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Showing posts with label insomnia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insomnia. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Tips on How to Improve Your Sleep

Good sleep is essential to your health, mental health and overall well being.  

How to Improve Your Sleep

Generally, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night.  If you're getting less than that, you might have insomnia.

What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep-wake disorder which has three primary symptoms:
  • Problems Falling Asleep (Onset Insomnia): An inability to fall asleep within 20-30 minutes
Problems Falling and Staying Asleep

  • Problems Staying Asleep (Middle Insomnia): Frequent waking up in the middle of the night after sleep onset, which is more than 20-30 minutes, and difficulty falling back asleep after middle of the night awakening
  • Early Morning Wakefulness (Late Insomnia): Waking up 30 minutes or more before the desired wake up time and before 6.5 hours of sleep. This often involves an inability to fall back to sleep.
A medical doctor will usually give a diagnosis of insomnia if a patient experiences sleep problems for three nights or more over a period of three months and no other condition is causing the sleep problem.  

There are also two different types of insomnia: 
  • Short term insomnia: Lasting at least one month but less than three months
  • Chronic insomnia
    • Persistent insomnia: Lasting three months or longer
    • Recurrent insomnia: Two or more episodes within a year
Common Causes of Insomnia
There can be many cases of insomnia, including:
Helpful Tips to Overcome Sleep Problems
See your medical doctor to get a diagnosis and rule out any other medical issues that could be causing a sleep problem.

There are also other things you can do on your own (always check with your medical doctor first before):
  • Exercise: Daily physical activity at an appropriate level for you can release endorphins, which is good for your overall health and can help to improve your sleep.
Tips to Overcome Sleep Problems
  • Practice Sleep Hygiene: Good sleep hygiene habits can help with insomnia, including:
    • Wake up and go to sleep at the same time, even on weekends
    • Make sure the room where you sleep is quiet, dark, relaxing and at a comfortable temperature
    • Remove electronic devices from the bedroom, including the TV, smart phone, computer and other electronic devices
  • Limit Napping: If you tend to nap during the day, limit it to 30 minutes or less and don't nap later in the afternoon.

  • Use Your Bed Only For Sleep and Sex: Don't do work while you're in bed. You want your bed to be associated only with sleep and sex. 
  • Eat a Healthy Diet: Eat nutritious meals. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime and limit caffeine
Get Help in Therapy
If you doctor has ruled out medical causes and attributes your sleep problem to psychological issues, like anxiety, depression, unresolved trauma or other psychological issues, seek help from a licensed mental health professional.

Get Help in Therapy

Once medical issues have been ruled out, a skilled psychotherapist can help you to determine the underlying issues that are creating sleep problems and help you to work through these issues.

So, rather than struggling on your own, seek help from your medical doctor and, if the problem is related to mental health issues, seek help from a licensed psychotherapist.

About Me
I am a licensed New York City psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT, Somatic Experiencing and Sex Therapist.

I have helped many individual adults and couples to overcome mental health issues (see my article: What is a Trauma Therapist?).

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.







Saturday, May 7, 2022

Self Help Tips For Coping With Anxiety

Experiencing occasional anxiety is common.  At any given time at least 30% of people experience anxiety.  In this article, I'm focusing on self help tips you can use for anxiety relief (see my articles:  What is the Difference Between Fear and Anxiety? , Coping with Anticipatory Anxiety and Tips to Cope With Chronic Worrying).


Coping With Anxiety


Common Symptoms of Anxiety
Let's start by defining some of the symptoms of anxiety:
  • Feeling nervous, restless or tense
  • Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
  • Having problems concentrating on anything other than your present worry
  • Wanting to avoid anything that triggers your worry
  • Having an increased heart rate
  • Having problems sleeping (either falling or staying asleep)
  • Trembling
  • Sweating
  • Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
  • Having gastrointestinal (GI) problems
Common Forms of Anxiety
Here are some common forms of anxiety:
  • Generalized Anxiety
  • Agoraphobia

