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Before becoming a parent you may think you know what type of parent you will be and how you will handle the ups and down that come along with this very important role. But you may quickly realize as a new parent that regulating your …
Contrary to what some people believe, the baby blues and postpartum depression are not the same. Although they are both common, they can be different when it comes to how intense the symptoms are and how long they last. Let’s break it down and identify …
People use the terms panic attack and anxiety attack interchangeably, and although they may appear to be similar, they really are very different. You might mistake a panic attack for an anxiety attack (in someone else, or yourself) if you are not aware of the differences in their causes, symptoms and impact, so let’s clear this up!
A panic attack usually starts suddenly without a warning. There may not be anything specific that triggers it, so it can be difficult to determine the cause. It can just start out of the blue and seemingly start for no reason. There may be an underlying reason but it is not clear or easy to identify.
“It’s not known what causes panic attacks or panic disorder, but these factors may play a role: Genetics, Major stress, temperament that is more sensitive to stress or prone to negative emotions, Certain changes in the way parts of your brain function.” (“Panic attacks and panic disorder.” Mayoclinic.org. May 4, 2018. www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021)
An anxiety attack will usually gradually build and get worse with time. Typically there is something that triggers it and you easily attribute it to a particular event or situation. Some examples of triggers could be social interactions, conflict, health issues, stress, financial struggles,etc. When a person encounters a trigger their body reacts as if they are in danger, leading to the anxiety attack.
Both panic and anxiety attacks can cause physical, mental and emotional symptoms.
The symptoms of a panic attack are intense and peak quickly, within a matter of minutes. Some of the common physical symptoms for a panic attack are dizziness, excessive sweating, racing heart, difficulty breathing, nausea or abdominal pain. A person can also feel detached from reality or oneself, fearful of dying, losing control or going crazy, or experience intense terror.
Symptoms of an anxiety attack can vary in intensity and some can last longer. They can include sleep disturbances, irritability, concentration difficulties, worry and muscle tension. There can still be some immediate physical symptoms like dizziness and shortness of breath.
The depression project explains the impacts of each:
Panic Attack: These are extremely disruptive and characterized by its severely intense physical symptoms.
Anxiety Attack: These are disruptive but can be mild, moderate or severe in nature. These are therefore less intense but can still impair one’s day-to-day functioning.
([thedepressionproject]. “Panic Attack vs. Anxiety Attack.” *Instagram, July 23, 2024, www.instagram.com/p/C9w7Fl_NcMz/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA%3D%3D&img_index=5)
Panic attacks can affect a person’s life in a negative way. They can begin to get worse or start to last longer. This can make it hard to keep a job or function in social settings. And because the panic attacks seemingly come out of no where, there can be anticipatory anxiety. Meaning: fear that it will happen, which causes you to limit exposure to things you think could be causing the panic. A person may not want to leave home because they are afraid that they may unintentionally put themselves in a situation that leads to an attack.
Anxiety attacks can also have a negative impact on a person’s life. They can lead to fatigue and exhaustion, changes in appetite and brain fog. All of these effects can lead to the breakdown of relationships or motivation to engage in social or work activities.
So while the impacts of a panic attack and anxiety attack can be similar, the main difference seems to be that panic attacks can be more disruptive due to their severe onset and intensity, making them harder to predict and manage.
Understanding these key differences can help you identify and address what you are experiencing.
Medication, stress management, relaxation techniques, regular exercise, healthy eating habits and therapy can all be ways to address a panic or anxiety attack. Treatment and prevention will depend on your experiences and the intensity level of you symptoms. If you would like to talk with someone about getting help to manage one of these contact us.
Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but if you’re reading this, you know that going on vacation involves stress. Sometimes it’s stress before, during and/or after. But you can take action and cut down on the stress. Let’s break this down so you can get …
Sibling fighting can happen year round but it can go through the roof during the summer. But this shouldn’t surprise you. They are together all the time and don’t get a break from each other like they do the rest of the year when they …
Social media and the internet can be super helpful resources when it comes to building awareness, destigmatizing and educating about mental health. AND, of course, there can be a lot of misinformation because literally anyone can say anything on the internet. So let’s take a second to correct a few things that have gotten distorted.
Only about 2% of the population can be clinically diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. People can have narcissistic traits, but that is not a personality disorder. Those narcissistic traits usually come from a trauma background; they are survival strategies or those traits were simply modeled to them.
“Narcissism is a personality trait many live with and only becomes evident occasionally. Narcissistic personality disorder is a formal mental health condition with persistent symptoms that significantly impact the quality of life.”
(Lebow, Hilary. “Narcissism vs. Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Telling Them Apart.” Psych Central. September 13, 2022.
Calling everyone you struggle with a narcissist is writing people off. When you can see the nuance, take responsibility for your part in the dynamic, then there’s a possibility to create more favorable conditions in the relationship that allow for a better version of you and the other person to show up.
Because gaslighting has become such a buzz word lately, people throw it around any time someone expresses a conflicting point of view. But gaslighting is actually much more than that, it involves a high level of manipulation.
“The main difference between gaslighting and disagreement is about power. In disagreement, the focus is on challenged viewpoints or hurt feelings. In gaslighting, the main goal is to take control over the other person by undermining their sense of self and making them question their sanity.”
(Kreze, Ashley. “Gaslighting vs Disagreement – Understanding Emotional Manipulation.” Real Life Counseling. December 26, 2022. https://www.reallifecounselling.com/gaslighting-dispute/#:~:text=The%20main%20difference%20between%20gaslighting,making%20them%20question%20their%20sanity.)
Sometimes a person may use invalidating statements to you like “just let it go” or “you shouldn’t worry about that”; and that can be hurtful because it makes you feel like your feelings are just being dismissed. This can also be confused with gaslighting, but it’s very different. You can learn more about the difference between gaslighting and invalidating in one of our previous posts HERE. It’s good to know the difference so you don’t throw the term around lightly and accuse someone of the very serious manipulation tactic that gaslighting is.
We all have different opinions and perspectives and sometimes they match up with others and sometimes they don’t…and that’s okay. It’s not wrong to disagree with someone, and as long as you express your disagreement in a respectful way, more than likely, both people can move forward and get past it.
One of the perks that comes along with having a friend you can trust is that you have someone you can confide in. Sometimes you just want to vent and sometimes you need advice and support. It’s a helpful way to cope with stressful events because you can get pent up feelings out into the open in a safe space.
Trauma dumping involves sharing traumatic experiences with someone without warning and without regard to how it will impact the other person. It’s usually at inappropriate places or at inappropriate times and it’s one sided, there isn’t an exchange of thoughts or feedback.
“In short, trauma dumping goes beyond sharing what’s on your mind—it’s a constant focus on past trauma that can hinder healing and harm mental health and relationships”
(“What Even Is Trauma Dumping?” Charlie Health. October 24, 2023. https://www.charliehealth.com/post/what-is-trauma-dumping)
Confiding in a friend is done with the intention of receiving support from someone you trust and not causing undue stress on the other person. Therefore, it is very different from trauma dumping.
If you feel like you may be prone to trauma dumping, check out this previous post where we go through 3 signs of emotional dumping and what to do instead, so that you can get the support you need.
We love that more people are becoming aware of mental health issues and relationship dynamics, but please do not use the internet as a substitute for actual healing or work on yourself. That’s the same thing as going to Dr. Google to find out what that itch on your head is, and then 20 minutes later being scared out of your mind and convinced that it’s cancer. Yes, it’s good to research things, learn, and build your awareness, but work with a professional to actually apply these things to your life.
