The 5 Rules Of Couple Therapy by Dr. Keith Ablow

“When all the fights stop, so does the passion.”
Living in a stressful marriage can be really depressing. The painful feeling that this could be the end of everything can be haunting and stressing. When in such a situation, you might feel that there’s nothing that will help solve the relationship issues.
Dr. Keith Ablow, an active practitioner of couples therapy, tells that couples refrain from undertaking therapy and marriage counselling. It is a common notion that therapy is ineffective that restricts couples from seeking counselling. Statistics tell that around 50% of the couples in the US have filed for divorce in 2018.

There can be many reasons behind an unsuccessful relationship including coordination, understanding, lack of quality time spent together, and efforts to make it work.

Below mentioned are the 5 rules of effective couples counselling.

Stop the blame game: The most important rule of effective couples therapy is to stop the blame game. According to Keith Ablow, a potential reason behind friction between couples is putting the blame on each other for problems. This should be avoided as much as possible for a healthy relationship development. When undertaking counselling, the therapist tries to understand the perspective of both the partners and tries to objectively frame the problem. Also, therapy will depend on the type of issue being faced by the couple.

Change in behaviour: With couples therapy, an individual can experience considerable change in the behaviour. They learn to tackle their problems themselves with patience. Couples will learn the importance of understanding each other’s point of view and take necessary steps for a healthy relationship.

Learn to face your problems: This is an issue that is responsible for majority of problems in a relationship. A couple must understand that blaming each other will only escalate the problem. Accepting the faults will aid in facing the problem together. This way the couple will be able to find solutions of the issues together and progress.

Better communication: A couples therapy program focuses on improving the communication between the couples. Communicating is important for fostering better understanding. Couples are explained about the situations that cause conflicts and arguments.

Strengthen the relationship: Couples therapy is a program that helps in inculcating understanding, coordination, and communication between couples. These are the pillars that strengthen a relationship and minimizes conflicts.

Dr. Keith Ablow Psychiatrist quotes that “Very often, couples wait five or ten or even twenty years to really know one another and understand why they chose to take a lifelong journey together. The alchemy of marriage is such that treasures of both compassion and passion may not be unearthed, until difficulties arise. Crises in marriage are always opportunities.”

Relationships are stories with numerous chapters. Even the most painful chapter can be the beginning of a new phase if you take the positive road.

Dr. Keith Ablow Suggests Ways To Fight Depression

Has the feeling of loneliness and anxiety left you depressed?

When going through such a phase, it feels like no medicine can relieve the pain. Depression is a mental illness that affects around 17.3 million Americans on an average. This devious disease leaves a person discouraged, unwanted, and low on confidence.

Dr. Keith Ablow, a renowned psychiatrist and psychotherapist, states that depression acts like a slow poison and attacks a person’s self-esteem. Thus, it is essential to bust the myths surrounding the cure for this illness and focus on recovery methods.

Depression has a lethal impact on the mental as well as the overall health of the victim. A person might always feel low on energy and socially unacceptable when suffering from this ailment. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of depression must get the treatment. This disease can be successfully treated with the help of various therapies.

“Depression is a medical illness that can be treated like cancer and heart disease.”

According to Dr. Keith Ablow, the effect of depression on the mental health of a person can be reversed. With the help of therapy, a person with depression can experience a change in their attitude and thinking ability. Successful therapy sessions encourage positive thoughts and help the sufferer deal with problems caused by depression on a daily basis.

Below stated are some ways that can help fight and overcome depression.

Discover the cause

Often, an individual develops a self-destructive attitude when suffering from depression. People develop a notion that this is their true identity and accept this fact. However, this is not the case. In order to overcome this feeling, you must discover the critical trigger points. It is important to control the negative thoughts that accelerate repulsive behaviour. Refrain from listening to the inner voice that tells you to be aggressive.

Control your anger

For some, depression is persistent. While a person usually feels completely weak when depressed, it can trigger a feeling of excessive anger sometimes. Feeling lonely, sad, and anxious are potential signs of depression. It is recommended to control the anger and focus on developing a positive attitude.

Exercise

Staying active can help fight depression. A person should stay physically active. This is a great way of distracting your mind. Exercising 20 minutes a day will help keep the adrenaline levels high and keep the heart rate up. Exercising will release endorphin, a natural chemical present in our bodies that provides a feeling of happiness and relaxation.

Socialize

Isolation is a cruel killer. Do not lock yourself and refrain from communicating. Discuss about your feelings and emotions with people close to you. Voicing your issues will help you combat your fears and develop a feeling of acceptance and belongingness.