Self Help Tips For Coping With Anxiety
If you experience occasional anxiety, which isn't causing significant problems in your life, here are some self help tips.
  • Keep Physically Active: Whether you walk, dance, work out at the gym or engage in other healthy physical activity, keeping physical can be a powerful stress reliever.  Develop a physical routine for yourself that takes into account your ability to be active in a healthy way.  Consult with your doctor before making any significant changes to your physical activity.
  • Remember to Breathe: When you're anxious, you might breathe in a shallow way, which can increase anxiety.  So you could benefit from being aware of your breathing and using relaxing breathing techniques (see my article: Square Breathing).
  • Eat a Balanced Diet: A balanced diet incorporates fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins.  Always consult with your doctor before changing your diet.
  • Avoid Recreational Drugs: Certain recreational drugs can increase anxiety, including cannabis.  
  • Cut Back or Eliminate Caffeinated Beverages: Caffeine can make anxiety worse, so be aware of your caffeine intake and take steps to either reduce or eliminate caffeinated beverages.
  • Identify Your Triggers: Along with keeping a journal, being able to identify your triggers can help you to deal with your anxiety (see my article: Coping With Triggers).
When Self Help Isn't Enough
The suggestions above can help to reduce anxiety, but when you're experiencing persistent anxiety self help might not be enough.  

In my next article, I'll discuss how psychotherapy can help you to overcome anxiety (see my article: Getting Help in Therapy For Anxiety).

Getting Help in Therapy
Anxiety can reduce the quality of your life and overall sense of well-being.

If anxiety is a persistent problem, seek help from a licensed mental health professional.

Getting help in psychotherapy for your anxiety can improve the quality of life for you and for your loved ones who might be affected by your anxiety, so don't hesitate to seek help (see my article: Your Anxiety or Depression Could Be Having a Negative Impact on Your Loved Ones).

About Me
I am a licensed New York City psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT and Somatic Experiencing therapist.

I work with individual adults and couples.

I have helped many clients to overcome persistent anxiety.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.
























Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Common Nightmares During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

Have you been having nightmares lately? If so, you're not alone. Pandemic nightmares have been common during this COVID-19 pandemic.  Regardless of age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality, many people have been having pandemic nightmares, which is the subject of this article (see my articles: How to Overcome Anxiety Dreams).

Common Nightmares During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

These nightmares are so common that Robert Bosnak, a Jungian analyst in Santa Barbara California, has been offering a free online workshop on Friday nights at 6 PM (PST) during the pandemic called the Spooky Dreams Cafe where he uses Embodied Imagination, a method of dreamwork which he developed, to help some people on the Zoom call with these nightmares (see my article: Dream Incubation: Planting Seeds).

Many people, who lived through the crisis of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack, have reported in therapy that they're having similar nightmares during this time to the ones they had in 2001 and beyond (see my article: Tips For Getting Better Sleep).

Common Themes in Pandemic Nightmares
There are certain themes that are common in these COVID-related nightmares, including (but not limited to):
  • Anxiety-related events or circumstances in the dream
  • Places, which were once known and familiar, suddenly looking and feeling unfamiliar in the nightmare
  • A need to escape or run
  • Feeling trapped, helpless and/or lost
  • A regression to an earlier age (e.g., an adult dreaming that they're a child again)
  • Losing someone or something
  • Phones and other gadgets malfunctioning
  • Other sudden and inexplicable changes 
Typical Nightmares During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic
The following dreams are typical of the type of dreams people have been having during this COVID-19 crisis (as told to me by friends and used with permission):

