Latest news with #psychologist
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
7 Subtle Signs You Have an Anxiety Disorder
Stress is part of everyday life. Between work assignments, family stuff, and other obligations, it's natural to feel anxious every once in a while. But once that stress becomes chronic, intense, or disruptive, it can cross the line into being an anxiety disorder. 'If we didn't have anxiety, we probably wouldn't prepare for a meeting or a test or we wouldn't care what people think,' says E. Blake Zakarin, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist. But when that healthy stress impulse 'stops being helpful and starts being impairing,' Zakarin says it's time to talk to a professional. Anxiety disorder symptoms aren't always easy to spot—and they range a lot from person to person. While some people experience panic attacks, others may have phobias. And even innocent behaviors, like procrastination, can signal an anxiety disorder in some cases. Trying to figure out whether your anxiety is more than just stress? Here are seven anxiety disorder symptoms experts say you should look for. Avoidance or procrastination If you start making excuses to skip activities, like parties, happy hours, or networking events, ask yourself why. 'Avoidance is something we brush off and rationalize, like saying you don't want to go meet new people because you're tired,' Zakarin says. Avoidance often starts small—think: hanging with close friends but staying home when they invite other people. But eventually, you'll catch yourself saying no more often than not. Though procrastination is pretty common, it can also signal anxiety. If you're frequently missing deadlines or constantly putting off projects, consider whether anxiety is keeping you from doing the work. 'If it becomes a chronic problem because it's too distressing to face actually doing the project, that's a good signal of anxiety,' says Zakarin. Second guessing Always questioning your decisions and asking for second opinions? Anxiety may be to blame. 'Probably the most common observation from people close to individuals trying to manage intense anxiety is that they appear aroused, hyped up—continually doubt[ing] themselves and seek[ing] reassurance,' says Christine Maguth Nezu, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Drexel University. 'Someone might ask friends or coworkers if they are making the right decision,' she explains. 'Or they'll continually search the internet, never satisfied that they have enough information and worrying they may make the 'wrong' decision.' Insomnia Restless nights come and go. But if you consistently have trouble sleeping—or notice fatigue disrupting your life—it's worth mentioning to your doctor. 'We all have a night or two when we can't sleep,' Zakarin says. 'But if it's more chronic or really impacting your daytime wakefulness,' that's a red flag. One rule of thumb? 'If it's taking you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night on an ongoing basis, or you're waking up and having trouble going back to bed, those are signals that anxiety is affecting your sleep,' she adds. Stomach problems When your fight-or-flight response switches on, your whole body kicks into gear. And that so-called 'survival mode' can disrupt your gastrointestinal system. As you get a burst of energy to fight off or flee from a threat, adrenaline and cortisol pump through your body—and your 'rest and digest' system switches off, Zakarin says. This can leave you with an upset stomach, she explains, causing symptoms like cramps, indigestion, and loss of appetite, per the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA). Headaches or sore muscles Pay attention to where you carry stress in your body: What tenses up or hurts when you feel anxious? Some people with anxiety disorders will experience sore muscles or headaches, because they're constantly tensing up from feeling stressed. 'These aren't always due to anxiety,' Zakarin says. 'But like poor sleep, they're symptoms we tend to overlook like they're not a big deal.' Since you may experience several anxiety symptoms at once, poor sleep can also contribute to your muscle aches and headaches. Racing heart When your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, blood flows to the areas that need it most—making your heart pump harder and faster, Zakarin explains. This can also cause you to breathe more heavily, leaving you panting like you're exercising, even if you're hardly moving. Nezu adds that you might also start sweating, your blood pressure might increase, and you may feel sick, hot, or dizzy. 'The irony here is that people rarely brush off intense symptoms of anxiety as 'normal,'' she says. 'They tend to worry even more—[assuming] their rapid breathing is due to a heart attack or feeling faint may mean they have a brain tumor.' This, in turn, can make you feel even more anxious, 'creating a vicious cycle,' she adds. Exhaustion Sure, you might be skimping on sleep if you're up all night worried about what's to come. But anxiety can leave you feeling tired, even when you do get some quality shut-eye. When you're anxious, your body is physically fighting to survive against whatever's stressing you out, Zakarin says. And that can make you feel pretty tired. So if you're exhausted and struggling to figure out why, consider whether anxiety is weighing you down. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
The Guardian
a day ago
- Health
- The Guardian
I had no idea where to find help for my eating disorder. Then Australia's new e-clinic changed everything
