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Navigating Postpartum OCD

Navigating Postpartum OCD

Kate Motaung2025-03-24T14:19:21+00:00March 24th, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, OCD, Women’s Issues|

The arrival of a child is an occasion of joy and much celebrating. However, many challenges can come with pregnancy, birth, and the weeks and months that follow, including postpartum OCD.Postpartum OCD ExplainedPostpartum OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) is a mental health condition that affects 3-5 percent of new mothers immediately after childbirth, with some symptoms emerging 4-6 weeks after delivery. It’s a type of anxiety disorder that’s marked by intrusive and recurring thoughts, called obsessions, along with repetitive behaviors, called compulsions, that are often deployed as ways to deal with obsessions.These obsessions and compulsions will often interfere with daily life. Some of the obsessions that a new mom may have include fear of dirt or contamination or being preoccupied with the baby’s safety and health. Likewise, they may be overwhelmed with fear of being a bad mother, as well as fear of causing harm to the baby or herself.The compulsive responses to these may cause the new mom to want symmetry and order around her and the baby. She may repeatedly look for reassurance from others about her mothering or the child’s well-being. There may be ritualistic behaviors like repeating phrases and counting and constantly checking the baby to see if they are breathing. She may repeatedly check the baby’s temperature or do excessive cleaning and sanitizing.Other signs of postpartum OCD to look out for include having difficulty sleeping or concentrating, digestive problems, or headaches. Likewise, the mom may experience feelings of dread and worry. They could also feel overwhelmed, hopeless, or trapped. Mom may begin avoidance behaviors, avoiding situations or tasks such as leaving the house with the baby, bathing the baby, or putting the baby to sleep for fear of harming them.How Postpartum OCD Affects Mom and BabyIt’s common for a new parent to have anxieties about their role [...]

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How Your God-Given Internal Cues Can Stop Emotional Eating

How Your God-Given Internal Cues Can Stop Emotional Eating

Lori Askew, Kate Motaung2025-03-26T12:17:48+00:00March 7th, 2025|Eating Disorders, Featured, Individual Counseling, Weight Loss, Women’s Issues|

Chronic stress, a silent predator, is a key instigator of a range of physical and mental ailments. Unfortunately, it also slyly fuels emotional eating. What happens is that we often turn to food beyond our physical hunger because we’re trying to fill a deep-seated void. God actually created that void in us to fill with Himself. Therefore, we know that food is not the answer. God has gifted us with a sophisticated system that signals when we need to nourish ourselves and when we should refrain from eating. This system helps us to effectively curb emotional eating by recognizing and responding to internal cues. Defining True Hunger The internal cues we possess to indicate hunger are natural and intuitive. Your body releases two hormones, ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin stimulates the appetite, making your stomach feel empty and often causing it to growl. The growl or empty sensation may subside but return in 10-30 minutes as your body requires fuel. The other hormone, leptin, controls satiety. You experience the sensation of being full when fat cells release leptin, which leads you to stop eating. This hormone is released when it receives the signal from the stomach approaching fullness. Unfortunately, many individuals continue to eat even when they are already full or not hungry, making it difficult to gauge their satiety or control their eating. This can lead to physical discomfort, obesity, digestive problems, and even illness if it becomes a consistent habit. Understanding these potential health risks can be a powerful motivator to change our eating habits. Why We Eat Our Emotions If the empty feeling or stomach growl indicates hunger, why do we eat when not physically hungry? Thoughts and emotions fuel our actions. For example, you have had a stressful day at work. You arrive home, and everyone [...]

