Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a condition surrounded by many myths and misconceptions. Many people often link PTSD purely to war veterans. As the condition was only added to the DSM-III in 1980 – before this, it was known as shell-shock, soldier’s heart, and war neurosis – this could explain why.^[1]

Thankfully, medical science and public knowledge have developed significantly since the 1980s, and the words trauma and PTSD are now deeply embedded in the popular lexicon. Dr Bessel van der Kolk’s book The Body Keeps The Score is a bestseller year on year, and we’ve seen celebrities such as Paris Hilton talking about their own trauma recovery journey.

However, despite the growing awareness of PTSD’s existence as a condition, there is still much misinformation about its symptoms. People assume that PTSD means you must be haunted by nightmares and wake up screaming in the night. While these are both valid symptoms, PTSD is much more complex.

All humans react differently to trauma, and misunderstanding this is dangerous as it can be a barrier to reaching out for help. In this blog, we explore three of the lesser-known PTSD symptoms.

Body Dysmorphia

Obsessive thoughts about one’s appearance characterise body dysmorphia or body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). These usually centre on small, sometimes imagined flaws such as acne, body weight, body hair.

Whether the flaw exists or not is largely irrelevant – either way, it causes intrusive thoughts, which are highly distressing. Attempting to hide these perceived flaws can often impact people’s social, romantic, and professional lives.

BDD should not be confused with eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, although they can co-occur. The same can be said for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Body Dysmorphia and Trauma

As with many mental health conditions, it’s hard to draw a distinct causative line between trauma and BDD. However, one study found that a considerable majority (75%) of people with a BDD diagnosis had also experienced some form of trauma in their childhood.^[2] It seems that the most significant risk factor for BDD is emotional neglect – although physical and sexual abuse also ranks highly.

This is shocking but not surprising – as children, we tend to internalise things and assume they’re our fault. If we’re subjected to abuse by a caregiver – someone we’re meant to be able to trust – we think that somehow we’re at fault. It follows logically that if we grow up with the mistaken belief we’re inherently bad, our perception of our body could be affected.

It is also thought that BDD could function as a maladaptive coping disorder for the symptoms of PTSD, such as anxiety and depression. When we’re fixated on our perceived flaws, we’re distracted from our past.^[3]

Physical Pain and PTSD

PTSD shouldn’t just be thought of as another mental health condition. Brain scans can observe physical, structural changes in trauma survivors’ hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC).^[4] These parts of the brain are responsible for episodic memory and value-based decision making, which means trauma survivors often have trouble distinguishing between the past and the present.^[5]

This can lead to our bodies feeling like they are under threat, even when they aren’t. When under threat, our body sends out vast amounts of adrenaline, our muscles tense up, and we feel alert. However, we are only designed to be in threat response for a short time, so this puts a massive amount of stress on our bodies. Our muscles being tense all the time can lead to musculoskeletal problems, and poor sleep prevents us from healing and regenerating.

When we’re in threat response, our sensitivity to pain increases. This evolved initially to help us detect danger as soon as possible, but in the body of the trauma survivor, it can make existing and new conditions seem both unending and even more intense.

Withdrawing Socially and PTSD

Our whole evolution is designed to keep us away from danger – most people know about fight, flight, and freeze. However, it’s not common knowledge that socialising also helps us avoid threats – Prof. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory states that this is our first response to danger. After all, if the people around us like us, they won’t want to hurt us.

PTSD can cause us to cycle through this threat response faster than we should – trauma survivors often find themselves highly anxious or withdrawn in situations with people. This can be baffling for the trauma survivor, so it’s not uncommon for people to withdraw socially as a response.

Humans are not meant to be solitary creatures – being lonely puts a heavy burden on us emotionally, physically, and behaviourally.^[6] We naturally strive to connect with others, so it’s common to find people using maladaptive coping strategies, such as substance use when we feel unable to.

To Conclude

To foster a society where healing from trauma is normalised, it first needs to be understood. By dispelling some of the myths surrounding PTSD, you can also be a part of this much-needed change.

By increasing awareness of the myriad of symptoms that PTSD can cause, rather than the more dramatic effects displayed in popular media, hopefully, more people will reach out to get the help they deserve.