In 2020, I decided to get help for an eating disorder. Up until that point, I'd had some variation of one for years. It all started when I decided to go on my first diet, aged 21. What followed was a half decade of cycling through maddening patterns of restriction. From bingeing to purging, starving to hardcore exercising, my mind was constantly overrun by thoughts of food. How much I was eating, how much I wasn't eating, how great of a person I was for resisting food, how much of a loser I was for not being able to control myself. My self-esteem went down the toilet, along with my ability to feel joy. By the time I was ready to seek treatment, none was available. Despite having the time and financial means to see a therapist, I couldn't get into one. Waitlists were months long. Inpatient treatment wasn't an option either – by that stage, my eating disorder wasn't considered 'severe' enough to warrant a stay. And even if it had been, I had rent to pay and a career to build. Pressing pause on all that wasn't feasible. That's when a psychologist – who didn't have space for me herself – reached out. She sent me a link to a study being run by the University of Sydney and the InsideOut Institute. They were testing an online therapy program for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. She said I'd be a good candidate. I had no idea what to expect. And whatever expectations I had were low. I wasn't convinced that an online program could make a dent in what I felt was, at that stage, a personality flaw. But I had nothing to lose. So I signed up. It was a 12-week program. Every day, I logged my meals, my thoughts and any compensatory behaviours. While that might sound like a lot, I was already constantly thinking about food and my body. Now, I was just putting it down somewhere other than my brain. At first, tracking seemed counterintuitive. Counting meals was something I did when I was deep in restriction mode. But the point was separation. I wasn't the food I did or didn't eat. My behaviour was just that: behaviour. Something that could be unlearned. Meanwhile, I had weekly check-ins with a counsellor. She was kind of like the site manager for my emotional excavation. I was slowly dismantling the scaffolding I'd built around myself, and she helped me name each bit as it fell away. The program changed my life. It kickstarted my recovery and set me on the path back to my child self – the girl who didn't obsess over what she ate. The girl who thought of food as just that. Food. Something to enjoy, to share with friends, to enrich life – not interrupt it. Last week the federal government announced it is rolling this program out to the general public. After 10 years of research, the InsideOut eClinic is now available to Australians aged 16 and over who are struggling with food or body image concerns. It's a free, online clinic that anyone can access at any time. You don't need a diagnosis. You don't need a referral. You can just go to the website and have a poke around. The eClinic includes tailored programs like BEeT (for binge eating and bulimia), SkillED (for broader symptoms) and SupportED (for carers). There's a health professional hub for clinicians. When I was unwell, I had absolutely no idea where to start looking for help. This eClinic is a much-needed safety net. You can complete the programs at your own pace, from wherever you are. It's not suitable for people in a medical emergency or psychological crisis – they'll still need face-to-face care – but for many people, this will be a lifeline. Research has already shown how effective online therapy through the eClinic can be. And it's a gamechanger for people who live regionally or can't afford private treatment. Eating disorder research in this country is sorely lacking and deeply underfunded. It's a dire reality, considering eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness in Australia. More than a million Australians are now living with one. In 2023 alone, more than 1,200 people died from an eating disorder, according to the Butterfly Foundation. Hundreds of thousands are still stuck in silence, still waiting, still falling through the cracks. The fact that the government has seen the merit in this treatment is significant. It's time we moved the dial. Lucinda Price is an author and comedian known online as Froomes. She is an InsideOut Institute eClinic ambassador In Australia, the Butterfly Foundation is at 1800 33 4673. In the UK, Beat can be contacted on 0808-801-0677. In the US, help is available at or by calling ANAD's eating disorders hotline at 800-375-7767. Other international helplines can be found at Eating Disorder Hope
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Advice: My parents embarrass me with their loud behaviour in public
Embarrassment happens when we worry about not meeting society's expectations and being judged. It makes us want to fit in. But what society expects can be different in different cultures. What is normal in one place might not be in another. For example, your parents might have grown up in a place where it was OK to laugh loudly to show they were having fun. This could explain why they do it in public without worrying what strangers think. You can share your feelings with your parents to help them understand your concerns. This might cause them to change their behaviour when they are with you. It's also a chance for them to explain why they act the way they do. You can also suggest making a signal for when you see people looking. Then, you can decide as a family if you need to be quieter so you don't bother anyone. This question was answered by San Hung, a registered psychologist and secondary school counsellor.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
