time. Anxiety disorders are associated with increased risk of other mental health problems in later life and therefore early identification and treatment is key.
Does this concern you? Get in touch with us.
Depression
What is it?
Depression is more than simply feeling unhappy or fed up for a few days. Most people go through periods of feeling down, but when you're depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months, rather than just a few days.
Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms. They can range from lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite or sex drive, and various aches and pains. Sometimes, it can make you feel suicidal, that life is no longer worth living.
How common is it?
About 5 in 100 adults have depression every year. Sometimes, it is mild or lasts just a few weeks. However, an episode of depression serious enough to require treatment occurs in about 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men at some point in their lives. Some people have two or more episodes of depression at various times in their lives.
Does this concern you? Get in touch with us.
