top of page

PROBLEMS HELPED - at the London Psychology Clinic

​

The London Psychology Clinic helps adults with anxiety, panic, phobias, OCD, depression, low self-esteem and more. On this page you will find the definitions and descriptions of these common psychological problems and difficulties. If you have one (or more) of these, you are not alone. Effective treatments exist - based on CBT. 

Anxiety Disorders

​

Officially, there;s quite a list of anxiety disorders. I can help with each of these: 

​

  • Panic Disorder - periods of intense anxiety or fear - panic attacks - which either seem to come out-of-the-blue, or linked to specific triggering situations

  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - general anxiety and worry about a range of different things, always worrying or a worrier. 

  • Health anxiety or hypochondriasis - an excessive fear about being ill, with body checking, consulting doctors or other health practitioners, and worry about the consequences - without clear evidence of illness

  • Agoraphobia - a fear of situations that are difficult to escape from

  • Social anxiety or social phobia - anxiety about social situations, how we will perform and be judged by other people.

  • Specific phobia - fear and avoidance of specific objects or situations such as heights, dogs, spiders (arachnophobia), enclosed spaces (claustrophobia). planes, trains and public transport...

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - disturbing thoughts about something bad happening and an associated urge to do something (e.g. checking, washing, mental rituals...) to reduce the chance of that happening, and/or to help us to feel less anxious. My main treatment approach is CBT-informed ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) for OCD. 

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - an increase in fear and other emotions after being in a situation where we thought that we could have been seriously hurt or even killed. Symptoms include flashbacks, an exaggerated startle response (being jumpy) and more.

Public transport phobia​

 

Not enjoying travelling on public transport is common and understandable. In London, public transport can be busy, cramped, noisy and rather unpleasant. For a significant number of people, travelling by public transport is a highly unpleasant and anxiety provoking experience. Some of these people will avoid the Tube, trains or buses entirely. This has several negative consequences, including:

​

  1. Making more journeys by taxi which is costly

  2. Driving more places yourself (or getting a lift) which is slower, more hassle or costlier

  3. Turning down invites or not going to places because the predicted public transport anxiety is too great

  4. Hiding the public transport phobia from other people due to shame or embarrassment

  5. Being self-critical and feeling a bit rubbish about yourself

​

It does not have to be this way.

 

There are good psychological treatments for phobia, including those which target public transport phobia. In fact, the success rate is high. I have plenty of experience of helping people to understand, face up to and conquer their fear of public transport.

 

Why not take the important first step to overcome yours today by getting in touch? There is no better time than now.

​

​

Low mood disorders

​

I've called the second list, low mood disorders, because for me all of these disorders involve low or depressed mood and negative thinking states:

​

  • Depression - ​including Recurrent Depression and Major Depressive Disorder - where there is persistent low mood or irritability, a bleakness and negative outlook

  • Dysthymia - a more chronic or longer-term form of depression, which won't necessarily always be as intense as depression

  • Cyclothymia - mood cycles (hence 'cyclo') between mild depression to somewhat high (manic) - but does not get as low or as high as manic depression or bipolar disorder

  • Low self-esteem - although it's not an official diagnostic label, it is a recognised problem by sufferers and clinicians, where we have a low opinion of ourselves and we worry about being found out. 

​

If you want to learn more about depression, why it develops and what treatments are most proven to be effective, click here.

Depressed man.jpg

Other common psychological disorders

​

Here are other common psychological disorders or problems, that don't fit neatly under an anxiety or a low-mood disorder. 

 

  • Adjustment disorder - difficulties in functioning in response to a significant change in circumstance

  • Bereavement - difficulties after the loss of a loved one, or important person in our lives

  • Binge eating disorder and bulimia - patterns of eating that have cycle between periods of over restriction, to overeating (bingeing), and probable purging (vomiting, laxatives)

  • Childhood traumas and experiences - life-long limitations following significant negative experiences during childhood

  • Relationship difficulties - problematic patterns in our relationship with others

​

Of course, there are more disorders than I have listed here. These are some of the most common ones. If you don't recognise your difficulty in the descriptions above, why not get in touch, to see how I can help.

Book a psychological assessment, to understand what caused your difficulties and what maintains them. Next, get a treatment plan that will help improve things for you - sooner rather than later.
bottom of page