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Life is full of change, some more significant than others. If you’re struggling with a life transition, Sylvia Cartwright, MD, in La Jolla, California, can provide the support and guidance you need. Dr. Cartwright is an experienced psychiatrist who takes an integrative and inclusive approach to life transitions, creating individualized plans that help you regain balance. She sees patients through telehealth only and provides care for patients living throughout California. Call today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about coping with life transitions.
What are life transitions?
Life transitions refer to any change in your life that requires time to adjust and adapt. Examples of life transitions include:
- Moving to a new city
- Graduating from high school or college
- Starting a new job
- Starting or ending a long-term relationship
- Having a child
- Retiring from your job
- Losing a loved one
- Having a chronic illness
Whether positive or negative, a life transition causes some amount of stress.
How do life transitions affect mental health?
When the stress of a life transition overwhelms your ability to cope, it may affect your emotional or mental well-being. Your life transition may:
- Trigger anxiety, fear, or worry
- Make you moody or irritable
- Decrease your motivation
- Destabilize your relationships
- Cause insomnia
- Change your appetite
- Affect your energy level
If you’re struggling to cope with a life transition, you may turn to food, alcohol, or drugs to help you deal. These unhealthy coping mechanisms worsen your mental health.
My new job is overwhelming. When do I need help with life transitions?
There’s never a wrong time to seek professional help for life transitions. If you feel like your new job is too overwhelming, getting support early can help you develop healthy coping skills that make the life transition less stressful.
Dr. Cartwright also recommends you seek help for a life transition if it affects your emotional well-being, causing excessive anxiety or persistent sadness. These symptoms may indicate your life transition is affecting your mental well-being and needs expert medical care.
Through her comprehensive diagnostic evaluation process, Dr. Cartwright can create a plan that fits your unique situation.
What coping mechanisms help with life transitions?
Making time for your physical and emotional well-being, finding time to relax, and talking with others are some of the coping mechanisms that may help you through your life transition.
Dr. Cartwright customizes treatment plans using a combination of science-based treatments and complementary therapies. She uses various therapeutic modalities to improve your coping skills and helps you make lifestyle changes that improve your overall emotional and physical well-being.
Dr. Cartwright also treats any underlying mental health condition that’s making it hard for you to adjust to your new situation.
Together, you and Dr. Cartwright chart a course toward greater self-awareness and resilience, helping you regain balance and mental well-being.
Call the office of Sylvia Cartwright, MD, today or schedule your telehealth consultation online.