Gold Coast Counselling for 6 Common Mental Health Concerns

Stress

Stress might not seem like a serious mental health concern and more just a fact of life. And whilst we all deal with stress from time to time (and it serves an important function in motivating us to take action, meet a deadline, or make changes), dealing with constant and overwhelming stress can have negative impacts on both your mental and physical health. In fact, stress can lead to high blood pressure, a greater risk of illness, and more. Left untreated, it can even develop into anxiety, depression, and other serious concerns. If you’re living with regular stress and it’s having an impact on your daily life, it’s time to seek some help. Seeing a Gold Coast Counsellor that specialises in stress management is the best thing you can do for your mental and physical health. 

Anxiety and phobias

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns experienced by Australians and is, for this reason, beginning to be more widely understood. The trouble with being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder is that doctors most commonly turn to prescribing medication – which doesn’t treat the underlying causes behind anxiety. Without digging deep to find the root causes for anxiety, addressing these, and coming up with strategies to retrain the brain’s response to triggers, this approach is not truly treating anxiety. It’s simply masking the symptoms. Counselling is by far the most effective treatment for anxiety, and a counsellor with expertise in anxiety treatment will uncover what are the true causes behind your anxiety, help you to recognise the triggers, and develop strategies that will immediately begin to help you manage your anxiety. 

Phobias: Phobias are a type of anxiety that manifests as an intense fear of something. From the fear of spiders to fear of getting in a car, fear of heights, fear of being outdoors, to social phobias – they can prevent you from enjoying life, make it difficult to leave the house, or leave you feeling stressed, anxious, and worried. Phobias can be treated incredibly effectively by a counsellor. You’ll be amazed at the difference counselling can make to your fears. If you’re experiencing a phobia, make an appointment with a counsellor today. 

Depression

We’ve all heard about the devastating impact depression can have on a person. But how many of us are living with depression without seeking help? The answer is: too many. For a lot of people, the stigma around depression prevents them from seeking out a counsellor. For others, they may believe their depression is not serious enough to warrant therapy. The truth is, if you’re experiencing even mild symptoms of depression, you should seek help. Firstly, because counselling for depression can have an incredible impact to improve your quality of life. Imagine living without the doubt, self-sabotage, and feelings of dread you experience now! Another important reason to seek out help for depression, no matter how mild you consider it to be, is that depression has a tendency to get worse over time without treatment. It can be incredibly hard to spot and can be difficult to fully comprehend how severe it is until it’s too late. If you think you may be suffering from depression, reach out to a counsellor today. 

Insomnia

Many people don’t realise that insomnia is a mental health concern. You might think that sleeplessness is just a result of stress, poor diet, not enough exercise, or something of little impact on your health. While it’s true that stress, diet, and exercise have a great impact on how you sleep, insomnia can be so much more than it appears. Insomnia can include difficulty getting to sleep, trouble staying asleep, and poor-quality sleep. It can lead sufferers to worry about sleep and can result in tiredness and fatigue, mood disturbances (including depression and anxiety), poor performance at work, and trouble keeping up with day-to-day responsibilities. Thankfully, a counsellor experienced with insomnia treatment can make all the difference and have you sleeping well, feeling more rested, and living a happier and healthier life in no time. Read about our insomnia treatment options, and how we’ve helped so many people to improve their sleep.

Perfectionism

Being a perfectionist is worn as a badge of honour by some people. After all, what’s wrong with wanting things to be done perfectly? Turns out – a lot can be wrong with perfectionism. If you often worry that things are never good enough and it’s having an impact on your happiness, or even causing you anxiety, then it’s time to seek help. Perfectionists often suffer from high levels of stress, anxiety, and/or depression. It can be a sign of an underlying mental health concern and shouldn’t be overlooked. Read more about perfectionism to find out if you’re a perfectionist and whether it’s something you should be seeing a Gold Coast Counsellor about. 

Low self-esteem

Our self-esteem has an enormous impact on our happiness and fulfilment in life. On the flip side, a lack of self-worth can make things miserable. If you experience regular self-doubt, worry that you’re not good enough, have an intense fear of rejection, or are overly critical of yourself, you are most likely experiencing low self-esteem. It’s extremely common, and yet, many people still fail to recognise it as a common mental health concern that warrants seeking help. But nothing could be further from the truth. Counselling is all about helping you to live the life you want, free from the things like worry, stress, anxiety, phobias, or low self-worth that have been holding you back. If a lack of self-esteem is preventing you from being happy and fulfilled, then it’s time to seek out counselling from someone who understands what you’re going through. Read more about our experience with and approach to low self-esteem and self-worth. At Integrated Health Services, our Gold Coast Counselling services can help you to overcome these common mental health concerns and more. Get in touch with us today to book an appointment and start living the life you want.