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Mental health has gathered a lot of attention in the current times. People started to focus on their mental health and on the ways to keep their mental health, healthy. One of the common emotional health challenges found in people today are social anxiety. Many people suffer from social anxiety.One of the common emotional health challenges found in people today is social anxiety. Many people suffer from social anxiety. To bring light to the importance of social anxiety, it is important to understand it. In this article, we will introduce you to, what is a social anxiety disorder. WHAT IS SOCIAL ANXIETY?Social anxiety is a chronic mental health condition in which a person experiences unreasonable anxiety when faced with social exchanges. People with social anxiety often face challenges when talking to other people, attending gatherings, or meeting new individuals. They are fearful that people will judge them. Although they may understand that they suffer from social anxiety, it can still be hard for them to confront it. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?One of the best ways to know if one is suffering from social anxiety is by looking at the symptoms. Even if a person may feel nervous during social interaction, it does not mean the person has social anxiety.Although checking the symptoms online is not as confirming as going to a therapist, it can still help you figure out whether you should seek a professional or not. Some of the symptoms of social anxiety are listed below. You fear being judged in a negative way in social interaction You worry about embarrassing yourself. You experience social interaction with anxiety or fear. You fear interacting with new individuals. You avoid circumstances where you might become the center of attention. You focus your time on trying to find flaws in your communication while in social interaction. You anticipate the worst consequences. You worry that people will notice that you are anxious. You do not speak to people or do things because you are scared of embarrassing yourself. PSYCHOTHERAPY Psychotherapy is a method that helps treat emotional problems. With psychotherapy, a person can learn how to recognize their negative thoughts and change them. Additionally, a person can learn the skills to improve their self-confidence.The best type of psychotherapy for social anxiety is cognitive-behavioral therapy. MEDICATIONSome medications can help relieve the symptoms of social anxiety. The wisest decision would be to consult a doctor to see what medication would be effective for a social anxiety disorder. LIFESTYLE CHANGE Psychotherapy and medications are some of the most efficient ways to fight the symptoms of social anxiety. However, these two alone may not be enough. To overcome social anxiety, it is essential to change a person’s lifestyle and way of thinking. Regular exercise is one of the best things a person can do to fight social anxiety. Exercises can help boost a person’s confidence. Additionally, physical activities help reduce the symptoms of anxiety. Another significant thing is diet. Eating a healthy diet is very important if a person wants to have healthy mental health. The right nutrients can affect the body and mind positively. Getting enough sleep is also very important. Having enough rest can help a person stay relaxed during social interaction. However, when a person lacks energy, the symptoms can quickly take over. By feeling rested, the body is in a better condition to overpower the symptoms of social anxiety.To conclude, one of the best ways to overcome social anxiety is by doing what one fears most and seeking help from a professional. Social anxiety brings fear, and facing that fear is one of the best ways to treat social anxiety. Although it may be scary, the more a person faces their fears, the more they will overcome them.