Why Do People Refrain From Taking Psychological Therapy? Dr. Keith Ablow Explains The Positive Side Of Psychiatry

It is a common notion amongst individuals that getting through depression and critical times is a natural process. Everybody addresses such a situation in such a way that “this person is going through a very hard time” and must recover in some time. Many times the simplest problems might make a person depressed and he/she might not be able to recover from the situation on his/her own. This is when psychiatry comes in handy. People refrain from opting for psychiatric help in dealing with situations of anxiety and major depression.

Dr. Keith Ablow suggests that one must not keep troubling thoughts within and must vent them out to develop a positive outlook towards life. Talking to a psychiatrist to come out of such situations is nothing to be ashamed of. It is rather a great step that will help you focus on your life goals and give you a feeling of companionship. Psychology is to help individuals going through a hard time come out of the situation and focus on developing better health.

If you are somebody who has been suffering from constant depression and other issues such as OCD, anxiety etc, then you must not refrain from opting for psychiatric services. An experienced psychiatrist will help you in tackling the problem and understanding that having issues in life does not mean that it is the end of everything.

Below mentioned are reasons why people refrain from taking psychological therapies and what they should reconsider their thoughts.

1. “I have my friends to talk, I do not require any doctor’s help”: Of Course talking it out is the best way. Be it with your friends or your family. A person looks for support when going through hard times. However, psychotherapy is a better option as a person will be able to vent out all his feelings and will not have the feeling of being judged or insulted. This type of relationship is better than the relationship of friendship. You will get psychiatric advice as well. You will be sure that your personal information will not be leaked and made public.

2. Psychological therapy is very expensive: People, without research think that therapy is very costly. This can be true, in some cases. However, seeking basic therapy can be very affordable. But opting for therapy will ensure that you develop a positive outlook towards life and become a better human being.

3. The process is time consuming:  Therapy takes time, it is a healing process that involves studying an individual’s habits and then prescribing him/her the right treatment. The process can be time consuming, but it will make sure that your health becomes better and you inculcate a positive attitude.

Are you looking for Psychological therapy? Consult Dr. Keith Ablow today! For more information, call at 978.462.1125

Dr. Keith Ablow Explains The Different Types Of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a phenomenon that has affected every individual at some point of time. It is a normal emotional feeling that almost everyone goes through at various phases of life, but getting anxious and remaining stressed at all times is a reason to be worried about. According to Dr. Keith Ablow, stress is a factor that has a major impact on the life of an individual. For most of the people, stress is a problem that has negative impact on health and it becomes even more disturbing when the person wants to come out of this situation but is not able to. It is estimated that around 5-6% of the population is under anxiety attack and goes through constant panic and worry.

One of the most commonly occurring anxiety disorders is the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Other anxiety disorders include panic attacks, societal anxiety disorders and various other anxiety disorders. It is a common notion that these issues get resolved themselves with time. People refrain from visiting and consulting a doctor as they are scared about the societal norms and think that the society will not accept them once they start consulting a therapist or a psychiatrist. However, this is not the case. It is essential for a patient suffering from anxiety to open up and discuss problems with their peers and friends. One can also seek therapy from a psychologist or psychiatrist for better mental health management.

One can also practice writing his/her feelings on paper and take the stress out. Anxiety becomes a cause of reason when the feeling of stress and anxiety don’t go away. If you experience discomfort all the time and are unable to stop your mind from thinking about situations and conditions, it could be because of an anxiety disorder.

Below mentioned are some of the most common types of anxiety disorders.

1. OCD/ Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Individuals who are suffering from OCD often encounter obsessive thoughts and are prone to compulsive behaviours. The most common symptoms of OCD are as follows:

• Checking for contamination
• Excessive intrusive thoughts
• Plotting symmetry
• Re-ordering and shuffling
• Hoarding

Obsession is totally dependent on the individual’s behaviour and the OCD type. A person suffering from checking OCD might repeated check if all his/her belongings are in place. It is essential to speak to a doctor when a person starts feeling that OCD is affecting his/her life.

2. Societal anxiety disorder: People who are suffering from social anxiety refrain from performing day-to-day activities. They do not wish to start any conversation with people. They feel that whatever they say, they will be insulted. They fear being criticized from their near and dear ones. A person suffering from this mental ailment will feel very anxious before communicating and even after communicating.

3. PTSD/ Post traumatic stress disorder: This mental ailment is a result of the occurrence of some traumatic event. Such events generally have a lasting negative impact on the mind of an individual. The most common reasons of PTSD are natural disasters, physical abuse, bad road mishap, and more. A person might experience nightmares and regular flashbacks after encountering such events.

4. Panic attacks: This is a common symptom after encountering a shocking event. A person might develop the feeling of intense fear when experiencing a panic attack. The symptoms include slow breathing, sweating, body shaking, and palpitations.

If you are suffering from any of the above mentioned anxiety disorders, contact Dr. Keith Ablow today. For more information, call at 78-462-1125