If you have a client or know of someone struggling to heal from psychological trauma, reach out to us at Khiron Clinics. We believe that we can improve therapeutic outcomes and avoid misdiagnosis by providing an effective residential program and outpatient therapies addressing underlying psychological trauma. Allow us to help you find the path to realistic, long-lasting recovery. For more information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

Sources:

^[1] Crocq, M A, and L Crocq. “From shell shock and war neurosis to posttraumatic stress disorder: a history of psychotraumatology.” Dialogues in clinical neuroscience vol. 2,1 (2000): 47-55. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2000.2.1/macrocq

^[2] Didie, Elizabeth R et al. “Childhood abuse and neglect in body dysmorphic disorder.” Child abuse & neglect vol. 30,10 (2006): 1105-15. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2006.03.007

^[3] Grant, Jon E, and Katharine A Phillips. “Recognizing and treating body dysmorphic disorder.” Annals of clinical psychiatry : official journal of the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists vol. 17,4 (2005): 205-10. doi:10.1080/10401230500295313

^[4]  Bremner, J Douglas. “Neuroimaging in posttraumatic stress disorder and other stress-related disorders.” Neuroimaging clinics of North America vol. 17,4 (2007): 523-38, ix. doi:10.1016/j.nic.2007.07.003

^[5] Weilbächer, Regina A, and Sebastian Gluth. “The Interplay of Hippocampus and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Memory-Based Decision Making.” Brain sciences vol. 7,1 4. 29 Dec. 2016, doi:10.3390/brainsci7010004

^[6] Hämmig, Oliver. “Health risks associated with social isolation in general and in young, middle and old age.” PloS one vol. 14,7 e0219663. 18 Jul. 2019, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219663

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Antisocial personality disorder can be a devastating condition thus having a considerable impact on individuals, families and society. ASPD has the same prevalence in men as schizophrenia, which receives the greatest attention from mental health services. Furthermore, ASPD is associated with significant costs, arising from emotional and physical damage to victims and property, use of police resources and involvement of the criminal justice and prison services. Related costs include increased use of healthcare facilities, lost employment opportunities, family disruption, gambling and problems related to alcohol and substance misuse (1).

In 2001 a study by Scott revealed that the lifetime public services costs for a group of adults with a history of conduct disorder (of which 50% will go onto develop adult ASPD) were found to be 10 times those for a similar group without the disorder. ASPD is closely associated with criminal offending and any intervention that seeks to improve the outcome of ASPD is also likely to impact upon this offending.

It’s not clear exactly what causes ASPD, but as with other types of personality disorders, it is thought to result from a combination of the genes a person inherits and early environmental influences – for example, a distressing childhood experience (such as abuse, neglect and/or inadequate attachments to caregivers). Research also shows that broader environmental factors, such as antisocial peer groups, and growing up in impoverished and violent communities play an important role in the development of Antisocial Personality Disorder. These influences are likely to interact with genetic vulnerabilities, such as inherited predispositions to emotional callousness and impulsivity thus increasing the risk for antisocial behaviour.

Historically, there has been a deficit in hard evidence on successful treatment interventions for those diagnosed with ASPD. Unfortunately, the pessimism with regard to antisocial personality disorders has persisted with regard to this particular client group’s level of motivation for treatment. In fact, there is a widespread belief that therapy will only make them worse, teaching them the psychological skills to better con and manipulate other people. Research also shows that patients with ASPD have deficits in emotional functioning. The most famous study to show that treatment made psychopaths worse, carried out at a Canadian prison in the 1960’s, wouldn’t come close to getting the green light from an ethical review board today. The patients in the study were given a number of bizarre treatments, including psychedelic drugs such as LSD and participating in naked encounter groups, in an effort to break down their defences. The “treatment” was largely given by the patients themselves, who could even prescribe their own medications, with little involvement from professionals. However, new scientific evidence is beginning to challenge the pessimistic view regarding such patients.  Jeffrey Young introduced Schema Therapy which focuses on patients’ unmet emotional needs, reduces suicide risk whilst also improving core symptoms such as identity confusion and unstable relationships thus enhancing the quality of life with a client group suffering from another type of personality disorder, borderline personality disorder (BPD).

