May 2024 - Talk Your Heart Out (TYHO)

How to Deal with an Anxiety Syndrome

Posted on May 6, 2024December 7, 2024 by TYHO Team

Willpower can help you meet your goals

Having occasional anxiety due to a specific situation is part of regular life.

However, if you have anxiety syndrome, you can manage your symptoms through effective skills and long-term strategies.

Anxiety is our body’s response to fear and a way to urge us to safety. Hence, this feeling can be very useful in identifying danger or threat.

Most people may also use the term ‘anxiety syndrome’ to refer to stress, worry, overthinking, or nervousness.

However, there’s a clear difference between being anxious and having anxiety syndrome, the latter of which may include severe and crippling symptoms.

In this article, we share 4 skills to help you cope with anxiety and 5 long-term strategies to address and treat the condition.

This Article Contains:

What Is an Anxiety Syndrome
Common Symptoms of an Anxiety Syndrome
4 Essential Skills to Cope With an Anxiety Syndrome
Observe Your Thought Patterns
Learn Correct Breathing Techniques
Try Aromatherapy
Exercise
5 Long-Term Strategies to Deal with an Anxiety Syndrome
Try Professional Counselling
Identify and Manage Your Triggers
Build a Community
Create a Nourishing Morning Routine
Consider Medications

What Is an Anxiety Syndrome

An anxiety syndrome, or an anxiety disorder, is a psychological condition characterised by excessive fear, panic, worry, and dread.

Other symptoms could include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, shivers or chills, restlessness, poor concentration, lack of decision-making skills, trouble breathing, and a pounding headache.

If left untreated, the signs can worsen over time and affect a person’s day-to-day functioning, relationships, and work/academic performance.

An anxiety syndrome can be caused by a medical problem such as thyroid, a history of trauma or abuse, certain medications, or other social and environmental factors.

Anxiety is usually disproportionate to the situation. For example, a situation like taking an exam is not inherently dangerous to students.

However, students with anxiety syndrome may panic before the exam and think that they may fail the test.

The condition is also associated with avoidance behaviour, where a person may avoid situations or people due to their fears.

The different types of anxiety syndrome include generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety, panic disorder, post-trauma stress, and phobias.

Common Symptoms of an Anxiety Syndrome

Symptoms of anxiety syndrome can affect your daily activities and routine. Hence, it is important to identify the signs and seek professional therapy to prevent the condition from worsening.

You should consider seeking therapy if you notice that your anxiety is affecting your relationships (eg doubting if your partner truly loves you), family bonds (eg feeling like your mom hates you for no reason), and work life.

Your counsellor in Singapore can help you analyse what type of anxiety disorder you may have and how to best manage it.

Some common symptoms of an anxiety syndrome may include:

Feeling nervous and dread
Feeling helpless
Constantly anticipating danger or doom, even when things are okay
Hyperventilation
Preoccupation with your anxiety
Feelings of guilt and shame
Thoughts of death or self-harm

4 Essential Skills to Cope With an Anxiety Syndrome

If your anxiety syndrome gets in the way of your healthy routines, life, and relationships – you may want to learn certain skills to manage and control the symptoms.

Sometimes, anxiety can occur due to specific situations, like fear of presenting your project in front of your colleagues. During such times, you may notice that the symptoms are short-lived and disappear after the event is over.

Hence, by learning these 4 essential skills, you can not only manage your symptoms but also prevent them from occurring in the first place.

1. Observe Your Thought Patterns

Your anxiety usually stems from unhelpful thoughts you may have regarding yourself and the world.

For example, a person with anxiety syndrome may believe that they are not good enough or not good at anything.

These negative thoughts directly influence their behaviours during important performances, where they may undermine their ability.

One way to observe your thought patterns is to challenge yourself to face your fears, fact-check yourself, and see how you can regain control of your emotions.

If we consider the above example, the person may not have any real facts about their future performance. Their thoughts are based on their assumptions about their capabilities.

Hence, if you are stuck in a similar situation, you can ask yourself if your thoughts and beliefs are true.

If it’s true, how can you get the proof? What does your previous performance say about your abilities? Reflecting on these questions can help you face reality for what it truly is, and eventually, you may begin to get rid of your negative thoughts.

2. Learn Correct Breathing Techniques

A common symptom of anxiety syndrome is hyperventilation, where you may struggle to breathe and relax your body.

Hyperventilation may increase your oxygen levels and reduce the carbon dioxide in your bloodstream. Carbon dioxide is the chemical that helps regulate the body’s reaction to anxiety.

By learning the right breathing skills, you can correct your body’s chemical imbalance and regulate your emotions.

