The ECG Blog
This Morning Routine Will Improve Your Mood And Change Your Life, Part I
I remember all too clearly the chaos of waking up tired and late, running out the door feeling unprepared, and wondering why I never seemed to have enough hours in the day. Little did I know at the time, it had a whole lot to do with my poor boundaries and my lack of an established morning routine. I knew I needed help, so like many of us, I turned to Google, and thus began my trial and error journey to finding my PERFECT morning routine. I knew I needed help in improving my mood, and little did I know it would change my life!
Don’t worry, Im not one of those (unrelateable) people who gets up before the sun and crushes a marathon and an icebath before breakfast. It turns out, the perfect morning routine does not start at 5am. It actually starts… the evening before! Though my experience as a therapist, I have again and again found that being proactive is the cure to being reactive, and going through your day reactive and rocked back on your heals is no way to live. So, follow along for Part-1 to learn the crucial proactive first steps to a solid day. This is my solid, researched based, Nero-informed, therapist approved routine that you can begin implementing right away!
So let’s get to it. Before I go into the why’s and how’s, let me share with you my AM and PM routines, as it stands now:
12 Benefits to Private-Pay Counseling Vs Using Insurance
Navigating the multitude of therapy options when you are looking for a new therapist can feel overwhelming. One of the many factors to contemplate is whether to use private-pay or cash-pay service, or to use insurance-based coverage.
In this blog post, we invite you to explore the unique benefits of private pay psychotherapy, tailored specifically to your needs and preferences. Additionally, we'll provide valuable insights into the potential drawbacks of relying solely on insurance for mental health support.
12 Benefits to Private-Pay Counseling Vs Using Insurance
1) Confidentiality & Privacy
One of the biggest advantages of private-pay or cash-pay therapy is the enhanced confidentiality it offers. When you pay out-of-pocket for therapy, your sessions remain entirely private between you and your therapist. Insurance claims, on the other hand, require the submission of a diagnosis, which becomes a part of your permanent health record. When using insurance, sensitive information is shared with the insurance company to process claims, raising concerns about the privacy and security of personal health information, as well as potential repercussions related to the disclosure of mental health diagnoses.This added layer of privacy in private-pay therapy can encourage open communication and trust between you and your therapist.
Dark Thoughts: Therapy for Women with Depression in South Carolina
TW: Self-harm, Suicide, Depression
If you need immediate help, call the national suicide hotline at 988 now
I don’t think you’re selfish, I think you’re hurting.
The dark cloud may have taken over everything. This feels like more than what you know about anxiety or depression.
You can’t think straight or even picture a life past tomorrow.
It feels like there is no way out or any way that things could possibly get better. You’ve reached the point where it doesn’t feel like there’s a place or hope for your life on this earth.
You’ve been plagued with constant thoughts of suicide, death, or dying.
Even if you don’t actually want to hurt yourself, you can’t help but think that it would just be easier if you could fall asleep and never wake up.
You may have experienced recent losses, be riddled with shame about the past, or fear about the future.
You try to come up with ways to get rid of the dark cloud throughout the day. But it's still there at work, or when you binge netflix, or after you scroll tiktok, and definitely after you wake up from a night of drinking.
It’s terrifying and exhausting and it feels way too scary to talk about with anybody. Or, you may have tried to tell someone, but the person you wanted to trust didn’t respond in the way you wanted. Now, you feel betrayed and disappointed, on top of everything else.
Suicidal thoughts come when we feel like there is no other way out to escape the pain or situation that we are in. Suicidal thoughts seem like the answer or escape rout to set you free, and it’s helpful to remember that the most intense moments of feeling suicidal are usually in response to crises or depressive episodes.
This means the waves of urgency can pass and there is hope and warmth on the other side of that sheet of pure darkness.
Through therapy, we can work on reducing feelings of shame and guilt, move through grief and loss, explore purpose and lifestyle choices that are congruent with your true self. We can take things day by day, or week by week until you are back on your feet, able to see a future, and can live and thrive.
