COVID-19 is Making Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Worse

Postpartum mental health issues are fueled not only by the hormonal turmoil that women experience but also by the emotional and practical challenges of keeping a vulnerable new human alive while operating on very, very little sleep. Having a baby during a pandemic is harder. Even if everyone in the family is healthy, it’s harder. Even if the family’s financial situation has not been damaged by layoffs, it’s harder. It takes all of the challenges of parenting a newborn — the nerves, the stress, the at-times profound loneliness — and amplifies them.

Maternal Mental HealthLibby MarlerAugust 3, 2020The Counseling CollectiveCOVID-19, postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, motherhood, mom life, infant loss, anxiety, anxiety disorder, anxiety treatment, prenatal depression, depression treatment Comment

How to Stay Optimistic When Everything Seems Wrong

With the endless stream of urgent news pushing the boundaries of our mental health, it seems laughable to suggest optimism right now. Maybe you’re worried about losing your job, losing your home or losing a loved one. Maybe you already have. Maybe you’re worried about your own health, and maybe you feel helpless or doomed. Whatever it is, optimism feels like a luxury that few of us can afford.

AnxietyLibby MarlerJuly 29, 2020The Counseling CollectiveCOVID-19, coronavirus, resiliency, trauma, trauma healing, anxiety treatment Comment

Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

Kardashian may have said it best in her Instagram story: “We as a society talk about giving grace to the issue of mental health as a whole, however we should also give it to the individuals who are living with it in times when they need it the most. I kindly ask that the media and public give us the compassion and empathy that is needed so that we can get through this.”

ResourcesLibby MarlerJuly 7, 2020The Counseling Collectivebipolar disorder, bipolar disorder treatment, depression treatment, supporting families, anxiety treatmentComment

The Lonely Terror of Postpartum Anxiety

But too often, what gets shrugged off as “new mom worry” feels crippling to the woman experiencing it. To a new mother with postpartum anxiety, her whole world can begin to feel like a battlefield.

Maternal Mental HealthLibby MarlerMarch 31, 2020The Counseling Collective Fort Worthpostpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, postpartum, anxiety, anxiety treatmentComment

Is My Chest Tightness Anxiety or the Coronavirus?

One common symptom of COVID-19 is chest tightness and shortness of breath. As it happens, chest tightness and shortness of breath are also common symptoms of anxiety. So last week, when my chest felt tight for three days and I monitored my breath so closely that breathing started to feel unnatural, I worried, and worried some more.

AnxietyLibby MarlerMarch 28, 2020The Counseling Collective illness, anxiety, anxiety disorder, anxiety treatment, counseling for anxietyComment

Going to Therapy Saved My Motherhood

A year ago, I decided to seek help from a therapist. I never thought about therapy before. I never thought I needed it. I had feelings buried deep inside me at the pit of my core for years that I never talked about, but that's where they lived, and I was okay with that—or so I thought.

Maternal Mental HealthLibby MarlerDecember 11, 2019The Counseling Collective Fort Worthmaternal mental health, motherhood, transition to motherhood, postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, counseling for mothers, anxiety treatmentComment

Reducing Your Risk for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

There are a variety of effected and well researched counseling treatments and interventions that have been shown to reduce the risk of postpartum depression and anxiety. Many of these treatments involve providing mothers with practical support and strategies for managing problems that may arise during the postpartum period (such as sleep deprivation and crying). Here are some more specifics!

Maternal Mental HealthLibby MarlerOctober 22, 2019The Counseling Collective Fort Worthpostpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, transition to motherhood, mother, anxiety treatment, depression treatment, prenatalComment

Understanding and Overcoming Perfectionism

At its core, perfectionism is striving to attain unrealistic standards based on a sense of self-worth that hinges on the expectations of others. Perfectionism is ultimately rooted in fear. Fear of rejection, fear of being an imposter, fear of getting it wrong, fear of someone seeing the real you, fear of being judged, fear of not knowing the answer, fear of failing, fear of effort, fear of it being too hard or too much. While the connection between perfectionism and anxiety is complex, perfectionism is often a sign of an underlying anxiety issue.

AnxietyLibby MarlerOctober 1, 2019The Counseling Collective Fort Worthperfection, perfectionism, anxiety disorder, anxiety treatment, fear of failure, fear of rejection, shame, self protection, self compassion, self care, painComment

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