To do so, try breathing from your diaphragm rather than the chest to reduce hyperventilation. This method allows your belly to expand as you breathe in.

To check if you are breathing correctly, place one hand on your lower abdomen and the other on your chest.

Observe your body to see where the maximum movement occurs. If your abdomen moves, you are doing the correct breathing technique.

If you are having an anxiety attack, you may also want to slow down your breathing.

As it can be hard to be mindful of our breath during anxiety, try to touch an ice cube or place half a slice of lemon in your mouth to jerk you out of the anxiety episode.

Learning the correct techniques can help boost carbon dioxide levels in the blood. If you are hesitant to try alone, you can book a session with a Singaporean psychotherapist specialising in mindfulness and ACT.

3. Try Aromatherapy

For some people, aromatherapy can be extremely useful in reducing the symptoms of anxiety syndrome.

As the research on aromatherapy is limited, we suggest not to use it as a primary intervention or technique.

However, aromatherapy, along with other skills and coping strategies, can help you improve your overall state of mind.

Aromatherapy could include essential oil forms, incense, or a scented candle.

You can try flavours such as lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood, which are known to reduce stress and promote relaxation.

4. Exercise

Although exercise alone may not completely control the symptoms, it can play an important role in reducing your anxiety in the long term.

For people with anxiety syndrome, movement becomes very important. Every time you move, your body finds it easier to release the happy chemicals.

Exercise in any form can burn up stress chemicals and manage your emotions.

If you are not fond of cardio or strength training, you can take a long walk daily and try dancing, yoga, or other movement-based activities.

5 Long-Term Strategies to Deal with an Anxiety Syndrome

If your anxiety syndrome is unmanageable with the tools above, you may want to consider other long-term strategies.

1. Try Professional Counselling

If you are unsure how to manage your anxiety, Singaporean counsellors can help you:

Better understand your emotions
Identify and address your triggers
Manage and control your feelings
Learn therapeutic skills to deal with anxiety syndrome
Learn effective coping mechanisms

For example, counsellors may use cognitive behavioural therapy to help you learn different ways of thinking about and reacting to anxiety-prone situations.

Research also shows that CBT is an effective intervention to treat most types of anxiety disorders.

2. Identify and Manage Your Triggers

Similar to observing your thought patterns, learning how to identify and manage your triggers can help you prevent an anxiety attack.

In most cases, you may need professional guidance from a Therapist to identify your triggers. Some triggers may be obvious, such as exams, presentations, and meeting a stranger.

However, most triggers may be subtle and indirect. As we are entirely consumed in our anxiety, it can be difficult to analyse how we were triggered.

For example, a person who had a negative childhood experience such as bullying may feel anxious in social situations or when they’re with their friends.

This person may not consider their current situation as triggering because they’re with their friends and may consider the environment safe.

However, a Therapist can help connect the dots between bullying in childhood and having an anxiety attack in a room full of friends.

Below are some common triggers people with an anxiety syndrome may have:

Work, relationships, or financial stressors
Withdrawal from addiction
Chronic pain
Past trauma

3. Build a Community

Although everyone is different, and not all your loved ones may understand your condition, building a safe community for yourself can help you in more than one way.

Socialising can reduce stress, encourage feelings of hope and joy, and decrease isolation and loneliness.

Even if your friends may not know how to handle the situation, having someone to talk to and seeking their support can be a huge help.

Research has also shown that being part of a community can help you become mentally resilient to distress in the long run.

4. Create a Nourishing Morning Routine

Many people with anxiety syndrome may struggle with their mornings, which usually tends to set the tone for the day.

For example, imagine the difference between waking up at noon and waking up at 9 or 10 a.m. At the former time, you may feel unmotivated and upset about your day.

However, with the latter, you may have enough time to take care of yourself and engage in self-care habits to start your day positively.

Morning routines can create a sense of normalcy and control. As you begin to follow the routine every day, you will gain a newfound sense of control over your emotions and habits.

Waking up at the right time (whatever that time may be for you) and journalling or doing an activity that brings you joy can leave you feeling energised.

The energy you have in the morning can last throughout the day and help you recharge better every night.

However, it is important to remember that not every morning will be the same. Sometimes, we may just need to get that extra sleep or roll around in bed for a few hours.

Remember to take it easy. The only goal to focus on would be to engage in your routine as much as possible, even if it’s not 100%.

5. Consider Medications

For some people, a combination of medications and therapy may work the best in treating anxiety syndrome.

Medications are usually short-term and supportive care; hence, your doctor may not use them as a primary intervention.

Taking meds can help control and reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety syndrome.

Your doctor may provide tranquillisers or antidepressants to help you cope. You may start these medications on a lower dosage and may adjust the dosage and frequency depending on your progress and outcome.

