How Freud Is Still Relevant Today Prompted by last month’s blog on Narcissism, this is the first in a series on some of the founding members in psychoanalysis and some of their ideas, many of which, I believe, are still useful for us today. Widely...
Social Media Anxiety
Narcissism
Narcissism The term 'narcissism' is banded around a lot. But what does being a narcissist actually mean? And how do we work out if we are in a relationship with one, or even if we might be one ourselves? Origins of Narcissism The term narcissism comes from...
The Art of Self-soothing 4: Using Our Senses
Using Our Senses This final post in my series is about using our bodily senses to self-soothe. There are lots of ways that we can self-sooth by looking. Sight Natural Vistas As I’ve already mentioned in a previous post, nature and landscapes are very calming. For...
The Art of Self-soothing 3: Creativity
Creativity is a sure way to self-soothe. People have lost themselves in creative pursuits since time began. Getting in touch with our creativity is a way of reaching something within ourselves. By allowing this to develop we can usually make something bigger than...
The Art of Self-Soothing 2: Nature
This month’s way to self soothe is by being in nature. It’s long been known and proven that being outside and preferably in nature can improve our mental health. Take a Short Walk The simplest ways are often the most effective. Such as going for a short walk from your...
The Art of Self Soothing
There is so much going on in the world now. It’s hard watching the news, in fact I am more likely to just quickly check a news ap than I am to watch the news in real time. Many people I speak to are unable to watch the news at all because they struggle to think of the...
Interpreting Dreams
In the last of my series on dreaming we look at common images and symbols in dream interpretation. I love working with the unconscious and find dreams fascinating. We can think of them as metaphors for what might be going on in the dreamer’s life and/or the...
Nightmares and Night terrors
It seems difficult for people to talk about their nightmares. Even if the person has told me during their assessment that they suffer from nightmares, I often find people don’t talk about them in any detail until we have been working together for a while. Maybe by...
Types of dreams
Types of Dreams Every dream is as unique as the dreamer, but there are specific types of dreamsthat most commonly find their way into my consulting room. These are daydreams, vivid dreams, recurring dreams, lucid dreams, nightmares and night terrors. This month, I...
Dream Journaling
How To Remember Your Dreams I often work with people who dream frequently and are interested in their dreams. Many suffer from nightmares and night terrors which they remember vividly. I will be exploring these in a later post. But a lot of people don’t remember...
This is the first in a series I’m writing about social media. Over recent years, and especially since the pandemic social media has become more prevalent in our lives.
Benefits of Social Media
There are fantastic sides to social media like the ability to keep in touch with family and friends who live further away and aren’t easy to see face to face. There’s a guide available online to do anything you can possibly want or imagine, just search for a relevant video on YouTube. There are millions of online courses and trainings to improve oneself and one’s career and there is so much inspiration available like how to establish a morning routine for success, which paint effect to use on your latest preloved piece of furniture, and how to dance like Hugh Jackman and his wife.
Concerns about Social Media
But there is the shadow side of social media too. Many of us are simultaneously concerned about social media and the negative effect it can have on us.
As a parent, there is the challenging conundrum of wanting your child to be accepted by their peers and be able to arrange their own social life whilst also being concerned about the dangers of who they may be communicating with online. Who exactly are they playing Minecraft with?
As a singleton there is dating app overload and the constant conflict of wanting someone to date and maybe even finding a partner but knowing that there are many hurdles to pass in the ever-exhausting round of dating apps whilst navigating ghosting and phishing challenges to name a few.
And for all of us, there is a constant overload of information and the numerous distractions that social media brings.
Social Media Anxiety Syndrome
There isn’t currently an official diagnosis for Social Media Anxiety Syndrome or Social Media Disorder, but it wouldn’t surprise me if one appears in the next DSM (the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and the NICE guidelines (the lesser-known Uk NHS equivalent) sooner rather than later. The research being done in this area, however, will take time to be published.
Social Media Anxiety covers many aspects including revenge porn, incels, and cyberbullying. These issues are in the news most days but may not touch all of us. But an increase in isolation, anxiety, and depression, and feelings of inadequacy have probably affected all of us who use social media in one way or another at some point.
Is Social Media Affecting You?
If you would like to find out more about how social media may be affecting, you there are 9 questions to answer in a simple questionnaire here.
I’ll be exploring these topics and their effect on us over the coming months in future blog posts. I have also previously written a post on FOMO which you may find helpful.