I’m Emma McAdam, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and my mission is to make mental health resources easier to access. I take therapy skills and psychological research and condense them down into bite-sized nuggets of help.
As a licensed therapist, one thing I’ve noticed is that most people have no idea of what they can do to improve depression, anxiety, or other mental illness.
I’m here to spread the message that while mental illness is real, it’s common, it’s debilitating, it’s also treatable. There are dozens of research-backed approaches to treating depression, anxiety, ptsd, and other mental illness. Change, growth, and healing are possible. Please keep courage! Try one little thing every day to improve your life and health, and things can get so much better!
I am not currently taking any new clients, but you can find a therapist with my sponsor: BetterHelp.com/therapyinanutshell
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My partner passed away four months ago. I am writing to him “letters” in the form of a journal.
This was one of the most helpful videos I've watched on the topic of anxiety. My anxiety feels random at times, but it actually often stems from problems that need solving. I'm tired of being told that it's in my head and that I need to cope. It's caused me a sense of learned helplessness. I'm not in any direct danger, but there are reasons why I feel this way. I probably have more control over my life, but I've been trying to just cope my way through it instead of taking action.
Exactly this. Yes I have all the classic symptoms of depression. But of course I’m depressed when I’m disabled by chronic physical illness, ASD, attachment trauma, lack of support, not being financially independent mainly due to disability and repeated burnout. IMO a lot of cases of anxiety and depression (even my eating disorder) are just symptoms of a bigger problems. Not diagnoses in and of themselves,.. Doing my best to find the right balance of acceptance and trying to change.
The metaphor of people selling things like your thoughts is BRILLIANT ❤
Why call it a "depression skill"? In my day we called it behavioral therapy techniques. Depression skill makes it sound like a skill for getting depressed or a skill that depressed people have
checks out with my experience. I noticed the more active I was, and more momentum I had, the easier it was to maintain and the better my mental state, but that if I allowed holing up in my room and bed to become an everyday repeated thing, that became the norm and activity took a LOT more effort to make happen. It was self-created prison of the mind. The link between thoughts and behavior is real. Activity kind of short-circuits things and puts a stick in the spokes of depression similar to how breathing deeply can short-circuit anxiety and panic. I also noticed that my self-esteem improved. Your sense of self is already skewed by irrational thinking traps, but setting small goals and accomplishing them allows you to rebuild that sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. You have visible concrete evidence of you not being a total failure, so thinking you are starts to slowly not hold as much weight and you're able to better see things as they actually are rather than as you think they are through the dark-tinted lens of depression
Day1- 1. I'm alive today 2. I tried new food items 3. I watched a movie
Straight Talk. 💯 Thank You, appreciated 🦋
What if someone misses their ex-partner for a long time even though he or she was not good to them?
What you’ve just listed for hypoarousal sounds like ADHD symptoms! Is there any research that looks at both of these conditions?
Thank you. Now, fingers crossed I can find a place of my own easily affordable. 😄
Thank you 40 years old and my panic disorder I feel like I’m dying seriously
5 minutes in an I still havent found the meat of the video meaning the answer to the problem. Brevity also allows the brain to embody and entrain faster. A lot of chatting and prefacing is for people on vacation from life or people who just want to chat.
Some anxiety is a chemical imbalance.
This is so important and different from what we hear oftentimes, thank you for sharing! ❤ I think in our society, anxiety gets shamed a lot. People try to push it down, feel embarrassed about being scared, "brave" people get celebrated, being "too" shy or afraid isn't something that seems desirable. Of course, fear does get in the way at times, but anxiety can also be so useful and important- to warn us and others to what's wrong, what we need to pay attention to. Thank you for reminding us, so we can have a closer look at our lifes and the circumstances and maybe also less judgement towards ourselves and others.
Your hair is amazing.
This is such good timing. I have been struggling with my anxiety so bad recently. There are lots of factors and I don't have much support despite seeking it. But you have a way with words that help me understand how to refocus and apply these skills. You deliver it in a compassionate way so I can absorb it. You've reminded me I need to keep on trying to direct that nervous energy into action for change. I also love a good list! Thank you very much! 🤗
Great video 👍
Very helpful
I'm in recovery and boundaries are so important!