Remember that medication is optional and may not work for everyone. To understand what kind of therapeutic plan works best for you, try having an open conversation with your Therapist.

Your Therapist is the right professional to create a personalised treatment plan for you!

summary

Socialising can reduce stress, encourage feelings of hope and joy, and decrease isolation and loneliness.

Even if your friends may not know how to handle the situation, having someone to talk to and seeking their support can be a huge help.

Research has also shown that being part of a community can help you become mentally resilient to distress in the long run.

Takeaway

Socialising can reduce stress, encourage feelings of hope and joy, and decrease isolation and loneliness.

Even if your friends may not know how to handle the situation, having someone to talk to and seeking their support can be a huge help.

Research has also shown that being part of a community can help you become mentally resilient to distress in the long run.

What Is an Anxiety Attack and How to Stop It

Posted on May 6, 2024July 16, 2024 by TYHO Team

Nearly 60%-80% control their anxiety symptoms after therapy

An anxiety attack is a sudden and extreme episode of fear. Although anxiety attacks can occur without a reason, they may also be linked to specific triggers (eg exams and presentations).

An anxiety attack and a panic attack are not the same. Panic attacks have a clinical definition, whereas an anxiety attack is not listed as a formal term in the DSM 5.

Sometimes, people may use the term ‘anxiety attack’ to refer to stress, worry, or even intense fear that could be classified as panic.

Anxiety attacks can be controlled and stopped by following certain self-care strategies. Here’s how to identify an anxiety attack and find the relief you need.

What Is an Anxiety Attack?

An anxiety attack occurs when we build up stressors that may lead to a breakdown over time.

For example, a conflict in a relationship, family issues that may make a person feel like their mom hates them, or overloaded work tasks could gradually increase anxiousness until the person feels extremely overwhelmed for a period.

An anxiety attack could trigger symptoms like lack of focus, panic, tension, irritability, restlessness, or even fatigue.

If you have anxiety symptoms, you may want to consider talking to a counsellor. Your counsellor in Singapore may conduct clinical interviews and observations to rule out other mental health conditions that could be contributing to your symptoms.

Since an anxiety attack is not a formal diagnosis, you may be diagnosed with some type of anxiety disorder depending on your primary and secondary symptoms.

Most commonly, people who experience anxiety attacks may have a generalised anxiety disorder or panic disorder.

Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack

Other than fear and stress, people may also experience other symptoms of anxiety attacks, such as:

Staying alert for signs of danger
Anticipating the worst
Difficulty concentrating or paying attention
Brain fog (ie feeling like the mind has gone blank)
Worry or stress

Moreover, anxiety attack comes with several physical symptoms as well. These include:

Insomnia
Dry mouth
Muscle pain or soreness
Headaches
Lightheadedness
Nausea
Sweating
Shaking or trembling
Frequent urination
Diarrhea
Pounding heart rate

How to Stop an Anxiety Attack

Not everyone who resonates with the above symptoms may have an anxiety attack.

However, many of us may feel frustrated at how often these symptoms appear in our lives.

Although an anxiety attack may seem intrusive and uncontrollable, remember that by following certain effective self-care tools, you can calm your nerves and control your anxiety.

1. Try Visualisation Exercises

Visualisation is a technique of envisioning an image, scene, or situation in the mind. It is a mental exercise used to prepare for the future or to control one’s emotions.

Moreover, visualisation and action are strongly linked. Thinking about our body or mind doing something – dancing or saying a sentence out loud – directly activates the motor cortex.

A common example is visualising our presentation or speech before walking upstage. We do this as a mental rehearsal before the actual event.

Counsellors may use visualisation techniques as a part of several interventions for anxiety and other mental health conditions.

For example, visualisation is often used by psychotherapists to help change the narrative about a person or an event that may have caused post-trauma stress or an anxiety attack.

By making the visualisation as vivid as possible and engaging all the senses during the activity, clients may learn how to talk about their presenting problems and cope with the negative effects.

Apart from treating psychological disorders, there are other proven benefits of visualisation exercises, including:

Building confidence and self-image
Gaining motivation to achieve your goals
Becoming more creative
Relieving stress
Increasing the quality of sleep
Manage emotions

Visualisation Exercise: The Blue Light Technique

The blue light technique involves visualising oneself in the middle of a calm blue light.

Imagine you are standing in the centre where the blue light appears.

As you inhale, imagine soaking up all the light in your body, almost as if you are filling your lungs with the blue light.

As you exhale, visualise your anxiety floating away as dark smoke.

Practising diaphragmatic breathing (ie breathing with your stomach, abdominals, and diaphragm) during this exercise can help you relax and reduce your body’s stress response.