Dream 1:
I'm in a classroom, which is taking place in my apartment. The instructor, whom I like, is taking things out of my dresser drawer to show the class. These items include a silk scarf I haven't seen in many years.  At one point, he breaks apart the wooden dresser drawer, and I'm fascinated by this (it seems like a deconstruction of some sort). Then, I notice that there's a similar dresser in the room that remains in tact.  I leave the room to go to the rest room, and when I come back, my laptop is gone. Somehow, I know that the instructor gave it away to one of my classmates, and I'm annoyed that he did this without my permission. I look around for it, but I can't find it. I see a male friend, who is sitting in a far off corner of the room. Then, suddenly, the scene changes: I'm walking around in an area of my neighborhood, not far from my home, where I've been many times before. I know that this place is familiar to me, but it looks and feels eerily unfamiliar.  I know I need to get back to class, but I don't know which way to go because I'm lost.  Then, I see a cab and get in it.  There's a couple, who are on their way home from the airport, who are already in the cab.  I don't know where to tell the cab driver to go because I'm lost, but I'm relieved to be in the cab.  The cab stops because the couple have arrived outside their home. I get out too because I realize it's useless to be in the cab if I don't know where I'm going.  The couple tell me that I have to pay thousands of dollars to them for the short distance that I went with them, and I get angry and tell them that I won't pay.  I know that my male friend is back in the class, he has his car and he would come get me if I call him, but I don't know where I am, so I can't tell him. The scene changes: I'm sitting at an outdoor bar with this same friend and our classmates.  We're all dressed up. I suddenly realize that I forgot that he's much taller than me.  I tell my friend about what just happened (that I was lost) and he's surprised and laughs. I'm feeling much better.  The outdoor bar is up on a bridge that overlooks people's homes down below. These people have shallow outdoor pools in front of their homes.  I tell my friend that we could do that too (we could each have outdoor pools).  Then, as I'm gazing out at the water from the bridge, I tell my friend, "Let's pretend that we're on the Arno Bridge in Florence" and he agrees.

Dream 2:
I'm a child of 7 or 8 years old. My mother tells me that we have to escape from where we're living to move back to the US.  Only a few close relatives know because it's a secret.  My mother doesn't want her husband, my stepfather, to know that we're running away because he's abusive and we're escaping from him.  I grab whatever I can quickly because we have to get to the airport fast, and I kiss my relatives goodbye.  I don't have time to say goodbye to a male friend, who has been good to me (I'm older in this part of the dream).  So, I try to text him to tell him that I had to leave due to an emergency, but my phone won't work. I know he's going to be hurt that I left suddenly without an explanation, and I feel terrible about this. Then, my mother, brother and I run to the airport to get on a rescue flight that's been arranged for us by the US government to bring us back to the states. Somehow, I get separated from my mother and brother (I'm a young child again in this part of the dream). I don't know which way to go. I'm scared and I call out to my mother, but I don't see her anywhere. Nothing looks or feels familiar, even though I know I've been to this area many times before. I see other people who are also running and I ask them the way to the airport because I'm lost.  They point the way and I run all the way to the airport. Once I get there, I realize I don't have a plane ticket. I call out to my mother again saying that I don't have a plane ticket.  Even though she's still nowhere to be found, a reassuring male voice tells me over the airport public address system that I don't need a plane ticket because this is a special government rescue flight for my family to escape. When I get to security, I realize that I'm not wearing a face mask so I'm not going to be allowed on the flight. I see everyone else around me wearing a face mask, and I look around to see if there's somewhere I can buy as mask (I'm older again in this part of the dream). Then, I realize that I do have a mask, but I've been wearing it on my chin, so I pull it over to cover my nose and mouth.  When I arrive at the gate, I still don't see my mother or brother, but I feel a little calmer because I know I'm going to make the flight and I'll escape from this place.  Somehow, I see the long document that my mother had to fill out to get approval from the government for this rescue flight. I feel badly that I didn't know before about the abuse that my mother endured at the hands of my stepfather.  While I'm waiting for the flight at the gate, I try to text my male friend again. I desperately want to reach him so he won't feel abandoned by me, but my phone still doesn't work. I feel sad that he's going to feel sad and abandoned.

A Word About These Nightmares
I'm going to deconstruct these nightmares and discuss how to work with nightmares in my next article but, for now, suffice it to say that both of these dreams have many typical features of anxiety dreams and, specifically, many elements typical of current pandemic nightmares (outlined above at the beginning of this article).

Getting Help in Therapy
Nightmares during times of crisis are often a way for the unconscious mind to work through difficult emotions and reconsolidate traumatic memories.

In addition, these nightmares sometimes reveal underlying unresolved trauma (see my article: Before and After Psychological Trauma).

If you've been having nightmares during this global pandemic, you're not alone.

An experienced psychotherapist, who helps clients during times of crisis and who works with dreams, can help you to understand and heal from nightmares.

Rather than suffering on your own, take the first step by calling a licensed psychotherapist for help.  Being able to work through your fears and nightmares can provide you with relief and allow you to feel more empowered.

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT and Somatic Experiencing therapist (see my article: The Therapeutic Benefits of Integrative Therapy).

