Mental Health Counselling

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Mental health is a positive concept related to the social and emotional wellbeing of individuals and communities.

Almost half of all Australians aged 16 to 85 years — 7.3 million people — will experience mental illness at some point in their life. The most common conditions are:

• anxiety
• affective disorders, especially depression
• substance use disorders, especially alcohol abuse.

One quarter of Australians aged 16 to 85 years — 4.2 million people — will experience an anxiety condition during their lifetime. Women are more likely than men to experience depression and anxiety.

 A person’s mental health affects how they feel, think, behave and relate to others. Mental illness covers a spectrum of disorders that vary in how severe they are and how long they last. 

Depression is one of the most common disorders encountered by Mental Health Professionals.

One of the most important developments in psychological approaches to emotional problems has been the success of cognitive therapy for depression. Evidence for the powerful efficacy of this approach has increased steadily over the years, particularly in regard to long-term outcomes (Barlow, 2014)

 Depression is a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest, which stops you doing your normal activities 

An anxiety disorder is a medical condition characterised by persistent, excessive worry. 

Anxiety disorders can take a number of forms. 

Common to all of these is anxiety so distressing it can interfere with a person’s ability to carry out, or take pleasure in, day-to-day life.

Clients who meet criteria for Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) report difficulty controlling the worry they experience as well as three or more associated symptoms (muscle tension, irritability, restlessness or feeling keyed up,  difficulty concentrating or mind going blank, being easily tired, and difficulty sleeping).

 Social anxiety is nervousness in social situations. Some disorders associated with the social anxiety spectrum include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, autism, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. 

 Common anxiety symptoms such as excessive sweating, a pounding rapid heart beat, nausea, shaking, blushing and stammering can be particularly stressful for someone with social anxiety disorder since these symptoms reinforce feelings of embarrassment and fear. 

The vast majority of people with social anxiety disorder report that their work, academic and social functioning have been seriously impaired by their fears.

The conceptualisation of panic disorder as acquired fear of certain bodily sensations, and agrophobia as a behavioural response to the anticipation of related bodily sensations or their crescendo into a full blown panic attack. 

Agrophobia refers to avoidance or endurance with dread of situations from which escape might be difficult or help is unavailable in the event of panic-like symptoms (including but not limited to panic attacks) or other incapacitating symptoms, such as loss of bowel control or vomiting,, disorientation (especially in children) or sense of falling (especially in older adults) (American Psychiatrists Associations, 2013). 

Everybody worries from time to time however for some people worry is the way of their life.

Worry is a form of verbal mental problem solving and generally about future potential negative thoughts that we have no control of.

 Most people experience negative thought patterns from time to time, but sometimes these patterns become so entrenched that they interfere with relationships, achievements, and even well-being. 

Sometimes we worry so much that we start to worry about the fact that we are worrying.