Depression
Depression is diagnosed when at least two major and two minor symptoms are present. The symptoms must last for at least more than two weeks.
Major symptoms include:
– depressed, depressive mood
– deep depression
– loss of interest and joy
– listlessness and fatigue
Secondary symptoms include:
– diminished self-esteem and self-confidence
– Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
– Suicidal thoughts and self-injury
– Sleep disturbances and/or loss of appetite
– Anxieties
Anxiety
Anxiety disorder is present when fear reactions occur in everyday life without dangerous situations. In this case, the fears are out of proportion to the actual current threat. There are different forms of anxiety disorders as an example:
Phobias:
Phobics have a strong fear of certain situations and objects, although they know that this fear is actually unfounded. Phobias can in turn be divided into:
– Agoraphobia
– Social phobia
– Specific (isolated) phobias
Panic disorder:
Panic disorder is characterized by sudden panic attacks associated with a strong feeling of anxiety and physical reactions such as sweating, rapid heartbeat, or dizziness.
Generalized anxiety disorder:
Generalized anxiety disorder focuses on fears and feelings of tension. The fears can relate to different life or everyday situations.
In addition, there are mixed forms that cannot be assigned exactly to one or the other form. It is also possible that anxiety and depression are mixed, with a combination of compulsions.
Trauma / Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the name for a varying degree of reaction to a traumatic event.
Defined syndromes:
– Flashbacks
– nightmares
– Overexcitement or avoidance.
The ICD-10 distinguishes three reaction patterns:
– Acute stress reaction F43.0.
The acute stress reaction is caused by an extraordinary mental or physical stress. Symptoms usually subside within hours or a few days.
– Post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD F43.1
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, PTSD) is caused by the most severe, catastrophic stresses that would cause deep despair in almost anyone. Symptoms are delayed, meaning they can occur weeks, months, or years later.
– Adjustment disorder F43.2
Adjustment disorder is caused by psychosocial stress of unexceptional severity. Symptoms appear within one month.
Obsessions
Obsessive-compulsive disorder manifests itself in the form of compulsive actions and/or compulsive thoughts. Large parts of everyday life are taken up by pronounced compulsions. A normal daily routine is severely impaired.
As a result, a regular professional life or social contacts often become impossible for those affected, which can ultimately lead to severe isolation and reinforcement of the compulsions.
Life crisis
Life crises (e.g. after the loss of a job or a close person) are often a special challenge for the psyche.
One has to learn to deal with these changes and experiences oneself from a new side in this process.
Life traps – maladaptive schemes
Sometimes we have a feeling in our lives that we are repeatedly stuck in a “life trap”. Complex patterns of experience, known as schemas, control our behavior and thus our lives, partly consciously and partly unconsciously. In schema therapy it is assumed that already in early childhood we learn how life “works” through the reaction of our environment.
Depending on how parents, teachers, friends or other caregivers react to us and to what extent we were able to satisfy our needs in the relationships, these typical patterns of memories, thoughts, beliefs, feelings and impulses for action are formed.
Sometimes a small stimulus is enough and the old pattern jumps in, then we react automatically and use strategy from before, which turn out to be more of a hindrance later in life.
Psychological psychotherapist
Dipl. Psych. Malgorzata Wikiel-Adler
Psychotherapeutic practice
Sonnenstraße 3
86745 Hohenaltheim
Tel.: +49 (0)9088 – 920 78 89
Faks: +49 (0)9088 – 920 78 96
E-mail: praxis(at)wikiel-adler.de
Table of contents:
Consultation hour:
Monday: 06.00 – 07.00 pm
Friday: 09.00 – 10.00 am