I work with individual adults and couples.

One of my specialties is helping clients to overcome unresolved trauma.

During the global pandemic, like most psychotherapists, I'm providing online therapy, which is also known as teletherapy and telehealth (see my article: The Advantages of Online Therapy When You Can't See Your Therapist in Person).

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.











Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Tips For Getting Better Sleep

Getting proper sleep is essential to maintaining good health and emotional well-being.  This is especially true when you're going through a stressful time.

Tips For Getting Better Sleep

The Effects of Poor Sleep
Poor sleep can affect you by:
  • Lowering your threshhold for pain
  • Increasing your blood pressure
  • Affecting your memory and ability to concentrate
  • Compromising your immune system, which can increase the likelihood of getting sick
  • Increasing the likelihood for impulsive behavior
  • Increasing the likelihood for weight gain
Improving Your Sleep Hygiene: Tips for Improving Your Sleep Hygiene
You might not realize that you're not getting enough sleep beausse you've become accustomed to being sleep deprived.  However, if you're not getting 7-8 hours (on average) of quality sleep, you're not getting enough sleep.  Here are some tips for improving your sleep hygiene:
  • Exercise at a level that's appropriate for you earlier in the day to relieve stress.  
  • Go to bed at the same time every night, including the weekends.
  • Avoid bright lights after the sun goes down.  Bright light will inhibit melatonin which prepares you for sleep.
  • Sleep about 7-8 hours straight (some people might require more sleep or a little less).
  • Don't do work in your bedroom. You want your brain to associate your bedroom with sleep.
  • Make your bedroom as comfortable as possible:
    • Regulate the temperature so it's comfortable
    • Decrease noise
  • Don't watch TV, including the news, in your bedroom.
  • Don't eat a large meal 3 hours or less before you go to sleep.  Indigestion can interfere with your ability to sleep.
  • Don't use alcohol as a sleep aid.  Alcohol might relax you at first because you'll get the sedative effect, but alcohol also disrupts your sleep routine because it will wake you up after a few hours.
  • Create a wind down routine to prepare you for sleep.  This might include bedtime rituals:
    • Brush your teeth
    • Wash your face
    • Take a relaxing bath or shower
    • Drink a relaxing cup of herbal tea 
  • Read for a few minutes before sleep can be relaxing and help you sleep.
  • Write in a journal earlier in the day to capture any thoughts that might be worrying you 
  • Don't judge yourself if you still can't fall asleep.  
    • Give yourself 20 minutes if you're unable to sleep.
    • If you still don't fall asleep after 20 minutes, go into another room and do something relaxing to see if you can go back to bed and get sleep.
Getting Help in Therapy
You're not alone.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, you can contact a licensed psychotherapist to help you develop the tools and skills that you need to achieve emotional well-being.

During the COVID-19 crisis, many psychotherapists are offering online therapy sessions during this period when in-office sessions aren't available.

Rather than struggling on your own, contacting a licensed therapist can make all the difference in your overall health and well-being.

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples and Somatic Experiencing therapist.

I work with individual adults and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.




















Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Overcoming Your Guilt and Shame About "Thought Crimes"

Committing an act and having a thought about it are two very different things.  But for some people even having the thought is enough to make them feel guilty and ashamed--as if they're "bad."  They might know, logically, that thoughts can't harm anyone but, on an emotional level, they still feel bad (see my article: Understanding the Difference Between Guilt and Shame).

Overcoming Your Guilt and Shame About "Thought Crimes"

What is a "Thought Crime"?
Before we go any further, let's define what we mean by a thought crime.

A thought crime is considered an unacceptable or controversial thought that goes against conventional thinking.

The term thought crime (also known as "thoughtcrime") is derived from the novel, 1984, by George Orwell.  In the novel, a thought crime was a thought that went against the orthodoxy of the government and it was illegal.

As the term is used today by people who consider thoughts to be potentially toxic, a thought crime is anything that they believe goes against their own morals or the conventional morals of the community or society they live in.

As a result, different people will have different definitions of what constitutes unacceptable thoughts. For some people, the idea that there are unacceptable thoughts originates in their past or present religion.  For other people, the idea of unacceptable thoughts is derived from their family of origin.

