Kate Motaung

Overwhelming stress can make you physically, mentally, and emotionally ill. Stress is the body’s natural response to danger. What we perceive as dangerous differs from what our ancestors experienced thousands of years ago. However, our brains still react by releasing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to help us through perceived danger. Chronic stress causes inflammation, high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, anxiety, panic attacks, sleep issues, digestive problems, appetite changes, and weight gain or loss. Learning coping mechanisms for [...]

Does your teen have dramatic mood swings that cycle between periods of extreme highs and periods of extreme lows? Are they causing noticeable changes in the way they normally think or act? It could be a sign of bipolar disorder. Bipolar in Teens Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a mental illness that causes extreme shifts in mood, energy level, and behavior. It is characterized by manic episodes during which your teen seems happier than usual, is extremely [...]

I invite you to pause and reflect for a moment. Have you ever stopped to ask how experiences in your past have shaped your view of relationships? Maybe you find it hard to trust other people, and your belief is that people simply aren’t trustworthy. Abandonment issues in relationships are not always hard to spot. Some people find it hard to open up because they’re afraid of being disappointed or, worse, getting hurt. These and other postures in relationships [...]

Your relationships form one of the most important aspects of your life. The people in your life who matter most are usually the ones who are with you through the various seasons and experiences that have shaped who you are. Sharing life with others helps you to build bonds that enrich your life, and provides emotional support in times of need. These relationships are the stuff of life, and they are vital for your well-being. Healthy relationships will often [...]

If you take a walk in a park, soak in your surroundings in a coffee shop, or look around you as you sit in the vibrant heart of your city, you may have the privilege of witnessing the magic of great relationships. It’s amazing when you see two people whose eyes are alive with joy in each other, oozing genuine affection for each other as they share stories or sit in an easy silence with each other. When a [...]

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the diagnosis used in the mental health field to describe someone who shows symptoms or behaviors for a month or longer, after having experienced or witnessed a potentially traumatic event or series of potentially traumatic events. In PTSD counseling, a traumatic event is defined as one that threatens death, serious injury, or sexual violation. Symptoms are grouped around four different categories: intrusion symptoms, avoidance symptoms, negative changes in mood or cognitive behavior, and alterations [...]

There are several enduring stereotypes about teenagers, such as angst, rebelliousness, and anger that either seeps out or explodes depending on the situation. That anger, whether it takes the form of door slamming, eye-rolling, or a deep well of sarcasm, is a thing of legend, often finding its way into movies and shows. Such anger can become overwhelming, for the teen as well as their parents. Making Sense of Teen Anger Why do teens get so affected by anger? [...]

Imagine waking up to a world where your reality feels like a mirage, where the truth is foggy and distorted by someone else’s perceptions. This is the haunting reality of gaslighting. Gaslighting in relationships can leave you feeling disoriented, questioning even your reality, and undermining your self-worth. Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which one person tries to make another person doubt their perception of reality, memories, or feelings. The term originates from the play, “Gas Light,” [...]

Anger is an emotion that occurs in just about every situation you can think of. Whether you’re at the grocery store, sitting at a restaurant to have dinner with your date, visiting a sick loved one in the hospital, at the school drop-off zone, or at the park walking your dog, anger isn’t far away. It can sometimes seem as though it is a living thing waiting to escape from its cage if we’re not vigilant. Our life experiences [...]

Codependency is a concern that affects relationships of all sorts, whether romantic relationships, parent-child relationships, siblings, friends, or colleagues. Codependency distorts relationships by introducing unhealthy patterns of behavior, often leading to the deterioration of both the codependent relationship and the overall well-being of the individuals in the relationship. Identifying codependent behaviors in your relationships can help you begin to find healing from unhealthy relationship dynamics. Breaking Down Codependency Our relationships are typically a network of interdependent connections that allow [...]

“Just breathe, yes that’s it; slowly in and out.” If you’re someone who struggles with anxiety, chances are you’ve heard this advice more times than you can count. Well-meaning friends, family, or even strangers often suggest that breathing is the magic solution to calming down in the middle of a panic attack or stressful situation. But let’s be real, when you’re in the thick of anxiety, the idea of just breathing often seems way too simple, if not downright [...]

Anxiety is something we all have to deal with occasionally, but for some, it is a constant experience. Anxiety can be complex, irrational, and sometimes undetectable. However, the people who must deal with anxiety daily will feel the effects of it, whether they know where it comes from or not. Highly anxious people tend to develop similar habits over time. These might serve as indicators or red flags for the presence of anxiety in their lives. Common Habits of [...]