The schema therapy approach draws from ‘cognitive-behavioural therapy, attachment theory, psychodynamic concepts, and emotion-focused therapies.[2]’ In comparison to cognitive-behavioural therapy, schema therapy ‘emphasises lifelong patterns, affective change techniques, and the therapeutic relationship, with special emphasis on limited reparenting. Schema therapy is particularly well-suited for difficult, so called resistant clients with entrenched, chronic psychological disorders, including personality disorders[2]’ such as BPD and is now being used to treat those with ASPD. It is also used for the treatment of eating disorders, intractable couples problems, and criminal offenders. It is also effective for relapse prevention in depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

A 3 year study undertaken by David Bernstein resulted in The Netherlands’ Erkenningscommissie (“Recognition Commission”) being sufficiently impressed by his findings that they certified Schema Therapy as the first officially recognised evidence-based treatment for those with ASPD in forensic patients. This makes Schema Therapy the only evidence-based treatment for forensic patients with ASPD that is recognised in any country. Perhaps similar research can begin to change some attitudes about supposedly untreatable patients with antisocial personality disorder in the not too distant future.

If you have a client, or know of someone who is struggling to find the right help for antisocial personality disorder, reach out to us at Khiron Clinics. We believe that we can improve therapeutic outcomes and avoid misdiagnosis by providing an effective residential program and out-patient therapies addressing underlying psychological trauma. Allow us to help you find the path to realistic, long lasting recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4167848/%252523R92
2. http://www.schematherapytraininguk.com/schema-therapy accessed 27/2/2020
3. Tan, Yeow May et al. “Schema therapy for borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study of patients’ perceptions.” PloS one vol. 13,11 e0206039. 21 Nov. 2018, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0206039 

All References:

Bernstein, D.P., Nijman, H., Karos, K., Keulen-de Vos, M., de Vogel, V., & Lucker, T. (2012). Schema Therapy for forensic patients with personality disorders: Design and preliminary findings of multicenter randomized clinical trial in the Netherlands. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 11, 312-324.

Myres MG (1998). Progression from Conduct Disorder to Antisocial Personality Disorder following Treatment for Adolescent Substance Abuse. American Journal of Psychiatry, April; 155 (4): 479-85.

Ronson J (2012). The Psychopath Test. London. Picador.

Scott, S., Knapp, M., Henderson, J., & Maughan, B. (2001). Financial cost of social exclusion: Follow up study of antisocial children into adulthood. British Medical Journal, 323(7306), 191.

Tan, Yeow May et al. “Schema therapy for borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study of patients’ perceptions.” PloS one vol. 13,11 e0206039. 21 Nov. 2018, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0206039

Young, J. E., Klosko, J., & Weishaar, M. (2003). Schema Therapy: A Practitioner’s Guide. New York, USA: The Guilford Press.

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Personality disorders are types of mental health conditions that can affect severely traumatised individuals. They range in terms of severity and, if not addressed and treated, they can lead to consistent, long-term, unhealthy patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving which inevitably can have an enormously detrimental effect on the person suffering with the illness and anyone close to them. Research from Andrew E Skidoo’s longitudinal study on personality disorders has shown that ‘PDs constitute a significant public health problem, with respect to associated functional impairment, extensive treatment utilization, negative prognostic impact on major depressive disorder, and suicide risk.^[1]Skodol, Andrew & Gunderson, John & Shea, Tracie & Mcglashan, Thomas & Morey, Leslie & Sanislow, Charles & Bender, Donna & Grilo, Carlos & Zanarini, Mary & Yen, … Continue reading’

Personality disorders can be harder for doctors to diagnose than other illnesses, as they are linked to the individuals’ unique personality and are extremely complex due to the vastly different ways they affect each individual. 

There are four defining features that all people suffering with a personality disorder would demonstrate, these are;

1. Distorted thinking patterns
2. Problematic emotional responses
3. Over or under regulated impulse control
4. Interpersonal difficulties

Whilst these are true of all personality disorders, we have to go significantly deeper to really understand the different types of disorder that people can suffer from. There are ten types of personality disorder that are medically recognised, these are then split into 3 separate clusters. Whilst they are all separate conditions, each cluster has several unique traits that are used to categorise the symptoms. ‘Research has [also] shown that there is a tendency for personality disorders within the same cluster to co-occur^[2]https://www.gulfbend.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=479&cn=8%5C%22 accessed 6/11/2019’.

Cluster A is generally labeled; mad, odd or eccentric, Cluster B; bad, dramatic, emotional, erratic and Cluster C; sad, anxious, fearful. To understand why they are given these titles we will need to look further into each cluster and the conditions within them.

