ASK A PHYSICAL THERAPIST
- 13 Apr - 19 Apr, 2024
The key to your situation is the time frame. When you say, “My problem began three weeks ago”, that tells us the major factor is situational in nature. There’s a good chance a lot of things have happened recently that have increased your stress level. Our sleep is always a good thermometer of our stress level. There are also several types of the can’t-get-to-sleep situations such as:
1. We’re “wired” and too excited to sleep,
2. We fall asleep but wake up frequently,
3. We finally get to sleep but wake up at about 4:00 am, and
4. We can’t get to sleep because our brain won’t stop thinking.
The last two versions are typically found in depression for example. A psychiatrist would be the best professional to evaluate the combination of stress issues and sleep problems for you.
There’s a difference between seeing a therapist versus seeing a therapist as part of a weight loss programme. Seeing a therapist for issues related to self-esteem, motivation, poor self-image, etc. may be helpful. However, your best and most effective approach may be to see a therapist as part of a weight loss programme. A study found “three of the four studies demonstrated that behaviour therapy, when used in conjunction with other weight loss approaches, was more effective in reducing weight or delaying weight regain.” Yes, seeing a therapist could be helpful. It would be more helpful if you saw a therapist who is coordinating their treatment with an ongoing weight reduction plan. Two approaches focusing on the same issue (weight loss and weight regain) are better than each approach individually.
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