The following is some information about the issues and conditions we commonly help clients with at Thrive Therapy Solutions.

Specialties

Mood Disorders/Depression

Mood Disorders are characterized by the underlying condition where your mood is disrupted or impaired by a feeling of emotional instability ranging from extremely elevated - to extremely lowered levels of happiness, excitability, sadness and irritation, usually accompanied by a general feeling of emptiness. Mood disorders affect your overall cognitive ability and prevent your ability to function on many levels within your everyday life, they also can be evidenced by unexplained physical pains.

Symptoms of a mood disorder may include:

  • Sleep disruptions - Sleeping too much or not enough

  • Appetite - Not eating or overeating

  • Fatigue - Overall constant feeling of no energy and tiredness

  • Cognitive - Racing intrusive thoughts, inability to concentrate or focus, inability to make decisions

  • Feelings of - sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, worthlessness or helplessness

  • Poor self esteem

  • Low motivation, feeling bored

  • Loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed

  • Unexplained headaches or stomach aches

  • Thoughts of dying or suicide

Mood disorders include depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, substance induced, due to medical conditions and not otherwise specified and are characterized by experiencing any of the symptoms for two weeks or more.

Codependency

Codependency is descriptive of a relationship dynamic that is circular in nature and is usually carried over from childhood involving specific types of behaviours that will continue at the expense of ignoring your own needs to gain approval, affection and a sense of control over or from another person. The reliance on others to meet these needs is subconscious and the behaviors develop from not knowing how to meet these needs from within in a healthy manner. There are pervasive feelings of not belonging, not being good enough, being trapped, having been mistreated, fear of being alone, and wanting to lash out or wanting to save others from themselves. Some of the behaviors may be characterized with aggression towards self and others, being overly passive, avoidance of uncomfortable situations, resentment towards self and others, disappointment in self and others or irritation at self and others.

Signs and symptoms of Codependency will include:

  • Inability to say no

  • Poor or non-existent boundaries

  • Difficulty communicating with others

  • Personal values, identity and interests are exclusively reliant upon others

  • Inability to have a close honest relationship

  • Constant distress about what others think of them

  • Continually feel the need to fix, help, control or save

  • Attraction to others who display helplessness

Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural response to stress and a common emotion that everyone experiences at times. It involves feelings of worry, nervousness, or fear about an event or situation with an uncertain outcome. While occasional anxiety is normal and can even be beneficial in certain situations, excessive or chronic anxiety can interfere with daily life and may indicate an anxiety disorder.

Emotional Symptoms:

  • Feelings of apprehension or dread

  • Trouble concentrating

  • Feeling tense or jumpy

  • Anticipating the worst

  • Irritability

  • Restlessness

Physical Symptoms:

  • Increased heart rate (palpitations)

  • Sweating

  • Trembling or shaking

  • Shortness of breath

  • Nausea or stomach upset

  • Dizziness

  • Muscle tension

  • Headaches

  • Fatigue

Behavioral Symptoms:

  • Avoidance of feared situations

  • Difficulty managing daily activities and responsibilities

  • Hypervigilance (being on high alert)

  • Reassurance-seeking behavior

Adjustment Disorder

Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety is a type of adjustment disorder characterized by excessive anxiety or worry in response to a significant life change or stressful event. This condition falls within a group of stress-related conditions that can affect emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. The anxiety is triggered by an identifiable stressor or life change. Common triggers include job loss, divorce, relocation, death of a loved one, financial difficulties, or significant life transitions. Symptoms usually develop within three months of the stressor and typically do not last more than six months after the stressor or its consequences have ended. However, if the stressor or its consequences persist, the disorder may continue.

Emotional Symptoms of adjustment disorder may include:

  • Nervousness

  • Worry

  • Fear of separation from major attachment figures

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Restlessness

Physical symptoms

  • Headaches

  • Stomachaches

  • Palpitations

  • Jitteriness

Trauma and PTSD

Trauma and PTSD involves having experienced or witnessed some type of event that is perceived as shocking, scary, threatening or dangerous either to yourself or learning of a loved one having experienced an accidental or violent trauma. Trauma occurs when you experience an immense amount of stress that exceeds your ability to cope. Trauma survivors who are able to process the intense emotional strain from traumatic events in a self caring and positive way will move on, whereas a person who cannot process these intense emotional and stressful memories continue to be retraumatized by events that are similar or reminders of the original event - this can be sights, sounds, smells, objects, places etc. and can lead to extreme and unwanted reactions to these stressful situations. When these unprocessed retraumatizing events continue in your life it could develop into PTSD.