The thirty-something woman of today is three times more likely to be single than her counterpart of the 1970s according to Pew research of 2019. Indeed, both women and men—particularly those with high levels of education are staying single longer. For men, the change in timing may not have as many repercussions. But for women, the delay makes the search more difficult, even though they have become more settled and mature, more financially secure, and have a better sense of the one they could happily spend their lives with than those who marry earlier. At the time in their lives, most often after a successful career when they feel ready for a partner, many women are at a loss as to how to find that special guy. A rising share of young adults, especially women, are pursuing advanced degrees, and waiting for marriage until they are done with their education and established in the workplace. The problem is that when these women reach their late twenties or thirties and become interested in settling down, they have likely been locked into a narrow routine that includes work, working out, and socializing with a close circle of female friends. Some tend to feel a growing sense of anxiety, as they fear that their chances that they will be able to combine a loving marriage into a life of individual career achievement. Their ultimate sense of what many women want in life includes family and children, but not initially at the risk of wasting their education and giving up career goals and the status that success gives to women who had proven themselves in the business world. Very often such women had numerous chances earlier to steer relationships into long-term partnerships, yet ended early relationships for abstract reasons (“something was missing”), and chose independence over coupling (“I wasn’t ready to settle down. Marriage is still very appealing, and there is evidence for its hold on people according to Pew Research. Married adults are more likely than those who are living with a partner to say things are going very well in their relationship (58% vs. 41%). They also express higher levels of satisfaction with specific aspects of their relationship, including the way household chores are divided between them and their spouse, and how well their spouse balances work and personal life. Married people also seem to advertise their commitment. “When somebody tells you, ‘That’s my spouse,’ you know some information about the relationship and the level of commitment. Cohabitation and casual relationships do not always seem to force clarity like marriage does. According to Pew Research, among both married and cohabiting adults, love and companionship top the list of reasons why they decided to get married or move in with their partner. Nine in ten married adults and 73% of cohabiting adults say love was a major factor in their decision. Go for it and put yourself out there more. “You are all worthy of love.”   References   Geiger, A., & Livingston, G. 8 Facts about love and marriage in America. Available at: Pew Research Centerhttp://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/13/8-facts-about-love-and-marria

The hard part of falling in love is often maintaining the love through thick and thin. Despite what we’ve seen in romance movies with happy endings, relationships are not always as easy. The journey to building a long-lasting, meaningful, and deeper bond with a lover has confusion, arguments, and disagreements. It’s a normal part of life, so we accept and do our best to fight for our love to stay afloat. But even the strongest known persons can be doubtful at times of whether the relationship is leading somewhere. When one partner seems not to respect the boundaries, views, and interests of the other, the result is often relationship troubles. Difficulties in relationships can also come from various things. It could be a lack of communication, differences in preference, bad temperament, and overcontrolling attributes, or any other. When encountered with such situations, most partners will try to change their lovers’ way of life, personality, or perception of certain things. If you’re on the receiving end, it’s possible to want to end everything altogether and open a new page in your love life. But if you think you still have a chance of salvaging the ship from sinking, it’s worth giving it another shot before ending things. Follow these strategies known to bear results, turn things around, and start enjoying your relationship like you first fell in love. Build Mutual Respect and Limits As you spend more time with someone, it reaches a level where your respect for them changes, either positively or negatively. Failing to uphold respect for another person’s views, way of life, interests, and boundaries can create serious problems. Even for the most loving persons, there are times when they need their personal space to do things that are dear to them. It’s vital to understand that it’s not selfishness.Help your partner understand this without provoking them or making it seem selfish. The goal is to understand what defines you and your partner and then finding a mutual ground for you to coexist without conflict. Avoiding Resentment Disagreements in a relationship are common, but they bear resentment when they become so frequent and unending. Resentment is a thorn in