For some people it's part of their obsessional style of thinking where they get caught up in a cycle of unacceptable thoughts, guilt and shame, and more unacceptable thoughts and so on.

A longstanding unresolved childhood traumatic history can also contribute to feeling guilty and ashamed about unacceptable thoughts (see my article: Are You Living Your Life Feeling Trapped By Childhood Trauma?).

Fictional Clinical Vignette: Overcoming Your Guilt and Shame About "Thought Crimes":
The following fictional vignette provides a typical example of how someone suffers with his unacceptable thoughts and how trauma therapy can help:

John
John was in his early 20s when he contacted a psychotherapist for a consultation.  He told her that he had chronic problems with falling and staying asleep.  He said that, over time, his primary care doctor prescribed different types of medication, but he continued to suffer with insomnia.

During the consultation, he revealed that his past and current medical doctors all ruled out any physiological problems and concluded that the problem was psychological.  However, John indicated that he didn't know of any particular incident that might have caused his insomnia.

When they talked about his family history, John revealed that he was an only child raised by a single mother, who was very strict.  She forced John to go with her to church from the time he was a young child until he moved out and went to college.

He said that his mother was fervent believer in the church's teachings and she imposed strict prohibitions based on those teachings, including the prohibition against premarital sex.  This included not only sexual intercourse but kissing, petting, masturbation and even having sexual thoughts.

John told his therapist that, as a child, he tried to follow his mother's rules, in part, because he was aware that his mother was very unhappy and he didn't want to add to her unhappiness.  He also wanted to avoid punished by her for breaking her rules.

But he admitted to his therapist that there were times when he was alone in his room that he would masturbate, and afterwards he would feel very ashamed and guilty about it.

He indicated that one night when he was 14 and he was alone in his room, he felt sexually aroused under his bed sheets while he fantasized about a girl in his classroom that he liked.  Just as he was achieved an erection, his mother walked in on him and saw it.

Even before his mother began yelling at him, John said, he felt extremely ashamed and guilty.  As his mother yelled and threatened him with eternal damnation, a part of him dissociated so that he no longer felt present in the room.

To add to his humiliation, by the next day, his mother forced him to see their pastor to confess his "sin" and to get help.  For the next six months, John was forced to have weekly sessions with his pastor and he was given relevant homework assignments to read the Bible.

He said that getting caught by his mother and having to see the pastor about his sexual thoughts was a chapter in his life that he never forgot.

From then on, whenever he had any sexual thoughts, he would try to force himself to shift his thoughts to something else.  But there were times when it was too challenging to shift his thoughts and he would pray for hours long into the night to let go of these thoughts.  By the next day, he was exhausted from his lack of sleep.

At those times, he described the guilt and shame as being almost unbearable, and there were times when he contemplated suicide.  But he never made any suicide attempts because he feared that his mother would be devastated and the suicide attempt would be an even bigger sin in his religion than having sexual thoughts.

He said he was further humiliated in his high school when other boys were talking about their sexual exploits and he remained silent.  They laughed at him, teased him, and called him "cherry boy" when he admitted that he had never been sexual.

By the time he went college, he was relieved to leave his mother's home.  Since he was born out of wedlock, John felt angry with his mother for her hypocrisy.  Following his birth, she became very religious.  Although he never confronted his mother about this, he saw her religiosity as being part of her own guilt and shame about engaging in premarital sex.

Throughout his first three years of college, John remained socially isolated and celibate.  By his fourth year, he felt so depressed and anxious that he sought help in the student counseling unit.  He found the counseling to be somewhat helpful in terms of allowing him to recognize his sexual arousal was normal.  This helped to soften his guilt and shame somewhat.

A few months after he started counseling at his college, John felt comfortable enough to masturbate when he was alone, and he had his first sexual encounter with a girl on a date.  Although he no longer felt as guilty and ashamed as he did before, he still felt some discomfort that he was a "bad person."  To make matters worse, he ejaculated prematurely, which made the experience unsatisfying for him and his date and deeply embarrassing for him.

As he and his therapist explored these issues, the therapist asked John if he began having insomnia when his mother caught him being sexually aroused at age 14.  In response, John thought about it for a moment and he was surprised to realize that the insomnia had, indeed, started at that age after his mother caught him.

