The Crossroads Counseling Center offers Christ-centered counseling through our team of experienced and compassionate counselors.

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TOPIC - Anxiety

Myth: “Individuals with anxiety just need to relax and stop worrying so much. If they really trusted God, they would be fine.”

Fact: While anxiety is often thought of as only a mental health issue, it can be caused by medical, biological, or even nutritional factors.  Anxiety can be caused by illness, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, autoimmune disease, food sensitivities or allergies, and genetic factors.  If someone begins to experience a sudden increase in anxiety, a checkup with their primary doctor and/or nutritionist may be helpful.

Fact: Very faithful and strong Christian believers may experience anxiety at times.  King David battled anxiety and Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, chronicled his life-long battle with anxiety and depression in his works.  Author Sheila Walsh and Pastor Louie Giglio have also been public about their own anxiety struggles. 

Fact:  Anxiety can often be a physical reaction to stress that has built up in the body during difficult or stressful seasons of life.  Grief, job loss/change, retirement, marriage challenges, and parenting stress can lead to feelings of anxiety that do not appear to have an obvious trigger.

Fact: Anxiety may also be a result of past trauma that occurred to the individual.  This may cause a person’s central nervous system to get stuck in fight or flight.  The individual may deeply desire to “just relax,” but they are unable to no matter how hard they try.   

*Regardless of the cause, anxiety is very treatable.

If you are experiencing anxiety and would like to talk with a counselor about ways to cope and heal, please reach out to our Crossroads Counseling Center at 812-518-1490.

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TOPIC - Postpartum Mental Health

While medicine has come a long way in acknowledging the tremendous amount of change and adjustment that comes to a family after the birth of a child, there are still a lot of challenges that remain under-recognized in the days, weeks, and months after bringing a new baby home.

The postpartum period is medically defined as the time directly after the birth of a child to 6 weeks.  While this definition is helpful, it does not accurately describe the physical, hormonal, and lifestyle changes that can continue for months after the birth of a new baby. These adjustments not only impact the mother, but additional caregivers in the home and other family members.  In many cases, these transitions are short-lived, and the family moves forward easily.

Occasionally postpartum changes can lead to significantly increased anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, and martial conflict that are not as easily resolved and impact the healthy functioning of the caregivers and family members for months or years.

There is help!  A great place to start is a conversation with an OB/GYN or a primary care doctor. These professionals can help provide options and referrals. There is also help through counseling and mental health services. 

Crossroads Counseling Center is staffed with clinicians familiar with postpartum concerns, who are ready to assist with counseling and resources.  Give the office a call at 812-518-1490.

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TOPIC - Mental Health and Technology

Research over the past decade has consistently revealed the negative impacts of the overuse of smartphones and social media on our mental and physical health.  Despite the information, changes in workplace structure, the change to online platforms for school classroom work, and the additional access to digital applications has only served to increase the average amount of time we spend on technology daily. 

This increase in technology usage has brought about a significant increase in rates of anxiety, depression, insomnia, eating disorders, social isolation, relational issues, and school performance issues. These issues are even more prevalent in teens and young adults. The good news is that our mental and physical health can improve with just a few small changes. 

Make it your intention to:
SET BOUNDARIES
Set a specific time each day to check personal email and social media and stick to these guidelines. 

MAKE IT INACCESSIBLE
Put your phone, computer, or tablet in another room or area if you are needing to focus on other tasks.

SILENCE NOTIFICATION
Silence or eliminate all notifications that are not essential or would provide distraction from other important tasks such as work and family/social engagement.

BE INTENTIONAL
Unsubscribe from any email subscriptions, social media accounts, or gaming platforms that do not bring value or encouragement to you.

TAKE BREAKS
Set up daily and weekly “resets” where all devices are put away for a set amount of time.

USE DEVICE LIMITS
Most devices have a way to set limits on usage.  Utilize these to set time limits on certain apps as well as for overall phone usage.

FIND REPLACEMENT ACTIVITIES
Identify activities you can do to stay off your phone such as going for a family walk, calling a friend, or having a game night.

BE HONEST
Take an honest look at your technology habits and identify ways that it may be negatively impacting you.  Set specific goals to make positive change in these areas.

In some cases phone and social media usage becomes a compulsive behavior that requires professional assistance to make healthy change. 

Our team of clinicians at Crossroads Counseling Center can help.  Call our office at 812-518-1490 for more information.