Category Archives: Self Help

What is Amotivational Syndrome?

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By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Unmotivated.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Have you lost your drive or your desire to do something?

Amotivational Syndrome is often connected with the smoking of marijuana.  This is something quite different from what we see in depression.  In depression, people lose the desire to do things they use to make them happy.  We call that loss of pleasure anhedonia.

In Amotivational Syndrome people seem to spend more time looking inward and contemplating things and less time actively doing them.  This syndrome was originally recognized in younger, marijuana smokers who were heavier daily users.

Does marijuana smoking cause a loss of motivation?

Things that are, or were, associated with Amotivational Syndrome include the development of apathy and loss of ambition.  Heavy smokers just seem to become indifferent and stop caring about anything except smoking.  They seem to have fewer goals and decreased effectiveness.  Problems with attention and concentration have also been attributed to heavy marijuana smoking and Amotivational Syndrome.

Many of these characteristics are seen in daily, heavy, marijuana smokers.  What is unclear is whether marijuana smoking causes this cluster of symptoms or whether those people who are low in motivation like to smoke marijuana.  At one point it was commonly accepted that some marijuana smokers are likely to suffer from Amotivational Syndrome.

Not all marijuana smokers are low in motivation.

Because of the many famous, popular people, who have been reported to be regular marijuana smokers, the connection between smoking marijuana and low motivation has come into question. It is unclear how common this condition is, or even if this is a valid syndrome.  Amotivational Syndrome has not been reported in countries other than the United States.  There’s some question whether Amotivational Syndrome is, in fact, a cultural rather than a mental condition.

Animals on marijuana don’t lose motivation.

Laboratory studies of both humans and animals have not found evidence of the Amotivational Syndrome for those using marijuana.  Amotivational Syndrome or loss of goals and direction has been found in many groups of young people who are not using marijuana on a regular basis.  This has led some writers to conclude that Amotivational Syndrome is a personality characteristic rather than the result of smoking marijuana.  It may be that those people with low motivation are attracted to using marijuana and other intoxicating substances.

One other possibility that has been suggested is that those people who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol or other substances may have low motivations to do anything while under the influence.  What we may be seeing in those people who were described as having Amotivational Syndrome may, in fact, be the effects of intoxication and withdrawal from marijuana or other substances.

As with the other things we are calling a mental illness or symptoms of a mental illness Amotivational Syndrome would need to interfere with your ability to work or go to school, your relationships, your enjoyable activities, or cause you personal distress for it to be the focus of clinical attention. Otherwise, while you may have lost some motivation you will not be identified as someone needing clinical assistance.  If the only time you have low motivation is when you are under the influence of marijuana or another drug this would be diagnosed as drug intoxication.

For more on this and related topics see the other posts on counselorssoapbox.com under        Drug Use, Abuse, and Addiction

FYI These “What is” sometimes “What are” posts are my efforts to explain terms commonly used in Mental Health, Clinical Counseling, Substance Use Disorder Counseling, Psychology, Life Coaching, and related disciplines in a plain language way. Many are based on the new DSM-5; some of the older posts were based on the DSM-IV-TR, both published by the APA. For the more technical versions please consult the DSM or other appropriate references.

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.

For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel

Abundance.

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Sunday Inspiration.   Post By David Joel Miller.

Abundance

Having Abundance

Abundance.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

“It is giving not receiving that creates an abundant life.”

“If you have love you have it all.”

“Abundance is receiving what you need not getting everything you want.”

Wanted to share some inspirational quotes with you.  Today seemed like a good time to do this. If any of these quotes strike a chord with you please share them.

Things that will make you anxious.

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By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Anxiety provoking.

Anxiety.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

How many of these things make you anxious?

If you are high in anxiety and your life is full of stress, some of the things you have surrounding you may be adding to the tension and pressure you are struggling with. Take an inventory of these worry-producing factors and see which ones are part of your life. Consider cutting back on or eliminating things that are fueling your anxiety and stress and see if your life does not become far more pleasant.

Unsupportive relationships increase anxiety.

Having people in your life who like, respect, and support you as a person and friend can be protective when it comes to anxiety and stress. Having to spend a lot of time around those who are uncooperative wears you out and leads to that stressed-out feeling. Consider taking a look at your relationships and decide which ones add to your well-being and which ones need to be curtailed.

Judgmental people surrounding you increase anxiety.

People who are constantly judging you rather than accepting you are guaranteed to increase your anxiety. If you keep getting the message that you do not measure up to others standards, take a look at yourself. Improve what you can and distance yourself from those you will never be able to please no matter what.

