Trauma and PTSD can impact multiple aspects of your life. Dealing with the physical and emotional toll while fostering healthy relationships can be challenging. Working to form relationships can be difficult when someone has trust issues or memories of abuse. In this blog, we will discuss how PTSD can impact your communication and connection, and how you can improve your relationships. 

Emotional Distance

One of the biggest struggles that PTSD individuals deal with in relationships is emotional distance. Individuals can feel numb or detached after they experience extreme trauma. Making emotional connections can feel draining and it may be hard to connect with others on an intimate level. Those with PTSD may be nervous to talk about their trauma or difficult experiences, which can make it hard to form a legitimate intimate relationship. 

Working Through Trust Issues

Some PTSD patients will have been betrayed by someone close to them. It could be a family member, a partner, a parent, or a superior they trusted. PTSD causes trust issues for many people because it is so fragile. On the opposite side, partners may find it hard to trust someone with PTSD as they struggle to fully open up. Building new trust is a scary part of a relationship, so many couples may struggle amid other challenges in life. 

Educate Your Partner On Your Struggles

A relationship takes two people, so you will need to navigate the journey of PTSD together. Healing from PTSD can be a long and complicated process, that any partner will have to experience with you. 

Talking to your partner about how PTSD affects you and the symptoms you experience is a good place to start. Both partners can learn more about trauma and PTSD together and actively listen to each other’s feelings. Validation and open communication go a long way in helping you form a stronger relationship. 

Setting Boundaries

Respecting your partner can be hard when they struggle to open up. Each partner will need to set boundaries around triggers, symptoms, and their space. Boundaries can feel like a jab to the other partner, but they are essential to help keep your trust on a high level. Setting boundaries is challenging, so working with a couples therapist or individual therapy may be beneficial. 

Ways To Improve Your Relationship

Relationships are difficult, but there are many ways you can work to grow closer together. It may be more difficult to work with a person with PTSD, but working together can help both partners develop a stronger connection. 

Here are some tips to help improve your relationship when you are with someone with PTSD:

• Not seeing or treating the person like they have a permanent disability or are less than
• Learning about symptoms and struggles and understanding the other person
• Be open to attending social engagements on your own
• Work to develop healthy coping strategies with and without your partner
• Avoid being codependent with your partner
• Listen and communicate often with your partner
• Prioritize your self-care as well
• Work with a therapist 

PTSD And Trauma Therapy From Ogden Psychological Services

Ogden Psychological Services treats a lot of mental illnesses and helps patients develop coping skills. Our therapists can utilize modern therapy techniques or use neurofeedback to help restructure the brain wave patterns. No matter what you are struggling with, there is help and resources available. 
Those struggling with PTSD can work with a therapist and other resources to help them avoid negative triggers. Taking time for yourself and working on your healing journey will help improve all of the relationships in your life. Reach out to our therapists to get started today!

Many social media apps fill our time and capture our attention with easily digestible content. Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, Snapchat, and other apps can waste a lot of time and lead to damage to your mental health. Those with mental illness are also more susceptible to the negative effects of social apps because of comparison and altering reality. Many factors around social media can alter your brain and cause mental issues for adults and teens. This blog will discuss some of the reasons social media is dangerous for your health and how you can limit its effect on your mental stamina.

Addictive Nature

Social media apps have been created to hook your attention and keep you coming back. Many of the apps are addictive and help serve the part of your brain that loves rewards and releases dopamine. Apps try to target your brain’s reward center with consistent likes or a constant stream of information that triggers chemical releases in our brains, similar to sex, food, hobbies, or winning something. 

The idea of a future reward or the dopamine from comments or likes is what keeps users coming back. The possibility of your desired outcome will always be a tether that holds you to social media. 

Filtering Out The Bad

The biggest lies about social media are the photo and video filters and the ability to selectively share parts of your life. Social media only shows the highlight or what people curate specifically for their followers to see. While some filters can be fun and give you a good laugh, beauty filters can create a false sense of reality. Seeing multiple heavily filtered photos, highlight reel videos or curated home photos can lead us to compare our lives to others. 

Social media has created the goal of creating aesthetically pleasing homes, outfits, and daily activities. The reality is that life is messy. Not everyone can have a perfect home, a perfect relationship, or a curated Instagram feed. When we begin to believe that having the perfect life is what we should strive for, it becomes mentally taxing. 

Feelings Of FOMO Or Failure

Fear of missing out or being left out are mental issue that can result from addiction to social media. When peers or family are using social media, you may worry about missing an inside joke, a message, a sale, a party, or other information. Constantly checking social apps can not only waste your time but can cause you to abandon your real-life connections too. Scrolling on social media to see what others are doing will take away from studying, cleaning, spending time with family, or developing a hobby. 

Seeing people post about their travels or parties they are attending causes us to feel less than. Social media can put a damper on your mood when you otherwise would have been having a good time. Your activity and experiences are fun, even if they don’t “compare” to others on social media. Making connections in real life instead of watching others through a screen can be much more fulfilling.

Constantly Changing Trends

Social media continues to change and create new trends in the world. Chasing the newest trend or items is another mentally damaging aspect of being on social media. Following trends and hoping for validation will never result in a person being satisfied. 

Trends can also be dangerous to your relationships or jobs. In the past, trends have targeted teenagers to damage property, eat dangerous foods, or play risky games to fit in. Trends can also cause you to be compared to others who participated in the trend. 

