Counseling Blog | LGBTQ+ Couples & Individuals

April 21, 2024 by Alan Zupka

What Causes Shopping Addiction?

Is shopping always on your mind, whether you’re thinking about items you plan to buy or feeling guilty about previous purchases? Do you often feel a sense of euphoria after buying something, causing you to turn to shopping whenever you feel sad or stressed? Has shopping caused you to rack up credit card debt, or do you feel compelled to hide unnecessary purchases from your loved ones?

If any of this sounds familiar, you may have oniomania (commonly referred to as shopping addiction). As with other types of addiction—including drug and alcohol addiction—shopping addiction can result from surges of neurotransmitters. When someone shops, their brain releases dopamine and endorphins, and the feelings produced by these neurotransmitters can gradually become addictive.

You may have an increased risk of developing shopping addiction if you:

Have low self-esteem
Are anxious or depressed
Feel lonely or isolated
Are materialistic
Feel like you don’t have control over other aspects of your life

Are You Addicted to Shopping?

If you think you might have a shopping addiction, it’s important that you consult with a therapist who has experience treating this issue. Luckily, you can get the help you need at our practice. We understand the effect that shopping addiction can have on a person’s life, and we’ll develop a course of treatment that’s tailored to your personal circumstances. Contact us today and let us know that you’d like to schedule an initial consultation. We look forward to meeting with you.

April 17, 2024 by Alan Zupka

Building Resilience in Difficult Times

With everything that we’ve gone through as a society in recent years—the COVID-19 pandemic, mass shootings, the possibility of a recession, and more—let alone what we’ve had to deal with in our personal lives, it can be hard to cope. But taking steps to adapt can greatly benefit our mental health and overall well-being. Below are some tips on how to build resilience in difficult times.

Focus on the Positives

It’s human nature to concentrate on the negatives—after all, doing so helped our ancestors avoid danger and survive. But when you’re faced with difficult times, it’s important that you try to find the silver lining. For example, if you lose your job, focus on how it’s provided you with the opportunity to find an even better position.

Accept What You Cannot Change

Oftentimes, we find ourselves in difficult circumstances that are beyond our control. When that happens, it’s important that you accept reality and focus only on what you have the power to change. For instance, if a loved one receives a troubling diagnosis, rather than stressing about potential outcomes, you should focus on what you can do to make the treatment process easier for them. This might include driving your loved one to appointments, running errands for them, or offering a listening ear.

Rely on Your Friends & Family

If you tend to stick your head in the sand whenever times get tough, you’re not alone. But this habit can cause you to feel isolated, compounding any difficulties you’re already experiencing. So, make it a point to reach out to friends and family members. Even if you don’t discuss the issues you’re currently dealing with, getting to relax and spend time together—either in person or by phone—will likely leave you feeling better overall.

Take the Next Step Toward Overcoming Adversity

If you’re going through a difficult time in your life and would like to work on building your resilience, contact us today. We’ll be happy to schedule a therapy session at a time that’s convenient for you.

December 25, 2022 by Alan Zupka

How Your Self-Esteem Affects Your Mental Health

Having low self-esteem is something many people of all ages deal with. While low self-esteem is not considered a mental health condition in itself, the way we think about ourselves directly impacts our mental health and overall well-being.

What is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem refers to the way people feel about themselves. Someone with healthy or high self-esteem thinks positively about themselves and their abilities. They believe they deserve respect and have no problems setting healthy boundaries.

Individuals with low self-esteem do not feel very good about themselves. They constantly measure themselves against others and always come up short. They may not think they are worthy of love and respect and will typically not set healthy boundaries, allowing others to take advantage of them.

How Does a Low Self-Esteem Affect Mental Health?

The following are some ways low self-esteem can impact a person’s mental health:

Poor Relationships

Humans are wired for connections, but when we have low self-esteem, we tend not to put ourselves “out there” socially. Consequently, we tend to isolate ourselves, leading to poor relationships and loneliness.

Addiction

Studies have indicated low self-esteem in childhood can lead to addictions later in life. Many addicts use alcohol and other substances as a way to cope with negative feelings about themselves.

Depression and Anxiety

Living with low self-esteem day after day, week after week, can very much take its toll and eventually lead to the development of depression and anxiety.

How to Build Your Self-Esteem

Building self-esteem is important for mental health and for living a happy life. But it’s not necessarily easy to do it. It’s not like losing weight where you can say I am going to eat less and move more.

That is why I recommend working with a trained therapist who specializes in helping people build their self-esteem. A therapist can help you identify your core negative beliefs and determine where they came from. They can help you develop new, realistic self-esteem that reflects your true self.

Please contact me if you or someone you know is suffering from low self-esteem and would like to explore treatment options.

SOURCES:

https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/July-2016/Why-Self-Esteem-Is-Important-for-Mental-Health

https://www.hormona.io/why-self-esteem-affects-your-mental-health/

https://fherehab.com/learning/self-esteem-mental-health

December 18, 2022 by Alan Zupka

Mental Health Effects of Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is not as easy to spot as physical abuse, but often its effects can be just as traumatic. Emotional abuse can involve many tactics, including gaslighting, shaming, and manipulation. All of these are intended to leave the victim feeling confused, powerless, and hopeless.

Typically people suffering from long-term or short-term emotional abuse, and depending on the length of time, can experience varying mental health effects.

Long-term emotional abuse happens over many years. Examples are a child growing up in a home with an alcoholic parent or a sibling with anger issues. Someone may find themselves in a marriage with a narcissistic partner.

Short-term emotional abuse can result from a nasty exchange with a stranger or micro-interactions with colleagues or neighbors.

The following are some short-term and long-term effects of emotional abuse:

Short-Term Effects

Isolation or a sense of deep loneliness
Self-doubt
Shame
Confusion
Low self-esteem
Anxiety connected with social interactions
Feelings of powerlessness

Long-term Effects

Neuroticism, or the tendency toward a depressed mood or negative emotions like anger
Chronic stress
Physical health issues like muscle tension and shortness of breath
Attachment issues
Apathy
Eating disorders
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or CPTSD (chronic post-traumatic stress disorder)

You Can Heal from Emotional Abuse

With time, patience, and plenty of self-compassion, it is very possible to heal from the trauma of emotional abuse. Working with a mental health professional who has been trained specifically to help people who have been victims of emotional abuse is a great starting point.

If you’d like to explore treatment options, please reach out to me.

SOURCES:

https://psychcentral.com/health/effects-of-emotional-abuse

Emotional Abuse and its Impact on Mental Health

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327080

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