If Someone Does These 6 Things Repeatedly, It Might Be Narcissism, a Psychologist Warns
If Someone Does These 6 Things Repeatedly, It Might Be Narcissism, a Psychologist Warns originally appeared on Parade. When someone does something that's out of character, you might raise an eyebrow, and then move on. But when a person does the same negative behavior again and again—specifically if it's selfish or self-centered—it could make you question your relationship with them, and wonder: 'Are they a narcissist?' As Dr. Michele Leno, PhD—a licensed psychologist and host of Mind Matters with Dr. Michele—puts it, narcissism involves seeing yourself in a grandiose light with everything and everyone revolving around you. So, if someone you know has narcissistic tendencies, they're more likely to exhibit certain behaviors more often. Narcissism—whether it's a toxic trait or due to a personality disorder—can make relationships with partners, family members and friends challenging to say the least. If you're noticing these six repetitive , you just might be dealing with a narcissist. Related: 6 Signs of 'Flying Monkeys' Used by Narcissists—and How To Best Respond, a Psychologist Warns 6 Repetitive Behaviors That Could Be Narcissism, According to a Psychologist 1. They focus on their needs only Dr. Leno says that a narcissist will focus on their needs only because they have a hard time seeing anything outside of themselves as truly relevant.'Of course, they care about loved ones, but they naturally prioritize their own thoughts and feelings,' she says. 'This denotes narcissism because narcissists have low empathy and a high sense of self.' Related: 2. They subtly hint at others' flaws If you notice that someone is constantly belittling you and always finding a way to discredit something about you or that you've done, that could be because they need to boost themselves up.'Narcissists are able to maintain their high self-importance by tearing others down,' Dr. Leno says. 'But they do so indirectly with jabs and gaslighting. This helps them stay in the 'main character' role. Such behavior is an indication of narcissism because narcissists need to feel valued, recognized and praised at all times.' 3. They criticize before complimenting Since narcissists want to show you who's the boss of your thoughts and feelings, 'they can get in your head and they can control you,' as Dr. Leno states. 'Because narcissists often appear to have it all together, it is easy for them to gain compliance and trigger self-doubt, in the beginning at least,' she adds. Related: Does Narcissism Run In Families? A Psychologist Weighs In 4. They one-up you or grandstand Dr. Leno says that narcissists tend to become anxious if their grandiose façade becomes too transparent. She says that although narcissists appear highly self-confident, they may actually worry about their imperfections more than they let on. 'Sometimes, the grandiose demeanor is simply an overcompensation to mask underlying self-doubt,' she says. 'This is an indication of narcissism because it involves arrogant and haughty behavior.' 5. They show coldness or indifference Does this person typically exhibit coldness or indifference towards others' concerns? Then you might be dealing with a narcissist. 'If it does not involve them, it is not worth their mental investment,' Dr. Leno says. 'They might say something sympathetic, but it has an unsympathetic undertone. This is largely because narcissists lack empathy.'Related: 6. They minimize favors, assistance and gifts Dr. Leno says that a narcissist might believe, 'Why should I thank you for something that you should do in the first place?' 'This is the narcissist's mindset," she explains. "Since narcissists feel entitled, they have a hard time showing genuine appreciation.' Related: Do Narcissists Genuinely Cry? A Psychologist Reveals the Surprising Truth How To Work Through a Narcissistic Relationship If you've determined that you're witnessing these repetitive behaviors in someone you care about, they may indeed have Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Or they might be extremely narcissistic for one reason or another. Positive change can take place in these relationships, but according to Dr. Leno, 'they must want to change.''They will only want to change if their actions disrupt their life,' she notes. 'Of course, they can self-help by incorporating tools like thought stopping and replacing the problem behavior with a more positive one. Working with a therapist, something like a coach, can be effective, since it is difficult to break habits overnight.' Dr. Leno suggests, 'Discuss how it affects you and your relationship with them. If it becomes too stressful, give yourself permission to take a break from the relationship.' Up Next:Source: Dr. Michele Leno, PhD, a licensed psychologist and host of Mind Matters with Dr. Michele. If Someone Does These 6 Things Repeatedly, It Might Be Narcissism, a Psychologist Warns first appeared on Parade on Jul 26, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Free doctor-led walks launch in Sudbury this Sunday
Sudbury's first Walk with a Doc event kicks off Sunday at 9 a.m. at Science North's patio. A local psychologist will lead a brief talk, followed by a 45-minute walk through Bell Park. The free global initiative promotes health and community.
