ABC Counselling and Psychotherapy Dublin 2. Our Blog...

Getting Through Winter Moods

10/25/2011 13:59:00

Sometimes the wintry weather can bring on a big fall in energy levels and mood. If these changes cause you great difficulty then therapy may help you to understand how you might respond effectively.

However, as well as going to therapy, you can also take a few steps to help you get out of the end of year rut, or even avoid getting into it, such as;-

1. Keep moving.

Regular exercise has been found to have beneficial effect on mood and motivation. Try not to worry about planning your exercise schedule too much, just get out and do it. Even a regular daily walk can have long term benefits. Short bursts of activity have been shown to add up, so ten minutes here and there will do you good as well as the hour at the gym if you have the time. If the weather is too bad then join a gym: some public gyms charge per session rather than an annual fee.

2. Get online.

The internet is a great place for meeting new friends and even partners. While you need to be safe online, more and more people are meeting online. Some estimates suggest 30% of people are meeting their other halves on the interweb. It's cheaper than pubs and clubs (not that there's anything wrong with them if that's your thing) and there's less pressure to perform and put on a front.

3. Stay in touch with family and friends

Being social is a positive factor in long term health and outlook so it is important to stay in touch with those close to you. During the dark nights it takes a lot of effort to drag yourself from the telly but get out there and keep mingling.

4. Eat well

You know it already, so start your shop in the fresh veggie section and focus on fresh rather than processed foods.

5. Meditate

Twenty minutes (or even ten minutes once you become practiced at it) can be a great way to ground yourself for the day or relax at the end of it. Meditation takes a while to get used to so it's normal not to get it at first. Keep trying and eventually you will experience the benefits of it.

6. Do a course

Pick a night course for the winter and learn something about a subject you love. It will keep you active and you might meet a new best friend forever.

7. Reflect on the good in your life and on the possibility for change and growth. It's never too late.

Hopefully the above will give you some ideas to work with this winter. Just remember to strive for progress and not perfection!

Call us if you need to meet with one if our accredited and supervised therapists - 0876666425 or 01-4545646.

Obsessive Thoughts and OCD

03/01/2011 16:42:00

Obsessive type thinking and full obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) occur where the person suffers from repetitive, compulsive behaviours and thinking.

To have difficulties with obsessive symptoms, a person does not have to have the traditional habits of checking the tap twenty times or similar behaviours. He or she may also have thoughts that repeat over and over again perhaps to an unreasonable degree. The individual knows when the kind of thinking they are engaging in is causing them difficulty.

While it can be difficult to treat obsessive type thinking and behaviours we have had success in working with clients with this kind of problem. Very often the issue is one of relearning how to deal with anxiety and fears that may have become disconnected from conscious awareness. Therapy, and in extreme cases medication, can help.

We all get anxious, it is a normal part of the human condition. However sometimes due to the environment we are in tendencies towards obsessive thinking or behaviours can be triggered in response to stress triggers or repeated stress situations.

Though each client is treated as an individual, the therapy for obsessive type symptoms may involve;-

Identifying what thoughts and behaviours occur.
Establishing if there are triggers which make them more likely to happen.
Monitoring stress levels in the life of the client.
Learning, if it is related, how to recognise triggers and symptoms and how to manage these.
Learning how to deal with stress more directly, if this is relevant.
Trying to identify how such behaviours and thought processes came about.
Understanding the meaning of these activites for the client.
Introducing cognitive-behavioural responses to deal with practicalities in overcoming obsessive symptoms.
Understand the level of control needed by the client and trying to help clients manage well rather than control symptoms perfectly.
We aim to involve medication as a last resort though we recognise that it does help some clients.

It IS possible to manage obsessive thinking and behaviours!

Call us now on 0876666425 to arrange an appointment to discuss how we might be able to help you change your habits.

New Year's Resolution? How About Meditation

01/07/2011 19:45:00

At ABC we're convinced of the value of meditation.

While meditation doesn't suit everyone we often see in our clinic how it can help people deal with mental stress and stress in general.

Here's an article from The Huffington Post about meditation and it's benefits! Click on the link to see what it says...

Make Meditation Your New Year's Resolution!

ABC Counselling and Psychotherapy Dublin 2 - Our New Blog

11/10/2010 16:15:00

We will be blogging here about news and views about mental health and personal development related issues. Please feel free to comment on any of these. We hope our blogs will be of interest and of use...