Is Depression Making You Torment Yourself?

One of the cruel things about depression—and there are so many—is that it turns someone into his own worst enemy. Depression involves having automatic negative thoughts, many of which are self-critical.

These thoughts are exactly what the name says. They’re automatic, which means they’re in our head, and we buy into them without really thinking about it. They’re also negative. They’re critical, harsh, and distorted.

Have you ever had thoughts like:

• I’m no good, and I never will be
• I should be a better spouse/parent/friend
• I just can’t handle things
• I’m stupid, worthless, never good enough
• I should have more energy
• I shouldn’t be so exhausted all of the time
• Other people can manage their lives, but not me
• What’s wrong with me?
• People say I should snap out of it, but I can’t because I’m too weak

These statements are hurtful, and they can worsen depression. It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of despair and self-bullying.

Start noticing how you’re talking to yourself. When you notice criticisms, you can interrupt and reduce self-bullying. You might not believe this right now, but it’s true: you don’t deserve to be so hard on yourself.

This article is taken from  HealthyPlace.com

All Classes that are taught by Camilla Cafferty are now NBCC approved

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Fay Agathangelou

Understand that your self-worth does not depend on approval from others.
Realize that you’ll never please everyone
Practice being assertive.
Look after your own needs
Learn to love yourself
Believe that self-care is not selfish
Address your insecurities

These are just a few tips on breaking the habit of people-pleasing. As with anything, change requires effort and persistence. When you stop being a people-pleaser it is likely that you’ll notice improvements in the quality your life and it’s well worth the effort.

If you don’t quite think you’re in an abusive relationship ((take our emotional abuse test) but are concerned about how you’re being treated, look for these signs you’re in a toxic relationship.

Control issues. Your partner is rigid and must have his or her way. You find yourself complying to keep the peace and because it’s easier.
Communication difficulties. Any time you express concern or a differing opinion, you’re met with some form of anger and manipulation (shouting, shunning, belittling, aggression, etc.)
Feeling on edge. Because of his or her behavior, you walk on eggshells. You must justify everything, and you can’t be yourself.
It’s you. You’ve been made to feel that the relationship and partner are fine; the problem lies with you and your misinterpretation of reality.
If you have any of these 4 signs in your relationship please feel free to come into State Avenue Counseling to see if things can change.

taken from HealthyPlace.com

Knowing what to say about having a mental illness can cause tremendous anxiety, Once you’ve decided to talk  it can be difficult to know what to say and when to say it. Here are some suggestions