Overcoming Mental Health Illness Through Counselling
Overcoming mental illness without enough social or professional support can seem hard.
However, a counsellor can make the journey to your recovery possible.
On one hand, counsellors can help you handle mental health issues such as clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder etc.
On the other hand, counselling in Singapore can also help you manage daily emotional struggles such as low self-esteem, mood swings, lack of confidence, and so on.
Many people around the world have mental illnesses. In fact, in Singapore, 17% of the population has poor mental health.
Seeking help through counselling is a brave step, and you are going in the right direction! Counselling can lead to feeling better and making positive changes in your life.
In this article, we will look into the types of mental health issues and receiving support for mental illness through counselling. We also answer some of the most asked questions about counselling.
Types of Mental Health Issues
Mental health issues can deeply affect how we think, feel, and function in this world. Emotional distress can occur from worries we may have frequently to serious problems.
At Talk Your Heart Out (TYHO), our counsellors in Singapore can help you with personal issues such as mood swings, uncontrollable anger, feeling sad for no reason, feeling emotional all the time etc.
You can also receive counselling for serious mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder.
The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) notes that there are two main types of mental health issues:
- Neurotic symptoms
- Psychotic symptoms
1. Neurotic Symptoms
We may all feel stressed, sad, or anxious at some point in our lives. However, when these emotions become intense and start to interfere with daily functioning – they may indicate neurotic symptoms.
Neurotic symptoms of mental health issues involve experiencing emotions much more deeply than usual.
For example, a person might feel anxious about a job interview, which is normal. However, if this anxiety becomes overwhelming, to the point where it affects the person’s performance, they may suffer from an anxiety disorder.
Some of the mental illnesses associated with neurotic symptoms include:
- Depression
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Panic disorders
2. Psychotic Symptoms
Psychotic symptoms may affect the way we interact with reality.
For example, psychosis could include hearing or seeing things that are not there or feeling utterly convinced of ideas that don’t match up with the facts (ie thinking that your mother hates you when she doesn’t).
Mental illnesses associated with psychotic symptoms include:
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- High-stress or substance abuse
Mental Illness Support Through Counselling
Counselling in Singapore offers a safe environment to manage your emotions and develop skills to navigate your mental health issues more effectively.
During sessions, you will be talking to an expert counsellor through structured conversations.
Based on your information and other details, your counsellor will help you observe and recognise patterns that may trigger emotional distress.
The key aspect that can help you get the most out of counselling is building a healthy relationship with your counsellor.
The therapeutic alliance you create will significantly influence the speed and quality of your progress during and outside therapy sessions.
Through counselling, you may learn essential skills to handle your problems.
Your counsellor will choose a therapeutic approach based on their expertise, your preference, and what works best for your mental health issues.
Some of the common therapeutic approaches are:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Dialectical behavioural therapy
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
- Schema therapy
- Narrative therapy
- Mindfulness-based therapy
Frequently Asked Questions
What mental health issues can counselling help with?
Counselling helps with several mental health issues.
At TYHO, some of the common issues you can seek help for include:
- Anxiety: Counselling can help you with generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and so on.
- Depression: If you feel low all the time or have extreme mood swings, counselling can help you manage your negative emotions.
- Addictions: Counsellors in Singapore can help you if you struggle with alcohol dependency or non-substance addictions like excessive shopping or gambling.
- Eating disorders: Counselling supports people who have a disordered relationship with food or their body. Counsellors can also help with mental health issues such as poor self-esteem or body image problems.
- Personality disorders: Counselling can teach you coping tools if you suffer from personality disorders such as OCPD or dependent personality disorder.
What happens in the first counselling session?
Before your first session, you may complete an intake form at TYHO.
You will be sharing basic details such as your name, contact information, and age in the form. You may also have to share the contact of someone close to emergencies and write a brief outline of your expectations of counselling.
As your session begins, your counsellor will take you through the counselling process.
Each counselling session is unique. Hence, you can share your mental health issues either in the first session or whenever you feel comfortable.
To understand your needs and issues better, your counsellor may ask you several questions regarding your:
- Childhood
- Goals for counselling
- Personal or work-related issues
- Family background
- Past relationships
- Friendships
- Hobbies
At any point during the sessions, you can ask questions. Try talking about the therapy approach, style, how soon you can expect to progress, and what you need to do outside sessions.
Also See: 5 Tips to Choose the Right Counsellor in Singapore
Counsellors at TYHO are non-judgemental and empathetic and will happily answer any questions you may have!
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