|
Child and Adolescent Counseling
Peer pressure and multiple daily stressors have a great impact on children and teenagers. Inability to cope with such
demands often lead to these individuals to become sad, disruptive, rebellious, inattentive, and involved with drugs or alchohol.
This causes academic problems, disruption in their lives and their family.
Childhood disorders will affect one out of three children at some time during their first 18 years.
Behavioral treatment alone or combined with medication is very effective and helps children and their families learn
effective strategies and coping skills which alleviates the symptoms and improves functioning
Adult Mental Health
Nuclear families face multiple stressors such as: long and demanding work schedules, financial difficulties and lack
of support that may lead to relationship or family conflicts. Additionally, healthy productive adults can be struck with a
debilitating mental disorder at any time.
Mood Disorders: According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 20.9 million American adults are affected
by such disorders. These include major depressive disorders, bipolar (known as manic depression) and a milder,
chronic form of depression, dysthymia. Major depression affests 14.8 million adults and bipolar disorders affect
more than 5 million adults.
- Depression causes loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, change in appetite/weight and sleep. It can cause
thoughts of death, and can be serious enough to lead to suicide.
- Anyone regardless of age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status, can suffer from depression.
- Left untreated, it can last months or even years.
- Unfortunately, fewer that half of those suffering from this illness receive treatment even though it is almost always
successful.
Anxiety Disorders are very common and affect 40 million American adults 18 years and older each year (NIMH). Without
treatment, they can disrupt daily functioning and significantly diminish a person's quality of life when work, family and
social environment are affected.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder---most common symptom is exaggerated, chronic, difficult to control worry,
about routine activities and life events.
- Panic Disorders---sudden feelings of intense fear occuring suddenly and abruptly without warning.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder---uncontrolled, repeated, intrusive and unwanted thoughts, urges, images and rituals.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder---persistant symptoms causing significant distress and occur following the experience
of traumatic events such as childhood abuse, combat, physical assault, a serious accident, or a natural disaster.
- Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder---excessive and irrational fear, mostly in social situations and when no
actual danger exists.
Counseling or Psychotherapy of "talk therapy"
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is among the most effective methods of "talk therapy" for depression and anxiety
disorders. It teaches people how to change negative thinking and unlearn behavioral patterns that contribute to their illness.
Counseling is often effective alone or can be combined with medication when symptoms are severe.
|