2. Listen to Your Body

When your body is showing signs of anxiety or stress, try to listen to your body.

In essence, the better you listen to and care for your body, the less likely you are to feel anxious or negative throughout the day.

In general, movement and sleep can go a long way toward calming down your bodily responses.

Try to exercise regularly. Pick a form of exercise you love, such as aerobics, walking, or dancing, and aim to work out for 30 minutes daily.

Getting quality sleep at night can help you control and reduce anxious thoughts and feelings. To sleep better, you can try the above visualisation exercise.

More importantly, try to reduce your alcohol and caffeine intake. While these substances may seem calming, they are powerful stimulants that could lead to higher levels of anxiety.

If your body craves strong stimulation, try drinking green tea or matcha.

3. Meditate

Research shows that self-care or group meditation programs can effectively reduce symptoms of an anxiety attack.

In fact, meditation can also help manage conditions such as GAD, panic disorder, and agoraphobia (ie social anxiety).

When we are anxious, some parts of our brain stop communicating with one another. This disconnection could lead to stress responses and trigger an anxiety attack.

However, developing our ‘mindfulness muscles’ may make us more likely to stay stable and calm in a triggering environment or situation. Our stability during anxious moments can help us prevent a hasty response.

Moreover, when we practice self-compassion during such moments and show genuine curiosity in our experiences, we can change the neurobiology of fear and integrate the different parts of our brain again.

In other words, mindfulness reinforces a strong communication between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system.

As the communication is back and connected, the prefrontal cortex becomes more efficient at down-regulating an anxiety attack.

A Simple Meditation Exercise

When you observe an incoming anxiety attack the next time, try this exercise:

If you are new to meditation and overwhelmed by it, start with the basics.

Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, identify your emotions/thoughts and name them.

Example: “My stomach feels weird and tense, and I have the thought that I’m not good at anything.” or “I have a thought that something disastrous may happen on the aeroplane today.”

Next, see if you can remove yourself from the thought’s context and notice what other feelings you are currently experiencing.

Are you feeling scared? Sad? Angry? Defeated?

What are the characteristics of your emotions? (ie how do you know what you’re feeling is fear?).

To think about the characteristics of your emotions, analyse how they appear in your body. Fear and anxiety tend to settle in the gut.

The key is not to control, change, or worry about your emotions. Observe them as if you are watching a movie.

A UCLA study found that consistently labelling our emotions and observing their presence in our body helps us become more balanced and controlled in the presence of fear.

4. Apply the Dare Technique

In most cases, when we have an anxiety attack, we tend to avoid them in a hurry.

However, rather than fearing the emotions themselves, it can help to view them as temporary, accept their presence in your life briefly, and learn to work with the emotion.

Author Barry McDonagh, in his book, “Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety,” talks about the four-step process to handle anxiety. This technique is called DARE.

D – Defuse

A – Accept

R – Run towards it

E – Engage

Nearly 60%-80% control their anxiety symptoms after therapy

Defuse, Accept, Run Towards and Engage

In the first step, you may notice that your anxious thoughts may make you think of several ‘what if’ scenarios. “What if everyone hates me?” “What if I never heal from anxiety?”

Defuse means to respond back to those questions with, “So what?” Remind yourself that your anxiety cannot harm you and that you’ve experienced it before. “So what if everyone hates me? I don’t even know that for sure.”

In the next step, try to accept your emotions as they are. You don’t need to change them, think of them as ‘negative’, or control your bodily responses like heart rate or sweating. Let yourself feel your emotions in depth.

In the third step, try to tell yourself that what you’re feeling is not anxiousness but a type of excitement. Demand your mind to produce more of those sensations. It’s almost as if you’re trying reverse psychology on yourself.

The purpose of running towards your anxiety is to show yourself that anxiety is indeed harmless, and only a flood of adrenaline. This shift in your perception can help you regain control of your emotions.

Lastly, engage with your anxiety attack. Go with the flow. If your anxiety increases, keep observing the ebbs and flows of it. If it decreases, focus your sensations on whatever you’re doing currently. This can help you ground yourself in the present.

5. Prioritise Building Your Community

2024 research has found that building a sense of community is key to improving mental health and coping with issues like anxiety and depression.

Loneliness or social seclusion can trigger an anxiety attack. Hence, try to improve or expand your community circle.

When we find a community for ourselves, we relate to each other, share similar experiences, promote connection, and engage in positive activities that can boost our mood.

You can do this by meeting your friends regularly, connecting with people with interests in your niche, joining support groups or clubs, or confiding about your worries with a loved one.

Look for people who are going through similar experiences as yours or who understand your anxiety.