relationships that undermines growth and stronger bonds. If there’s something your partner always does that frustrates you or makes you angry all the time, relax, take a deep breath and analyze it. You’ll realize that it’s probably not much of a big deal to drain much of your energy. And if your partner is the one on the receiving end, always find a way to eliminate those actions or talk to your partner and make them understand. Define your Relationship It’s possible to be in a relationship with yourself. That is, you anticipate your relationship to grow to the next phase while your partner isn’t showing any signs that dissipate the same energy. When one partner feels that the other isn’t showing commitment, it’s important to define your relationship. Listen to your partner’s stance on having a committed relationship. If they claim to not looking for something serious at the moment, believe them. Focus your energy on sharing the love you have to offer with someone who has the same relationship goals as you. When the energy flow between you is in sync, you’ll enjoy your love life to the fullest. Make it clear where your relationship stands. Enhance your Communication Communication is the key to building a better mutual understanding. You’ll have to coordinate closely with your partner if you’re experiencing relationship difficulty. Talk your issues out, let your partner know what you feel. It’s the only way of eliminating misunderstandings. Without effective communication, you’ll often find yourselves in constant arguments. Your partner might feel left out, unappreciated, or not loved. You can prevent all this by creating dedicated time to talk to each other, listen actively, and understand what your partner says. Always avoid the blame game and accusation. Instead, be open and respect the other person and give them a chance to express themselves. If your partner doesn’t feel comfortable enough to share what they’re going through, try to share your feelings to earn their trust. Only through communication can you avoid relationship frustrations that often lead to difficulties. Open Up Yourself The human brain tends to counter challenges by taking the easiest route to a solution. When we go through rough times, we tend to close up and avoid sharing our experiences with others. Closing out on your partner can only generate more problems than solutions. Disclose all that troubles you to your partner. Be honest; let the burden off your shoulders. That is the main essence of being in a relationship in the first place. Your partner gives you a shoulder to lean on when things aren’t working out. If it’s something that your partner does that doesn’t please you, don’t withhold it either. Speak up, let them know, discuss it and strike a balance that works for both of you. Build Stronger Physical Intimacy It’s common for lovers to undergo intimacy drought. However, if left to prevail for long, it can result in affecting every part of your relationship. Physical touch and sex induce the production of ‘love hormone,’ oxytocin, which builds a strong attraction bond and trust that makes lovers stick together.Create time, emotion, and environment for this to happen. By connecting emotionally and sexually with your partner, you’ll develop a closer connection and understand each other better. Willingness to Compromise Compromise is the oldest relationship trick. Be willing to make sacrifices for your partner, and they’ll be impressed by it and feel more valued. However, while learning how to compromise, be cautious on the level of compromise you can reach. Making realistic compromises will enable you to let minor issues slide, coexist in harmony with your partner, and embrace the idea of giving and receiving in your relationship.It’s always not easy to confront the things that make us unhappy in our relationships. It takes courage and strength to do so.

Many say we all will die alone — now we’re grieving alone too, and that has long term effects We are all currently susceptible to multiple losses daily—and grieve at the loss of financial security, loss of social/physical connections, loss of autonomy. Later loss hovers over our city, and we grieve at the loss of loved ones and fear for our own lives. All too many of us live alone and face coming months of loneliness and isolation at death’s door; others have children home from school and are trying to balance their children’s care and education with their own fears of death, leaving a child behind. How trauma will mark the young and the unborn is especially worrying. Many couples have tough relationship issues at the best of times marked by abuse and fear made far worse by isolation, while others lack the basic security of a roof over their head and a place to self-isolate. You can imagine an obsessive-compulsive germaphobe or one given to paranoia or anxiety attacks at this time. Death deeply affects our sense of the world, even under the most positive or normal circumstances. The world seems for a time less safe, less benevolent, and less predictable. Grief takes ever more progressive forms and hurts body and spirit at once. As the filmmaker Fassbinder had it in a title, “Fear Eats the Soul”. Grief has types and stages. Like any progressive illness, it is best to work with it early regardless of the fearful circumstances of our