Anxiety

          Ahh,... so much to blog about when it comes to mental health but such little time to devote to writing!  So..... I thought my next blog should be about something very common that millions of people experience and live with on a daily basis.  Anxiety is one of the most common issues facing Americans these days.  Everything from Generalized Anxiety Disorder to panic attacks fall under the category of anxiety.  Some people may experience mild anxiety and exhibit symptoms such as worry, dread, fear, rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms or even hyperventilation.  Some individuals learn to manage their anxiety while others find that it interferes with their daily functioning including work, school, social activities and relationships.

          It's easy to assume that those who struggle with severe anxiety (to the point of interference with daily life) might be lacking some essential developmental skill or either have "learned" to "let things bother them," but nothing could be further from the truth!  Anxiety isn't prejudiced, biased, racist or even hypocritical.  It can (and does) affect all different ethnicities, races, both genders and crosses all age spans.  There is no secret formula to determine who will and will not suffer from anxiety.

          Some symptoms of anxiety can include excessive worry and tension, irritibality, muscle tension, headaches, sweating, difficulty concentrating, nausea and/or vomiting, tiredness, trouble falling or staying asleep, trembling or thoughts of impending doom or death.

          If you find yourself experiencing severe anxiety to the point that it has begun to interfere with daily life..... please know that it is ok to GET HELP.  You may not be able to always manage anxiety on your own.  Those who think less of you for seeking help are not worth mentioning in this blog and for others... they can most likely relate to the situation you find yourself in.  Help can range from seeing a psychiatrist for medication treatment or seeing a therapist for possible cognitive behavioral therapy.

          Above all, if you are suffering with severe anxiety (or even mild anxiety) devote some time to yourself and find a way to address and manage your anxiety.  Yes, that is correct.... I used the word MANAGE, because this is what you will need to do to address your anxiety since their is no magic formula to "get rid" of these symptom.  However, please know that they can be managed, there IS help and it is OK to seek it out if you feel you need to.

AXIS II

Axis II. It's one of the most complicated Axes for clinicians to treat. Primarily because the prognosis for individuals who fall under this Axis is only fair at best. Aside from Mental Retardation, Axis II also holds the diagnoses of Personality Disorders.

Personality is ultimately the determining factor for how we will live our lives. It is directly related to how we think, make decisions and take action. An individual with a Personality Disorder develops traits which are maladaptive and inflexible and ultimately lead to behaviors which cause discomfort, distress and impair an individual's ability to function in society in a manner that reflects stability, security and sound judgement.

There are approximately 11 recognized Personality Disorders. The DSMIV-TR provides the following information regarding Personality Disorders:

"General diagnostic criteria is an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture. This pattern is manifested in two (or more) of the following areas: cognition (i.e., ways of perceiving and interpreting self, other people, and events); affectivity (i.e., the range, intensity, lability, and inappropriateness of emotional response); interpersonal functioning; and impulse control. The enduring pattern is inflexible and pervasive across a broad range of personal and social situations. The individual's pattern is stable of long duration and its onset can be traced back at least to adolescence or early adulthood."

Now, the booming question most clinician's will ask regarding individuals with Personality Disorders is "How do I manage them and their destructive behaviors?"

According to the High Conflict Institute there are 12 tips for managing individuals with high conflict personalities. 5 Do's and 7 Dont's:

Part I: Understanding High Conflict People

Tip #1: Don’t Take Their Personal Attacks Personally

Tip #2: Don’t Give Them Negative Feedback

Tip #3: Don’t Bend Boundaries With Borderlines

Tip #4: Don’t Diss the Narcissists

Tip #5: Don’t Get Hooked by Histrionics

Tip #6: Don’t Get Conned by Antisocials

Tip #7: Don’t Be a Negative Advocate



Part II: Managing High Conflict People

Tip #8: Connect Using Your E.A.R.

Tip #9: Analyze Your Realistic Options

Tip #10: Respond Quickly to Misinformation

Tip #11: Set Limits on Misbehavior

Tip #12: Choose Your Battles

If you would like more information regarding managing individuals with Personality Disorders and those with High Conflict Personalities you might want to consider reading the following book IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! 12 TIPS FOR MANAGING PEOPLE WHO BLAME OTHERS FOR EVERYTHING.

Anger & How to Manage It!!

Anger is one of the most intense human emotions we will ever experience. It's intensity varies and results in behavioral symptoms varying from fits of rage to sulking and pouting. Anger, like beauty is usually in the "eye of the beholder." What infuriates some may go unnoticed by others.

So what exactly is the purpose of anger? Does it serve a reason within the realm of human emotion? The answer is absolutely! The purpose of anger is to alert us that something is 'wrong' and that there is an issue which needs to be addressed. The longer we abstain from addressing the issue, the more the anger has a potential to build and fester within us.

It is o.k. to be angry, even furious. It is the behavioral actions which follow the anger that may or may not be o.k. Some actions carry severe consequences which can extend farther into the future the we ever intended. And seriously, do angry outbursts with severe consequences address the issue which made us angry in the first place? Most of the time these types of reactions only serve to perpetuate the intensity of the anger, do not address the problem at hand and often incur some type of consequence. Thus, the dance of anger begins. It goes something like this: Event occurs, we get angry, we react,consequences of our reactions.

There are numerous ways to react to events which make us angry.
Some of them include: ignoring, biting our tounges, reacting with silence, physical aggression, smart remarks, screaming, yelling, cursing, leaving the situation, and the list goes on and on. This is not to say that each of these actions are appropriate and address the issue to solve whatever the 'problem' may be. Part of the reason we behave this way is because we often blame people for our anger and ignore the patterns which lead us to becoming angry in the first place.

Patterns can include feelings of neglect, abandonement, abuse, being taken advantage of and a slue of other issues which can arouse anger towards someone else.

Consider the following example:

Susan has been working for her current employer, an attorney, for nearly three years. She'd like to find another job, but so far, she is "stuck" with where she is now. Susan claims her boss is demanding and blames her for things that are not even her fault. Once she prepared several documents to be filed with the courts, however, her boss never got around to signing them so they could not be filed. He then proceeded to yell and blamed Susan for not "keeping up" with the business of the law office. Susan then apologizes and assures the attorney it will not happen again.

Do you see what is happening in this example? Susan's anger towards her boss no doubt comes from the manner in which she reacts to the pattern that has been established. Susan reacts by 'biting her tongue.' Her anger most likely stems from being disrespected, taken advantage of, and assuming responsibility for her bosses mistakes. Susan's reaction to these feelings is to say nothing about it and 'tell the boss what he wants to hear.'

Therefore, instead of blaming the pattern of poor communication between Susan and her boss, Susan's anger is directed towards the individual (in this case her boss). As time progresses, this anger may build and Susan may eventually do something which creates problematic consequences.

The source of anger should always be considered. While it seems that individuals are to blame for becoming angry, explore the situation further to determine what pattern exists to the anger and then how to change the pattern not the person.