Having to constantly be on guard to do and say just the right thing is exhausting. Having people in your life who can accept the real you lets you relax and recharge.

Not getting enough sleep results in anxious days and stressed out nights.

Do not start thinking that sleep is time wasted. Those hours asleep each night help your brain clear the mental wreckage from the day before. Your brain burns a lot of calories each day and that mental exercise creates waste. You need some sleep for the brain to repair.

Chronically sleep-deprived people become grouchy, have difficulty thinking, getting along with others, and begin to make mistakes. When thinking is hard you can easily become overwhelmed and anxious. Increase your sleep to reduce your anxiety and fears.

Your diet is emotionally burning you out.

Poor diet results in trying to run your body on less than adequate fuel. Make sure you get enough to eat. Look to improve your diet in small ways. You do not need to become a healthy diet fascist to learn to eat better.

A healthy balanced diet needs to include plenty of water and less in the way of sugar. Look for ways to make small sustainable changes that help you have the energy to cope with life. When you feel healthy you can better cope with stress.

If exercise has become a spectator sport anxiety increases.

Make sure your body is capable of responding when the challenge comes. Get up and move around. Sever that connection between fear and moving. Dance, walk, play to keep the body used to beneficial movement. Not being fit increases the stress when you do have to move for a reason.

Forgetting to breathe expands anxiety.

When the body is deprived of oxygen it sends out distress messages. Most people only breathe deeply when they are already in a panic. Learn to control your breathing rather than letting anxiety take your breath to unknown places.

Having a job, not a life purpose stresses you out.

If you do your work with a purpose it rewards you twice, once when you enjoy what you do and again when they pay you for having done what gives you pleasure. People who have to endure the workday become progressively more worn out.

Seek out work that gives your life meaning. Look for something you can feel proud you do. Make your daily occupation a means to an end not the end of your existence.

Living to meet other’s expectations increases anxiety.

If you are mostly motivated by trying to please others you will find it difficult to please yourself. Do each daily task as if you were the boss and do it well enough that you would be happy with an employee that worked this hard.

Being on the lookout for what could go wrong magnifies anxiety.

Do you spend most of your day looking for what might go wrong? If you are on the constant lookout for problems you will find them. In that process, you may miss the possible solutions and the happy moments between the problems.

All you do is work, too many miles without downtime adds to anxiety.

If life becomes a grind then it will grind you down. Some people love what they do and it energizes them but other people work to exhaustion and spend their off time worrying about work and teetering on collapse.

You spend more time in the past and the future than in now.

The more time you spend visiting the past and the future the more anxious or depressed you may become. People who anticipate the future with dread, looking for what might go wrong, grow more anxiety than accomplishments.

Ruminating about things, not let things go increases anxiety.

Rumination is that habit humans have of just not being ready to let anything go. You worry you obsess and then you worry some more. If most of your thoughts are about things that need worry, your life has been taken over by the anxiety monster and you are doing his bidding.

Taking things way too seriously grows anxiety.

Is everything in your life deadly serious? Do you need to be right about everything? Then you have lost your perspective and are ripe to be absorbed in your anxiety. In terms of humans history, not much that happens in most of our lives will matter next week let alone next year. But your effort into the things that will really matter.

For more on this topic see:      Anxiety

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.

For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel

Happy Mother’s Day

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Mothers day

Happy Mother’s Day

mom is like icecreamHope you are all having a Happy Mothers Day.

 

Today needed a couple of extra pictures.

 

 

animal mom

animal mom

We can’t forget all the animal moms who are showing how basic the need for mothers love is.

All Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com

Wanted to share some inspirational thoughts with you.  Today seemed like a good time to do this. If any of these quotes strike a chord with you please share them.

Persistent Depressive Disorder – PDD (F34.1)

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By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

What is

What is Persistent Depressive Disorder?
Photo courtesy of pixabay.

What if you don’t ever remember being happy?

Persistent Depressive Disorder – PDD (F34.1) is new to the DSM-5. The DSM is the book professionals use to identify mental illnesses. This diagnosis is the result of merging Dysthymia and another group of symptoms which was being researched as Chronic Major Depression. Some other variations on the depressive theme were being called Minor Depressive Disorder, which did not get recognized as such but kind of fits here.

While we may label these conditions as chronic or minor, there is nothing minor about them if you are someone who has this condition?