times. Anticipatory grief is that feeling we get about what the future holds when we’re uncertain. Usually, it centers on death. We feel it when someone gets a dire diagnosis. Typically, there is time to prepare, help the dying go through the process, and then join others in mourning, coping, and planning a life in response to an impending loss that death brings. If properly managed, that grieving process has a closure aided by a formal gathering, rituals, and great care and honor to the physical remnants of the departed, and various other rituals that varied cultures promote to instruct and heal the living while guiding the soul of the disease to the other world by communal and healing faith. (Allard, Genest, & Legault, 2020). But in a time of a pandemic, especially of a new and unpredictable disease like CORONAVIRUS-19, feelings are amplified and can become very damaging to our long-term psychological and physical health. When an individual becomes infected or spreads illness to others, especially by disobeying social distancing rules, feelings of blame, anger, and sadness may lead inevitably to mental and physical reverses with ominous implications.  Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a real danger, and is associated with deeply damaging emotional pain that did not heal in time, often guilt, an inability to accept the death of the loved one, a sense of meaninglessness of life, and the groundlessness of existence, melancholia and bitterness about the circumstances and difficulty in engaging in new activities and thereby moving on (Lund, 2020). Disenfranchised grief occurs when families are unable to grieve with normal practices of social support and rituals in burial and funeral services.  As grief continues to linger, we may become more likely to slide into a deep, profound depression. Day after day, we are unmotivated to perform any task and would rather not interact with the people, even those we were once close to. In the worst cases of depression, the individual suffering staggering losses will turn to thoughts of suicide. (Barney & Yoshimura, 2020). Changes to end-of-life practices and the management of grief in such traumatic times, as how the dying and their families prepare and face these events will be the subject of future postings. It may be time for now to walk through Kubler-Ross’ famous stages of grieving and the toil they take upon you to see if the process may be better managed, both for your own sake and that of others near you. Understanding the stages of grief is where we start. There’s denial, which was said: This virus won’t affect us.  There’s anger: it’s a man-made plot, it’s the Chinese. There’s bargaining: Okay, if I really isolate, wear a mask, wash my hands, not touch my face, social distance in all my activities everything will be all right. Right? There’s sadness and a terrifying feeling of abandonment, isolation, and sadness. The road to acceptance and closure now seems impossible, and we are stuck where a variety of morbid psychological and social symptoms manifest. You need to anticipate, prepare, and be very brave. Wars and holocausts have survivors among us. They will show us the way. Where we go from here comes in my next posting. References Allard, E., Genest, C., & Legault, A. (2020). Theoretical and philosophical assumptions behind the concept of anticipatory grief. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 26(2), 56-63. Barney, K. A., & Yoshimura, S. M. (2020). Death-Related Grief and Disenfranchised Identity: A Communication Approach. Review of Communication Research, 8, 78-95. Kübler-Ross, E., & Kessler, D. (2005). On grief and grieving: Finding the meaning of grief through the five stages of loss. Simon and Schuster. Lund, P. C. (2020). Deconstructing grief: a sociological analysis of Prolonged Grief Disorder.Social Theory & Health, 1-15.

What makes love amazing is its spontaneity. And the fact that we can’t choose whom our hearts fall for is even more exciting. If your loved one suffers from borderline personality disorder (BPD), your journey won’t be easy. It’s really painful to watch those who hold a dear place in your heart struggling with profound inner turmoil, unstable personal identity and deep emotional stress.BPD person can be somewhat chaotic and emotionally draining. While at times you can’t force them to get treatment, there are a couple of things you can do to make your relationship smooth and assist them to lead an almost normal life. Getting acquainted with BPD BPD persons usually experience trouble with relationships, particularly with persons closest to them. Be prepared for wild mood shifts, chronic fear of abandonment, angry outbursts, irrational and impulsive behaviors that can leave you feeling off-balance, helpless, abused or unappreciated.Their illness can distort their perceptions, raise antagonistic behaviors and to the worst extent, make their surrounding a perilous existence. Even if you’re the drama loving type, the fact that there can never be a prolonged moment of calmness might make you think about making a U-turn. Surviving the drama With a borderline, it’s almost impossible to know what to expect. When in their elevated spirits, you become their treasured princess or prince, bastard or a god. If you happen to be around when they’re down, all their nefarious feelings