His therapist helped John to understand the connection the trauma of his mother discovering his sexual arousal, the guilt and shame, and the consequent insomnia which continued through the years.

She also suggested that they process the memory of his mother walking in on him using a form of trauma therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to see if his insomnia would resolve (see my articles: How EMDR Therapy Works: EMDR and the Brain and Experiential Therapy, Like EMDR Therapy, Helps to Achieve Emotional Breakthroughs).

Although it was difficult for John to go back into that memory, during EMDR therapy, he was able to tell his therapist that he still felt somewhat guilty and ashamed about it--even though he knew logically that having sexual thoughts is normal.  He could still remember the horrified look on his mother's face and how angry and disappointed she had been.

As John and his therapist continued to use EMDR, he began to feel better, and his sleep problem started to abate.

Over time, he was able to process his guilt and shame for his sexual thoughts as a 14 year and also for disappointing his mother.  He also felt on a visceral level (not just on rational level) that having sexual thoughts wasn't wrong, and he no longer felt like a "bad person" (see my article: What's the Difference Between Toxic and Healthy Shame?).

Overcoming Your Guilt and Shame About "Thought Crimes"

On the contrary, he could feel that he was actually a very good and decent person and he had nothing to feel guilty or ashamed about.

Over time, as John let go of his negative emotions about sexual thoughts, he also began socializing more easily. Eventually, he entered into a stable relationship with a woman he met at a party, and they were able to have a satisfying sexual relationship.

Conclusion
Feeling guilty and ashamed about having particular thoughts is a common experience for many people.

In the vignette above, the guilt and shame were about sexual thoughts, but any thought can be experienced as taboo.

Guilt and shame can manifest in physical symptoms like insomnia, headaches, stomachaches, backaches and other bodily symptoms.

Making these connections on your own is often difficult, but a skilled trauma therapist can help you to make the connections and also help you to resolve the underlying issues through a form of trauma therapy, like EMDR therapy.

Getting Help in Trauma Therapy
If you've been feeling guilty and ashamed about your thoughts, you might know, on a rational level, that thoughts are harmless.  But on an emotional level, you can continue to feel these negative emotions because intellectual insight isn't enough to help you to change.

Unlike regular talk therapy, which can help you to develop intellectual insight, trauma therapy, like EMDR, gets to the deeper places in your brain where the unresolved trauma resides and helps you to process the trauma to the point of resolution.

Trauma therapy can free from your traumatic history so you can lead a fuller and happier life, so rather than suffering on your own, you owe it to yourself to get help from a skilled trauma therapist.

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapists who works with individual adults (see my article: The Therapeutic Benefits of Integrative Psychotherapy). 

As a trauma therapist, I have helped many clients to overcome longstanding trauma so they could lead happier lives.

I also use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help couples with relationship problems.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.


























Monday, December 12, 2016

Recognizing the Signs When You're Under Too Much Stress

I've written about stress management in other articles, including: 




In this article, I'm focusing on learning to recognize when you're stress level is too high.

Recognizing the Signs When You're Under Too Much Stress

Why Wouldn't Someone Know When They're Under Too Much Stress?
It might seem unusual to pose the question of how you know when you're under too much stress.  After all, many people recognize the symptoms and complain about being too frazzled.

But people who have endured acute stress from childhood often don't recognize when their stress level is too high because they're so accustomed to acute stress and don't recognize it as being an unhealthy state.  It feels "normal" to them.  But enduring acute stress on a long term basis can have negative medical and psychological consequences.  I'll address these issues of in my next article.

One of the best ways to recognize that you're under too much stress is to observe the physical and psychological symptoms that are telltale signs of being under an unhealthy level of stress.

Many of these signs and symptoms can also involve other medical or psychological issues so, when in doubt, check with your medical doctor.

Warning Signs That You're Under Too Much Stress

Physical Symptoms:
  • Insomnia
  • Loss of appetite
  • Eating too much
  • Muscle tension, aches and pains, including shoulder and back pain
  • Muscle spasms
  • Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, nausea 
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Rapid heartbeat and/or chest pain
  • Clenched jaw and grinding teeth, especially at night
  • Nightmares
  • Heartaches
  • Feeling tired most of the time
  • Low Energy most of the time
  • Difficulty relaxing, even when tired
  • High blood pressure
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
  • Low libido, problems with sexual performance
  • Nervousness, shakiness, cold or sweaty hands and feet
  • Nail biting
  • Fidgeting
  • Pacing back and forth

How Do You Know When You're Under Too Much Stress?