The defining characteristic of Persistent Depressive Disorder – PDD, is a pervasive sadness that just won’t go away. People who have this condition are always sad or unhappy. They may describe themselves as “always down” or having the blues. While this can cause a lot of impairment, people who have PDD come to think of their chronic sadness as “Just the way I am.”

It is estimated that about two percent of the U. S. population has PDD. Many people with PDD also experience a substance use disorder. There is also an overlap between PDD and Cluster B and Cluster C personality disorders, both of which, to my way of thinking, may have their roots in negative childhood experiences.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) is more disabling than Major Depressive Disorder.

PDD has been identified on brain scans and seems to affect at least four separate brain regions. PDD is long-lasting, at least two years, often more. During this time someone with PDD may also experience an episode of Major Depressive Disorder. While the major depressive episode may come and go the PDD often remains relatively constant. Because of this constant feature, people with PDD may not be able to ever feel really happy and their functioning, day-to-day, is more impacted than those with Major Depressive Disorder only.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) is chameleon-like.

Chronic unending depression has a lot of variations. This disorder can exhibit itself a great many ways. As a result, there are eighteen separate specifiers that can and should be added after the F43.1 These specifiers are not exclusive, so one person may also get several specifiers added to the Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) diagnosis.

Specifiers include with:

Anxious distress – anxiety commonly co-occurs with depression.

Mixed features

Melancholy features

Atypical features

Mood-congruent psychotic features

Mood-incongruent psychotic features

Peripartum features

In partial remission

In full remission

Early onset – before 21

Late onset – at or after age 21

Pure dysthymia syndrome

Persistent major depressive episode

Intermittent major depressive episode, currently with MDD

Intermittent major depressive episode, currently without MDD

Mild

Moderate

Severe

The symptoms of Persistent Depressive Disorder.

To qualify for PDD a person should have the following symptoms:

  1. Felt depressed or down, or had others see them this way, most of the day, most days, over a two-year period.
  2. Had at least two of the following six symptoms. These symptoms should be caused by emotions not by dieting or working long hours, etc.
  3. Change in appetite either up or down.
  4. Changes in sleep either too much or too little.
  5. Felt low in energy or fatigued a lot.
  6. Low self-esteem.
  7. Difficulty deciding things or poor concentration.
  8. Hopeless.
  9. Most of the usual exclusions. This has to be causing problems with work, school, relationships, should interfere with important activities or upset the client. It should not overlap Bipolar Disorder or Psychotic Disorder but may overlap Major Depressive Disorder. These symptoms should not be the result of medical or substance use issues.
  10. These symptoms have been constant and not gone away for two months or more over the required two-year period.

Be careful with the PDD label.

Calling Persistent Depressive Disorder by the label PDD could be problematic. In the past, we had another PDD – Pervasive Developmental Delay which is now recognized as a part of the Autism Spectrum. Persistent Depressive Disorder – PDD is about depression and has nothing to do with Autism. Be careful in reading articles that if they use the label PDD you know which of these two they are talking about. From here on I will call Persistent Depressive Disorder – PDD.

As with the other things we are calling a mental illness this needs to interfere with your ability to work or go to school, your relationships, your enjoyable activities, or cause you personal distress. Otherwise, you may have the issues but you will not get the diagnoses if this is a personal characteristic, not a problem. If the only time this happens is when you are under the influence of drugs or medicines or because of some other physical or medical problem these symptoms need to be more than your situation would warrant. These other issues may need treating first, then if you still have symptoms you could get this diagnosis.

FYI These “What is” sometimes “What are” posts are my efforts to explain terms commonly used in Mental Health, Clinical Counseling, Substance Use Disorder Counseling, Psychology, Life Coaching, and related disciplines in a plain language way. Many are based on the new DSM-5; some of the older posts were based on the DSM-IV-TR, both published by the APA. For the more technical versions please consult the DSM or other appropriate references.

More “What is” posts will be found at “What is.”  and Depression  

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.

For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel

All Temptations are not equal.

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Sunday Inspiration.   Post By David Joel Miller.

Temptation.

Temptation

Some temptations are worth giving in to.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Some temptations are worth giving in to.

Wanted to share some inspirational quotes with you.  Today seemed like a good time to do this. If any of these quotes strike a chord with you please share them.

Is your life out of balance?

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By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

stay in balance

Balance.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Ways to get your life back in balance.

It is easy to get stressed out. Getting ahead is getting more and more difficult. People tell me all the time that they are overwhelmed and that they just can’t keep up anymore. In the quest to be successful at work or competitive activities, one of the first things to suffer is your work-life balance.

