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Social anxiety, status anxiety and overcoming the judgement of others

1st September 201810th December 2017 by Morency Editor

What is social anxiety?

Social anxiety is anxiety related to social events and interactions. The specific difficulties of individuals who struggle with this are idiosyncratic, however, common difficulties include:

Feeling on edge and nervous when with strangers
‎Avoiding social situations
‎Feeling watched or judged
‎Behaviours designed to ‘fit in’ or make the person ‘invisible’
‎Experiencing physical symptoms such as nausea and sweating when thinking about past and future social activities
Fear of making a ‘fool’ of oneself
Rituals or substances can be used to manage the anxiety, for example, excessive alcohol consumption during social events
In extreme circumstances, a total avoidance of leaving a perceived safe place such as home

Social anxiety can also be limited to specific situations such as public speaking or meeting someone new.

The importance of self-esteem

27th November 2017 by Morency Editor

What is self-esteem?

Self-esteem, self-worth or a sense of self are all terms used to describe a person’s overall opinion of themselves. People who have high self-esteem usually feel deserving of happiness, accept set backs and feel generally good about themselves. People with low self-esteem may feel worthless, dislike themselves, treat themselves poorly, struggle to feel worthy of success or happiness and lack confidence. Low self-esteem can lead to mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. Equally, depression and anxiety can reduce people’s self-esteem.

Childhood emotional neglect and its impact on adulthood

13th November 2017 by Morency Editor

What is emotional neglect?

Parental emotional neglect of a child is a relatively common phenomenon and one that is harder to define than other forms of abuse such as physical or sexual (NSPCC, 2011). Emotional abuse may present differently within different families and many parents will not intend to cause harm. Parenting styles which may have the potential to cause neglect include:

Parents with narcissistic traits
Parents who were neglected themselves as children
Parents struggling with mental health issues, addiction or those frequently unavailable due to working long hours
Parents who are extremely strict or have very high standards for education or another activity

While each of these scenarios may present as a very different childhood, the harm is usually caused by a parent who is distracted by their own issues or striving for perfection. This means that the child’s emotional needs are not prioritised and may be frequently invalidated.

Workplace anxiety and depression and how counselling can help

1st November 2017 by Morency Editor

Workplace-related mental health problems are on the rise

A recent report by the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP, 2017) has highlighted the high rates of anxiety and depression in the UK workforce. Over 400,000 people who worked part-time or full-time were surveyed and around 10 per cent (9 per cent of full-time workers and 12 per cent of part-time workers) reported moderate to extreme levels of anxiety and / or depression. The survey was first completed in 2013 and since then there has been an increase, of almost a third, in the number of people reporting mental health problems. Part-time workers in particular reported a higher level of difficulties. Across the entire sample, which included individuals who did not work, levels of mental health problems also increased but by a lower amount, suggesting that workplace-related anxiety and depression specifically are on the rise.

Narcissism, relationships and how to seek help

23rd October 2017 by Morency Editor

So, what is narcissism?

Welcome to Narcissistic’s Anonymous. Now, before we get started, let’s talk about me for a while…

Generally speaking narcissistic behaviours include vanity, a desire for attention, fame or status and arrogance. This blog considers narcissistic traits, how they may have developed and the support an individual and their loved ones may benefit from. The word narcissism originates from the Greek myth of ‘Narcissus’. Narcissus was proud and disdainful. When he came across his own reflection he fell in love. Being unable to leave the beautiful image he stared at it until he died.