Don’t worry – we all feel anxious once in a while. Experiencing anxiety can sometimes even be beneficial for us in ways such as helping us meet work deadlines and respond to emergencies. And as such, it can be used as a source of motivation and a survival tool. In fact, the “fight or flight” response served our ancestors well by helping them stay vigilant and sharp in dangerous situations. And for that evolutionary reason, this mental and physical response has been preserved to this day. As such, anxiety isn’t the problem itself. However, it does become problematic when it turns into anxiety disorders, and that is when you begin to feel anxious on a consistent basis even in non-threatening situations. Anxiety disorders are characterized by both emotional and physical sensations such as palpitations of the heart, feelings of tension, apprehension, or even irrational fear.

The majority of the people who have never experienced depression think depression is limited to just feeling “down” and “sad.” This is far from the truth. Depression can negatively affect both an individual’s mental and physical abilities and cause feelings of despair and hopelessness. So much so, that it can even go as far to cause feelings of “numbness to life.” It is no wonder that depression is also given other names such as clinical depression, major depression, and major depressive disorder. You see – depression is a psychological condition that requires medical and therapeutic treatment. This is why when someone is depressed, they are unable to simply “move on” or “try to feel better” for the same reason that we don’t expect cancer patients to just “heal themselves.” Understanding the weight of depression is powerful, because instead downplaying it, we now know better by encouraging our loved ones who are subject to depression to seek professional help.

Stress is a result of a combination of small daily issues and daunting life situations, and it becomes overwhelming when we overreach our “stress capacity.” No matter how great we think we are naturally in taking on more stress, it can quickly become overbearing when left ignored and untreated. When that happens, it can serve as a gateway to other major physical, mental, and emotional health problems.



While family relationships are irreplaceable, and can certainly bring much joy into your life if sustained harmoniously, no relationship comes without challenge. Given that every family member has their own very unique value system and set of beliefs, occasional conflicts between siblings, parents, kids, and spouses can certainly happen. Conflict can either be a result of a spur of misunderstanding or a build-up of resentment towards one another. On top of personal conflicts, there are other much more severe cases such as domestic abuse. All of these are recipes for negatively impacted mental health and accumulated stress.

It is commonly said that happiness is a direct result of nurturing healthy and fulfilling relationships around us. That being said, it is no surprise that repetitive patterns of relational conflict can bring pain in our lives in the form of stress, anxiety, loneliness, or even depression. As social creatures, we must adopt the right communication tools to navigate difficult interactions in order to develop peace in relationships. And without them, relationships – especially the ones that are already unstable – can definitely worsen. However, it is seldom that the importance of proper communication for the sake of cultivating relationships is taught. And this causes so many individuals to have to feel unfulfilled in certain relationships.

If you feel you are dealing with a mental health issue not listed above, please note that the EPIC counsellors are well versed in many mental health issues and none is too small or irrelevant. If you feel you need to address your mental health with a professional, please reach out.