grief counseling for an entire family

Posted on: 29 December 2021

Your body and mind work in tandem to allow you to experience the world and live a healthy and full life. It's important to look after every aspect of your health, but treating mental maladies can be more difficult than treating physical disorders. Fortunately, mental health treatment can be used to address mental illnesses and disorders that cause patients distress. Here are some common problems that can be addressed through mental health treatment:

1. Trauma

People of any age can experience trauma. Not all traumatic events are the same. However, all trauma can cause lingering side-effects in people's lives, such as exaggerated startle responses, inappropriate anger, and even depression. People may develop mental health problems such as PTSD following a traumatic event. Fortunately, a counselor can help patients address their trauma through treatments such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) and talk therapy. 

2. Depressive Symptoms

Some people suffer from depressive symptoms resulting from major depressive disorder, dysthymia, or bipolar disorder. Each of these mental illnesses manifests differently, but they can all have negative consequences on a person's quality of life. If you experience depressive symptoms for longer than a few weeks, you may want to seek mental health treatment. Therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy are typically effective at reducing the severity of patients' depressive symptoms. Antidepressants may also be used as part of a mental health treatment regimen for people suffering from depressive disorders. 

3. Anxiety Disorders

Depression can cause low mood in sufferers. Meanwhile, anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive amounts of worry. Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder result in fear of normal daily activities to an extent that hinders people's lives. If you suffer from anxiety, a therapist can help you learn to relax. Mindfulness meditation and acceptance and commitment therapy can help people with anxiety learn to make peace with the things they cannot control. Some people with anxiety disorders may also benefit from medication to treat their mental health conditions.

4. Sexual Disorders

For many people, sex is an integral part of the human experience. Unfortunately, some people are unable to enjoy sexual intercourse due to sexual disorders. If you find yourself struggling to enjoy intimacy, you can find treatment for your condition. Therapists who specialize in sexual disorders can help patients who suffer from unwanted paraphilias. They can also help victims of sexual assault reclaim their sexuality following traumatic events.

For more information, contact a mental health service.