Of course, if you ask anyone, no one would tell you they want to be depressed or that they like to be depressed. And, even though you might not “like” being depressed, there’s a covert coziness to it. This is why when people say: “get …
Emotional neglect can have a significant effect on a person’s life. The neglect may occur in childhood, however, the emotional and psychological impact can last for a very long time and show up in a variety of ways; especially because neglect isn’t always obvious. You …
Investing in understanding the way your teen works will help you know how to support your teen, so let’s talk about that a little. The emotional development and emotional needs of a teen are complex and very different than that of adults. But if you do some research, set boundaries and keep the lines of communication open, you can be an effective support system for them. Let’s talk about 3 things you can do to be proactive and provide valuable support when it means the most.
Teens go through a lot of changes while they are developing and it’s important for parents to know the basics which include emotional, behavioral and social factors.
Emotional – Emotions are more intense for teenagers and those emotions can become overwhelming. Because their brain is still developing, they may not have the skills needed to effectively manage these emotions. “The downside of this increased emotionality is that teens can become more easily irritated, upset, and moody—and they can have a relationship with themselves that’s confusing.”
(Siegel, Daniel. “How the Teen Brain Transforms Relationships.” Greater Good Magazine. August 12, 2014. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_the_teen_brain_transforms_relationships)
Understand that they are feeling things on a different level than how you would feel them, and they may need help managing their emotions. Some of the best help managing emotions is simple attunement: I can see and understand that you feel this way. It does not mean trying to fix things for them (unless they ask you to). See our article about the best support you can give right here.
Behavioral – A lot of behavioral factors come into play during teen development such as taking risks and trying new things. Risky behavior can be stimulating because it triggers a dopamine release and that dopamine release feels good.
Social – Having a social connection and closeness with a peer group is a big deal for teens and you will see it become a priority that has an impact on their life. Teens start to shift from being attached to their parents to being attached to their friends, because they are forming an identity, and a sense of who they are in the world at large. They do this through the medium of their peers, seeking validation and opinions from them (just like they’re done with you in earlier life). They have to test things to know what is true for them so friendships may be rocky or might change more often than they have in other stages of life.
The signs of anxiety and depression can look different in teens than in adults and as a parent it’s important to know what they can be. You would typically think that sadness would be the biggest sign of depression but it can also present as anger, rage or outbursts. This is usually chalked up to puberty or hormones and not really considered as a sign of anxiety or depression.
Drinking, using drugs and smoking are also typically explained away as rebellious behaviors, when they in fact, can also be a sign of anxiety and depression.
Since teens usually thrive off of social engagement and feeling a part of the crowd, avoiding social activities and spending more time alone, can also be a sign to look out for.
(Geng, Caitlin. “What to know about Teen Anxiety and Depression.” Medical News Today. July 27, 2021. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/teen-anxiety-and-depression#symptoms)
It’s common to hear that you can’t help others if you are not willing and able to help yourself; and this holds true when it comes to supporting your teen. It’s important for them to see that you are able to practice self-care successfully and to learn how it’s done so they can implement this as a practice in their own life.
“Let your teen see how you prioritize and manage your mental health and emotional well-being. By showing how you cope you help your teen learn to build resilience, which will help them bounce back from troubling times.”
(Talib, Hina [teenhealthdoc]. “How to show up for your teen.” *Instagram, February 26, 2024, https://www.instagram.com/p/C30QmPPusJ3/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA%3D%3D&img_index=5)
Teens learn through modeling, and if they see you experience challenges, and see that you are able to get through them and come out on the other side, they will realize it’s possible for them to do the same. Teenagers watch you closely (you might have noticed that when they are critical or call you a hypocrite), so you might not need to do much in terms of explaining. You being genuine in your process of working through challenges without trying to teach them or advise them is extremely powerful. They are watching.
Are you the person everyone goes to to talk about their issues? Do people start telling you their life story out of nowhere? If you’re that person, you probably have natural gifts that help you be empathetic + supportive. But you might also experience a …