Psychological Symptoms:
  • Feeling agitated, frustrated or moody
  • Losing your temper easily
  • Snapping at others
  • Feeling easily overwhelmed
  • Finding it difficulty to relax and quiet the mind
  • Racing thoughts
  • Isolating and avoiding others
  • Feeling less pleasure in socializing or engaging in things that were once pleasurable
  • Feeling hopeless
  • Feeling helpless
  • Feeling worthless/low self esteem
  • Feeling depressed 
  • Feeling pessimistic or only seeing the negative side of things
  • Feeling anxious 
  • Worrying persistently
  • Feeling fearful and emotionally vulnerable
  • Abusing alcohol or drugs
  • Being forgetful 
  • Having problems focusing

Social Isolation: One of the Signs That You Might Be Under Too Much Stress

These are just some of the many telltale signs of being under too much stress and, as I mentioned earlier, some of these symptoms can be related to other medical and/or psychological problems.

Lifestyle Changes For Stress Management
There are lifestyle changes that you can make to help you manage your stress.

See my articles:

Next Article in the Psychotherapy Blog
In the next article, I'll be focusing specifically on people who grew up as children in families where there was chronic stress and the challenges that they have in recognizing when they're under too much stress as adults.

Conclusion
A certain amount of healthy stress is necessary to live life.

But chronic stress has a way of creeping up on you without you even being aware of it. Over time, chronic stress can have a physical and psychological debilitating effect.

If you're experiencing some of the symptoms mentioned above, you would be wise to consult with your medical doctor to rule out any medical problems since there are many medical issues that have the same symptoms.

Getting Help in Therapy
If your doctor has ruled out medical issues and you've made healthy lifestyle changes, but you're still overwhelmed by stress, you could benefit from working with a licensed mental health professional.

Getting Help in Therapy

A skilled, licensed psychotherapist can help you to get to the root of your problems so you can learn to manage your stress (see my articles: The Benefits of Therapy and How to Choose a Psychotherapist).

Getting help in therapy can make all the difference in the quality of your life.

About Me
I am a licensed New York City psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapist who works with individual adults and couples.

I have helped many clients to get to the root of their problems so they could manage their stress and live more fulfilling lives.

To find out more about me, visit my website:  Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.





























Monday, June 22, 2009

Tips to Cope With Chronic Worrying

How to Stop Worrying:  What is Chronic Worrying?

Are you a chronic worrier?
With all the economic uncertainty in the world today, many people are worried. However, there's a difference between worrying about a specific problem that spurs you to take action vs. chronic worrying that can paralyze you.

Chronic worrying usually doesn't help. In fact, not only does it not help, it often gets in the way and can have physical as well as emotional consequences.

What is chronic worrying?
If you engage in chronic worrying, you have a negative habit of worrying most of the time. You might be constantly thinking about the "what ifs" in situations where you feel you don't have control. You might also be filled with negative thoughts, anticipating the worst in situations. Breaking the worrying habit can be as difficult as breaking any other habit.

If You Engage in Chronic Worrying, You Have a Negative Habit of Worrying Most of the Time

Why do people engage in chronic worrying?
There are so many reasons--we would need pages and pages to explore them. Let's explore some of the more common reasons:

The illusion of feeling prepared and in control: Many people feel that if they worry about a problem constantly, they'll be more prepared in case their worst fears come true. Of course, this is an illusion. However, this type of distorted thinking can make it very hard to give up chronic worrying.

Worrying as a learned behavior: For many other people, they grew up in a household where their parents worried constantly and, as young children, they integrated this type of thinking without even realizing it.

The need for absolute certainty in an uncertain world: Many people also have a hard time dealing with uncertainty. They need to know what will happen, when it will happen, and how it will happen with as close to 100% certainty as they can get. As a result, these people worry almost all of the time.

