​September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. ​Unfortunately, for our family, it was also the month that our sweet, 9-year-old Meredith started feeling stomach pains. Those pains became Stage 4 liver cancer (I don’t know the fancy, official name). Meredith spent 3 months in the hospital, including celebrating her 10th birthday and Thanksgiving, fighting a monstrous diagnosis. She was brave. She was a fighter. Ultimately, there wasn’t a cure for her disease and she died.

Private donations will help to greatly improve cancer research specifically for children! 
Please consider donating today (or set up a reoccurring donation):

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Have you or someone you know/love been affected by cancer? Do you need to talk? Contact Bree today to schedule your initial session. Bree Winkler is a licensed professional counselor in Atlanta, GA specializing in helping clients manage anxiety, depression, anger, and relationship issues. Bree is also a regular donor and supporter of finding a cure for childhood cancer! 

The emotions you feel depend on how you interpret a particular situation. Then, your brain decides which chemicals to release – Serotonin, Dopamine, Glutamate, or Norepinephrine – to help you respond to the situation. Without emotions, you might not react appropriately. Let’s see how this works: You have met a cute guy (or girl) and have plans for a first date. You are excited (positive) and nervous (negative). With the help of your brain, these emotions propel you to look and act your best for that first impression. This process, hopefully, will help you secure a second date!   Another example: Spending time with your grandmother brings you such joy (positive), but her health has been failing and she is often in pain. When she dies, you are devastated (negative), even though you know she is free from pain now. Your emotions allow you to both celebrate her life and your memories, as well as grieve (including crying, getting angry, and experiencing shock). After a while, your emotions will regulate so you can function at a manageable level.

Take home message: Accept emotions as a healthy part of your daily life. Embrace the positive and negative emotions. Live life to the fullest! 

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If you are having difficulty managing your emotions (or other personal issues), seek professional help. Bree Winkler LPC is a licensed professional counselor in Atlanta, GA. Bree specializes in helping clients with anxiety, depression, anger, and relationship issues. Contact Bree today for your FREE phone consultation.

Life is Precious. It is also complicated. The difficulty lies in the small things: how you feel; how you perceive something; your support system (or lack thereof); how to handle difficult and/or uncomfortable things; your relationships; and your coping skills. [Did I say “small things”?!?] When a person starts to doubt themselves, their life, or their future, this is devastating. Disappointment and setbacks are temporary. Don’t make a permanent decision based on current, difficult circumstances!

Warning signs of Suicidal Ideation or Intent: Appearing depressed or sad most of the time. (Untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide.) Talking or writing about death or suicide. Withdrawing from family and friends. Feeling hopeless. Feeling helpless. Feeling strong anger or rage. Feeling trapped -- like there is no way out of a situation. Experiencing dramatic mood changes. Abusing drugs or alcohol. Exhibiting a change in personality. Acting impulsively. Losing interest in most activities. Experiencing a change in sleeping habits. Experiencing a change in eating habits. Losing interest in most activities.​ Self-harm (such as self-mutilation). Being dismissed as “attention seeking” instead of feelings/actions being taken seriously.

Performing poorly at work or in school. Giving away prized possessions. Feeling excessive guilt or shame. Acting recklessly. Note: Up to 75% of suicide completion occurs after exhibiting one or more warning signs. Pay close attention to those around you. Get/Offer help!

How to (get or ask for) help:

Talk about how you feel: Tell the person exactly what you are telling yourself. If you have a suicide plan, explain it to them. Phrases such as, ‘I can't take it anymore’ or ‘I’m done’ are vague and do not illustrate how serious things really are. Tell the person you trust that you are thinking about suicide. If it is too difficult for you to talk about, try writing it down and handing a note to the person you trust. Or send them an email or text and sit with them while they read it.

Make time for things that bring you joy. Even if very few things bring you pleasure at the moment, force yourself to do the things you used to enjoy. Get out in the sun or into nature for at least 30 minutes a day.

Things to do: Talk with someone every day, preferably face to face. Though you feel like withdrawing, ask trusted friends and acquaintances to spend time with you. Or continue to call a crisis helpline and talk about your feelings. Make a safety plan. Develop a set of steps that you can follow during a suicidal crisis. It should include contact numbers for your doctor or therapist, as well as friends and family members who will help in an emergency. Make a written schedule for yourself every day and stick to it, no matter what. Keep a regular routine as much as possible, even when your feelings seem out of control. Exercise as vigorously as is safe for you. To get the most benefit, aim for 30 minutes of exercise per day. But you can start small. Three 10-minute bursts of activity can have a positive effect on mood. Remember your personal goals. You may have always wanted to travel to a particular place, read a specific book, own a pet, move to another place, learn a new hobby, volunteer, go back to school, or start a family. Write your personal goals down.