Trying to be and do more results in relationships that get neglected. In extreme cases, people find they have neglected self-care and their physical and mental health have suffered. If you find your life has gotten way out of balance here are some tips on how to get that out of balance life back in balance.

Try doing less for a more balanced life.

The first step in a balanced life is to review the things on your plate and decide which are really necessary. There are plenty of things you could do but just because you can, does not mean you should.

Set a bedtime for a more balanced life.

There are times you can cut corners and squeeze a little more out, but giving up sleep time in the quest for success is a really bad idea. You can only get so many miles out of an unmaintained vehicle and the human body will not function well without adequate rest. Try cutting corners on sleep and you will find you will begin to make really bad decisions.

Make up a daily schedule to maintain balance.

Having a daily schedule all written out helps you chart a course for your day just like a road map will help you get to your destination. Writing out your day’s schedule will point to the times you have more to do than you could possibly be accomplished. A schedule can also help you see that you need to be across town two minutes after you started a meeting with your boss. Use the schedule to even out the workflow.

Reviewing that daily schedule at the end of the day may help you spot where you filled time with a water cooler session or a video game binge. It is those diversions that drag on and on which rob your day of a lot of potentially productive hours.

Allow adequate meal times to keep yourself healthy.

You can’t run your car on an empty tank nor can you run your body on substandard nutrition. Rushing through meals results in eating fewer healthy foods and more of those over-processed ones.

Investing more time in yourself keeps all aspects of your life balanced.

If you are too busy to learn a new skill then you are far too busy. Invest in your body and mind and they will still be serviceable when you reach the rewards of your life. Do you want to be one of those people who worked hard to have enough in retirement and find you are too sick to enjoy it? If you work yourself to death someone else can enjoy the fruits of your efforts.

Include social – friend time in the schedule for better work and life balance.

Humans are social creatures. You need positive supportive people in your life. Investing in friendships and socializing for the sake of enjoyment are not wastes of productive time. Having a good social life is the asset that will get you through those tough times in life.

Break up big tasks – chunking.

Life gets off-kilter rapidly when you throw yourself at a task that is too big to complete all at once and you stay with it beyond the point of making progress. An occasional all-night work binge may be part of life in this millennium but if taking on huge tasks and wearing yourself out in the process is your modus operandi try breaking that task up into smaller sub-tasks and doing one of these tasks each day.

Start accepting what is.

One of the biggest time sucks and a waste of energy is time spent on complaining about what is, should be, and so on. Do not squander time saying something should not have happened or looking for whose fault it was.

Invest your energy in accepting the current situation as it exists and then focus on how to change it. Hint here. The solution probably consists of changing you and what you do rather than in trying to change other’s behavior to suit you.

Set time limits on tasks to prevent their expanding.

Ever had a fifteen-minute task take four hours? Work can expand to fill the time allotted. So can diversions. Set limits and if you are not done in the allotted time move on down your list. When you create your plan for the next day or revise today’s, try being more realistic about how much time this supposed fifteen-minute task will take.

Invest time in goal setting and planning.

Creating a specific goal and planning the steps to get you there is not a waste of time. Having clear goals can give your project and your life a focus. Developing a clear plan with periodic review points can keep you headed in the right direction. Good plans also prevent leaving out steps and then having to start the project all over again.

Make lists.

Make lists. Make lots of lists. Do what is most important to them and ignore the maybe’s. A list of materials needed can help you avoid having to stop partway through because you are out of “stuff.” Lists that include rest and relaxation can keep you from being the machine that breaks down unexpectedly.

Prioritize – what should you be doing not what you can do.

A lot of time can get flushed away on all the things that you could be doing and result in little or no time for the big major jobs that were the real heart of the project. Let someone else do the optional tasks or delete them from your list altogether.

Was this post helpful? You might also want to check out these other counselorssoapbox posts.     Life Hacks     Self-improvement     Success

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.

For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel

Do something you can brag about.

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Sunday Inspiration.   Post By David Joel Miller.

Self-Esteem

Building self-esteem

Do something you can brag about.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

For better self-esteem do better things.

Do something you can brag about.

Wanted to share some inspirational quotes with you.  Today seemed like a good time to do this. If any of these quotes strike a chord with you please share them.

How to scare an anxious person.

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By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Anxiety provoking.

Anxiety.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

How many of these things scare you?

People who are high in anxiety are easily frightened. A great many things can scare someone with high anxiety.

Unfortunately, it is often the person who is high in anxiety who is scaring themselves. How many of these thoughts do you entertain that result in feeding your anxiety monster until he is out of control?