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7 Pieces of Relationship Advice for Women

7 Pieces of Relationship Advice for Women

Melissa Plantz2025-02-28T08:16:19+00:00February 28th, 2025|Featured, Relationship Issues, Women’s Issues|

Entering a relationship is exciting and a little scary. Are you moving too fast? Is it too early to share with him certain private matters? Is he treating you right? We can rush in if we feel lonely or have recently divorced. A list of relationship advice for women exists to assist us in making the right choices while keeping our priorities and values front and center. Think of it as a checklist detailing what you want in a healthy relationship and from a man who will add to your life. Relationship Advice for Women You can take these suggestions as standard relationship advice for women who want a partner who will make them better without losing their sense of self. Often, we connect with a man on a surface level, worrying about what he thinks about us or if we are rushing the relationship’s growth. If you have past failed relationships, this may scare you even more. Am I pushing him away if I am myself? Should I pretend to be the person he would want to date and marry? Being anyone other than yourself is futile – no one can hide who they are for long. And why would you? God created you with the personality and appearance unique to you. This does not mean that you should not try to be a better version of yourself by learning new skills and taking care of your health and body. Instead, it means being vulnerable and allowing your true self to shine. If someone cannot accept you for the person God created you to be, that man is probably not the one for you. Move on. Know Your Worth As you mature, you grow into your identity. You begin to set boundaries and know what you will tolerate [...]

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Am I Experiencing Symptoms of Anxiety?

Am I Experiencing Symptoms of Anxiety?

Sarah Gibson, Kate Motaung2024-12-21T09:56:23+00:00October 28th, 2024|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling, Women’s Issues|

Anxiety vs. worry Have you ever thought, “Am I anxious or am I just worried?” For example, a high school student might be worried about an upcoming calculus test, but once the test is done and graded, they are not worried about that test anymore. Like this teenager, we have all been worried about something, but this worry usually goes away once the situation is resolved. On the other hand, what if that same teenager finds themselves constantly worrying about their grades to the point that they have trouble sleeping, become noticeably more fidgety, and start to have panic attacks? These are symptoms of anxiety and are distinct from worry. Those struggling with anxiety usually experience both emotional and physical symptoms, which if left untreated can affect your personal, professional, and spiritual life. Anxiety is widespread Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in the United States, affecting over forty million adults, or 19.1% of the population. As the OCD & Anxiety Center explains, “For many, it has become increasingly challenging to feel “enough” in a culture that puts a lot of value on having it “all together.” The pressure and stress to achieve near-impossible goals in work and personal life can, in time, result in increased anxiety and even depression.” For those struggling with anxiety, the constant worries and stress can be overwhelming, because it feels like the worries will never stop. With anxiety, these worries can last for a longer period and there might not be a specific reason behind the anxiety. Ruminating thoughts These constant worries are a key feature of anxiety and are known as ruminating thoughts. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), rumination involves, “repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings and distress and their causes and consequences.” Below are a few [...]

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The Unexpected Side Effects of Depression and What You Can Do

The Unexpected Side Effects of Depression and What You Can Do

Kate Motaung2024-10-29T15:06:49+00:00November 18th, 2022|Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling, Men’s Issues, Women’s Issues|

If you or someone you love lives with the effects of depression, you know that it is far more than occasional feelings of sadness. People often use the term depression casually to explain a wide array of feelings. Depression, however, is a medical diagnosis that goes beyond generalized feelings of sadness or being down. Even if you learn and understand what to expect, there can be some things that surprise you. While they are not the direct symptoms, these things can be side effects associated with the depression you or your loved one lives with each day. Understanding these things and what you can do to help will make the effects of depression feel less overwhelming so you can better manage it each day. Expected things associated with depression Depression, sometimes referred to as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a mood disorder that causes symptoms that can affect how you feel, think, and behave. These things can affect your daily life, as they are persistent for weeks, months, or even years. The most common things symptoms are: Persistent sadness or feeling empty: This is the most common thing people think of with depression. It is often described as a generalized feeling of being sad, down, or blue. The key here is that it is persistent over time and affects daily life. Loss of interest in relationships and things that were once enjoyed: People living with depression can exhibit a lack of interest in things like hobbies or activities they used to enjoy. It can even carry over into relationships, losing interest in connecting with people they care about. Negative feelings: A variety of negative feelings can be present. Things like pessimism, melancholy, irritability, worthlessness, and insecurity are a few common struggles for people with depression. Not [...]

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