are projected onto you. They can turn out to be cruel and spit ugly words unto you, or give you the unending silent treatment.At times they can also use manipulative tactics that are detrimental to your esteem. Compared to bipolar disorder, they experience quick mood shifts, that can last a short time, and are often not far from their normal self. Whatever you see or experience is their new normal at that moment.Surviving their drama means creating firm boundaries, managing your reactions, and enhancing communication with them. There is no wonder working cure for their condition, except through proper support, treatment and understanding. The dependency A BPD person’s brain seems to magnify whatever their perceptions put in front of them. Their experiences, present or past, including their previous unstable relationships or work history, can project a reflection of self-shame, coupled with sudden changes to an extent that they no longer feel the need to be in existence.And these changes can even worsen if they are left alone. As such they’re highly dependent on their partners. They may frequently seek advice or guidance from various people on the same subject in a single day.Their reaction to fear of abandonment is usually accompanied by being clingy or needy. This can also be alternated with fury reflecting their skewed reality. Helping a BPD loved one It’s very easy to get caught in your efforts to perform heroic acts to please a BPD person. At times, you might find yourself putting a lot of energy into them while jeopardizing your own emotional stability. This is a sure recipe for experiencing depression, resentment, emotional stress, and to the worst extent physical illness.When overwhelmed, it becomes almost impossible to enjoy a sustainable relationship or even help the person in the first place. The only best strategy to help them is to first “have your oxygen mask strapped on”. Check out the following do’s and don’ts of dealing with a BPD loved one. Don’t be tempted to self-isolate After a dreadful experience with your BPD loved one, don’t fall prey to the temptation to stay alone. Keep in touch with your family and friends who understand you and make you feel better. At this critical moment, a shoulder to lean on goes a long way. Get yourself a life! Dating or caring for a BPD person doesn’t mean that life enjoyment for you has come to an end. Get yourself a life beyond your relationship. Don’t yield to the sense of guilt when you spare some time for your own enjoyment. Some time out gives you an open mindset. In fact, both of you will enjoy the improved perspective when you get in touch again. Put your physical health on watch When caught up with the drama of a BPD relationship, it’s very easy to forget about your physical health. Always take care of yourself; eat healthfully, get some quality sleep, and do physical exercise. This pitfall of self-neglect is one that you wouldn’t want to fall into. When you take care of yourself, you’re far much better positioned at handling your relationship stresses, controlling your behavior and emotions amid the challenges forwarded to you by your BPD loved one. Make stress management your cup of tea A BPD person’s behavior can be intensified by your reactions. Being upset or anxious in response to a problematic behavior can trigger them to do or become what you hadn’t expected. Take lots of lessons on stress management and practice with sensory input. This way, you can relieve your stress as it pops up and remain calm even when the pressure intensifies. Communicating with a BPD person Just like any other relationship, communication is a key ingredient for the relationship’s stability and healthy existence. But communicating with BPD persons is a tough ordeal. It’s worth noting that a borderline may have trouble reading accurate body language or understanding non-verbal cues. Their words can be irrational, unfair or cruel. Fear of abandonment might push them to react unnecessarily to triggers regardless of how minute they are. Their aggression can lead them to be impulsive with rage, become abusive or violent.Always establish when to start a conversation with them. If they’re in their raging behavior, that’s definitely not the time to chat with them. When they’re calm: Be an active and empathetic listener Put distractions at bay. TV’s, mobile phones, PCs or anything else shouldn’t take up your focus at this time. Don’t make your concerns the center of the conversation. Withhold criticism and judgement. Make emotions your focus, not words BPD persons require