If someone is suspected of having a personality disorder, the initial protocol would be for them to undergo a medical evaluation from a mental health professional. The therapist would ask a series of questions around how the person perceives other people and how they think others perceive them. Together the therapist and the individual would assess the emotional response elicited from the questions and consequential answers, they would explore the patient’s close personal relationships while also discussing how they control their impulses. They may also wish to question family members or a spouse to get a different perspective and get a more rounded idea of the individual’s mental state and behaviour. Following this they would consult the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM5) to help them establish which, if any, of the 10 personality disorders the person is displaying. Often these will overlap, especially within clusters. 

Cluster A 

This cluster consists of Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders and people in this category suffer from severe social awkwardness and social withdrawal. The three disorders in this cluster are dominated by distorted thinking. This can range from extreme paranoia to complete apathy towards building any form of meaningful relationship. Often the distorted thinking can involve hallucinations and grand delusions with some people believing they can read minds and see things that aren’t there. Another common thread that runs between the three disorders in cluster A is the sufferers distinct lack of social skill and ability. Subsequently many people suffering from a cluster A personality disorder would be fairly isolated and likely to classify themselves as a loner. 

Cluster B

Cluster B consists of people with Borderline, Narcissistic, Histrionic and Antisocial Personality Disorders and is predominantly characterised by people suffering with impulse control issues and difficulty with emotional regulation. However, these particular issues may present themselves in vastly different ways, depending on the person and the disorder. For example, someone with Anti-social or Narcissistic tendencies may lack empathy and disregard other’s emotions whereas someone with Histrionic or Borderline personality disorder may seem overly emotional, full of anger or very emotionally unstable, flitting from positive to negative states of mind in a hysterical fashion. As with all of the personality disorders within each cluster, there is a lot of scope in between these extremes.

Cluster C

People who fit into cluster C would usually suffer from intense anxiety and fear. This includes Avoidant, Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder types. The overwhelming factor with these disorders is that, whilst for different reasons, they all share a high level of anxiety that can manifest itself in different ways. This can range from the person suffering with very low self-esteem and not feeling good enough to have close relationships to the other end of the spectrum where individuals may be obsessive and compulsive. Some individuals in this cluster will be unwilling to compromise to the extreme, antagonising those around them and subsequently damaging relationships.

During the month of December Khiron will be looking in depth at the personality disorders discussed in cluster A: Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders. The remaining two clusters will be explored during the following year. Please keep an eye out for our forthcoming articles on these topics and if you have a client, or know of someone who is struggling with a personality disorder, or recognise that they have symptoms discussed in this article – reach out to Khiron. We believe that we can stop the revolving door of treatment and misdiagnosis by providing effective residential and out-patient therapies for underlying psychological trauma. Allow us to help you find the path to effective, long lasting recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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Signs of DPD include:

• Being overly sensitive to criticism
• Denies their individuality
• Views themselves as inadequate, helpless
• Views others as competent, powerful
• Fears separation from those they perceive to take good care of them
• Spends much time trying to make others happy
• Places their fate in the hands of others, and is very passive in relationships

There are 3 main types of personality disorders: 1) odd or eccentric behavior, 2) emotional or erratic behavior, or 3) anxious, nervous behavior. DPD falls into category 3, as the person heavily relies on others to build their self-esteem, making their decisions, account for their success, and more. Sadly, this can get out of hand if a person becomes so dependent on another that they settle in a relationship. A 2017 review conducted by researchers from Italy emphasized the fact that many people with DPD are subject to abusive relationships, with the worst circumstances involving death from intimate partner violence.

While there is no particular “cure” for the disorder, your loved one could undergo a long-term behavioral treatment program to help them develop tools towards positive, productive thinking and behavioral patterns. The only way for your loved one to get better is to seek help. If they will not listen to you directly, you may consider hosting an intervention with a licensed interventionist so that you can present treatment options and explain to your loved one the effects of their disorder on themselves and those around them.

Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron House helps you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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• Physical: Blushing, sweating, shortness of breath, chills, chest tightness, blurred vision, headaches, diarrhea, and more.

• Cognitive: Negative thoughts, negative bias (discounting positive social experiences

• Behavioral: Avoiding certain people or situations, using safety behaviors, leaving or escaping social situations

If you’ve been struggling with SAD, you may feel that your disorder will never get better. This belief is quite false, however; there are a variety of effective treatments that have shown you can recover from this. There are a number of tools and resources that you can use to help correct distorted thinking and perceptions, leading you to reduced stress and anxiety.

