At various times in life, most people will be faced with one or more mental health, wellness, or life issues that will cause them pain in one form or another, and which they will want to rid themselves of.
Normal Emotions
Life is filled a variety of experiences, and depending upon life circumstances, it is quite appropriate to be feeling any of a number of positive and negative emotions. Such emotional states include excitement, frustration, fear, happiness, anger, sadness, and joy, with many more possibilities. All of these emotional states are normal reactions to specific life events. Even when they are experienced as unpleasant, they are normal reactions.
These same emotions, however, can intensify into abnormal states if they become an overreaction to the circumstances. For example, if a store clerk is rude, you may respond with normal irritation, and complain to the manager. If your irritation quickly escalates to anger and rage, then you may create such a scene that you are now the rude and obnoxious person.
Sadder than Sad?
In a similar manner, experiencing a loss may make you sad, but if the sadness becomes out of proportion to the event, then you fall into depression. Sadness is normal, but depression is not. Depression is when you become sadder than sad.
Ask yourself these two simple questions:
Are my (or somebody close to me) thoughts, feelings, actions, or relationships suffering in a way that is seriously affecting my (or their) life?
Have I (or somebody close to me) tried to change this problem for some time now without success?
If you have answered yes to both questions, then as a general rule you, or the person you know, would probably benefit from some form of psychological therapy.
What Is a Psychologist?
Psychologists are highly trained professionals with expertise in the areas of human behavior, mental health assessment, diagnosis and treatment, and behavior change. Psychologists work with patients to change their feelings and attitudes, and help them develop healthier, more effective patterns of behavior.
