Megan Longstaff, M. Sc, C. Psychologist
Some Client Concerns I focus on...
(*Please Note: Material below is for General Information Purposes Only with Links to Third Party Sources.)
Anxiety
Although researchers don't know exactly why some people experience anxiety disorders, they do know there are various factors involved. Like many other mental health conditions, anxiety disorders seem to be a result of a combination of biological, psychological and other individual factors. [More on Anxiety...]
Stress
While we all talk about stress, often it isn’t clear what stress really is. Many people consider stress to be something which happens to them, an event such as an injury or a promotion. Others think stress is what happens to their body, mind and behaviour (e.g. heart pounding, anxiety, nail biting) in response to an event. While stress does involve events and our response to them, these are not the most important factors. Our thoughts about the situations in which we find ourselves are the critical factor.
[More on Stress...]
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is an anxiety disorder characterized by reliving a psychologically traumatic situation, long after any physical danger involved has passed, through flashbacks and nightmares. [More on PTSD...]
Panic Attacks
Panic attacks may be totally unpredictable, last ten to thirty minutes and are unrelated to any specific “trigger.” They can strike at any time, in any place and cause incredible, overwhelming fear. In fact, the fear generated by a panic attack can be so intense, it actually causes people to become anxious about the possibility of future attacks; this is called a panic disorder. Panic disorders affect approximately two million Canadians.
[More on Panic Disorders...]
Phobias
Unlike panic disorders, phobias have “triggers” that are identifiable. People with phobias have an overwhelming, irrational fear of “things,” such as objects, situations or animals. [More on Phobias...]
Mood Disorders
Mood disorders include depression, bipolar disorder and post-partum depression, affect about 10% of the population. Everyone experiences 'highs' and 'lows' in life, but people with mood disorders experience them with greater intensity and for longer periods of time than most people.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
A major depressive disorder - usually just called 'depression' - is different than the 'blues'. Someone experiencing depression is grappling with feelings of severe despair over an extended period of time. Almost every aspect of their life can be affected, including their emotions, physical health, relationships and work. [More on Depression...]
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of it." ~Mark Twain