Mindset | Blog

View original article published in Psych Central– If you had a devastating illness and were given one year to live, what would you do? No question there would be grief and plenty of important decisions to make. If it didn’t debilitate you completely, what would you do with your time? Where would you focus your attention and energy? Would you be willing to spend more time with your loved ones despite the pain that shows up? Would you be doing activities that you’ve enjoyed in life or would you stay home lamenting what life would’ve been if you didn’t have this affliction? As mortal beings, we are guaranteed physical, mental and emotional pain. The prospect of getting away from pain is a fantasy, and we all know it. Yet, when we are in the

View original article published in Psych Central– Uncertainty is the reigning emotion during critical times. The response to our feelings may depend on our physical, emotional, and mental health circumstances. The turmoil in the world can surely make for a perfect emotional daily storm. Our protective mind may advise us to curl up in bed and stay there. However, will avoidance provide us with moments of joy despite the turbulence and uncertainty around us? We are constantly being triggered by external signals. We may be aware of how our body and mind respond, but sometimes we may not consciously recognize it. When awareness is absent, we can quickly become entangled with unpleasant and unhelpful thoughts. Uncertainty can take over and pani

Annabella Hagen, LCSW, was interviewed and quoted as part of the article, “Coping with Germophobia in a Pandemic”, recently published in BYU’s The Daily Universe. Hagen said a common phrase she hears is, “Being a little OCD,” where the letters “OCD” are used as an adjective. “It’s done innocently, but society needs to understand that OCD is a serious and debilitating illness for many people,” Hagen said. “Their daily distress affects their functioning and quality of life. There is nothing ‘little’ about struggling with this illness.” Read full article here. Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

View original article published in Psych Central– Weddings, graduations, business meetings, travel, friends and family gatherings have been interrupted. Some activities we may have been looking forward to have been wiped out or postponed. Some people’s reaction can be anger, anxiety or stress. Others are mourning what could’ve been in sadness and frustration. A friend whose yearly tradition has been to enjoy the national college basketball tournament during March (March Madness) with his sons and their families is lamenting his loss. For his family, March is usually a time to watch their favorite basketball players and teams compete, and most importantly, an opportunity to bond with one another as a family. Many college students have mixed

If you struggle with uncertainty, the coronavirus crisis and other natural events in the world may only heighten your anxiety. If you tend to obsess about the future, your mind may be going a thousand miles a second providing a myriad of possible scenarios that could come true or not. Indeed, these are unprecedented times. The “what if” thoughts abound among all of us. You are not alone. As you read the news about the virus spreading, the fight-or-flight response is evident. It’s easy to go down the labyrinth of fear. Social distancing is limiting, and this has placed extra emotional stress because of our natural need for human connection. So what can we do? “To everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season (turn, turn, turn), and a time

Annabella Hagen, LCSW was interviewed and quoted as part of the article. “Imagine being obsessed with your personal worthiness before God — a captive to compulsive thoughts that require engaging in excessive religious behavior to cope. Imagine being weighed down with the constant need to confess sinful behavior to an ecclesiastical leader and unable to accept anything less than perfection…” Read full article here.

December can be a time of stress as you hurry to attend Christmas shows, plan parties, finish shopping, send greetings, and help your family and friends complete last minute preparations. Whether you have been practicing the skills you’ve learned in therapy, have just begun treatment, or haven’t yet begun, your scrupulosity OCD may flareup. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 1 Indeed, Christmas is a wonderful time to reflect on your religious beliefs and your relationship with the Lord. However, the season itself may trigger your scrupulosity. Questions may arise regarding your worthiness and God’s love for you. The uncertainty that

View original article published in Psych Central– I once had a neighbor who was very fragile in her age. When I’d ask her how she was doing, she would always respond, “I am counting my blessings. That’s what counts. Things don’t have to be one way all the time. Changes happen and I go with them and laugh instead of growl.” I loved her attitude, even though she was ill and up in years. She was accepting changes with a positive and grateful perspective. “The greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity or power, but self-rejection.” – Henri Nouwen When we struggle with mental, emotional, physical or relationship challenges, it is difficult to feel thankful and show gratitude. This can easily happen when we buy into unhelpful thoughts

View original article published in Psych Central– Maddie thought she liked and loved her fiancé but lately began to question whether she really did. Every time they were together she would start obsessing, “His ears are too big. Our kids are going to have big ears. They’ll resent me. Do I want to obsess about his ears the rest of my life? Maybe I should call the wedding off? But then he is a great guy! What if we end up divorcing because of that? That would be horrible!” When her fiancé would ask, “What’s the matter?” she would dismiss the question as “Nothing.” “Sorry, what were you saying?” Her incessant thoughts brought uncertainty and anxiety. She would also review all the “good” things about him to feel reassured. She would ask her fa

View original article published in Psych Central– While snorkeling in the ocean, I had the opportunity to remember an invaluable lesson regarding willingness — to take what is offered in the moment. Willingness is an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principle that, when applied correctly, can help us live more meaningfully, despite unpleasant external and internal events. My snorkeling story illustrates how easily we forget that we should not try to fight the unfightable. We can learn to accept what is offered to us in the here and now, so we can focus on whom and what matters most in our lives. While swimming towards the area of a lagoon that had a reef by the open sea, my sister and I found some fish to look at but not as many as