SERVICES
I deal with:
PANIC ATTACKS
A panic attack is characterized by a strong state of anxiety, combined with psychological and physical symptoms that present themselves unexpectedly.
You feel unpleasant physical sensations such as: dizziness, dizziness, palpitations, tremor, sweating, hot flashes of heat, feelings of fainting or choking; often takes over fear of dying.
Is paralyzing and there is help-seeking or avoidance behaviors of situations that are perceived as sensitive to the onset of symptoms.
Those who suffer from it show a constant concern in order to avoid any situation that could generate the attack. This mechanism is called "fear of fear".
Fear becomes predominant and prevents you from doing the simplest things.
The theoretical approach on which cognitive behavioral therapy is based for panic disorder refers to the assumption that, during a panic attack, the subject interprets some external or internal stimuli as dangerous. These interpretations trigger the person's anxiety, with its associated mental and physical symptoms.
The cognitive behavioral protocol is divided into the following procedures:
- Reconstruction of the first time the panic attack appeared.
- Goal formulation.
- Patient education on the characteristics of the disorder, its occurrence and mechanisms of avoidance.
- Teaching symptom management techniques.
- Identification of misconceptions leading to the onset of the attack.
- Discussion and computation of the patient's erroneous beliefs.
- Gradual exposure to feared and avoided stimuli.
- Relapse prevention.
PERSONALITY DISORDERS
Personality Disorders are modalities, very strict, to perceive, respond to and relate to people and events.
These configurations of reaction and relationship severely invalidate the possibilities of the person who suffers from them, of having social relations satisfying for themselves and for others.
Normally a person manages to adapt sufficiently to different life situations and manages to adopt an alternative relational style, if the usual one is ineffective.
Vice versa, people suffering from a Personality Disorder are inflexible and respond inappropriately to life's difficulties to the point of polluting all relationships with important people.
These dysfunctional and maladaptive configurations emerge in adolescence or early adulthood and tend to stabilize over time.
Sufferers of a Personality Disorder have numerous interpersonal problems in different areas of his life. To the trouble, Often, depressive symptoms are associated, anxiety, substance abuse or eating disorders.
They are not aware of the dysfunctionality and inadequacy of their patterns of thought and behavior, therefore they tend not to seek the help of a specialist. Generally, the request for help is activated after experiencing anxious or depressive symptoms.
Paradoxically, they show up in therapy, often, individuals related to relationships with people who suffer from the disorder. Below are Personality Disorders:
Cluster A
- Paranoid Personality Disorder;
- Schizoid Personality Disorder;
- Schizotypal Personality Disorder;
Cluster B
- Histrionic Personality Disorder;
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder;
- Antisocial Personality Disorder;
- Borderline Personality Disorder;
Cluster C
- Avoidant Personality Disorder;
- Dependent Personality Disorder;
- Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to improve the person's quality of life and help them manage or resolve the problem. Therapy aims to provide the tools to identify distorted patterns of reasoning and interpretation of reality and integrates them with functional and realistic thoughts and beliefs
FOOD DISORDERS
They are generated by an approach to food that translates into an excessively important element in the individual's daily life. Food becomes so central to the person suffering from the disorder that it conditions him to exercise excessive control or, on the contrary, a total recklessness with respect to it. There may be forms of addiction to food and a perception of one's body that does not adhere to reality. Bulimia and anorexia nervosa represent the most critical expression of these disorders.
The ultimate goal of psychotherapy is to restructure dysfunctional beliefs about food and eating habits by providing, Therefore, a different and real meaning of these, with the effect of achieving a more serene relationship with oneself, with the body and with food.
MOURTES AND SEPARATIONS
A bereavement or a separation is always an important trauma capable of filling those who suffer it with pain. There are many differences between experiencing loss from bereavement or separation or trauma, however, there are some commonalities. The loss of a loved one represents an experience of detachment that generates a configuration of intense and unpleasant emotions. A drama that leads us to experience a state of abandonment, of loneliness, Of fear, etc. A loss causes a change that calls the person to go through different stages. This process requires processing. The purpose of cognitive behavioral therapy is to help deal with the difficulties experienced after a separation by analyzing what happened and how it was experienced. In particular, in therapy we focus on that defensive mechanism whereby the memory of a person who is no longer there, it blurs, because it's too painful. This creates the increase of suffering over time. The elaboration of mourning is therefore central to achieve emotional relief and consequently greater serenity
DEPRESSION AND MOOD DISORDERS
The person suffering from these disorders experiences a severe alteration of mood. This pathological alteration generates a strong psychological discomfort and an impairment of social and relational functioning.
Mood alterations refer to:
- Depression: characterized by sadness, lack of motivation in carrying out activities (even pleasant) and dysfunctional self-beliefs, others and or events in general.
- Mania: diarrhea, euphoria and increased speed of thinking
- Mixed mood: presence of concomitant depressive and manic symptoms
Mood disorders can be divided into two groups:
- Depressive disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to improve the person's quality of life and help them manage or resolve the problem. Therapy aims to provide the tools to identify distorted patterns of reasoning and interpretation of reality and integrates them with functional and realistic thoughts and beliefs.
ANXIETY DISORDERS
Anxiety is a normal and adaptive physiological reaction. Anxiety becomes a problem when it becomes excessive to the point of hindering the achievement of our goals, affect our daily activities or avoid situations that do not normally pose a danger. A certain level of anxiety is functional when it facilitates the activation of behaviors in order to seek solutions to face difficulties. For example, when we are close to an exam, it can help us experiment with new study methods or structure a functional program to achieve the goal. Anxiety becomes dysfunctional when it lasts over time, leading the person who suffers from it to experience excessive discomfort, compromising the performance of daily activities. When the person experiences a feeling of threat, Often, is associated with physical symptoms such as: tachycardia, hot flashes, dizziness.
We can distinguish between:
- Panic attack
- Agoraphobia
- Specific phobia
- Social phobia
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Acute stress anxiety disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the theoretical approach that anxiety is not caused by objective threats from the world, but from the menacing interpretation of events. The tools used are cognitive restructuring and exposure, if necessary also other breathing or visualization techniques.