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Depression is a prevalent medical condition affecting 1 in 16 Australians every year. It is much more than just feeling sad, and can have implications on individuals social, physical, financial situations.

If you can recognise some of these symptoms in yourself, or in someone you know, for more than 2 weeks at a time, it may be time to seek professional help.

• When we continually feel ‘blue’ for no apparent reason
• Irritable
• Lost interest in things
• Loss or increase in appetite
• Desire to withdraw
• Suicidal tendencies
• Feel Exhausted
• Using alcohol, drugs or food to feel better
• Feeling unhappy, guilty or frustrated
• Experience negative thoughts like: ‘Life is too hard’, ‘What’s the point?’, ‘I’m worthless’

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There is a normal level of anxiety, for example, the nervousness you feel just before a presentation. However, those with an anxiety condition can experience frequent rapid breathing and/or sweaty hands for no apparent reason. It is non-gender biased with one in three women and one in five men experiencing it and over two million Australians experiencing anxiety yearly.

Signs and Symptoms

Types of anxiety include Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Each anxiety condition has unique features but common signs include:

• Physical: panic attacks, tense, restlessness, tightening of chest, racing heart, ‘on edge’
• Behavioural: avoid specific situations which will create increase anxiety
• Psychological: obsessive thoughts, catastrophizing thoughts (e.g., thinking of the worst case scenario), intense worry, immense fear

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Conflict does not have to be a constant presence within your relationship. Most long-term relationships will experience periods of mistrust, breakdown in communication and extended period of conflict. A failure to resolve central issues can escalate into loss of intimacy, resentment, loss of trust and unhappiness. Sydney Psychology Group offers a safe and open environment to facilitate communication where both parties can express their needs and desires while learning skills to resolve conflict and achieve a healthy, flourishing relationship. During sessions couples can express their thoughts to help understand themselves and the other person’s position. In relationships it can be difficult to see clearly what is happening in your relationship and disentangle issues. Our psychologists can provide a new and objective perspective, while supporting and remaining neutral.

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They are non-bias towards gender, age and ethnicity and are caused by a multitude of factors. Personality traits that have been associated with eating disorders include low self-esteem, neuroticism, perfectionism and harm avoidance. Negative body image and eating disorders go hand in hand. What can start as dissatisfaction in your body or just a strategy to improve mood, can develop into severe disordered eating and with medical complications.

Identifying whether someone has an eating disorder is based on much more than appearance. Note that warning signs vary from individual to individual.

Some signs that should raise alarm include:

• Dieting behaviours, for example, restricting food or water intake
• Rules or ‘black and white’ thinking regarding food. For example, ‘Because I ate a cookie today, I am an unhealthy person’.
• Lying about how much food you have consumed
• Obsessive exercise routines
• Fainting, lacking energy and concentration
• Sensitivity to cold despite warm weather
• Menstrual changes
• Avoiding meal time or social occasions where food will be present
• Obsessive worrying and thinking about food
• Body checking or avoidance
• Losing a large amount of weight in a short period of time
• Excessive exercise or engaging in other compensatory behaviours

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Baby blues, associated with the stress of labour and birth, are shown in around 50-80% of women. This experience is characterised by a brief period of mood swings, increased crying, anxiety and difficulty sleeping within the first week after the birth of a baby. When these symptoms don’t settle naturally within the first 2 weeks after birth it’s important to seek medical help to assist you during this time. When these symptoms are severe and persist, it can lead to Postnatal Depression/Anxiety or at times Postnatal psychosis.

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When accumulated these stressors can take a toll on our health. Although you may not be experiencing a specific diagnosis, you may be in need of skills to overcome stress. Sydney Psychology Group will teach and offer you tools to manage stress. This can include meditation which is an exercise that trains attention and awareness. It has been shown to promote calmness, reduce stress and decrease rumination. The practice is beneficial for those with specific psychiatric diagnoses and those who struggle with uncomfortable emotions in general. Around 76% of people who meditate have reported that since beginning meditation they have experienced a boost in energy levels, and it has relieved stress and anxiety.

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Positive self-esteem often influences direction in life, ability to handle stress and interactions with those around you. If you struggle with low self-esteem or low motivation, coaching may be right for you. Coaching involves unlearning thought patterns and habits that have been acquired through past experiences. It focuses on challenging the ‘inner critic,’ questioning limiting beliefs and offer other tools and techniques to ensure you live to your full potential. As your self-esteem strengthens, you can be motivated to set relevant goals that are in line with your values to create a life that is meaningful and fulfilling.

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At Sydney Psychology Group we can help to provide you with a framework to explore triggers and warning signs of your anger, teach you how to express your emotions respectfully, and strengthen interpersonal relationships.

If you’re unsure if you or someone you love has an anger management issue here are some common warning signs:

• you feel stressed and embarrassed by your anger
• those around you have become scared of your anger
• you ‘snap’ frequently
• you can’t communicate effectively due to anger being misinterpreted
• you feel you lose control when you are angry

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These include an accident, violent attack, sexual harassment, abuse or natural disasters. There are a range of emotional reactions in response to a traumatic event, including shame, guilt, anger, helpless, fear, numbness and flashbacks. Living with trauma can take hold of an individual’s psyche over time, leaving them feeling vulnerable and out of control.

Intrusive symptoms include:

• Recurring and intrusive recollections of the traumatic event, including reliving the event or dissociative flashbacks
• Severe distress due to internal or external cues that mimic an aspect of the trauma.
• Distressing dreams related to the trauma
• Poor sleep

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Whatever you feel, it’s important to remember, everyone deals with grief and loss differently. Sadness, numbness, denial, loneliness, emptiness, anger, sleep changes, trembling, muscle tension are all normal reactions to the grieving process. Allow yourself to grieve, however if you are feeling stuck in the process, and you do not feel like you are coping our psychologists can assist you to process some of those feelings and help you to develop coping strategies to move through this difficult time.

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Emotional symptoms often develop when medical treatment and specialists are unable to help. Those suffering from chronic pain have higher stress levels and greater difficulty with productivity and day-to-day functioning. Psychological treatment can help you to reduce your experience of pain and suffering and improve your quality of life.