Difficulties people may face

Home » Difficulties people may face

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

---

Anger and Irritability

Anger is a feeling that affects us all and when dealt with appropriately, it can be considered an important emotion that gives us energy and motivates us to act. For some of us it can get out of control or cause us to act inappropriately effecting relationships, work or even the law

---

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia can be very debilitating and normally people with agoraphobia typically suffer from a ‘cluster’ of phobias. Generally they will find it very difficult or impossible to carry out certain activities, these could be going into crowded or public places, lifts, public transport or simply anywhere away from home where ‘escape’ or immediate access to help is not possible. They may also fear standing in queues, going on bridges or sitting in any place where they feel ‘trapped’, such as at a hairdresser’s or dentists. A companion for outings is often sought and rapidly becomes essential.

Onset can be sudden or gradual, over weeks, months or even years; or it can come and go for a considerable length of time before becoming a permanent problem. Severity of symptoms can also vary enormously, with many people hiding their problem, or just about coping, for many years.

---

Anxiety

We all know what it’s like to feel anxious from time to time. It’s common to feel tense, nervous and perhaps fearful at the thought of a stressful event or decision you’re facing – especially if it could have a big impact on your life. It incorporates both the emotions and the physical sensations we might experience when we are worried or nervous about something. It’s sometimes hard to know when it’s becoming a problem for you – but if your feelings of anxiety are very strong, or last for a long time, it can be overwhelming.

If anxiety is affecting your ability to live your life the way you’d like to, it’s worth thinking about ways to help yourself, and what kind of treatments are available.

---

Bereavement

Bereavement is the time we spend adjusting to loss. There is no standard time limit and there is no right or wrong way to feel during the bereavement period – everyone must learn to cope in their own way. Grief, although normal, can manifest in a huge range of unexpected ways.

The death of someone close to you can be emotionally devastating. You might find you experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms as you come to terms with your loss.

---

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain affects millions of people in the UK, so you’re not alone. It can have a huge impact on your quality of life, and can also affect the lives of your family and those around you. Chronic pain is pain that has lasted for longer than 3 months after the usual recovery period for an illness or injury. It may be as a result of a chronic condition.

It may start with a definite problem at a certain time or come on gradually, perhaps for no obvious reason. It may even come on some time after an event; where you have managed an activity at the time but you feel pain afterwards. Chronic pain can be felt in a specific part of the body, e.g. back, shoulder, legs, or more generalised, throughout the body. The pain may be continuous or occasional, you may feel more sensitive to pain and it may sometimes be prone to flaring up or getting worse very quick

---

Depression

Depression is more than simply feeling unhappy or fed up for a few days.

We all go through spells of feeling down, but when you’re depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months, rather than just a few days. Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms. They range from lasting feelings of sadness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety.

There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite or sex drive, and complaining of various aches and pains.

The severity of the symptoms can vary. At its mildest, you may simply feel persistently low in spirit, while at its most severe depression can make you feel suicidal and that life is no longer worth living.

---

Eating Disorders

• bulimia nervosa
• anorexia nervosa
• binge eating disorder
• Eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS).

It may help identify some of the harmful behaviours you have and think about ways that you can move away from them.

---

Low Confidence & Self-Esteem

Everyone has times when they don’t feel good about themselves or lack confidence in something, but when low self-esteem becomes a long-term problem, it can have a harmful effect on our mental health and our lives.

Self-esteem is the opinion we have of ourselves. When we have healthy self-esteem, we tend to feel positive about ourselves and about life in general. It makes us able to deal with life’s ups and downs better.

---

Long Term Health Conditions

Every long term condition will affect different people in different ways. However there are some common issues that can affect a lot of people living with long term conditions. These issues are not in themselves symptoms of mental health problems, but they can be difficult to cope with and can sometimes trigger anxiety, depression and other psychological problems.  Examples of some common long-term health conditions are: diabetes, cancer, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, Immune disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and chronic fatigue syndrome.

---

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be looked at in two parts: obsessions – these are repetitive, obtrusive, unwanted thoughts that are experienced and result in unreasonable fears, and compulsions – acts or rituals carried out in response to fears generated by obsessions

Although many people experience minor obsessions (e.g. worrying about leaving the oven on, or if they have locked the door) and compulsions (e.g. rituals, like avoiding walking under ladders), these don’t significantly interfere with their daily lives, or don’t last long

If you experience OCD, the obsessions and compulsions can cause considerable fear and distress. They often take up a significant amount of time, and can disrupt your ability to carry on with your day-to-day to life. For example, going to work, or maintaining relationships with friends and family.

Many people with OCD experience feelings of shame and loneliness which often stop them from seeking help, particularly if they experience distressing thoughts about subjects such as religion, sex or violence. Often this means that many people try to cope with OCD alone, or until the symptoms are so severe they can’t hide them anymore.

---

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

If you are involved in or witness a traumatic event, it is common to experience upsetting, distressing or confusing feelings afterwards. These feelings may not emerge straight away – you may just feel emotionally numb at first (Shell Shock). After a while you may develop emotional and physical reactions, such as feeling easily irritated, upset or not being able to sleep properly.

This is understandable, a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. For many people these symptoms will disappear in a relatively short period of time. But if your problems last for longer than a month, or are very extreme, you may be given a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

---

Social Phobia

Phobias are persistent, irrational fears of certain objects or situations. Phobias occur in several forms; the fear associated with a phobia can focus on a particular object (specific phobia) or be a fear of embarrassment in a public setting (social phobia).

People who have phobias often are so overwhelmed by their anxiety that they avoid the feared objects or situations.

---

Self-Harm

Self-harm is when somebody intentionally damages or injures their body. It’s usually a way of coping with or expressing overwhelming emotional distress.

Some of us harm ourselves in less obvious, but still serious ways. We may behave in ways that suggest we don’t care whether we live or die – we may take drugs recklessly, have unsafe sex, or binge drink. Some people simply starve themselves. Self-harm can also be a cry for help.

---

Sleep Disturbance

Everyone has problems sleeping at times. We all have nights where we find it hard to fall asleep, find ourselves waking up in the night worrying or have dreams that disturb us. This is perfectly normal. Often, these problems will resolve themselves after a short period of time. But if you are affected by mental illness, sleep can be a challenge.

Some mental health problems, for example depression, can also make you feel agitated, anxious or unable to relax and this can make sleeping difficult too. 

---

How we can help?

You will first need an assessment with one of our therapists. You will have an opportunity to talk about your difficulties and what situation you are facing and decide what best suits your needs via the telephone or in person.

To speak to someone in confidence for advice or to arrange an appointment please contact our team on Freephone 0800 230 0688

Self Help Resources

Take a look at some of the websites and apps that can support you.

Start your Journey