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Bipolar Disorder vs ADHD What’s the Difference? Lifeworks Counseling Center

Bipolar Disorder vs ADHD: What’s the Difference?

May 13, 2019

Bipolar disorder and ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are two conditions that continue to be diagnosed in more individuals throughout the country, ranging from children to adults. However, diagnosing the two can be difficult as they both share several symptoms, yet they are two very distinct disorders. When a child is diagnosed with ADHD, they are more likely to develop other mental health disorders such as anxiety disorders, major depression, and bipolar disorder. This can make it extremely difficult to accurately diagnose the two conditions. ADHD is most often recognized and diagnosed at a very young age while bipolar disorder becomes more evident in the late teens to early 20’s. It is important to know the difference between the two to accurately diagnose and treat them. What is Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar disorder is most often characterized by the frequent mood swings it causes. Individuals who suffer from bipolar disorder experience mood swings from depressive lows to manic or hypomanic highs. These episodes can occur just a few times a year or as frequently as every couple of weeks. To meet the criteria to diagnose the condition, manic episodes must last at least 7 days, but the duration shouldn’t matter…

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How to Deal with Depression | Lifeworks Counseling Center

How to Deal with Depression

May 6, 2019

7% of adults age 18 and older suffer from major depression In the United States, nearly 7% of adults age 18 and older suffer from major depression, making it one of the most common mental disorders in the country. While depression can appear at any age, it typically appears with puberty and peaks in your 20’s. Living with depression can be draining and make even the simplest tasks seem impossible. However, while overcoming depression isn’t fast and easy, it is far from impossible. There is no cure-all to dealing with depression, but rather taking small steps to build off of. Coping with depression takes time and effort, but you can get there. What is Depression? Depression is a mental disorder that is made evident by excessive sadness, loss of interest in daily tasks or enjoyable hobbies, and loss of motivation and energy. Depending on the life event, feeling sadness and despair is completely natural. These events like loss, major life changes, stress, and others tend to resolve themselves as you come to terms with the changes. While these feelings may persist for a few weeks or on anniversaries of the event, they aren’t always excessive or long-lasting. Depression does not…

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How to Set Boundaries in a New Relationship Lifeworks Counseling Center

How to Set Boundaries in a New Relationship

April 25, 2019

In romantic relationships, there is a widely common misconception that setting boundaries between you and your partner are harmful and unnecessary. Many seem to believe that boundaries put unnecessary restriction and stress on the relationship. However, the opposite is actually true. All healthy, loving relationships have boundaries. Boundaries should differentiate where one person ends, and another begins. Boundaries are not easy to establish as they do not come naturally. Openly communicating with your partner about your wants and needs in the relationship as a couple and outside of the relationship as an individual provide you and your significant other the basis to build on. By doing so, you begin to create a more comfortable area to operate and communicate. The healthiest relationships often include two individuals who feel responsible for their own happiness and feel as though they are not defined by their relationship. Boundaries help set up this feeling. As mentioned already, creating boundaries can be difficult so here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating them: Open Communication: Arguably the most important step to creating healthy boundaries is communication. Be honest, yet respectful with your partner. Clearly communicate your thoughts and feelings with them and…

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Social Media and Mental Health | Lifeworks Counseling Center

Social Media and Mental Health

April 18, 2019

In this vastly improving digital age, social media’s place in the online world has continued to expand, increasing its effects on the internet and on many users. You would be hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t use social media to some extent during their day. In the U.S., roughly 77% of Americans have a profile on one social media platform or another. With so many individuals using social media daily, many researchers and users alike have begun to wonder what effect social media really has on us, especially our mental health. While many individuals have been quick to demonize social media and its overall effect on its users, these social networking platforms do have their share of benefits. Benefits of Social Media  Social media has presented an area for adolescents to enhance their communication skills and improve their social connections. While they may not be able to interact with each other face to face, they are still able to create new relationships, exchange thoughts and ideas, develop new interests, and experiment with different forms of self-expression. Many use social media as a place to further build on relationships they have created in the real world, sharpening their basic social…

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Benefits of Exercising for Mental Health | LifeWorks Counseling Center

Benefits of Exercising for Mental Health

April 9, 2019

It seems almost common knowledge now about how inactivity typically leads to chronic and dangerous health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and many more. This has led many of us to make an effort to exercise more, but did you know how important and beneficial exercising is for your mental health? All across the world, depression and anxiety rates are higher than ever. Many things play a factor in this from society’s focus on one’s image online to poor diets. Regardless of the cause, it is still a growing concern in all corners of the world. While there are many treatments methods for your mental health, exercise is often overlooked by some as a way to improve your mental wellbeing, but its benefits have been proven. Here are some of the benefits exercise can have on your mental health: Increase in Happy Brain Chemicals: Endorphins are chemicals in the brain that create feelings of happiness, making you feel good. Exercise actually releases more endorphins, providing you with a boost in your spirits. During and after exercise, your brain will have released enough endorphins to leave you feeling much more energized and in a better mood. Reduces Stress: Stress…