This will give you the safe space to talk about your anxiety attack, learn about resources that you may otherwise not find anywhere and share coping mechanisms with each other.

6. Seek Professional Counselling

While the above self-care tools can be helpful, if your anxiety attack becomes so severe that you find it hard to function in your daily life, you may want to consider seeking anxiety counselling in Singapore.

Professional counselling can help you manage an anxiety attack, become self-reliant to control your anxious feelings and improve the quality of your emotional health.

Counsellors may use interventions such as:

Cognitive therapies
Exposure therapy
Relaxation tools (eg ACT)
Narrative therapy

All the above interventions are used exclusively or in combination to provide personalised therapy services.

Through consistent therapy and social support, the source of your fear becomes less frightening.

Takeaway

An anxiety attack is a sudden and intense episode of fear. It is often triggered by specific situations like exams or relationship issues. Symptoms can be both mental, such as brain fog, and physical, like muscle pain or sweating.

Managing anxiety attacks involves practising visualisation exercises, listening to your body, meditating, and applying the DARE technique. Building a supportive community is also crucial, as sharing experiences and coping mechanisms can help.

For severe anxiety attacks, seeking professional counselling can improve emotional health and help you become more self-reliant in managing your anxiety.

5 Symptoms of Depression to Look Out For

Posted on May 6, 2024 by TYHO Team

Depression is a type of mood disorder that may appear suddenly or due to personal loss. Depression symptoms include hopelessness, emptiness, worthlessness, pessimism, guilt and shame.

Chronic depression also affects concentration, attention span, recall abilities, social relationships, work performance, and aspects of daily functioning.

According to WHO, nearly 264 million people around the world have depression.

This article covers 5 major depression symptoms to look out for.

This Article Contains:

Overview of Depression Symptoms
Depressed Mood (eg Sad, Empty, Hopeless)
Brain Fog
Fatigue & Sleep Issues
Shame & Guilt
Thoughts of Death
Getting Professional Support
Find the Right Counsellor
What Help Looks Like

Overview of Depression Symptoms

Counsellors may check for depression symptoms that are recurrent, severe, and indicate psychotic features (ie loss of connection with reality).

The diagnostic criteria for depressive disorders include:

Five (or more) symptoms to be present for 2 weeks or more
Change in functioning in comparison to life before 2 weeks of first noticing the depression symptoms
Presence of either one of the two major symptoms of depression: low mood or loss of interest or pleasure

The symptoms of depression may manifest differently among different racial and ethnic groups.

For example, research shows that non-white people may have more pervasive and severe symptoms of depression and are frequently underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

Depression has many symptoms, but we will share the most easily identifiable ones. If you experience the below symptoms for most of the day and more than 2 weeks, depression counselling in Singapore can help you.

1. Depressed Mood (eg Sad, Empty, Hopeless)

On the one hand, depressed people may notice signs of worthlessness and emptiness through self-reflection.

On the other hand, loved ones may observe signs such as ‘being tearful’, responding to events with outbursts, or being pessimistic about regular activities (eg believing that today will be the worst day).

A common way people describe their depression is through a metaphor called ‘down in the dumps.’

Sometimes, people tend to deny that they are sad but may show implicit symptoms of depression. These could include:

Crying spills (ie crying for no reason or feeling particularly emotional over common hurdles like a rainy day or a coffee spill)

Feeling ‘blah’ (ie not feeling anything, feeling numb or anxious)
Somatic complaints such as body aches

In contrast to adults, children who are depressed may show signs of irritability or a ‘cranky’ mood. The irritability caused by depression may differ from that caused by typical frustration.

Case Study on Actor Adrian Pang

Singapore’s well-known actor, Adrian Pang, suffered from depression and could not function.

Pang found it hard to control his emotions, struggled to get out of bed, and felt so crippled by his depression that he was unable to move normally (ie catatonia).

In a piece in The Straits Times, he mentioned his desperate need for validation. Pang also mentioned spiralling with existential questions like “what if” and “if only”.

The signs Adrian Pang showed strongly related to the symptoms of depressed mood.

While some people may struggle to get out of bed, others may struggle with uncontrollable anger and irritability.

“Seek help. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” – Adrian Pang.

2. Brain Fog

Brain fog refers to diminished cognitive abilities. These could include difficulties with thinking, articulating, concentrating, deciding, or recalling.

It’s like the fuzzy feeling that makes it hard to think clearly.

Brain fog can be caused by depression or other coexisting conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome or GAD.

Depression symptoms and brain fog have a strong link. For instance, depression can reduce the functioning of:

Working memory
Long-term memory
Locus coeruleus, or the ‘blue spot’ that helps control our focus

When we’re having difficulty recalling or making decisions, we may suffer more from brain fog. Other signs, such as insomnia, fatigue, or, in some cases, substance abuse, could negatively affect the mental cloudiness.

