Worry can turn tiny problems into really huge problems. When you become preoccupied with avoiding feelings of anxiety and panic to the extent that they interfere with your daily activities it’s time to seek counseling.
People with anxiety disorders often:
- Worry about being judged
- Find themselves asking “what if” questions
- Find themselves avoiding new situations
- Find themselves needing to know what the outcome will be
Depression
When waves of sadness or irritability become intense and start getting in the way of doing things you want to do or need to do, you are experiencing depression.
People with depressive disorders often:
- Feel sadness, hopelessness, irritability or hostility
- Have little or no energy
- Have difficulty concentrating
- Are very critical of themselves
- Retreat from friends and social situations
The goal of treatment is to free yourself from the debilitating symptoms of anxiety or depression with the enduring power of peace of mind to manage and take charge of your emotions.
Unlike physical health issues, mental health issues are hard to talk about. More often than not, we tend to keep our mental health struggles a secret and try to handle them ourselves. We see asking for help as being weak or we may be afraid that we will be judged. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, recognizing our need and getting help is one of the bravest things we can do.
Biblical counseling is an important part of treatment for the Christian who struggles with depression. There are many accounts in Scripture of people who had a strong faith in God but had periods of severe depression. God understands all of our problems…He made us after all…He knows us better than we know ourselves. Check the resources page to access the stories of those people and how God helped them.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders have become very prevalent in today’s society. We are obsessed with body image and some people fall prey to the messages that are sent in every media format, that they don’t measure up to society’s standards…. which is usually a standard of thin bodies, flat abs, perfect skin, and hair, perfect nose, etc. These criteria for acceptance are unattainable and yet are sought after by many people, even at the expense of their own health.
There are 3 types of eating disorders as classified by the DSM-1V: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified.
People diagnosed with anorexia self starve and may reduce their weight through purging (vomiting, excessive exercise, laxatives, enemas, or other weight control methods that may be harmful to their body) They may try to hide their increasingly emaciated state by wearing baggy clothing. They also may try to make it look like they’re eating normally by just pushing their food around on the plate if they’re eating in front of others. Their focus is on weight gain and they may weigh themselves every day.
Bulimia usually starts in adolescence and these folks will regularly engage in bingeing and purging, by using self-induced vomiting, laxatives, and diuretics or enemas to keep the weight off. There are many complications with low body weight, including heart problems, abdominal issues, osteoporosis and may lead to fertility problems, even after the weight is restored.
Eating disorders usually come out of psychological and spiritual issues and there may be many factors contributing to their onset. It is a serious problem that needs to be recognized and dealt with before the person has done themself serious harm. There is a lot of shame and guilt associated with eating disorders, but God can heal the person who struggles with these issues. Along with medical care, Biblical counseling can get to the root of the problem and begin the healing process.