Declan Brady Counselling, Galway

Learning to control stress takes time and practice. But you could start by quitting coffee First, the scary bit: too much stress can damage your health. Not in the way that a bolt of lighting might but in a slow, insidious fashion that silently does its work over years. At its simplest, it can lead to high blood pressure, which if not treated or kept under control is one of the major risk factors for heart disease and stroke, according to the Irish Heart Foundation. It can le

Narcissism is prevalent in our culture to-day, actually it is reaching epidemic proportions (affecting both males and females), yet not many therapists (Psychotherapists, Counsellors, Coaches, and Supervisors) would be quick to recognise it in the therapy room when clients present with what is now termed as Narcissistic Victim Syndrome (NVS). In order to be able to work effectively with narcissistic victim abuse, it is vital that the therapist first understands what narcissi

If couples were paying any attention during the past few decades, they should be able to recite the one critical ingredient for a healthy relationship — communication. But the latest study shows that other skills may be almost as important for keeping couples happy. While expressing your needs and feelings in a positive way to your significant other is a good foundation for resolving conflicts and building a healthy relationship, these skills may not be as strong a predictor

Happiness has traditionally been considered an elusive and evanescent thing. To some, even trying to achieve it is an exercise in futility. It has been said that “happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” Social scientists have caught the butterfly. After 40 years of research, they attribute happiness to three major sources: genes, events and values. Armed with this knowledge and

Do you have anxiety? Have you tried just about everything to get over it, but it just keeps coming back? Perhaps you thought you had got over it, only for the symptoms to return with a vengeance? Anxiety can present as fear, restlessness, an inability to focus at work or school, finding it hard to fall or stay asleep at night, or getting easily irritated. In social situations, it can make it hard to talk to others; you might feel like you’re constantly being judged, or have s

As recently as 10 years ago, the psychology of happiness was a foreign concept. The UN Happiness Index didn't exist, the field of positive psychology had yet to gain ground and how-to guides on happiness were only beginning to take a slice out of the self-development sector. Nowadays, we all know the proven principles of happiness. Practise gratitude, help others, get into nature and, if all else fails, fake it until you make it. Happy people share traits and qualities which

CBT could help thousands of people change their angst-ridden lives. A panic attack is where, out of nowhere, a person suddenly finds themselves short of breath, heart pounding, mouth dry, dizzy, stomach in knots, muscles tensed up, shaking, sweating and feeling as if they are going to die. Hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland suffer from panic attacks. They learn to dread that awful moment when waves of physical sensations sweep over them and their body feels totally ou

Up to a third of the population will suffer from an anxiety disorder or panic attacks at some point in their life. But what are we all so afraid of? Claire O’Reilly is 26 years old, and truly blessed: funny, lovely to look at, extremely bright (she has two degrees). She lives with her boyfriend in Dublin and has a job she loves ("my dream job") at the publisher Penguin Ireland where she works in sales. Appearances, though, can be deceptive. Last January, she had to take a mon