Some people with brain fog may appear distracted and struggle to recollect memories. Hence, people in cognitively demanding careers may find it especially hard to cope with the depression symptoms.

If you are an employee and struggle with depression, TYHO’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can help you start therapy in Singapore at a subsidised rate.

3. Fatigue & Sleep Issues

Part of the reason why people feel depressed or empty is because they feel exhausted. Depression symptoms include a lack of energy and an unbearable feeling of fatigue.

Fatigue, in turn, could lead to sleep issues. The two most common types of sleep issues people face due to depression are Insomnia and Hypersomnia.

On the one hand, insomnia is finding it hard to fall asleep.

Depressed people experience ‘middle insomnia’ (ie waking up in the middle of the night and then struggling to go back to sleep) or terminal insomnia (ie waking up too early and struggling to go back to sleep).

On the other hand, hypersomnia is oversleeping.

People with depression may sleep excessively at night or even during the daytime. Hypersomnia, like insomnia, could affect one’s work or academic performance, social relationships, family dynamics, and physical health.

Sometimes, if fatigue and sleep issues are the most dominant depression symptoms, the person may seek treatment for disturbed sleep instead of depression.

However, medical doctors may guide the patient to seek depression counselling to cope with other mood symptoms.

4. Shame & Guilt

Most people with depression have an unrealistic and negative evaluation of their worth or may be preoccupied with guilt from small mistakes.

In fact, the guilt and shame these people experience is often misplaced. Meaning that they may blame themselves for their mental illness, believe that everything is their fault, and feel shame for struggling with depression symptoms.

The fatigue people experience directly triggers their shame, as depressed people often stop living by their own values. For example, a person may strongly believe in productivity, but they may find it hard to stop procrastinating due to fatigue and may thus feel guilt and shame.

When fatigue is prevalent, people may have several unfinished tasks – unpaid bills, unfinished work projects, a messy house, or an incomplete assignment.

Due to the swamped number of tasks, people feel ashamed of not fulfilling their responsibilities. They stay under the radar about their unfinished tasks because when these tasks are revealed, so will their shame and judgement by others.

Typically, people feel a sense of achievement after finishing a task. The ‘feel-good’ emotion occurs due to the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine.

However, the amount of dopamine released in people with depression may be insufficient.

Hence, if the person cannot feel a sense of achievement when they get something done, then this lack of feeling usually impairs their motivation and pleasure.

Ultimately, not wanting to finish a task may become a shameful secret. The shame, fatigue, and depressed mood act as a self-reinforcing loop. The loop looks like this:

Low energy -> Unfinished tasks -> Low self-esteem -> Loss of accomplishment -> shame/guilt -> low energy.

5. Thoughts of Death

Trigger Warning: Discussions of passive and active suicidal thoughts.

Suicidal ideations are usually connected to depression. Although not everyone who is depressed may have thoughts of death, it’s important to note that suicidal tendencies can manifest in subtle ways.

For example, some people may have active suicidal thoughts (which may need immediate crisis support), while others may have passive suicidal thoughts.

On the one hand, passive suicidal tendency occurs when a person no longer finds any joy or happiness but they do not plan to take their life.

It is like a ‘back-up’ plan that they might have [in case ‘something happens’]. For example, a student with academic and family pressure who struggles with passive suicidal thoughts may say, “If I don’t pass this test, I hope I somehow die.”

Other examples include:

“I wish I could never wake up from sleep.”
“It’d be nice if I could disappear into a forest and never return.”

On the other hand, active suicidal thoughts occur when the person not only lacks pleasure and motivation but may also actively plan to end their life.

People who struggle with this depression symptom may sound like:

“Tomorrow, I will take my life by ___.”
“I’m planning to end my life tonight.”

Suicide Statistics in Singapore Among Youths

Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) recently published that suicide rates among Singaporean youths aged 10-29 have increased.

Research indicates that many Singaporeans avoid discussing suicide due to the belief that talking about it can trigger suicidal thoughts.

However, that is untrue. Talking about suicide can be a great starting point for:

Providing space for people suffering from depression and suicidal tendencies
Addressing several other mental health issues that may have contributed to suicidal thoughts

Encouraging people to seek counselling in Singapore

At Talk Your Heart Out (TYHO), 80% of our clients under age 35 seek counselling for self-esteem issues.

Other issues our clients struggle with include relationship problems, workplace burnout, anxiety disorders, and depression.

We often assume that suicide happens suddenly and due to one single cause. However, the truth is that issues from several aspects of our lives could add up and push us to a breaking point.