Do you feel like the world is caving in, you are living in a fog, everything that used to excite you is now dull, and you lack the motivation to do the simplest things like getting out of bed, taking a shower, or going for a walk? You could be suffering from depression. According to the World Health Organization, there are over 264 million people battling depression globally. Depression comes with many detrimental effects, such as contributing to other health complications like heart problems. A 2015 publication in the American Journal of Hypertension revealed that one out of five people suffering from coronary heart disease or heart failure also has depression. This disorder can take more from you than you can imagine. It deprives you of your social life and your urge to achieve. And a human being without ambition can feel like moving around like an empty vessel. If you’ve set your mind to overcome depression, you can’t just snap out of it. What is Depression? Depression is an emotional disorder that adversely affects a person’s feelings, thoughts, coming in as grief, loss, anger, and sadness. Fortunately, it’s a treatable condition. If well managed, it can disappear, letting a person lead an everyday happy existence. This disorder doesn’t discriminate; it can affect both adults and youngsters. At its worst, it can lead to someone hurting themselves. The WHO reports that suicide ranks second among the leading causes of 15 to 29 years old deaths. If you’re suffering from depression, oftentimes you’ll encounter feelings of deep aloneness. It can also create various other emotional and physical reactions that affect your life in all of your relationships.Overcoming Depression Making the first step in overcoming depression is always challenging. The disorder causes you to avoid everything, including those activities that can help you recover. For this reason, fighting it on your own might be more challenging than if you got assistance from a professional in helping you deal with your depression. The following are helpful tips that can help you cope with depression and overcome it even as you may continue to take recommended medication like antidepressants and professional therapy. Find a strong support system Seeking a support system is the first and most crucial step to fighting depression. Your support system could be socializing with family and friends, taking part in voluntary community service, or helping the less fortunate. Whatever works best for you, take it up wholeheartedly and commit yourself to it. A depression support group can also work. It can involve joint meetings in your neighborhood or find one online that best suits your preferences. Reduce or eliminate stress activities Stressful encounters push the body to produce more of the stress hormone cortisol which can help you cope with the situation in the short term. However, it can result in more problems in the long run, which can eventually cause depression. Find ways of reducing stress and helping your mind calm down amidst stressful situations. If it’s relationship difficulties that stress you up, find a way to resolve your issues with your partner or consider moving on. Engage yourself more in activities that bring you joy, fun, and pleasure. It can be challenging to force yourself into fun activities, but pushing yourself into doing them can help relieve your depression. Move back to your past hobbies or sports. Enjoy listening to calming music, taking art lessons, go out with friends. In short, find an activity that pleases you and commit to it. Mind your sleep routine Your moods are greatly affected by your sleeping routines. A study conducted in 2014 revealed that up to 80 percent of those with sleeping disturbances also suffer from depression.Practice a good sleeping routine to help improve the quantity and quality of sleep. Ensure all electronics are off at least an hour before your bedtime. Most importantly, only use your bedroom for sleeping or intimate relations. Remove your television. Avoid taking your work to your bed. Your bedroom should be your retreat. Get More Physical Activity and Sunlight The default activity that the body resorts to during depression are sitting back to do nothing. When depressed, you’ll find it much easier to stay in bed. Exercise is critical in fighting depression; it’s one indispensable weapon in your recovery armory. Physical activity helps you avoid relapse after recovery. Spare at least 30 minutes for exercise every day. It doesn’t have to be intensive. You can start light, such as walking for 20 minutes. Also, get some time to bask in the sun and get fresh air. If you live in a place without a lot of sunshine you can make use of a light therapy lamp. Do more rhythmic exercises such as weight training, martial arts, dancing, and swimming. The results can be tremendous if you pair up with training partners. Eat healthily, stay healthy The foods we eat directly impact how we feel. Take foods that are known to fight depression. A research finding highlighted by a Harvard University publication shows that diets containing lots of vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, and reduced animal products reduce depression effectively. Avoid ones that can directly or indirectly affect brain activities and mood, such as alcohol, caffeine, and trans fats. Foods that contain high amounts of chemical preservatives are also part of the category of foods to avoid. Importantly, foods that create cravings, such as baked goods, and sugary snacks, can quickly crash your mood leading to depression. Eat responsibly and at appropriate times. Avoid skipping meals for too long as it can cause you to be tired and irritable. Optimistic Maintain a positive attitude towards life. Accept that there are ups and downs, and it is okay to be on the lower side of things. Avoid negative perspectives towards your daily life experiences. If you can’t change a situation, worrying too much about it won’t make it change. Instead, embrace positive thinking.Depression is a burden to many people’s lives. Identifying it before it develops into a