A 2014 study published in The Lancet Psychiatry sought to explore what interventions have been most effective for adults with SAD. Researchers analyzed many previous studies done on the subject to gather themes of effective interventions, totaling 13,164 participants. A number of successful interventions emerged:

• Medication – benzodiazepines, SSRIs, anticonvulsants, and more
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – a therapy approach that involves changes old, negative patterns of thought into newer, more productive ones
• Exposure and social skills – education and practice with social skills in a safe, therapeutic setting
• Psychotherapy – working with a therapist to talk about past, present and future concerns

Many reputable treatment centers offer a variety of these interventions, and you may even combine a few of them into your treatment regime. Since each person is different, it’s important that you move forward with a treatment center that places priority on customizable programs to ensure you receive the best care.

Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron House helps you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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Many clinicians argue that both borderline personality disorder (BPD) and histrionic personality disorder are practically the same, but there are some key differences. Here is a short and simple breakdown of each:

Borderline Personality Disorder

• Efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
• Intense and unstable relationships with family
• Impulsive behaviors
• Unstable self-image
• Mood swings

Histrionic Personality Disorder

• Discomfort in situations where one is not center of attention
• Inappropriate sexually seductive/provocative behavior
• Rapidly shifting emotions
• Self-dramatization and exaggerated expressions
• Easily influenced by outside circumstances

A 2015 review published in The Lancet highlights the unfortunate reality that many people with personality disorders go years without being correctly diagnosed, making treatment ineffective or harmful at its worst – placing individuals at risk for developing other conditions alongside their current one. While it takes time and sometimes second opinions, evaluations are important for your mental health recovery journey.

Both disorders are based on severe mood swings, impulsivity, and difficulty with relationships, which means that one disorder could easily be misdiagnosed for the other. The National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) has listed treatment for either of these disorders are psychotherapy approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and medication to assist with mood swings, depression, and/or other troubling symptoms. If you’ve been diagnosed with BPD or histrionic personality disorder, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today to learn more about treatment programs and which may be the best option for you. Recovery is possible.

Learning to be is part of the process of trauma recovery. Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron House helps you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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Why Do Mood Swings Need Attention?

Mood swings need attention when they are frequent, unpredictable, and cause distress in other areas of our lives. If our mood swings are interrupting our ability to function, hold a job, or maintain healthy relationships, something is at a disconnect in our holistic being and needs the intervention of a professional care facility, for a few reasons. First, mood swings can be the symptom of a mood disorder or personality disorder which needs treatment. Mood and personality disorders can be the manifestations of complex, unresolved trauma. Until the trauma can be healed, problematic symptoms of mood and personality disorders, like mood swings, cannot be healed.

Second, mood swings need attention because they could be an indication of a greater, more severe issue. Mood swings could be the result of a traumatic brain injury, which are the ongoing effects of a concussion or some other blunt impact which damaged the brain. Traumatic brain injury has a high risk of suicide attempt. If someone is experiencing mood swings and has an untreated traumatic brain injury, they could be at risk of hurting themselves. More importantly, they need specialized care to heal their brain and any resulting traumas.

Can Mood Swings Be Caused By Trauma?

Trauma influences everything about the way we are able to live in this world, from the way we think, act, and behave, to the way we experience our own emotions. A mind is a vulnerable place and trauma is a deeply impactful experience. Trauma changes the way the mind works in a different way for different people. How the mind regulates emotions can be affected by trauma because trauma surpasses normal emotional regulation. In fact, it is the brain’s inability to fully comprehend and cope with trauma which leads to traumatic effects, as well as the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Trauma is most often the root cause of many emotional, behavioral, and mood disorders. Until you can heal your trauma, you will find great difficulty finding the healing you need to live a life of recovery, health, and wellness. At Khiron House, we provide effective residential treatment and cutting edge therapies which seek to transform mind, body, and spirit from the effects of trauma. Call us today for information. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours) USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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Risk-taking behaviors aren’t always problematic. For example, many of us see seeking trauma treatment, as well as treatment for any kind of manifestation of trauma like addiction, as a risk. We risk losing our tight hold on compulsive behaviors which serve us. We risk changing our lives, for the better. We risk having to say goodbye to old friends, toxic relationships, comfortable behaviors, and much more. We even risk having to heal, even though that is exactly what we want.

