Chronic Illness, Depression, Personal Injury Counsellors

Chronic illness has the ability to affect you in more ways than just medically. In fact, it can impact you psychologically. The degree of impact is dependent on the person's personality and the circumstances before the diagnosis. Support structure plays an important role on a person's ability to cope, but oftentimes, a person has to go through various stages of dealing with the condition before they are able to adjust to the realities of the chronic illness.

When a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, he or she will go through a number of stages similar to the stages of grief. Denial, disbelief and shock are just some of the emotions a person experiences when a diagnosis is made, and it's natural for them to resist major changes. Eventually, they will become exhausted, when all they really want to do is to recover. At that point, fear and anxiety will set in and worry in the face of uncertainty of the future.

Sadness, grief and depression are common emotions when they consider the possibility of lost goals, hopes and dreams. Losing independence is a real fear, which becomes inevitable if an illness progresses and that brings about the fear of being a burden to loved ones, which brings on more anger, resentment and even shame.

Counselling can help a person to deal with the emotions relating to chronic illness and to cope with the stress and anxieties of accepting and coping with life changes. It will help to regain personal control over life and yourself.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who works with in chronically ill individuals you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Depression is the most common psychological condition, and most people experience it at one point or another in their lives.

Symptoms of depression include lethargy, low self esteem, a feeling of sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, anxiety, dysphoric mood and even suicidal thoughts. People who are depressed usually feel a lack of energy and a lack of pleasure and they may be agitated or irritable.

Since there are so many causes to depression, which boils down to a natural response to life experiences (a defence mechanism), each situation warrants a thorough investigation into the exact catalyst. Depending on what causes a specific incidence of depression, a treatment plan can be developed to help the individual deal with his or her emotions.

Some people are predisposed to depression in that it can run in the family. In many cases, it is learned when someone is constantly exposed to it.

Counselling can help a person to adapt to life changes that are causing grief, particularly with bereavement or marital issues. Systemic therapy is helpful in family therapy, where the efforts of the whole family can help the individual. Psychodynamic therapy helps a person to find the hidden psychological defences that cause problems to manifest. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the problem at hand, providing solutions to day-to-day issues and finding ways to restructure negative thought patterns.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who has training and experience in depression counselling you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Personal injury claims can be stretched out and troublesome. Not only is there the actual personal injury to contend with, but also the emotion and legal impact that comes with such a traumatic incident. In the months following a personal injury, you will probably visit a psychologist or counsellor on a regular bases.

The court system often engages counselling professionals as experts during litigation. They will have to assess the emotional symptoms that result from traumatic personal injury, such as chronic pain, post traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. In the case of head injuries that coincide with other physical injuries, psychologists will evaluate cognitive impairment and  memory issues using neuropsychological assessment strategies.

Another area of practice in which personal injury psychologists work, is employment law. These psychologists will assess issues of sexual and other types of harassment, discrimination and psychological disability issues in the workplace. In this arena, they may be hired for remedial purposes.

While the litigation of personal injury is important, caring for the victim of the trauma should be a priority. Therapy allows a safe place for the person to express his or her emotions and receive help with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, nightmares, flashbacks, fear and anger. In the case of debilitating physical injuries, the therapist will help the victim to work through the adjustments on an emotional level. The therapist will also help the victim to reframe perceptions to create an optimistic outlook that will stand him or her in good stead to move forward. Psychologists and counsellors use a range of therapeutic approaches to reach the desired outcomes for their patients.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who offers counselling approaches to address your personal injury issues, you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.