PTSD generally creates an overall hypervigilance, hyperarousal and a general feeling that you are constantly on guard or on the edge, with the person sometimes thinking they may be dying, going crazy or that they don’t have the ability to control their reactions because they may not be able to understand where the reminder is coming from and it may seem to just happen for no reason that is evident to them or others.

Symptoms of Trauma and PTSD can include:

  • Physical - Shaking, sweating, pounding heart, constriction of the throat, tightening or churning of the stomach, dizziness, tingling

  • Emotional - Feelings of impending doom, despair, anger, irritation, guilt, shame, fear, horror, helplessness Racing thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares

  • Panic

  • Insomnia

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Irritability or aggressive behaviors

  • Emotional distress and physical reactions when reminded of the traumatic event

  • Avoidance of or detachment from - a reminder of the traumatic event

  • Persistent negative belief of self, others and the world around you

  • Diminished interests of things that gave you enjoyment in the past

  • Inability to experience positive emotions

  • Trauma - There are three major types of traumas:

    • Acute - result of a single traumatic event

    • Chronic - repeated and prolonged exposure to traumatic events

    • Complex - exposure to a variety of multiple invasive traumatic events

  • PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

    • PTSD includes Uncomplicated PTSD - usually when PTSD is the primary diagnosis

    • Co-Morbid PTSD - when PTSD occurs along with other types of disorders

    • Complex PTSD - Exposed to varying and extended duration of traumatic event

Relationship Issues

Relationship Issues can develop for any number of reasons, some of the reasons are related to:

  • Resentments

  • Suspicion

  • Deceit

  • Disrespect

  • Jealousy

  • Assumptions

These can be coming from you towards the other person or coming from the other person towards you. Strengthening your interpersonal skills and exploring your internal expectations, perceptions and boundaries can assist with developing and repairing relationships.

Impulse Control

Impulse Control is present in a number of other disorders such as bulimia and substance abuse etc. but it is not the primary factor. The disorders where impulse control is the primary factor are:

Pathological gambling

Kleptomania

Pyromania

Intermittent explosive disorder

Trichotillomania.

These disorders involve the inability to resist urges to engage in behaviors which can be potentially harmful to oneself or others. The urges can be internally or externally triggered and results in a behavioral responses to alleviate distress or anxiety.

SUD and Addiction

Addictions include substance use and process oriented behaviors or thoughts. Addiction is characterized by your mind being co-opted by the compulsive, overwhelming, driving need to engage in something over and over again regardless of negative consequences and outcomes. It may be characterized by repeated failures to stop and a continuous thought process that involves the addiction and risk taking behaviors that  revolve around enabling the continued ability to engage in the addiction despite obvious self harm and a diminished self view.

Continuing with an addictions eventually can corrupt morals, values, beliefs, relationships and functional abilities - this lifestyle will create an overall feeling of constantly being at odds with yourself this is known as dissonance and is a result of continually going against personal beliefs and values to allow engagement in the addiction.

Addiction can have the a subconscious level of activity which creates the drive to escape from uncomfortable mental anguish. This is usually a result of unresolved trauma which creates a never ending circle of fear and disappointment. When a person remains in this mental anguish it becomes harder and harder to actually escape and usually ends with a retraumatization. With therapy and a commitment for change these fears can be confronted and resolved.

Anger Management

Anger can be internally as well as externally directed and has a range from mild irritation to extreme rage. Anger is a normal and needed emotion, it tells you that there has been an injustice done, what’s important is how you react to and express the anger. Reactions that harm yourself or others is a destructive form of expression that generally leads to unwanted consequences and may signify that you may need some assistance in developing a healthy manner of managing your reactions. Getting help to manage your anger will empower you by helping you to recognize what is within your control in difficult times or situations. Also learning effective assertive techniques will allow you to express your anger in a respectful way that results in a different feeling, i.e. instead of guilt, shame, self loathing, embarrassment and fear you will have feelings of justification, sense of pride, self respect and self confidence. 

