In this article Dr. Natalia Voinov will deal with how we work through the issues of dealing with loss.

  • Job loss
  • Illness/injury
  • Significant relationships
  • Loss of career
  • Financial loss
  • Social isolation
  • Professional help
  • Behavioral/mental health

As we begin our life as a complete and mostly healthy entity, we are enjoying the abundance of gifts our journey has to offer:  health, relationships, creativity, freedom, career.  As we progress through life, however, we face and have to deal with multiple and diverse losses.  Slices of the previously intact entity are beginning to fall by the sideways.  That is when we experience loss.  Whether or not we become acutely aware of it, we need to cope with it the best we can.  At times, when we cannot cope privately, we need a skilled and compassionate Psychologist to guide us through the pain and help us sort out the inevitable flood of emotions.  Individuals coming to see Dr. Natalia Voinov at her offices in West Los Angeles or Sherman Oaks, California have the privilege of being treated with compassion, respect and professionalism.  They gradually gain an understanding of their emotional functioning while they are also provided with specific solutions, so eventually their lives are minimally impacted by such losses as:

  • Loss of own health (illness, injury)
  • Loss of loved ones (deterioration of health, death)
  • Loss of relationships (separation, break up, divorce)
  • Loss of career (unemployment, demotion, retirement, career switch)
  • Loss of identity (job loss, divorce, termination of parental rights)
  • Loss of money (financial loss
  • Loss of creativity (writers’ block, diminished interest in hobbies, inability to pursue art)
  • Loss of freedom (feeling trapped in a relationship, legal troubles)
  • Loss of control over own destiny (inability to chose, inability to make decisions)

Loss, no matter its origin and stage, often leads to depression.  Depression, if not taken seriously and not treated competently, can become intractable, most difficult to heal.

To illustrate the impact of such loss on peoples’ emotional functioning, is Horizon’s plight following the loss of his job through early retirement (subsequent to his company’s severe downsizing).  When he decided to come and see Dr. Natalia Voinov at her office in West Los Angeles, Horizon was down the path of self-pity, self-destruction, and severe isolation from family and friends.  For the last 20 years, he had identified himself by the job he held as a computer technician with the same company.  He had taken pride in all his work related achievements and as such, his private life had been often “colored” by the same pride.  A spouse, a parent and a friend, Horizon’s self-esteem was tightly connected to his professional identity.  When he found himself suddenly unemployed, he quickly spiraled down into anger, irritability, and withdrawal.  When his family’s comments (“Why have you given up?” “You’re not helping,” “Can’t communicate with you anymore”) became too much for him to bear, he finally sought professional help.  Along with Dr. Natalia Voinov, Horizon set a strict schedule of physical exercise, reduced caloric intake, participation in an organized weekly hike with a small group of  people, and role play to assist with social interactions.  Interested to arrive at the root of his current predicament (i.e., family of origin overvalued achievement rather than effort), he gradually became more engaged in the psychotherapeutic process.  He realized, with Dr. Natalia Voinov’s help, that- as long as initial steps have been taken and initial barriers overcome-the road to behavioral health is within reach.    

Articles
Free resources from Dr. Natalia

     How to Find the Right Psychologist

     Relationships

     Dealing with Abuse

     Staying Calm in the Storms of Life

     Dealing with Loss

     Conquering Emotional Turmoil

     Signs of Depression

     Free Yourself From Hoarding