Crisis Support

If you are in a crisis or if anyone else may be in danger, the following resources can provide you with immediate help.

Call emergency medical services at 995 or go to the A&E department of your nearest hospital.
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS): Call 1767 or WhatsApp 9151 1767 for support
National Anti-Violence & Sexual Harassment (NAVH): 1800 777 0000
Institute of Mental Health (IMH): 6389 2222
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800 283 7019
TOUCH Community Service (youth counselling services): 1800 377 2252

Getting Professional Support

If you suspect you may have depression, consider seeking depression counselling in Singapore.

In the initial sessions, your Therapist may evaluate your presenting problems and depression symptoms through clinical interviews and observations.

Once completed, counsellors can assess your current state of mind and provide an appropriate and personalised therapeutic plan.

Find the Right Counsellor

Visit the app.talkyourheartout.com page to find the right counsellor.

On this page, you can filter your needs based on:

Issues

Counsellor’s gender
Therapy language
Service type
Medium

Additionally, review the counsellors’ short videos and go through their descriptions and therapeutic approaches.

Reviewing and shortlisting counsellor profiles can help you gauge whether they are a good fit before booking a session.

If you are struggling to find the right counsellor, please try therapy with a second or third counsellor. Give yourself a few options and time for therapy to work.

If you need further assistance in choosing a counsellor, reach out to us at [email protected].

What Help Looks Like

Different types of depression symptoms may require different treatment.

Therapy can help treat mild symptoms of depression by:

Providing information about mild depression and helping clients identify their symptoms
Teaching therapeutic skills to change their lifestyle and thought processes
Providing tools to cope with any future issues, such as situational mood swings or uncontrollable emotions

Therapists may use a combination of approaches (ie eclectic approach) to treat moderate to severe depression.

Common interventions used during counselling include:

CBT
Mindfulness-based interventions
Interpersonal therapy
Narrative therapy

Schema therapy
Trauma-informed CBT

If you are looking to start your journey towards healing from depression, consider booking a session with one of our counsellors in Singapore.

Is Depression a Mental Illness

Posted on May 6, 2024July 19, 2024 by TYHO Team

70%-90% overcome depression through talk therapy

Depression may first start as sadness. When we feel sad, we may shut down and find ourselves unable to cope with issues. Eventually, we may just feel numb and empty.

We may all feel low, frustrated, or fed up at times. These feelings often occur due to a particular situation in life and may pass on their own.

After all, feelings and thoughts are often fleeting, aren’t they?

But if your feelings become so bad that they significantly affect your lifestyle, it might be depression. It can get hard to live with depression, especially if it lasts for several weeks or months.

In this article, we address if depression is a mental illness, types of depression, and ways you can seek support if you have the condition.

This Article Contains:

Is Depression a Mental Illness?
Depression Is Different from Sadness
Different Types of Depression
How Is Depression Treated?
Psychotherapy
Self-Care Strategies

Is Depression a Mental Illness?

‘Is depression a mental illness?’ is a question you may have, especially if you feel alone in your experience.

In Malaysia alone, nearly 18.6% of people have moderate to extremely severe depression. Hence, know that you are not alone, and help is available.

Depression is considered a mental illness, and the condition may get severe without the right social and mental health support.

Common symptoms of depression include:

Feelings of sadness and loss
Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
Self-loathing
Loss of self-esteem
Mood swings or lack of concentration
Brain fog (eg forgetfulness or lack of mental clarity)

Symptoms of depression manifest in people in different ways. For example, some may struggle with lower productivity or procrastination, while others may deal with relationship misunderstandings and conflicts.

Depression can trigger the symptoms of other related mental and physical health conditions, such as:

Anxiety
ADHD
OCD
Bipolar disorder
Arthritis
Thyroid
Cancer
Asthma
Obesity

Depression Is Different from Sadness

Being sad is often not the same as having depression.

It is normal for sadness to develop in situations such as heartbreak, arguments, or job loss.

However, what differentiates sadness from depression is the duration and influence of symptoms in daily life.

In sadness, the feelings come in waves, often intermixed with positive memories or hints of hope and desire.

In depression, the general desire in life and mood are affected for a minimum of two weeks. People with depression also feel worthless and hopeless.

More precisely, not everyone who is sad has depression.

How Is Depression Treated?

Depression can be treated through a holistic plan that includes medication, psychotherapy, and self-care strategies.

However, medication is optional. Whether it works for you depends on your medical history, co-existing conditions, doctor’s recommendation, and preference.

Everyone can follow self-care strategies, regardless of the type of treatment plan.

