By Jill Earp, LMHC
In addition to general signs that you may benefit from therapy, in my previous post, I thought it would be helpful to add some Florida specific experiences that can impact mental health.
Road rage
Florida roads are notoriously stressful due to the sheer quantity of people that live here or are visiting. It can be difficult to keep calm when it feels like every time you take a drive, you’re having to mentally prepare for a battle. Whether you are someone that struggles with your own anger reactions while driving or you have anxiety when thinking about other driver’s displaying their rage with unsafe driving practices, therapy can help address ways to reduce feeling overwhelmed with anger or anxiety. You might need help with time management, anger management, and stress reducing coping skills. Think of how safe the roads would be if everyone would try therapy to manage their road rage!
Weather-induced agoraphobia
When I moved away for college, I liked to explain to non-Floridians that living in Florida was like living in someone’s mouth: hot, moist, and smelly. The weather here is such a big influence on moods, available activities, and even the motivation to leave the house. Sometimes the intense need to avoid being outside due to the heat or humidity can severely limit options for exercise or entertainment that could help manage mental health symptoms in healthy ways. I fully understand and empathize with this, BUT if you’re already dealing with depression or anxiety, staying inside due to the weather can really set back your progress because exercise and having things to look forward to like trips to the beach or local attractions can be the reason to get out of bed in the morning. Therapy can help encourage you to find ways to make the most of the most uncomfortable times of year for the sake of your mental health.
Specific phobia: alligators, snakes, frogs, etc.
Florida is the Australia of America with all of the creatures lurking in the swamps that love to find a way to show us that no matter how many houses we build, nature will find a way to survive. The threat of seeing alligators, snakes, frogs, spiders, roaches/palmetto bugs, or lizards is constant. Having an intense fear of an encounter with these creatures can severely limit your ability to enjoy living here. If you feel like you cannot live your life normally due to fears like these, therapy can help you learn tools to practice experiencing life safely among nature.
Overwhelmed with yard maintenance
Not everyone is retired in Florida, but there seems to be high expectations for everyone to have a magazine worthy yard with perfectly green weed-free grass and a landscaped selection of tropical plants and palms as if you don’t have a job and other priorities. It can be very stressful to be constantly maintaining a yard that grows so quickly that it makes you feel like Sisyphus doomed with his boulder. An overgrown lawn can also be a cry for help by showing that you’re having difficulty maintaining your home which could be caused by depressed mood or overwhelming life factors, among other things. Therapy can help you prioritize and reframe difficult aspects of living in Florida in order to enjoy even the aspects that feel like punishments for living in Vacationland.
New to the area
Florida has become a popular place for people to move to, which is unsurprising due to the lack of harsh winters and so many fun places to visit. It may surprise some that it can be difficult to make connections with people since there’s so many of us here. If you don’t have built in reasons to leave the house like working outside the home, taking kids to activities, or close family, it can feel very lonely very quickly. I highly recommend seeking therapy as a way to identify options that will work best for you to be able to make your new home actually feel like home and address any concerns that you have that are keeping you isolated.
If any of these experiences sound familiar to you, and you are residing in Florida or North Carolina, I would be happy to help you on your therapy journey. Please click below to book a consultation with me for a virtual therapy session.
If you liked the article above, check out my other blog posts linked below!