How To Limit The Effects Of Social Media On Your Mental Health

• Plan an in-person gathering: Making in-person connections helps stop you from forming a perfect perception of someone and will show you all parts of their personality. In-person gatherings will also help you avoid those feelings of FOMO, and have a strong support system in times of need. Instead of turning to social media for likes and validation, you will have the support of those who truly love you. 
• Prioritize an exercise routine: Physical activity is directly connected to mental health and can be a good break from scrolling on social apps. Exercise can help you connect with your body, spend time doing something productive, and provide an opportunity to spend time with friends.
• Take a social media break: If you notice that social media is affecting your mental well-being, it may be time to take a break. Try putting time limits on your apps, deleting them off your phone, or hiding them from your home screen on a temporary basis. Taking a social media break will give you more free time to spend on work, hobbies, or focusing on family. 
• Find a new hobby or take a class: Finding a new way to spend time can help reduce the need to scroll on social apps. Take a cooking class, learn to paint, join a workout group, or volunteer instead of worrying about your feed.
• Start attending therapy: Overcoming addictive tendencies can be difficult. Working with a therapist to overcome your social media addiction can help. Therapists will also help you to develop coping skills for when the pressure of social media becomes too much.

Therapy Services From Ogden Psychological Services

Ogden Psychological Services offers therapy and counseling services for individuals, couples, and families. Working with a licensed counselor can help you achieve better mental health and give you the tools to better handle stress in your life. Ogden Psychological Services knows that life can get complicated, so therapy can be a great course of action for when life becomes too much to handle on your own. Whether you are struggling with social media, anxiety, comparison, grief, or another issue, our team is here to help.

Eating disorders affect about 10 million females and 1 million males in the United States. 1 in 10 individuals have either experienced an eating disorder or know someone who has. While it may not be as common as other mental illnesses, it is important to recognize that eating disorders can lead to many premature deaths and struggles. We want to share proper information about different eating disorders and how they can affect people’s bodies. In this blog, we will share causes, myths surrounding EDs, different types of disorders, and how therapy can help you recover from an eating disorder.

Potential Causes

A common misconception about eating disorders is that they are a lifestyle choice. They are often more related to thoughts and emotions that the neuropathways in our brains can create. There are underlying causes of eating disorders that can take it from a diet fad to a much more serious condition. Mental illness and the surrounding environment can make it more difficult to break these habits.

Genetics

Genetic predisposition plays a significant role in the development of eating disorders, If family members have struggled with eating disorders, you may be more susceptible to eating disorders. Genetic factors are not sufficient alone to create an eating disorder, other influences will be necessary for individuals to develop a disorder. 

Social Influences

Our surrounding culture and those that we interact with can influence the development of eating disorders. Social pressures and media can prioritize an unattainable body type which can lead people to participate in unhealthy behaviors to please others. Self-confidence levels, anxiety, or bullying are all social impacts that can contribute to limiting eating or overeating. 

Trauma Or Life Transitions

When you experience trauma or major life changes, your brain can develop unhealthy coping skills. Divorce, loss of a loved one, physical abuse, or job changes can trigger the onset of an eating disorder. During these traumatic events, you can lose control or experience extreme stress which can force you to take solace in food or the lack thereof. 

Different Types Of Eating Disorders And Their Symptoms

Many of the symptoms of eating disorders are the same for each type, but different EDs can come with different behaviors and actions. 

Anorexia Nervosa

Those with anorexia have an intense fear of gaining weight. They severely limit their food intake and have a distorted body image. They will do anything to avoid being overweight and may still feel they are overweight even when they are malnourished. These individuals have constant thoughts about food, calories, and their bodies and how it will affect their weight. 

Bulimia Nervosa

Individuals with bulimia experience episodes of excessive eating followed immediately by purging themselves by forcing vomiting, fasting, or long workouts to rid their bodies of excessive calories. Bulimic individuals worry about their body image and often worry about the shame that they would feel if people knew about their habits. They do these acts in secret to avoid people learning about their symptoms. 

Binge Eating Disorder

Frequent overeating plagues those with Binge Eating Disorders. Consuming large amounts of food in a short period to wear they even experience discomfort. They can not control their bingeing, even if they know that it is harming them. Guilt, shame, and distress are all common emotions that come with eating disorders. 

Recovery Options

Professional Intervention

Seeking help from an outside source is often the best way to heal from an eating disorder. Therapy, medical professionals, and nutritionists can all be used to help address every facet of the disorder. There are many hospital wings, specialized clinics, or nutrition centers that you can go to to find resources and understand the mental aspect of your disorders. 

CBT Or FBT Therapy 

Cognitive-behavioral therapy and Family-based treatment can be used for individuals with eating disorders. These therapeutic approaches help you to change unhealthy habits. 

Family-based treatment can help adolescents specifically by giving them the support they need to recover. If a family has contributed to the furthering of an eating disorder, a therapist can work with both people to help change behaviors and thinking. 

Support Groups

Since eating disorders are a common problem among teens and adults, there are support groups that can help make facing your challenges easier. These groups are a place to share struggles, ask questions, and share success stories. Support groups can be empowering for those with eating disorders to feel less alone. 

Nutritional Counseling

Because eating disorders are based on your relationship with food, meeting with a nutritionist will help you develop more regular eating habits. Nutritional counseling can help suggest meal plans, track your progress, help you better understand nutrients and calories, as well as ensure you are not having nutritional deficiencies.