This disorder has tremendous ramifications for the both the person living with the condition, as well as family and friends. Clients experience a loss of their sense of themselves as well as alienation from others. The family is assisted in adjusting to this challenge while learning to accept the client’s new way of interacting with their world.
Anger
Did you grow up witnessing anger being expressed in threatening manners: physical, sexual, or emotional violence? withholding of affection or attention? or even abandonment? If so, you may have concluded that “all anger is bad” and that it is just best to suppress it. Although this reaction is both common and understandable, this action causes its own set of problems and is never entirely successful.
Suppressed anger can lead to chronic pain; migraines, stomach problems; anxiety and depression - and numerous other serious manifestations [see “TMS“]. It doesn’t go away - it just goes underground!
Clients are supported in learning to identify and acknowledge past and present causes for frustration and disappointment. For some people, this is essentially the end of the process! They don’t feel a need to take any further action. For others, they might wish to continue with deeper work to purge these feelings and resolve them more completely. Clients are encouraged to trust their own personal instincts to guide them toward the appropriate action.
Anxiety/OCD
Anxiety can be the result of unresolved anger or a free-floating fear of a real or imagined impending threat. It can create a sense of insecurity, fear, and lack of confidence.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a specific manifestation of anxiety which causes a cycle of getting stuck on negative thoughts (obsessions), then attempting to relieve tension by carrying out specific behaviors (compulsions). Left untreated, OCD generally gets worse over time.
Fortunately, proper treatment is highly successful in assisting clients in learning tools to manage their thinking, thereby regaining control over their lives. An important component of treatment is family counseling. It is essential that family members learn that helping the patient with his/her rituals actually keeps the person more entrenched in those behaviors.
An important tool in learning to take control of one’s life is knowing how to express your needs in a clear, concise manner. Assertiveness is simply a form of communication that requires commitment and practice. Some people struggle with thoughts such as, “Being assertive makes me feel like I’m being mean” or “I’m afraid the other person won’t like me anymore.” Role-playing is often helpful to identify the exact reason for your discomfort around expressing your needs. Also, it may be helpful to borrow a book from Peaceful Sea’s lending library and practice some exercises on your own, then discuss your experience at the next session. Click here to read my article about Disarming Conflict.
Decision Making
When people come to a crossroads in their lives and are torn about “the right thing to do,” it may be because they are trying to please everyone around them. But if each of those individuals has a different opinion about what constitutes “right,” then making everyone happy simply won’t be possible.
The clarification process is one of temporarily putting aside others’ needs in order to gain a sense of calm. From that place often arises creative solutions where none appeared to previously exist.
Developmentally delayed adults and adolescents sometimes struggle with determining appropriate ways to express their feelings. Like all of us, they wish to convey affection, frustration and endless other emotions. Clients are taught social skills such as making conversation; asking for a date; private vs. public behaviors; and sexual boundaries.
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender
Finding one’s place in the world as a young person is difficult, but when that person is a GLBT individual, the challenges are even greater.
Healthy relationships are really the same regardless of whether they are same-sex or opposite-sex (or relationships with coworkers, family, friends, or children for that matter). Necessary qualities include: trust, respect, commitment, and acceptance.
Marijuana Dependence
A harm reduction model is used to aid the client in reducing level of use through exploring the underlying purpose the drug is serving. By providing alternative sources for meeting those needs, desire for this substance may decrease substantially. Goal is to minimize negative impacts (such as friction in relationships; concentration and memory problems) of the drug on the client’s life. This approach may or may not lead to eventual cessation of use. Click here to read my article about Marijuana Dependence that appeared in the Times-Standard.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse impacts the self-image of the victim and dramatically changes the dynamics of the entire family system. Family members are supported in expressing their needs and determining future direction regarding relationships with each other.
Sexual Compulsions
Compulsive behavior can be defined as behavior that continues despite serious, negative consequences. Internet pornography has become a major source of conflict in many long-term relationships. Clients are encouraged to explore motivation for this or other problematic behaviors and to build skills necessary to strengthen their bond with their partners.
