Psychologist Archives - Christel Maritz

A Year of Growth and Reflection

The festive season can often bring up emotions and triggers that leave us feeling vulnerable. Yet, it’s also a time to pause, reflect on what we’ve overcome, and consider what still needs attention. What we’ve accomplished in 2024 becomes our stepping stone for 2025—a year where we continue to grow stronger, lighter, and more equipped to face life’s challenges.

Part of the challenge during the festive season is navigating relationships with loved ones who may be neurodivergent or have personality disorders. These dynamics often require a deeper level of patience, understanding, and emotional resilience. Neurodivergent individuals may struggle with changes in routine, sensory sensitivities, or heightened social demands during this time, while those with personality disorders might experience intensified emotions, interpersonal conflicts, or difficulty managing their feelings in communal settings.

As a result, it’s crucial to focus on emotionally regulating ourselves. Emotional regulation involves recognizing and managing our emotions in ways that allow us to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. Techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, setting realistic expectations, and practicing self-compassion can help reduce stressors. By understanding our emotional triggers and finding strategies that work best for us, we can foster an environment of grace, inclusivity, and understanding that supports both ourselves and our loved ones.

At the same time, maintaining healthy boundaries is essential. Boundaries are not barriers but guidelines that protect everyone’s emotional and physical well-being. Clear and compassionate boundaries create communal spaces of safety and respect, ensuring that individual needs are honored without compromising the collective harmony of gatherings. This balance allows for a festive environment where inclusivity and empathy coexist with the security and self-care necessary for meaningful connections.

I want to thank each of you for trusting me on your healing journey. As we move into this reflective season, take the time to acknowledge your progress, release what no longer serves you, and fill your cup with joy and hope for the year ahead.

If new emotions arise, or you find yourself ready to unpack and resolve more, please reach out to me at cmaritz67@gmail.com for an appointment. Let’s work together to embrace 2025 with renewed strength and fresh perspectives.

Warm wishes,
Christa Maritz
Clinical Psychologist, Somerset West

Contact: cmaritz67@gmail.com

The Impact of Emotional Disconnect on Family Stability

In today’s fast-paced world, many individuals find themselves emotionally disconnected from their own realities. This emotional detachment can wreak havoc on stable family relationships, particularly when one family member struggles with emotional dysregulation. Living with someone who experiences unchecked emotional turmoil can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and even long-term relationship strain.

Understanding Emotions and Their Role in Mental Health

Emotions are a vital part of the human experience. They guide us in interpreting the world, connecting with others, and navigating life’s complexities. However, not every feeling is factual or even real—emotions are often influenced by subconscious triggers, past experiences, or misinterpretations. When left unchecked, these feelings can lead to impulsive actions, self-sabotage, and fractured relationships.

This is where emotional intelligence plays a crucial role. Emotional intelligence isn’t about ignoring emotions; it’s about understanding, managing, and balancing them. By being self-aware and exploring the reasons behind your feelings, you can better control your responses and make thoughtful decisions.

Why Emotional Intelligence Matters in Mental Health and Relationships

Promotes Stability: Self-awareness allows individuals to regulate emotions and avoid impulsive reactions, fostering a more harmonious family environment.
Encourages Empathy: Understanding your own feelings makes it easier to empathize with others, reducing conflicts and misunderstandings.
Prevents Self-Sabotage: Recognizing self-defeating patterns empowers you to break the cycle and create healthier habits for yourself and your loved ones.

Invest in Your Emotional Stability

If you feel you’re struggling with emotional regulation or find yourself repeatedly engaging in actions that harm your relationships, it’s time to explore the driving forces behind your behavior. Self-sabotage and emotional instability don’t just affect you—they ripple out to those around you, especially your family.

Start Your Journey Today

For those in Somerset West or the Western Cape seeking to delve deeper into their emotions and mental health, working with a trusted psychologist is the first step. Christel Maritz, a clinical psychologist specializing in trauma therapy, can help you uncover the root causes of your emotional challenges and guide you toward lasting change.

Whether you’re looking for a psychologist today, searching for trauma therapy, or simply seeking a deeper meaning in your life, Christel Maritz provides compassionate, professional support tailored to your needs.

Don’t let unchecked emotions sabotage your relationships or personal growth. Contact Christel Maritz, psychologist in Somerset West, to begin your journey toward emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and family harmony. Christel Maritz Clinical Practice can be contacted via email. Click Here.

How Stress Affects Your Memory

The relationship between stress and memory is complex. A little bit of stress can enhance your ability to encode, store, and retrieve factual information. Too much stress, however, can shut the system down. You may have had this experience studying for a test. A moderate amount of anxiety is motivating and will help you perform better. Too much on the other hand, especially while taking the actual test, can prevent you from recalling what you know.

The experience of trauma and chronic stress over time can actually change the brain structures involved in memory. To understand how this happens, we need to consider one of the ways memories are formed and recalled.