You may or may not need more urgent or inpatient care to get you to safety and stability, but individual therapy is there for you upon your return.
For those who are getting close to it
Your fight against the darkness has become too much, but something has prevented you from giving up your life. You deserve to stay safe until this moment passes. You’re worthy of receiving help that will support you as you heal.
For those who have attempted
I am so glad you are still here. Everything became too much and you couldn’t take it anymore, but you are here and that means there’s still hope. Whether you feel gratitude, shame, regret, or more fear after your attempt, you don’t have to feel that alone. And we can work together to keep you moving forward.
For those who feel like you never could or would
I’m sorry you have to suffer through the thoughts nonetheless. Suicidal thoughts or thoughts wishing you could go to heaven or fall asleep and never wake up are telling you that something feels wrong. We can find out how to make things right to feel like your life is worth living.
For those who I didn’t describe, but still struggle with thoughts of suicide
You are worthy. You deserve to feel seen and understood. You deserve to be supported.
If your safety or livelihood is immediately at risk because of your suicidal thoughts, and you need help to keep yourself safe please call 988, the suicide hotline, or mobile crisis if you are in Charleston at (843)414-2350. These resources can help you explore your options to keep yourself safe and wait for this moment or episode to pass.
“Upon your position of safety, I would be honored to work with you and continue with you on your journey further.”
- Dr. Etta Gantt, PhD, LPC, NCC
Postpartum: You Are Not Alone
You knew it would be a big change, but still feel blindsided by the postpartum emotional rollercoaster.
You may feel guilt for not enjoying as much of what you thought was supposed to be a happy time. Your expectations have not met reality. You love your baby and want the world for them, but you’re wondering where is the “instant” special connection with your child that you’ve heard others talk about.
Questions are running through your mind like, “Is it ever going to get better?” or “Do I have what it takes to become a ‘good’ parent?” Some of what you’ve heard about Postpartum Depression is disturbing and scary.
When your doctor asks you if you’re having any symptoms of Postpartum Depression, you don’t know how to describe your experience, or you wave it away. You may have told friends or family how you were feeling and they didn’t respond the way you hoped.
You’re stuck inside all of the time, your schedule is hijacked, and you don’t know what to do.
Why is it that after you’ve become a parent, you feel so alone?
It's normal to grieve the life you had before children and to have difficulty adjusting to your new routine and dynamic with your partner. Feeling that you need time for yourself to focus on your interests and ambitions is normal too. There is no right way to navigate this phase and it is an act of self- compassion to seek support to help you get through it.
Everything you are doing is hard but incredible. In a safe and confidential environment we can work on expressing your raw feelings, letting go of expectations that are leaving you feeling trapped, cope with anxiety, and help you embrace your idea and lifestyle of the person and parent that you want to be. With compassionate and judgment free therapy, we can help you feel stable and step off the rollercoaster.
For those feeling alone and scared
You aren’t “crazy.” Although, feeling like you do, or being misunderstood can certainly make you feel that way. Struggling mentally during this time doesn’t mean you will feel like this forever. It also doesn’t mean you are destined to be a bad mom, that you’ll “lose control,” or that you will do something bad.
For those consumed with guilt
It’s okay if you’re ready for your maternity leave to be over, if you don’t miss your child all the time, or if you feel a sense of relief when you get a break. It’s okay if you still wish your miscarried child was born even after you delivered another baby. None of this makes you a bad parent. You are a person too and it’s okay to think of yourself that way.
For those with crippling fear and anxiety
Your instincts are on fire. You care so much that you’re terrified of anything bad that could happen. It can take time to feel like someone else can care for your baby or trust that they will be okay, but you don’t have to carry all of that fear alone or forever.
For those who I didn’t describe
Whether you are happy, you are angry, you aren’t a “traditional” mom or parent; you are a hero. You are embarking on one of the most important journeys or raising a human being. I’m sorry if I did not capture your experience, but know that your experience is valid and worth being heard, understood, and represented. Postpartum depression does not have to be contingent on being the one giving birth, so know that you may feel this way even if you are not a parent or mother who has given birth to your child.