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5 Ways to Deal with Your Anger | Lifeworks Counseling Center Carrolton

5 Ways to Deal with Your Anger

April 3, 2019

Anger is a completely normal and even healthy emotion. There is obviously a negative connotation with anger, but if you are dealing with anger, it is completely normal. There are moments in life where it is reasonable to feel angry. If you have been wronged in a situation, feeling angry is a natural response. There would be more of a worry if you were to not feel angry in these situations. However, while anger is a normal feeling, you must be able to respond and manage your anger in a healthy way. Before you deal with your anger, you must recognize the warning signs: Increased Heartrate Clinched Fists Rapid, Shallow Breathing Anxiety Shaking Clinched Teeth Feeling Flushed Pacing Symptoms of anger vary from time to time, but it is important to recognize your warning signs. After you have recognized your warning signs, then you must figure out how to best manage your anger. Here are five ways you can deal with your anger: Sleep & Other Prevention Techniques: Managing your mood before you are presented with a situation that may provoke you will save you plenty of time and stress. It is crucial to get a healthy amount of sleep…

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Signs of Anxiety | Lifeworks Counseling Center Carrolton

Signs of Anxiety

March 21, 2019

Almost everyone experiences anxiety every once in a while throughout their lives, whether it is before a big job interview, when you are having financial troubles, or when you are speaking in front a large group of people. In fact, anxiety here and there when stressful events arise is quite normal. However, it is quite different if your anxiety is something that affects your daily as well as affects your quality of life. If you find that many events accompany your anxiety, that your anxiety becomes bigger than what you are facing, or that your anxiety is interfering with activities such as your job performance, relationships, or school work, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are often accompanied by frequent, persistent, and excessive worry and fear over everyday circumstances. When the worry and fear set in, occasionally, it can escalate quickly and even turn into a full-on panic attack. A few examples of common anxiety disorders include: Generalized anxiety disorder Separation anxiety disorder Social anxiety disorder (or social phobia) Specific phobias While anxiety disorders can present struggles in day-to-day life, they can be managed with the help of a medical professional. If you think you may…

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 Tips on Communicating with Those with Depression Lifeworks Counseling Center

 Tips on Communicating with Those with Depression

March 18, 2019

Clinical depression remains one of the least understood conditions all around the world. Not having the appropriate knowledge on the condition often causes a strain on relationships, making communications with loved ones increasingly difficult. Chances are we all know someone who is struggling with depression, yet we may not know it or know how to properly communicate with them. Recognize the Signs of Depression Before you can truly help a loved one who has depression, you must first recognize the signs. There are multiple different clues in a person who is suffering alone, and in order for you to help them, you have to be able to pick up on these signs: Feelings of sadness and hopelessness Angry outbursts Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much Weight loss or weight gain Loss of interest in everyday activities Restlessness Fatigue or lack of energy Recurring thoughts of suicide Isolation There are many different symptoms for those with depression. No one case is the same. Everyone reacts to depression and suffers in their own way, but it remains important for you to recognize the symptoms. How to Effectively Communicate For many people with depression, their symptoms can cause problems with their daily lives,…

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Misconceptions of Mental Health | Lifeworks Counseling Center Carrolton

Misconceptions of Mental Health

March 13, 2019

Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions of mental disorders and all the while mental health awareness is lower than it should be. A shocking 1 in 5 Americans experience a mental health issue every year and yet many of those people who suffer, suffer alone. While there is little awareness on mental illnesses as well as the acceptance of it, many people are even afraid to reach out for help. In some cases, people refuse to accept that they are suffering from a mental illness while others ignore it and worry that accepting it or diagnosing it would affect their lives too much. The majority of mental illness symptoms are controllable with the right treatment, which is why if you or a loved one is suffering any symptoms, you should seek the help you need. Learning more about the common misconceptions of mental health could help you and your loved ones spread awareness and lift the stigma around these types of disorders. #1 There is no scale when it comes to mental health Just like physical illnesses and ailments, there is a scale when it comes to mental health as well. While someone can suffer from a cold and…

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Importance of Children’s Mental Health | Lifeworks Counseling Center carrolton

Importance of Children’s Mental Health

March 8, 2019

When raising a child, it is easy to identify their physical needs: food with nutritional value, proper fitting clothing for all types of weather, proper sleeping arrangements, and physical exercise. While a child’s physical health is incredibly important, their mental health is just as crucial. However, identifying and addressing their emotional and mental needs is not quite as obvious or well known as their physical needs. Proper care of a child’s mental health and their physical health often play hand in hand, but unfortunately, children’s mental health struggles are often trivialized or not treated with the proper care to prevent long-standing consequences. Childhood Mental Health by the Numbers The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that 20% of youth ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition. While this number isn’t extraordinarily high all things considered, it is still alarming. Even worse is that about 70% of these children do not receive the appropriate interventions with the gap between a child’s onset symptoms and intervention being 8-10 years. Failure to recognize these issues can lead to future problems in a child’s life, entrenching their mental health problems deep in their mind. Sadly, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of…

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