Said in Therapy

As every year here is the Birthday Special but this time with a twist, these are the questions that followers on Instagram have sent in. 

Happy New Year Everyone. 

A toxic friendship is one in which you feel energetically exhausted when interacting with the person. Your friend may be an emotional vampire who seems to suck the life force out of you whenever you speak to them or spend time with them. If you want to find out how to identify a toxic friendship and learn how to deal with it, then this episode is for you.

While overthinking itself is not a mental illness, it is associated with conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. Rumination can be common in people who have chronic pain and chronic illness as well, taking the form of negative thoughts about that pain and healing from it. Here I introduce simple tools that can help with getting hold on your overthinking behaviors. 

Autism is a condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others, and experiences their environment. It is a lifelong condition that starts when a person is born and stays with them into old age. Every Autistic person is different from every other. This is why autism is described as a ‘spectrum’. I am in conversation with Dr. Charifa Zemouri with explains her individual experience with being on the spectrum and how she navigates her life. If you want to learn more about Dr. Zemouri, follow her on Twitter or visit her website for more information about her work. 

What is the imposter and is the imposter syndrome an actual diagnosis? What does it do? And how to combat it? And sharing own experience. Why do we always think we are an imposter? Answering these questions and more. 

Everyone needs healthy boundaries in their lives if they want to have healthy relationships. Setting boundaries is about more than just saying no - and when you learn how to set boundaries in a way that people will listen to and respect you will not only feel free, but you will also start breaking the cycle of people-pleasing and codependence.

As an extension to my regular social media Q&As, I have dedicated an episode about my trauma journey and how I worked through it and grew from it as a result. 

Please keep in mind that these Q&As will never replace actual therapy, and not every journey is the same. Instead, use them as an inspiration, a means to learn more, and eventually, encouragement to start your therapy journey. 

The most difficult type of insecure attachment is the disorganized attachment style. It is often seen in people who have been physically, verbally, or sexually abused in their childhood. A disorganized / fearful-avoidant attachment style develops when the child’s caregivers – the only source of safety – become a source of fear.

What is avoidant attachment? Avoidant attachment is an attachment style that develops during early childhood. It tends to occur in children who do not experience sensitive responses to their needs or distress. Children with an avoidant attachment style may become very independent, both physically and emotionally.

In honor of my birthday I am reuploading the popular birthday Q&A of last year. I hope it answers a few questions you still had in mind about me. 

Enjoy! 

Attachment, or the attachment bond, is the emotional connection you formed as an infant with your primary caregiver, if the parents or caregivers are inconsistent in their parenting they could be causing an anxious attachment. Find out what an anxious attachment style can look like and if reflect with me if these are traits that you recognize in yourself. 

You may be sabotaging yourself, your happiness, your success, and your relationships without even knowing it. We all have subconscious habits, beliefs, and patterns that we're doing that are keeping us stuck, holding us back, and leaving us feeling frustrated and confused. Here I teach you 3 very common self-sabotage habits you may be doing and what to do about them so you can stop sabotaging yourself.

An episode on how to deal with family conflicts. A question asked many times in therapy and/or when generally reached out for with questions. 

Breaking up with someone is hard and can cause real grief and trauma. 

After getting asked quite often what to do and how to handle break-up this episode answers and gives tools to manage break-ups! 

At bad news and events are unfolding we all need a few tools to deal with them the right way. 

Is there a connection between depression and binge eating?

Discussing my life updates and how I deal with negative self-talk and how to deal with missing someone who is no longer part of your life. 

After my last episode, many asked me to record an episode about me.

So I asked my close friend Salma to interview me which questions she always wanted to ask me. 

I hope you enjoy the conversation. Happy New Year! 

And yes, new year's day is my actual birthday.

Journaling is a written record of our thoughts & feelings. There are really not any rules although most journaling is a daily exercise. Journaling is a way to track everyday life. Figuring out what makes us tick and happy or upset. Creating a meaningful connection with ourselves is as important as creating meaningful connections with family or friends. In this episode, we are answering a question of a listener who wants some insight on how to use journaling best. 

A person who is excessively high in narcissism is said to have a narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), which is a diagnosable mental illness. A person with narcissistic traits may be mildly self-centered at times, but NPD, on the other hand, is a deeply ingrained, pervasive pattern. In this episode, I will attempt to explain the difference as the term narcissism is constantly (over-)used to describe people's behavior. 

All Palestinians experience trauma whether they are exiled in refugees camps outside of colonized Palestine or live in other countries. They all carry this package of pain and trauma. On Tuesday 23rd June 2020 the 27-year-old Ahmed Erekat was left to die, bleeding on the ground at an Israeli military checkpoint  on his sister's wedding day. Today I have a conversation with his cousin Noaf. 

My former client Lina and I discuss her experience with racism at the workplace. Racism takes many forms and can happen in many places. It includes prejudice, discrimination or hatred directed at someone because of their colour, ethnicity or national origin.

People often associate racism with acts of abuse or harassment. However, it doesn’t need to involve violent or intimidating behaviour. Take racial name-calling and jokes. Or consider situations when people may be excluded from groups or activities because of where they come from.

Stay at home. Stay safe. Be responsible not only for yourself but for everyone.

A daily routine can be a very powerful tool to find comfort in uncertain times. Today we discuss what we can do to establish a daily routine but also how adjusting to new little habits can give your life structure that also helps after the pandemic.

We all need to keep a clear head at times of crisis - but that's not easy. So when strong emotions of fear and anxiety start to cloud your judgment, turn to an effective and reassuring voice of reason. Today we discuss a strategy that can help you with navigating through your emotions.

The health of our relationships is at risk thanks to the many stresses and strains of the pandemic lockdown. Couples might be facing huge emotional and financial challenges at the same time as being tightly confined to their homes.  In this episode, I am discussing tips and strategies on how to overcome conflict and potentially grow out of this situation stronger than before. 

If you have a question you want to have answered in a future coronavirus bonus episode, tweet at @saidintherapy or contact @saidintherapy on instagram or facebook.

Many of us are being advised to stay at home and avoid social contact to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Human interaction is a vital component of happiness, so I try to explain how we can maintain meaningful links to our loved ones, friends and colleagues even if we can't be in the same room with them.

If you have a question you want to have answered in a future coronavirus bonus episode, tweet at @saidintherapy or contact @saidintherapy on instagram or facebook.

Fatma (@diplomess_) and I are having a conversation about her burnout diagnosis and how she dealt with it throughout the years. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. 

Discussing the consequences of toxic positivity in today's society and why it's so dangerous to simplify advice. Nancy's story is shared about how toxic positivity impacted her life and led to fatal moments that changed everything. 

What is the imposter? What does it do? And how to combat it? And sharing own experience. 

Explaining the definition of Major Depressive Disorder in the DSM 5 and Q&A.