Life is full of fascinating, positive, successful risks. Our recovery from trauma and various manifestations of trauma isn’t about staying away from all risks. Instead, our recovery from trauma helps us develop necessary skills which help us decide which risks to take and help us cope with whatever the outcome of those risks are, without relapsing into problematic behaviors. Recovery is never about building a defense wall against life. Recovery is always about learning how to let life in and live with it peacefully.

Trauma is most often the root cause of many emotional, behavioral, and mood disorders. Until you can heal your trauma, you will find great difficulty finding the healing you need to live a life of recovery, health, and wellness. At Khiron House, we provide effective residential treatment and cutting edge therapies which seek to transform mind, body, and spirit from the effects of trauma. Call us today for information. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours) USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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Generally speaking, there is no one way to approach and understand our trauma. Trauma can be especially tricky when we have locked it away, compartmentalized it, and avoided coping with it either consciously or unconsciously. What we may be lucky enough to be conscious of is the fact that certain areas of our lives simply aren’t working, for example, our relationships.

Work With A Trauma Therapist

Working with a therapist who is trained in trauma therapy and is trauma-informed can help you determine not only what your attachment pattern is, but how it developed. By building a trusting bond with a professional, you open yourself up to a discovery process in which you can explore the facets of your childhood, safely relive certain events, and realize important moments which have defined your life. Resolving these past traumas helps you lay the foundation for changing your relationship patterns in the future, making room for more health, happiness, and success.

Ask Yourself These Questions

There are questions you can ask yourself which will give you a small hint at what kind of attachment pattern you have and how it is affecting your life.

• Secure Attachment: Do you have problems in your relationships? Does being positive come easily to you? Are you secure in your sense of self, your worth, and your confidence? Do you refuse to accept love which doesn’t serve your sense of self? Do you trust your instincts and your decisions? Do you feel that you know who you can trust and have little issue trusting them?
• Avoidant Attachment: Are you indifferent toward intimate relationships? Do you pretend to be uninterested in romantic partnerships because you are afraid of being hurt? Is trusting difficult for you? Do you intentionally or unintentionally sabotage opportunities at happiness? Are you disconnected from your emotions? Do you avoid situations and/or people which bring up your feelings?
• Ambivalent Attachment: Are you constantly in fear of being alone, what being alone means, or having to deal with the feelings you experience when you’re alone? Are you insecure and unsure about how others feel about you? Do you experience anxiety because you worry about what others think about you or if they will accept you? Do you have codependent tendencies and value other people over yourself?
• Disorganized Attachment: Are “trust issues” one of your biggest problems in relationships? Does the idea of being vulnerable toward other frighten you? Do you experience confusion when recalling events of your childhood? Do you find it difficult to trust your instincts and feel certain about your experiences or your beliefs? Do you find it difficult to trust the authority of others?

Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron House helps you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) states that social anxiety affects approximately 15 million Americans – that’s 15 million people dealing with crippling, anxious thoughts about being viewed as stupid or boring, or even worrying excessively about appearing to be as anxious as they truly are! The holidays can really heighten stress levels for those with social anxiety disorder (SAD), as they may be spending time with family, long-distance relatives, and people whom they haven’t met before. If this is you, know that you’re not alone and that there are several tools you can use to help you manage your symptoms this holiday season.

• Talk up the holiday event in a positive way. Our perceptions do have an effect on our reality, and thinking to yourself about how well everything will go could certainly ease some of the anxiety you’re having. Say to yourself, “I can do this”, “It will go just fine”, and “I would like to enjoy this occasion” – it may help!

• Begin preparing for conversations ahead of time. Small talk often includes what you do for a living, how you’ve been doing, what activities you’ve been involved in lately, etc. Start thinking ahead of time of some topics you could bring up or some things you could say to help things move along.

• Volunteer to help someone cook, clean, or set out the food. If you’re feeling really anxious, cooking or cleaning up will often give you the chance to do something else besides talking.

• Have fun with the kids. Kids are much less intimidating, and they enjoy being silly and having fun. Plus, focusing on the kids means that you’ll be preoccupied – with little room for chit chat.

• Give yourself permission to take a break or even say “no”. If you need to, excuse yourself to the restroom and take a short break. Splash some water on your face and breathe. Don’t overload yourself this holiday season, and only choose 1 event to go to if that will help you feel better. You’re not alone, and you can do this.

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