CHILD ABUSE

Child abuse is not something that should be taken lightly. Child abuse is when someone, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm, or risk of serious harm to a child. Dealing with these troubles can make one shut down and not express what he/she is feeling with others. Signs of child abuse consists of: increased absence from school, withdrawal from friends/loved one, changes in behavior such as aggression, anger and or depression.

For those who may be aware of child abuse going on, therapy is always a great place to build open communication. A child’s trust has to be rebuilt in order to try and cope with the damage done.

In 2015, Florida had 217,895 total referrals for child abuse and neglect. Of those, 160,733 reports were referred
for investigation.8

At Affordable Counseling Center in Tampa, FL and Brandon, FL we are currently offering online and over the phone counseling in Tallahassee, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Gainesville, Florida!

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CAREGIVER ROLE STRAIN

Caregiver role strain is experienced when a caregiver feels overwhelmed and is unable to perform their role to the best of their ability.

SIGNS OF ROLE STRAIN:

• Insomnia or not enough sleep
• Too much sleep
• Chronic tiredness and exhaustion
• Change in appetite
• Crying easily and often
• Gaining or losing weight
  
  WHAT CAUSES ROLE STRAIN?
• Living with the person you are caring for
• Social isolation
• Preexisting mental health issues like depression
• Financial difficulties
• Lack of choice in being a caregiver
  
  IT IS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY:
  Everyone needs to be uplifted once in a while. A great way to conquer this problem is by staying organized, continue to provide what you can, create a great support team and or try counseling to discuss possible solutions.

At Star Point Counseling Center in Tampa, FL and Brandon, FL we are currently offering online and over the phone counseling in Tallahassee, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Gainesville, Florida!

SOCIAL ISOLATION

Being socially isolated is a choice that can make someone not want anyone in their space. It is important to understand the difference between just wanting alone time versus being socially isolated. isolation is a way of shutting yourself off from the world, often to avoid dealing with insecurity, anxiety, or negative thoughts about yourself. An emotionally-isolated person keeps their feelings bottled up inside and is unwilling to let their guard down and allow another person to get to know them with any level of intimacy.

Finding a good therapist who can work with you to guide you through recovery from social isolation is not difficult with the right resources or referrals from a trusted friend, family member, or caregiver. 

At Star Point Counseling Center in Tampa, FL and Brandon, FL we are currently offering online and over the phone counseling in Tallahassee, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Gainesville, Florida!

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FORGIVENESS

forgiveness is described as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you.

Regardless , if the person truly deserves it, it can release a burden or stress that may have been caused. Forgiving is a healthy way of wanting to move forward, and shows signs of growth.

“EASIER SAID THAN DONE”

Although some may feel, it is “easier said than done” it is not impossible to achieve this goal. Just think about it: Would you rather carry hurt/ pain from something that was in the past, or would you rather focus on self improvement and ways to become a better version of yourself?

benefits of forgiveness:
* healthier relationships

*improved mental health

*stronger immune system

*decreased blood pressure

*less stress

Forgiving can improve your health as a whole but the very first question you should ask yourself is, ARE YOU READY TO LET GO?

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Substance abuse can correlate to any need a person may not be getting. It is especially, higher in adolescents. When a adolescent is performing such behavior, it is important to consider:

*Does he/she not have enough parental supervision?

*Is there a lack of communication at home?

*Are there frequent family conflict?

*Have rules been established?

HOW DO I KNOW IF A TEEN IS AFFECTED?

• Signs of any psychological distress
• perceives substance as not being harmful
• becomes impulsive
• dramatic changes in appearance, friends or physical health

The Signs are not limited to above, however, it is common to see these behaviors and should not be avoided.

What can I do to prevent or decrease use of substances?

*Teach children about drug use and it’s affect.

*spend quality time with teens, sets good examples

*Be clear, with message you want to give.

MENTAL HEALTH & SOCIAL MEDIA

Research has shown that, Spending more than 3 hours on social media per day puts adolescents at a higher risk for mental health problems. 13% of kids ages 12-17 report depression and 32% report anxiety. 25% of 18 to 25-year-olds report mental illness.

Have you ever caught yourself killing time with hours of social media?

Spending too much time on this can affect your mental status due to delaying sleep. Your body has a circadian rhythm, which means your body works like a clock. When it is time for rest, you constantly fight it just to have more free time on the phone. If you find it hard to pull away, try placing a phone in a different room than where you sleep.

You need your mental health to be balanced:

Part of having balanced mental status, exercising the mind is crucial. If you’re consistently looking at videos or recent pictures on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter e.tc. that leaves minimal time for studying and or learning, thus, creating poor academic performance.

HOW WILL I NOTICE THE CHANGE?

If you start to feel the pressure of social media and or the burden from any situation, you will start to notice:

*Restlessness

*Low energy

*Depression

*Memory loss

*Anxious

STRUGGLING WITH COMMITMENT?

WHAT IS COMMITMENT?

Commitment is another word for being dedicated or willing to do anything to achieve a goal. It is easy to stay committed when things are going easy, however, when things get tough, that is where the commitment is mostly challenged.

When a person is faced with a commitment issue, it is important to understand, WHY he/she is dealing with it, WHAT can be done to overcome this problem and HOW he/she can refrain from reverting back to those ways.

Remaining consistent is key to being successful. If a goal or action is met, make it a continuous habit. Strive for a new goal and maintain it because it can open many doors when you least expect it.

MAKE THAT PROMISE INTO A REALITY!

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF STILL STRUGGLING:

At Star Point Counseling Center in Tampa, FL and Brandon, FL we are currently offering online and over the phone counseling in Tallahassee, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Gainesville, Florida!

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DEPRESSION

Dealing with DEPRESSION

Depression can interfere with your health as whole and it is very common to lose interest in daily activities, experience a loss of appetite and or resting frequently.

DO YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT HAS SHOWN SIGNS OF DEPRESSION?

Although depression is a delicate subject, it is important to be aware of any changes in someone you may know:

changes may include but are not limited to

• anxitey
• lack of concentration
• excessive sleep
• social isolation
• frequent agitation
• mood swings

WHO CAN HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM?

For those who may not know, counseling is a great place to start. At Star Point Counseling Center in Tampa, Fl and Brandon, Fl we are currently offering online and over the phone counseling in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Gainesville, Florida!

TEEN COUNSELING

Adapting to change can be frightening at times, however, it is common to experience those feelings. Just like some adults, Teenagers may or may not know how to deal with these problems. Some may require counseling to help overcome.

WHY MIGHT A TEEN NEED COUNSELING?

Counseling is a great place to feel free and safe to talk about any issues. Some reasons a teen my counseling is listed but not limited to:

• lack of acceptance
• stress from school
• depression & anxiety
• self harm
• bullying

WHERE DO I START?

At Star Point Counseling Center in Tampa, FL and Brandon, FL we are currently offering online and over the phone counseling in Tallahassee, Orlando, Jacksonville and Gainesville, Florida!starpointcounselingtampa.com

https://starpointcounselingtampa.com/

https://starpointcounselingbrandon.com/the-counseling-team

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