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Monday, October 22, 2012

Ladies, it's really OK to take care of YOU.

At Samaritan Counseling Center, we are currently serving approximately 2,000 men, women and children on an annual basis. Over half of our clients are women. Hmmmm. What does that tell us? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, women are 60% more likely to experience an anxiety disorder and 70% more likely to develop depression than men. Reasons cited include: brain chemistry, hormonal changes, domestic abuse, poverty, body image and self-esteem issues. Furthermore, women are more likely than men to take on most--if not all--of the burden of caring for aging parents in addition to working full time, raising children and running a household.

Ladies, if you are suffering in silence due to overwhelming stressors, fatigue and lack of self-care, you owe it to yourself to seek help. I cannot emphasize enough that seeking help is a sign of strength, courage and intelligence--NOT weakness, stupidity or failure!

Think about it. It takes a great deal of strength to juggle a lot of important tasks and responsibilities. But when you run yourself ragged, you are doing yourself and those who depend on you a great disservice. Sometimes we're so close to something, we can't see it. We get accustomed to certain things in our lives and rather than step back and ask ourselves, "Is there a better way to do this? Should I even be doing this?" we just continue on...wearing ourselves out, and growing unhealthy and unhappy.

Taking care means taking care of your WHOLE self--body, mind and spirit. If you exercise, eat right but don't sleep, you won't feel well or function at your fullest potential. If you work hard and achieve in your career, but are filled with fear and anxiety you will not feel rewarded. When something is holding you back from enjoying your life, it makes sense to seek help to turn things around.

Don't wait for a crisis to occur before getting help. You deserve to be happy.