What are the consequences of chronic worrying? Chronic worrying can cause insomnia as you toss and turn all night (see my prior post on insomnia). Insomnia, in turn, has negative consequences for your overall health and well being.

One of the Consequences of Chronic Worrying Can Be Insomnia

Chronic worrying can deplete your energy and result in physical problems. For some people, chronic worrying can lead to excessive drinking and drug abuse as a maladaptive way to get relief from stress.

It can make you feel irritable and cause arguments between you and your partner or you and your boss. Unrelenting worrying can also lead to problems with depression (see prior post:  What is the Difference Between Sadness and Depression?). 

There are so many other consequences. Suffice it to say, constant worrying usually doesn't lead to anything good.

In my next post, I'll discuss what you can do to overcome chronic worrying.

I'm a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapist who works with individual adults and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my web site: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

Also, see my article:  How to Stop Worrying: Steps You Can Take

Sunday, May 31, 2009

What is Clinical Hypnosis?

Clinical hypnosis, also known as hypnotherapy, is a therapeutic method that can create a state of deep relaxation where your attention is focused and your unconscious mind is open to making positive changes.

Clinical Hypnosis


When performed by a qualified hypnotherapist, clinical hypnosis can improve your emotional health and overall well being.

Misconceptions About Clinical Hypnosis
There are many misconceptions about clinical hypnosis, most likely because people confuse clinical hypnosis with stage hypnosis that they have seen in movies or heard about where people quack like a duck or bark like a dog or do other embarrassing things. That is not clinical hypnosis.

From the outset, let's be clear that there are important distinctions between clinical hypnosis and stage hypnosis. Clinical hypnosis is a collaborative treatment. You have complete control at all times. You are awake and maintain dual awareness of everything around you in the here and now as well as in the hypnotic state. No one can make you do anything that you don't want to do.

Clinical hypnosis as Therapeutic Method
Clinical hypnosis is used to treat many issues, including: weight loss, insomnia, pain management, enhancing creativity, overcoming writer's block or other creative blocks, overcoming fears, performance enhancement for athletes, actors, singers, musicians, public speakers, executives, and sales people.

Clinical hypnosis is also used to stop smoking and to overcome other negative habits, as well as for stress management, test anxiety, stage fright, anxiety, relationship issues, and many other issues.

About Me
I am a licensed psychotherapist and hypnotherapist in New York City.

To find out more about me, visit my website:  Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist & Hypnotherapist

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 or email me.




What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a form of psychotherapy that was developed by psychologist, Francine Shapiro, in the 1980s (see my article: Experiential Therapy, Like EMDR, Can Achieve Emotional Breakthroughs).

What is EMDR Therapy?

What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR was originally developed to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since that time, EMDR has been used successfully for many other issues, including stress, insomnia, performance anxiety, performance enhancement, abuse, substance abuse, sexual addiction and many other issues (see my article: How EMDR Therapy Works: EMDR and the Brain).

Why is EMDR Therapy More Effective Than Regular Talk Therapy?

EMDR Tends to Work Faster Than Talk Therapy for Trauma: 
Generally speaking, EMDR tends to work faster for trauma than most talk therapies. Among other things, much depends on the skill of the therapist as well as the rapport between therapist and client. Also, most clients will require a period of time where the EMDR therapist helps clients to develop internal resources and coping skills before the actual EMDR processing begins (see my article: EMDR Therapy: When Talk Therapy Isn't Enough).

EMDR Uses a 3-Pronged Approach: Past, Present, Future: 
EMDR uses a three-pronged protocol: working with the client's past, present and future. EMDR processes old memories, creating new links with adaptive functioning.

Current problems are targeted and desensitized and past and future events are integrated to assist clients in healthy functioning. 

There has been quite a bit of research on the success of EMDR and the treatment of trauma and PTSD. However, no one is completely sure as to how or why EMDR works. It is believed that part of its success is due to the fact that EMDR uses Rapid Eye Movement (REM) as its basis.

EMDR helps process negative memories and emotions. It helps the brain to successfully process these experiences.

Getting Help in EMDR Therapy
If you have been unable to work through your history of trauma, you could benefit from working with an EMDR therapist.

Once you are free from the effects of your traumatic history, you can live a more fulfilling life.

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapist who works with individual adults and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.