Autism

A person dealing with autism usually has difficulty with increased or decreased sensitivity to the auditory and visual perceptions and cues in social situations as well as possibly having hearing, taste, smell, balance, motor skills and body awareness affected. This sensitivity whether increased or decreased can create any number of difficulties in a person's life that can create functional and emotional struggles.

When learning to cope with autism it is important to develop a personal plan to mitigate what is happening to you by identifying the adverse effects you are feeling and trying out different suggestions on how to mitigate these affects. I.e. Every time I go out I seem to hear unusually loud obnoxious noises this creates an irritation within me that makes me angry and wanting to strike out - the plan may be to wear headphones or earplugs, or develop an assertive way to respectfully request quietness, or decide what the trigger point is for when you have had enough and have an escape plan like excusing yourself and retreating to a quiet place where you can process your irritation.  As you can see the plan needs to be personalized for you by you, and assistance through therapy can help with solutions and suggestions thereby greatly decreasing the time spent struggling.

Bipolar

Bipolar Disorders are characterized by extreme mood swings and energy and activity from high to low levels. Some patterns to be aware of are:

  • Extreme levels of excitement

  • Intrusive racing thoughts

  • Elevated irritation or aggravation

  • Accelerated speech

  • Impulsiveness, risky behaviors

  • Changes in appetite and sleep

  • Inability to maintain a schedule

  • Fatigue

  • Chronic physical pain with no known cause

  • Pervasive sense of hopelessness or sadness

  • Withdrawal from friends, family and interests

  • Suicidal thoughts

  • Inability to make decisions.

While bipolar is considered a lifelong condition there are remedies to help you manage, such as creating a plan of action - start small and actively engage in maintaining your plan, add small changes to your plan as you master maintenance, create a support network of trusted individuals and seek professional assistance.

Sports Performance

Strengthening certain mental skills such as focus, confidence, concentration, and composure can assist with performance in sports and other areas of your life. Learning to balance stress and increase your accountability can assist with achieving your goals. Communication and awareness are also relevant factors when struggling with performance issues or even addressing burnout. Therapy can assist you with finding and maintaining the balance that works for you.

Life Transitions

Life Transitions can be expected or unexpected in nature and refers to a change in lifestyle that occurs either abruptly or over time. This change in lifestyle is usually a transition from a preferred way of living to a required way of living - meaning that preferences are changing based on needs. These types of changes can sometimes become overwhelming and become problematic due to inability to adjust and persevere, The incidence of becoming overwhelmed can cause confusion and indecision and create unneeded problems in which a person can enter into a vicious circle of; event - reaction - new event - new reaction and so on with no resolutions. Finding no resolutions extends the trauma involved and breaks down resilience and derails the ability to make the needed adaptations and adjustment for a proactive transition.

Weight Management

Maintaining a healthy weight is not just about physical well-being; it’s deeply connected to mental health too. Effective weight management can boost self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve overall mood. By adopting balanced eating habits, regular physical activity, and mindful practices, you can create a positive cycle that benefits both your body and mind.

Obesity is described as above average body weight measured by body mass index which is a calculation of your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared BMI =  W-kg/H-m2. once calculated it breaks down to these standards; 

  • Underweight = <18.5

  • Normal weight = 18.5 - 24.9

  • Overweight = 25 - 29.9

  • Obese = >30

Obesity can cause a plethora of other conditions across the entire spectrum of physical and mental health concerns. Behavioral therapy as well as psychotherapy or talk therapy can help you to focus on diet and exercise and address overall  mental health to mitigate and manage these concerns.

BMI should not be the only factor when considering weight. Weight and weight issues are a complex conglomeration of things. There are many other factors which play into a healthy body weight, things such as genetics, fitness, environmental, financial and habits to name a few.

Parenting

As they say children don't come with instructions, and this can create many different difficulties, the overall goal usually is to manage one's own issues so they do not impact children, however it can be from another direction as well such as learning how to teach your child to manage, process and maintain their own approaches to difficult situations. A proactive approach is better in these situations, anticipating and preparing for them will usually produce a better outcome. The help you can receive from therapy will usually need to be tailored to your specific circumstances.

