Moving is stressful. There’s no way around it. It takes us way out of our comfort zone and completely uproots life. And that’s if you’re moving for a reason that’s planned.
For people who manage serious stressors on a daily basis a move can be excruciating. Trying to keep things on an even kneel during a normal week can be difficult enough. Adding the stress of a move can make a person start speed dialing a therapist.
Here are some of the most common psychological conditions that affect millions of people, ways a move could possibly intensify symptoms and how to get through a move with your sanity intact.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
People with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) live by order and routine. The condition is marked by repeated behavior, which is where the compulsive part comes into play.
Needless to say, a move can throw life completely out of whack for a person with OCD. Everything is being disrupted and things are far from routine.
A similar condition known as obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) isn’t as severe as OCD, but a move can cause almost as much distress. People with OCPD have issues with control and doing things in a particular way (usually meticulously). Often they believe their way of doing things is the only correct way of doing things.
Save yourself the grief and just hire professionals for the moving and packing services. That way things can get done quickly and you don’t have to worry about coming up with a process.
Letting go of items can also be difficult for someone with OCD. Having OCD increases the tendency for hoarding, but even if a person isn’t a hoarder letting go can be difficult. It may help to enlist the help of an impartial friend, family member or professional before packing up.
Anxiety
Anxiety is considered a very common condition that affects around 3 million people. The symptoms of clinical anxiety include excessive worry, nervousness and fear that interferes with daily life.
In more severe cases a person can experience panic attacks. It’s a physical reaction to a mental condition that can be extremely debilitating. Stressful events can intensify anxiety and make panic attacks more likely.
The unknown of a move paired with all of the extra tasks that have to be done can send a person with anxiety over the edge. It’s important to give yourself lots of time to plan in advance. That way you can feel prepared for the move and process everything that needs to be done without feeling rushed.
Depression
When depression sets in it can create overwhelming sadness or anger that’s nearly impossible to shake. Depression can get so bad moving tasks are too much to handle.
If a move is made because of an unforeseen event like the loss of a job or divorce, moving makes it that much harder to keep depression symptoms under control. The stress can also get so intense it creates adjustment disorders, which is considered situational depression. But adjustment disorders are different in that symptoms clear up once the person gets adjusted to the new situation.
It’s important to get professional help if you have feelings of depression that linger more than a few weeks. Finding healthy coping mechanisms is also key. Exercise, meditation and journaling are all positive ways to cope with all forms of depression.
No matter what your situation is Simpler Moving can get you moved in without the worry. You can rest assured our movers are experts that know the proper technique to make a move as simple as possible so you can get life back on track.
Simpler Moving – Your Move, Made Simple.