According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 15 million U.S. Americans, or 6.8% of the population, suffers from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). SAD, also sometimes referred to as social phobia, is an intense fear of social situations. The sufferer believes they could become humiliated and embarrass themselves somehow in front of other people. They tend to focus on...[ read more ]
According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, over 47,000 people died by suicide in the United States in 2017. In the same year, there were an estimated 1,400,000 suicide attempts.Knowing the signs of suicide is the primary step in preventing someone you know and love from successfully taking their own life.The Warning Signs of SuicideHopelessnessMany individuals who are contemplating...[ read more ]
Have you heard the phrase “helicopter parent?” It describes a mother or father that ‘hovers’ around their child 24/7, overseeing their life to keep them from every potential danger, pitfall and mishap. It looks good on paper, but this kind of parenting forgets one important fact of reality: life happens.Adversity happens to all of us. Those children who engage with adversity...[ read more ]
When we talk about our mental health, we're talking about much more than a clinical diagnosis. Your mental health also refers to your psychological well-being. Having a healthy psychological well-being means you're able to better manage your emotions as well as your mood. Every day presents its unique challenges, and a healthy mental state can help you take challenges in...[ read more ]
It's tough trying to get your teen to talk. Science has shown that the teenager's brain has yet to fully develop the frontal cortex, which is the area that controls our ability to reason, and to think before we act. As your teen's brain develops, they're also learning new things about themselves and their surrounding world; simultaneously, they're dealing with...[ read more ]
You probably remember a time in school or out shopping when you wanted to ask for help, but stopped yourself. You might have even had a prompt from the teacher: "Does anyone have any questions?" or from an associate "Is there something I can help you with?". Still, even when it's their job (or their joy) to help, you might...[ read more ]
If you think back to your own childhood, you remember there are generally two types of kids: The bully and those that the bully bullies. Most of us fell into that second group of kids. And don’t think for a minute that girls can’t be bullies, because they can. Girls can actually be brutal to one another.Not only are kids...[ read more ]
Few things zap your energy the way a stressful day can. Stress is known to reduce our levels of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that play an important role in our mood, energy and motivation. After a difficult day, you might be tempted to lounge on the couch watching TV until it’s time to go to bed. Although it might feel...[ read more ]
Unfortunately, being a survivor of trauma or abuse is exceedingly common. According to the National Children’s Alliance, nearly 700,000 children are abused in the U.S. annually. And according to the Center for Disease Control’s 2017 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, nearly 1 in 4 adult women and approximately 1 in 7 adult men report having experienced severe physical...[ read more ]
When we’re young, we’re taught how to share and play well with others. Somehow as adults, these early lessons don’t always translate into building and maintaining loving relationships.But, it’s never too late to learn new life skills, and creating healthy relationships is one of the best skills you can have. The following are the essential relationship elements of a lasting...[ read more ]