Personality Disorder

There are approximately 10 different personality disorders grouped within 3 clusters with a good deal of overlap between them. These disorders usually involve dysfunctional unstable patterns of thinking, behaviors and moods which are characteristically not healthy and unchangeable. Most people who are diagnosed with this disorder will equate their lifestyle as either constant up and down or being on a rollercoaster due to the effects on them of this distressing way of life.

People with a personality disorder nay display some of the following characteristics:

  • May have difficulty maintaining interpersonal relationships

  • Difficulty maintaining a structured routine

  • Have great difficulty focusing or concentrating

  • Have behaviors that they feel they have no ability to change

  • May  often express a feeling of emptiness

These types of disorders can be treated with a commitment for change, the ability to look beyond your experiences and instituting a plan of action to change the dysfunctional rigid thinking patterns, new habits can be formed with practice and mixed forms of therapy which can help you to overcome this type of distressing lifestyle.

Psychosis

Psychosis is when a person experiences reality differently than others.They may be hearing or seeing things, their thoughts, emotions and perceptions are all real to them and they usually are unaware that they are experiencing something different than what is really happening and it can be very frightening and confusing. The most common symptoms are hallucinations and delusions. Psychosis can be very intrusive, disruptive and difficult to live with, it can however be managed with proper treatment.

Stress Management

Stress comes from all areas in life and is your body’s reaction to your perception that a demand that requires attention is occurring. It is automatic based on your perception and the human innate need to act quickly in the event that you perceive a threat. You have physical reactions as well as emotional reactions. The only way to soothe an out of control stress response is to reduce your stress and this can involve a number of different areas.

Stress becomes problematic when the demands exceed our ability to deliver. This usually creates a waterfall of affects such as runaway thoughts, negative self talk, negative self views and inappropriate behaviors as a response to the inability to rectify or deliver a solution and this in turn affects self confidence, the ability to make decisions and concentration. (this is just one example of a progression of the stress response)

If you are noticing that you feel considerably more tired all the time,  get easily confused, are unable to make decisions, are thoroughly disgusted with yourself, feel hopeless and helpless to fix things then seeking help can provide relief for you.

If stress is left untreated or unaddressed it  can lead to a number of mental, medical and physical ailments. Some of which are:

  • Anxiety

  • Panic

  • Depression

  • High blood pressure

  • Fatigue

  • Chronic pain

To begin to gain control of these reactions you will need to study your physical reactions - what it feels like to you in the pit of your stomach, is there any tingling, excess sweating, hot flash or flushing, and so on, you then need to look at what is going on, what happened, what are you thinking, what emotions are you feeling. You will then look at what your beliefs, opinions and perceptions about all of this are. Starting with what it feels like to you helps you to identify when it is happening because it is an automatic response. Doing this should give you a good jumping off point to construct a plan of action on how to reduce stress. Begin with what you have control of and work out from there. Discuss it with people who you trust to get differing opinions. It is a process and it can be done with positive outcomes.

Grief Management

Greif is the normal reaction to a loss and can be experienced for any significant type of loss. Grief can be normal or prolonged and is usually understood as going through stages.

The most common stages are;

  • Denial

  • Anger

  • Bargaining and

  • Acceptance

  • In some cases shock, isolation and depression maybe present.

Normal grief will usually be considered as processing through the stages in a healthy manner that allows you to reach acceptance.

Prolonged grief is characterized by the grief stages becoming intensified which makes it more difficult to process the feelings and extends the entire process to a longer time, this difficulty to reach an acceptance level for extended periods, can cause torment, mental anguish or possible troubling behaviors for a person who is experiencing these difficulties. With help and a commitment to self these can be managed in a productive way.

Men’s Issues

Men's Issues are impacted greatly by cultural  and societal norms as well as beliefs that are taught about masculinity which creates a stigma for men when asking for help or indicating they are struggling. Men also may react differently to their own mental and emotional stress because they are reluctant to ask for help causing them to hide, mask or ignore their own well being. Men experience the full range of emotional and mental stressors as well as added financial, medical or physical burdens that are explicite to masculinity because of societal outlook and pressure.