Resources: Schedule an appointment with your personal therapist. [Need help? Contact Bree today.] National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Suicide prevention telephone hotline funded by the U.S. government. Provides free, 24-hour assistance. 1-800-273-TALK (8255). IMAlive – Toll-free telephone number offering 24-hour suicide crisis support. 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433). (Kristin Brooks Hope Center) The Trevor Project – Crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Includes a 24/7 hotline: 1-866-488-7386. SAMHSA's National Helpline – Free, confidential 24/7 helpline information service for substance abuse and mental health treatment referral. 1-800-662-HELP (4357). (SAHMSA)​

Suicide Prevention, Awareness, and Support. Written resources.  Help Guide: Trusted guide to mental and emotional help. ​

Author

Bree Winkler LPC is a licensed professional counselor in Atlanta, GA. Bree specializes in helping adults and adolescents manage depression, anxiety, anger, and relationship issues. Bree relied on national resources for this blog on suicide prevention and tips. Contact Bree today to schedule your initial, in person or Skype, session to help you feel better. 

Timing: You are a busy person (job, family, friends, fun, responsibilities, self-care, and more). Are you able to complete everything you need and want to each day? Do you feel comfortable balancing all the things on your plate? Is there a time and place for each important thing? Physically: When you are emotionally balanced, your body is physically functioning optimally. This means you are able to sleep 7-9 hours per night, your digestive system works properly, your body can recover quickly from aches and pains, you eat healthy meals, and taking care of yourself is a natural part of your lifestyle.

​​ Career: You spend a lot of time at work during the week. Balance is achieved when you have boundaries. Meaning: you leave work at an appropriate time and you leave work behind when you leave! In addition, while you are at work, you embrace this time with passion and enjoyment.

Relationships: Other people are important aspects of your personal balance. No one lives in a bubble. Humans are social creatures; we need each other. If you have time (and desire) to talk openly and honestly to the special people in your life, your connection to others strengthens. Mental Health: How you interpret your experiences affects your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Do you balance joy/pleasure with relaxation/self-care? Are you able to love yourself and to love others? Are you open to what is to come (instead of focusing negatively on what has been)? Emotional: A balanced person is not exhausted all the time. Contentment, peace, and (hopefully) happiness are felt the majority of the time. Your love tank is full!

Bell Rock in Sedona, AZ

My hope and desire for you (my client, my audience, my friends) and myself is internal balance. For me, that includes calmness, quality time with special people, daily purpose, exercise, laughter, positive thoughts, and fresh air with sunshine. Just saying this aloud makes my heart feel open and warm. How can I help you reach your inner balance, your peace, your happiness? ​ Contact Bree today to schedule your initial mental health session so you can achieve balance for yourself.

Author

Bree Winkler is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Bree’s specialties include helping clients with depression, anxiety, anger, and relationship issues. Her practice, Private Counseling LLC, is located in Peachtree Corners, GA.

​Synonyms: uncertainty, hesitation, disbelief, reservation; skepticism, distrust, ​suspicion, questioning

Have you ever experienced self-doubt? Have you questioned your ability to do something well or “right”? Have you ever believed that others seem to think you are not capable or smart (or helpful or funny or kind or millions of other worries)? I know I have. Self-doubt is the worst! How can I feel good about myself, confident in my abilities, or happy and secure if I am doubting myself?  Self-doubt is a stressor that needs to be managed. Managing means decreasing the belief that the self-doubt is real. When you manage the stressor, you are managing your anxiety.

This process is not easy. Managing anxiety is not easy. Sometimes, it will feel like a full-time job. It is exhausting. The good news is that relief will occur; you WILL feel better with practice. Don’t give up on yourself!

​If you need help navigating this process, Contact Bree Winkler LPC today to schedule an initial counseling session. 

If you want something you’ve never had, You have to do something you’ve never done.

Therefore, if you change your Thoughts/Beliefs, you are able to feel something different, which means you will Respond/Act differently as well. This is the key to getting what you want. Shifting your Thoughts shows that changes ≠ fear. How does this formula help me? I stopped telling myself “I might fail and lose money by renting an office” and changed my Thought to “An office is the best option for me at this time.” That simple shift stopped me from feeling fear and replaced it with feelings of motivation and excitement. That was liberating! Actions quickly followed with research and planning. I couldn’t be happier that I stopped being afraid and started embracing this next step on my professional journey. Can you imagine how this can work for you? Do you want to let go of fear? ​ Are you ready to Do Something You’ve Never Done?