Threaten them. 50% chance of an earthquake in the next few years.

Lots of bad things MAY happen. Particularly in the realm of nature and the environment. That earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other weather phenomena may happen, does not guarantee they will.

Even in those places where these catastrophic events take place the chances that you and yours will get through unharmed are better than the chances you will be injured. Don’t waste a lot of effort considering low probability events when there are high probability events around the corner.

Does the chance something may happen, justify your using up space in your brain worrying about what may happen at some point off in the future. Eventually we humans all die but happy people live their life based on positive beliefs.

Asking “what if” questions will scare you.

Putting doubt in your head is a proven method to increase anxiety. Ruminating about the future is a sure-fire way to crank up your anxiety. Ask repeatedly “what if” questions about the future and you will discover plenty of possibilities to go wrong.

Attitude towards waiting, traffic jams, lines, being late, can increase anxiety.

For people high in anxiety any waiting is anxiety-provoking. Where someone with less anxiety might interpret the wait is a chance to relax and de-stress the anxious person will use the time to worry about what might happen, how this is not the way things are “supposed” to go. Anxious people can catastrophize about any delay in plans.

Remind yourself everyone is watching. Public speaking, presentations, inspections.

There are lots of situations in life where people might be watching you. Giving a bad talk or presentation might get you noticed in an unfavorable light.

The best remedy for that kind of unfavorable attention is to know what you are talking about and to thoroughly prepare that talk. Most of the time you will find that people are paying far less attention to you than you might wish. Even worse than doing a poor presentation, for the person who speaks a lot, is giving a good one and having no one notice.

One thing you will discover if you investigate what others think about you is that most of the time, those other people are far too preoccupied with their own lives to notice what you did or did not do.

Tell them to “dress appropriately.”

Fuzzy directions can create immense anxiety. Planning to be on time only works if you know what is “on time” for the particular function you will be attending. What is appropriate for one situation and a group of people can be very inappropriate for another.

The best way to quiet this fear is to do your homework or ask what is the proper time or attire.

Ask if they noticed that mole, rash, lump, itch.

You can spend countless hours of frantic involvement with your worries as you go over every inch of your body looking for imperfections to diagnose. Stop stressing and head to the doctor. They should be able to tell you what that mark is and put your mind to rest.

You are not wrong to ask a friend about some new mark you see on their body, just do it in a gentle way knowing that the high anxiety person may anxious themselves beyond belief at your question.

Have them work in a place with sudden unexplained noises.

Someone with high anxiety is always on the lookout for sudden unexplained events, noises, and movement. Put that person on a worksite that has random unexplained sights and sounds and by the end of the day, they are ready to become the proverbial basket case.

Worse than ending up in that sort of environment by chance is the person with high anxiety who ignores their mental health needs and takes on an unsuitable job or those anxious people who are living in a situation with those random, sight, and sound triggers.

Wait till the last minute, for appointments, gas, or essentials.

If you are a high anxiety person you know how unnerving last-minute changes of plans can be. You have planned things out in advance to prevent unexpected occurrences and suddenly plans get changed with possible “catastrophic” results.

If you have to live or work with an anxious person, plan ahead to avoid these last-minute emergencies. Stopping for gas on the way to the appointment may be no problem for you but the high anxiety person will come unglued at the thought that you may run out of gas or that you might be late for that appointment and then they would not be seen by the doctor and their cancer would go undiagnosed and they might die as a result —- See how that anxiety train picks up speed as they ruminate about unforeseen plan changes?

Take them for a drive along the cliff when the river floods.

There are a number of things that trigger anxiety so commonly these items made it into the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in the section on specific phobias. While people can be specifically afraid of these things they can also be triggers for high anxiety even when the person with the fear attack is unaware of the phobia.

The list of Specific Phobias includes animals, nature, blood and surgery, close or confined places, choking, vomiting, and even costumed creatures.

If you have a person with anxiety in your life, try to avoid doing these things and triggering that person’s anxiety. If you are an anxious person, how many of these things are you creating for yourself, and are you willing to try some counseling to get past those anxiety triggers?

For more on this topic see:   Anxiety

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

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For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel

Building Self-esteem.

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Sunday Inspiration.   Post By David Joel Miller.

Building Self-esteem.

Be Yourself.

Just Be You.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are.” – Kurt Cobain

“Just be yourself, there is no one better.” – Taylor Swift

“One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.” ― Shannon L. Alder

Wanted to share some inspirational quotes with you.  Today seemed like a good time to do this. If any of these quotes strike a chord with you please share them.