When we have a sensory experience, the amygdala (associated with processing emotion) influences the hippocampus (associated with processing memory) to encode and store the information. Emotionally charged events (both positive and negative) form stronger memories. Later, when it comes time to retrieve a memory, the prefrontal cortex gives the command.

All three of these brain structures are also involved in traumatic stress.

Chronic Stress and Memory

When we experience a threat, the amygdala sets off an alarm which puts the nervous system and body into fight or flight mode. This system exposes the brain and body to high levels of circulating stress hormones. Research has shown that high levels of stress hormones over time can damage the hippocampus (it actually shrinks). This reduces its ability to encode and form memories.

Additionally, during times of stress, the amygdala will inhibit the activity of the prefrontal cortex. From a biological perspective, this is useful in keeping us alive. Energy and resources are pulled away from higher thought and reasoning (the prefrontal cortex) and re-directed to bodily systems needed to preserve our physical safety. For example, our sensory abilities are heightened. Our muscles receive oxygen and glucose so we can fight or run.

For most if us, the fight or flight response is usually not needed to keep us alive in today’s society. It is not useful during an interview for a job you really want or while out on a date. A chronically activated nervous system actually reduces our ability to function and, over time, damages certain structures in our brain.

Trauma and the Hippocampus

To investigate the effects of trauma on the hippocampus researchers looked at the brains of coal miners who had developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being involved in an explosion (2). The researchers found that the coal miners with PTSD had significantly reduced volume of the amygdala and hippocampus in comparison to non-traumatized coal miners.

These findings hold important implications when it comes to memory. Reduced volume in the hippocampus and amygdala due to chronic stress reduces the ability to form and recall memories.

What We Can Do

The brain retains its ability to change throughout the entire lifespan. Studies have already shown that the damaging effects of chronic stress and trauma on the hippocampus can be reversed. For example, the use of antidepressant medication that increases serotonin levels has been shown to counteract the effects of stress on the hippocampus. With antidepressant use, the hippocampal volume in the chronically stressed brain increased.

While the mechanism for the changes in the hippocampus is not fully understood, we can assume that in addition to the increase in serotonin, the reduction in stress that caused the damage in the first place, also plays a role in the reversal of damage to the hippocampus.

Take the steps necessary to reduce chronic stress. Not only will lower stress have a positive effect on your overall quality of life, but it may also begin the process of healing the damage to the brain structures involved in memory. Exercise, therapy, and medication are all options for reversing damages of trauma and chronic stress.

References

Bremner, J. D. (2006). Traumatic stress: effects on the brain. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 8(4), 445.
Zhang, Q., Zhuo, C., Lang, X., Li, H., Qin, W., & Yu, C. (2014). Structural impairments of hippocampus in coal mine gas explosion-related posttraumatic stress disorder. PloS one, 9(7), e102042.
Malberg, J. E., Eisch, A. J., Nestler, E. J., & Duman, R. S. (2000). Chronic antidepressant treatment increases neurogenesis in adult rat hippocampus. Journal of Neuroscience, 20(24), 9104-9110.
Power, J. D., & Schlaggar, B. L. (2017). Neural plasticity across the lifespan. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Developmental Biology, 6(1), e216.

How Stress Affects Your Memory
How Stress Affects Your Memory
Disorders

Understanding Anxiety: Differentiating and Addressing It

Anxiety, often referred to as the silent thief of joy, manifests in various forms and can sometimes disguise itself as something else. Identifying whether what you’re experiencing is anxiety or another issue is the crucial first step towards effective management. While it’s normal to feel anxious in certain situations, persistent and overwhelming feelings of unease, fear, or worry may indicate an underlying anxiety disorder.

One way to distinguish anxiety from other emotions is by paying attention to its physical and emotional symptoms. Physical signs may include rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, and difficulty breathing, while emotional indicators may encompass persistent negative thoughts, restlessness, irritability, and trouble concentrating. Understanding these cues can help individuals recognize when anxiety is at play and seek appropriate support.

Once identified, addressing anxiety involves a multifaceted approach, with a focus on identifying triggers and implementing healthy coping mechanisms. Start by keeping a journal to track your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during anxious episodes. This can help pinpoint specific triggers, whether they’re related to certain situations, environments, or thought patterns. Armed with this knowledge, individuals can then work towards replacing these triggers with healthier actions.

Replacing triggers with healthy alternatives involves adopting coping strategies that promote relaxation, mindfulness, and resilience. Techniques such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery can help alleviate immediate symptoms of anxiety. Additionally, engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, and prioritizing adequate sleep contribute to overall well-being and resilience against anxiety triggers. Seeking professional guidance from therapists or counselors can also provide valuable insights and personalized strategies for managing anxiety effectively.

In conclusion, understanding the nature of anxiety, identifying its presence, and addressing it through proactive measures are essential for reclaiming control over one’s mental and emotional well-being. By recognizing the signs and symptoms of anxiety, individuals can take proactive steps towards identifying triggers and replacing them with healthy actions. Through a combination of self-awareness, coping techniques, and professional support, it’s possible to navigate the challenges of anxiety and cultivate a sense of calm and resilience in everyday life.