70%-90% overcome depression through talk therapy

1. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, has been found effective in treating many types of mood disorders.

A therapy session may involve either one or multiple individuals. For example, only one person may talk to a therapist during individual counselling. However, partners can attend sessions together during couples therapy.

At TYHO, counsellors may use interventions such as:

Cognitive behavioural therapy
Solution-focused therapy
Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Narrative therapy

What works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Hence, to develop a personalised therapeutic plan, you may have an open discussion with your Therapist about the topics below:

Your preferences
Presenting problems
Therapy goals
Past and current relationships
Personality type
Cultural and worldview

Your psychotherapist may use one or multiple interventions (ie eclectic approach) to help you overcome depression.

2. Self-Care Strategies

There are several evidence-based self-care strategies that you can follow to reduce the symptoms of depression.

For many, regular exercise, a healthy diet, and a positive mindset can improve mood. However, others may need more specific strategies to overcome painful symptoms.

Some tools may not be possible to use now or may not be very helpful. Hence, try a few different techniques to see what helps you the best.

Below are some general self-care tips you can follow to get started:

Open up to someone you trust
Try joining peer support groups
Try mindfulness or meditation for 5 minutes every morning
Journal your thoughts and feelings every night
Spend quality time in nature
Keep a dairy and track your mood to observe what tools work for you
Give more importance to your hobbies and try finding something you love doing

Depression is a mental illness, and living with one can be a hard experience.

Remember that you can manage depression with the right and quality mental health care. Reach out to us today to address and overcome symptoms of depression.

Takeaway

Feeling sad is normal, but when sadness turns into a prolonged sense of numbness and emptiness, it might be depression. Depression affects your daily life, making you feel worthless and hopeless for at least two weeks.

It’s different from sadness, which usually comes in waves and is mixed with positive moments. Depression can trigger other health conditions like anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar disorder.

Treatment often includes psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, and self-care strategies, like regular exercise, healthy eating, and mindfulness. Remember, depression is a mental illness, but with the right support, it can be managed.

How to Deal with an Anxiety Syndrome

Posted on May 6, 2024October 14, 2024 by TYHO Team

Willpower can help you meet your goals

Having occasional anxiety due to a specific situation is part of regular life.

However, if you have anxiety syndrome, you can manage your symptoms through effective skills and long-term strategies.

Anxiety is our body’s response to fear and a way to urge us to safety. Hence, this feeling can be very useful in identifying danger or threat.

Most people may also use the term ‘anxiety syndrome’ to refer to stress, worry, overthinking, or nervousness.

However, there’s a clear difference between being anxious and having anxiety syndrome, the latter of which may include severe and crippling symptoms.

In this article, we share 4 skills to help you cope with anxiety and 5 long-term strategies to address and treat the condition.

This Article Contains:

What Is an Anxiety Syndrome
Common Symptoms of an Anxiety Syndrome
4 Essential Skills to Cope With an Anxiety Syndrome
Observe Your Thought Patterns
Learn Correct Breathing Techniques
Try Aromatherapy
Exercise
5 Long-Term Strategies to Deal with an Anxiety Syndrome
Try Professional Counselling
Identify and Manage Your Triggers
Build a Community
Create a Nourishing Morning Routine
Consider Medications

What Is an Anxiety Syndrome

An anxiety syndrome, or an anxiety disorder, is a psychological condition characterised by excessive fear, panic, worry, and dread.

Other symptoms could include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, shivers or chills, restlessness, poor concentration, lack of decision-making skills, trouble breathing, and a pounding headache.

If left untreated, the signs can worsen over time and affect a person’s day-to-day functioning, relationships, and work/academic performance.

An anxiety syndrome can be caused by a medical problem such as thyroid, a history of trauma or abuse, certain medications, or other social and environmental factors.

Anxiety is usually disproportionate to the situation. For example, a situation like taking an exam is not inherently dangerous to students.

However, students with anxiety syndrome may panic before the exam and think that they may fail the test.

The condition is also associated with avoidance behaviour, where a person may avoid situations or people due to their fears.

The different types of anxiety syndrome include generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety, panic disorder, post-trauma stress, and phobias.

Common Symptoms of an Anxiety Syndrome

Symptoms of anxiety syndrome can affect your daily activities and routine. Hence, it is important to identify the signs and seek professional therapy to prevent the condition from worsening.

Your counsellor in Singapore can help you analyse what type of anxiety disorder you may have and how to best manage it.

Some common symptoms of an anxiety syndrome may include:

Feeling nervous and dread
Feeling helpless
Constantly anticipating danger or doom, even when things are okay
Hyperventilation
Preoccupation with your anxiety
Feelings of guilt and shame
Thoughts of death or self-harm