Toxica. My Costa Rican ex-girlfriend. 15 years of hell. I will always love her, but she would get triggered by anything.. Mindfuleness. Downey California Downey Library.
I feel stressed out by my wife, too. There is just something about her that just irks me, and I have thought about it too .as soon as she comes around, I feel my stress raising.
Get a divorce
What about couple therapy? It could help in communication that way you may feel more heard and understood in a neutral environment.
Please give me heart
Hi. Im glad you have talked about this. I agree in that we sometimes need to problem solve issues or make life changes to reduce our stressors.
love your channel..Thank you
This! I left my job and it was like a boulder was lifted off my mind and heart. I feel so much happier and at peace now, even though I was worried about finances without a job. The job was such a toxic environment but I kept trying to 'fix' myself. Corporate culture that always says the individual owns everything are poorly managed.
My therapist always told me I didn't have anxiety disorder, I had a husband disorder. What's crazy though is now I'm in a relationship that isn't abusive it's actually nice, and the panic attacks are back hardcore. It's like if I'm alone I HAVE to stronger so I am. Now I can breathe a sigh of relief and I'm panicking 🤦🏻♀️
It’s hard to unlearn trauma. It still takes time and patience with yourself.
❤❤❤
This is awesome
So just giving up cures dissonance. Hmm.
Be millionare?
Thank you you've answered a little of my issues
Thank you! This was great and you hit the nail on the head for me several times!!
World is logical handling and family is emotional handling ❤
Summary: 0:44: Awareness exercise 3:16: Negativity bias exercise 3:38: Our brain has a built-in negativity bias designed to keep us alive and safe (not happy). 11:12: How to break the negativity bias cycle: (1) Learn to notice your patterns (search “common mental filters” in Google); 11:45: (2) Take breaks from sources of negative information; 11:50: (3) Slow it down and practice cognitive defusion (see video 13 in this series); 12:40 (4): Challenge your thoughts. 12:54: To counter your negativity bias, do gratitude journaling every night. 13:13: Awesome quote: “What you look for, you will find. What you pay attention to, you get more of. (…) Trouble does abound everywhere, but goodness does abound everywhere too. Which one will you choose to focus your attention on?”
Thank you so much for this! I’ve been dealing with perimenopause systems for two years and still cannot find a doctor who will listen to me and thinks my insomnia and anxiety can be cured with anti depressants. When all that did was make it WORSE! Not one doctor said gee, your in your late 40s, maybe we should check your hormones! I had to do my own research and ask for them to check it. And even still, they don’t care how awful I feel or how much sleep I have lost! Meanwhile my anxiety is through the roof and my thyroid is also out of whack! I finally have an appointment with a hormone specialist in a couple of weeks. So 🤞🏼 that I get some actual help!! Again, thank you for your channel!!
Mr.beast is trash .
So one thing I struggle with is the fact that there is so much self-help info out there I become overstimulated. I end up forgetting all the self help ideas because I'm overwhelmed.
That's the bful explanation
My goal is to overcome depression and anxiety and be the greatest dad and husband to ever live.
This video has helped me tremendously. I’m newly diagnosed ADHD and even on medication, I still have trouble getting motivated. I’ve been using the tips on here for a few weeks now and I feel the most productive I’ve ever been. Just that has raised my self esteem and given me hope that I can accomplish some of my more challenging goals. I did miss a few days of my medicine and found that I was a lot less competent, so I’m learning that I do need meds, but that is not enough. The tip that helped the most is just making my bed to get the ball rolling and build up to more complex tasks. Thank you ❤
Give it back
I sometimes feel depressed even when I'm taking action
To me it sometimes helps to calm down and to be unserious about it. Or just know that I'm not really in danger. And sometimes it hits like a damn hammer.
How does this work if someone is autistic? I have Asperger’s and people constantly misunderstand me. I could say the simplest thing and people hear the complete opposite of what I meant. One time I said, “That color looks good on you” and the person got angry. I once asked a friend if her husband was joining us for lunch, she literally got in my face and started yelling at me, “Don’t you dare tell me how to handle my husband! I know how to handle my husband!!!” It’s constant anger towards me and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, if anything.
My goals is to face anxiety, and face the things that cause me anxiety
I’ve seen it in real life
There is no afterlife. You're mistaken on that.