www.enthusiasticlife.

net
with
Dr
Dr MargiAnne
MargiAnne Isaia,
Isaia, MD
MD MPH
MPH

Emotional Wellness…
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
questionnaire
ARE YOU ABLE TO EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS?
ARE YOU AWARE OF YOUR OWN ANGER?
DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE TO EXPRESS YOUR WORRY?
ARE YOU ABLE TO MANAGE YOUR EMOTIONS?
ARE YOU ABLE TO SET PRIORITIES?
DO YOU FEEL FREE TO SAY “NO” TO SOMEBODY?
ARE YOU ABLE TO MAKE DECISION WITH A MINIMUM OF STRESS?
DO YOU FEEL SECURE WHEN INTERACTING WITH AN ANGRY PERSON?
DO YOU LAUGH EVERY DAY?
ARE LITTLE CHILDREN ENJOYING IN YOUR PRESENCE?
ARE YOU ABLE TO EMPATHIZE WITH PEOPLE IN THEIR SORROWS?

If you answered "NO" to any of the questions, it may indicate an area

where you need to improve the state of your physical wellness
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Includes:

Being aware of and accepting a wide range of feelings in him/her and others, and
being able to empathize with others.

Being able to arrive at personal choices/decisions based upon the integration of

feelings, cognition and behavior;

Being self-aware and self-accepting while remaining flexible and continually open
to personal development;

Similar to Emotional Intelligence, refers to the ability to be aware of feelings,

manage overwhelming negative feelings, and express inner feelings.
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

DOMAINS:

1.Self awareness
2.Self regulation
3.Motivating yourself and using your abilities
4.Empathy
5.Social skills
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
Includes:

Being able to function autonomously but aware of personal limitations and the
value of seeking interpersonal support and assistance;

Having the capability to form interdependent relationships based upon mutual

commitment, trust and respect;

Being willing to accept challenges, take risks, and acknowledge conflict as being
potentially healthy;

The emotionally well person maintains a generally positive approach to life that is
rooted in his/her sense of personal responsibility for, and ability to manage,
his/her life in personally fulfilling ways.
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Emotional Wellness is related to Emotional Competence which is described as

an essential social skill to recognize, interpret and respond constructively to
emotions in yourself and others.

Emotions are normal aspects of being human.

The suppression of emotion is not useful and teaching people to suppress their
emotions is part of trying to control them.

Emotionally competent people will express emotion appropriate to the situation

and their needs and they will not seek to suppress emotions in others.
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Psycho-social stages (Erikson)

From a dependent newborn, with a limited emotional repertoire to a person with

complex feelings and the ability to understand and control them

Early experiences are essential in developing trust (Erikson)

Basic trust versus mistrust (birth to 12-18 months)

Baby develops sense of whether world is good and safe place. Virtue: HOPE.

Autonomy versus shame and doubt (12-18 months to three years)

Child develops a balance of independence and self-sufficiency over shame and
doubt. Virtue: WILL
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Psycho-social stages (Erikson)

Initiative versus guilt (3 to 6 years)

Child develops initiative when trying new activities and is not overwhelmed by
guilt. Virtue: PURPOSE

Industry versus inferiority (6 years to puberty)

Child must learn skills of the culture or face feelings of incompetence. Virtue:
SKILL

Identity versus identity confusion (puberty to young adulthood)

Adolescent must determine sense of self (Who am I?) or experience confusion
about roles. Virtue: FIDELITY
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Psycho-social stages (Erikson)

Intimacy versus isolation (young adulthood)

Person seeks to make commitments to others; if unsuccessful, may suffer from
isolation and self-absorption. Value: LOVE

Creativeness versus stagnation (middle adulthood)

Mature adult is concerned with establishing and guiding the next generation or
else feels personal impoverishment. Virtue: CARE

Integrity versus despair (late adulthood)

Elderly person achieves acceptance of own life, allowing acceptance to death, or
else despairs over inability to relive life. Virtue: WISDOM
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Attachment styles

Psychological or emotional attachment styles: secure, avoidant, ambivalent

(resistant) and disorganized-disoriented

The development of attachment styles revolves around issues regarding the

relationship with the caregivers and child temperament (gene-environment
interaction and correlation)
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Adult attachment
a long-lasting affectional bond:
wanting to be close to a romantic partner

Attachment consists of both cognitive and emotional representations that guide

attachment-related behavior.

Secure attachment
-positive view of self, positive view of others
-low attachment anxiety, low avoidance

Dismissing attachment
-positive view of self, negative view of others
- low attachment anxiety, high avoidance of others, avoid dyadic closeness, use
distancing strategies
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
Adult attachment

Preoccupied attachment
- negative view of self, positive view of others
- high attachment anxiety, low avoidance of others, seek dyadic closeness, use
pursuit strategies

Fearful attachment
- negative view of self, negative view of others
-high attachment anxiety, high avoidance of others, avoid dyadic closeness, use
distancing strategies
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Emotional Responsiveness

The willingness to experience and share emotions.

Defense mechanisms are developed in order to cover the anxiety or

psychological pain
Covered-up emotions result in physical and mental diseases.

There is a lot of evidence to support the claim that negative emotions can
suppress the immune system or raise blood pressure.
Conversely, the ability to express positive emotions has been linked to a
strengthened immune system.
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Emotional Responsiveness

Conversion disorder is a condition in which you show psychological stress in

physical ways.

The condition was so named to describe a health problem that starts as a mental
or emotional crisis — a scary or stressful incident of some kind — and converts
to a physical problem.
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Emotional Distress Symptoms

1.
Sleep disturbances: sleeping more than usual or less than usual,
being unable to fall asleep or waking up after only a few hours and not being
able to go back to sleep.
2.
Dramatic weight fluctuations/changes in eating patterns:
gain or lost a significant amount of weight without any changes in the diet or
exercise regime, lack of appetite.
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
Emotional Distress Symptoms

3.
Unexplained physical symptoms: complete physical workout and a visit to a
specialist or two, no one can find a reason behind physical complaints:
headaches, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, and chronic backaches.
4.
Difficulty managing anger or controlling your temper
5.
Compulsive/obsessive behaviors: Obsessions are repetitive thoughts which
resemble worry and are accompanied by anxiety. Compulsions are behavioral
acts designed to eliminate the obsessions.
6.
Chronic fatigue, tiredness and lack of energy: when a physical checkup
shows everything is alright -- can be a sign of emotional distress and depression.
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
Emotional Distress Symptoms

7.
Memory problems: if everything checks out OK, then anxiety, depression, or
sometimes an unrecognized reaction to a traumatic event may be behind one’s
forgetfulness.
8.
Shunning social activity: Any significant change in social behavior for a
significant amount of time could indicate a stress overload or other emotional
issues are at work
9.
Sexual dysfunctions
10.
Mood swings and erratic behavior noticed by more than one person.
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Ways toward Emotional Wellness

Awareness of thoughts and feelings

Using a positive attitude
Seeking support and expressing emotions in a suitable manner
Learning time management skills
Setting priorities
Accepting mistakes and learning from them
Maintaining life balance
Seeking out support from a mental health professional when needed and
gathering information in order to make informed value decisions
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Bible references…
“Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is
because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to
Him, and none of you were harmed by us.”
2 Corinthhians7:8
(Contemporary English Version)
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

CLASSIC QUOTATION

“The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is
affected, the other sympathizes. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the
result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to
break down the life forces and to invite decay and death.”
EGW {MH 241.1}

“Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind,
a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul. "A merry [rejoicing] heart
doeth good like a medicine." Proverbs 17:22.
EGW {MH 241.3}
 Dr MargiAnne Isaia, MD MPH
www.enthusiasticlife.net

REFERENCES:

Granello, D. H., & Young, M., Counseling Today, Foundations of Professional

Identity (2012)
Roscoe, L.J., Wellness: A Review of Theory and Measurement for Counselors,
Journal of Counseling & Development ■ Spring 2009 ■ Volume 87
Papalia, D., & Feldman, R., D., A Child’s World, Infancy through Adolescence
(2011)
Barnett, O.W., Miller-Perrin, C.L., & Perrin, R., Family Violence across the Life
Span, 3rd edition (2011)