Clinical depression remains one of the least understood conditions all around the world. Not having the appropriate knowledge on the condition often causes a strain on relationships, making communications with loved ones increasingly difficult. Chances are we all know someone who is struggling with depression, yet we may not know it or know how to properly communicate with them. Recognize the Signs of Depression Before you can truly help a loved one who has depression, you must first recognize the signs. There are multiple different clues in a person who is suffering alone, and in order for you to help them, you have to be able to pick up on these signs: Feelings of sadness and hopelessness Angry outbursts Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much Weight loss or weight gain Loss of interest in everyday activities Restlessness Fatigue or lack of energy Recurring thoughts of suicide Isolation There are many different symptoms for those with depression. No one case is the same. Everyone reacts to depression and suffers in their own way, but it remains important for you to recognize the symptoms. How to Effectively Communicate For many people with depression, their symptoms can cause problems with their daily lives,…
Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions of mental disorders and all the while mental health awareness is lower than it should be. A shocking 1 in 5 Americans experience a mental health issue every year and yet many of those people who suffer, suffer alone. While there is little awareness on mental illnesses as well as the acceptance of it, many people are even afraid to reach out for help. In some cases, people refuse to accept that they are suffering from a mental illness while others ignore it and worry that accepting it or diagnosing it would affect their lives too much. The majority of mental illness symptoms are controllable with the right treatment, which is why if you or a loved one is suffering any symptoms, you should seek the help you need. Learning more about the common misconceptions of mental health could help you and your loved ones spread awareness and lift the stigma around these types of disorders. #1 There is no scale when it comes to mental health Just like physical illnesses and ailments, there is a scale when it comes to mental health as well. While someone can suffer from a cold and…
When raising a child, it is easy to identify their physical needs: food with nutritional value, proper fitting clothing for all types of weather, proper sleeping arrangements, and physical exercise. While a child’s physical health is incredibly important, their mental health is just as crucial. However, identifying and addressing their emotional and mental needs is not quite as obvious or well known as their physical needs. Proper care of a child’s mental health and their physical health often play hand in hand, but unfortunately, children’s mental health struggles are often trivialized or not treated with the proper care to prevent long-standing consequences. Childhood Mental Health by the Numbers The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that 20% of youth ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition. While this number isn’t extraordinarily high all things considered, it is still alarming. Even worse is that about 70% of these children do not receive the appropriate interventions with the gap between a child’s onset symptoms and intervention being 8-10 years. Failure to recognize these issues can lead to future problems in a child’s life, entrenching their mental health problems deep in their mind. Sadly, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of…
We live in a world that is very digitally active and dependent. It is pretty much inevitable that our kids will be spending time online, predominantly on social media websites and apps. You want to protect your children, but it is impossible to protect them completely, nor is it always the best route to take. It is important to find a balance between sheltering your child and guiding them in the right direction, to teaching them to make the right decisions on their own. With the popularity of social media, one of the biggest problems in today’s society, particularly in America, is cyberbullying. It is real, and it can be vicious. When teens have the protection and shielding of a screen, their conscience seems to weaken. In many circumstances, where a child wouldn’t be necessarily cruel in person, the “impersonal” aspect of saying something to someone online makes them more likely to engage in harsh and cruel language and statements. It can be extremely difficult as a parent to know how to deal with cyberbullying. While many parents opt for cutting out social media altogether, frankly, teens will find a way to access it anyways. Unfortunately, banning them from the…
Substance abuse is never a quick fix. While making the decision to address your problem is the first and biggest step, it isn’t the final one. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to addiction, and making the decision to address your addiction is a life-altering decision. Although you are making a decision to better your life, you must understand that those who suffer from addiction, often face subsequent struggles for years after quitting their substance abuse, which is something you must accept and be prepared for. However, this is no reason to become discouraged, because there is a way to make your journey an easier one, and that is with help from others. Those who are battling addiction should never go at it alone. The most successful stories come from those who confront their addiction with their loved ones by their side, as well as help from a professional. Addiction therapy in Carrolton is one of the best and most promising ways of ensuring you are able to confront your addiction head on, as well as lay the pavement for a successful journey to healing. Why is substance abuse counseling vital? If you are questioning whether or not you should…
Finding someone you want to spend the rest of your life with is the most wonderful and exciting moment in your life. As stressful as wedding planning may be, the excitement of starting your new life together overshadows any stress you may feel. Then your wedding day comes, and it’s the happiest day of your life. You are finally ready to start your new life as husband and wife. The early stages of your marriage are filled with love and excitement. Known as the honeymoon stage, everything your spouse does fills you with butterflies and delight. However, as time goes by, some of that spark you felt seems dimmer and dimmer. This isn’t to say that the love and excitement are gone, but it doesn’t appear to be there as often and as strong as before. Marriages are not as easy as you’d like them to be. Just because you made the decision to tie the knot does not mean that all of your problems would be solved. Marriage takes effort, care, focus, and selflessness to build a strong foundation. In times of worry and distress, there are ways to strengthen your marriage to create a long, satisfying, and loving…
When Valentine’s Day comes around, it isn’t unusual for people to feel stressed, overwhelmed, sad, or lonely. Single or taken, despite whichever “category” you may fall into, loving yourself is most important, as you can only truly love others to the fullest extent if you first care and look after yourself. Often those in relationships are so busy worrying about caring for and spoiling their loved ones, that they forget about how important it is that they show themselves love too. Often those who are single, feel unwanted, lonely, or are dreading being pitied by their friends who are in relationships. Maybe you are mourning over a relationship that ended, or maybe you are worried about selecting the right present, spending too much money, etc. Regardless of if you are single or in a relationship, it is easy to stress around this holiday. Whatever you are feeling, set your worries and expectations aside this Valentine’s Day and take steps in the direction of loving yourself. Have some “Me Time” Take some time out to appreciate yourself. Whether this means booking yourself a day at the spa or throwing on your favorite and most comfy sweats, ordering Chinese, grabbing a bottle…
When your child is experiencing anxiety, stress, or depression, it can be extremely difficult for you as a parent. Many parents are surprised in finding out just how young children can begin experiencing bouts of anxiety. Knowing how to address your child’s mental stress and pain can seem foreign, and of course, as a parent, all you want to do is help. Although it can be tolling, trying to understand your child’s mental health is of utmost importance, as well as knowing how you should address it. While you cannot shield your child from experiencing anxiety, you can take steps to help them learn how to manage it. #1 Keep Calm It is important to not display anxiousness and worry yourself when your child is feeling bouts of anxiety or stress. This will only encourage and increase the negative and scary thoughts your child is feeling. Children learn how to behave and how to react from observing how their parents behave and react. Make sure to always do your best to set a good example in front of your child in terms of reacting to certain situations as they will learn to cope partly from watching how you cope. #2…
Every December we take the time to contemplate what we are going to set as our New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, many of us have troubles sticking to those New Year’s resolutions for longer than a few weeks to a few months. The most popular resolutions are that of living a healthier lifestyle. It all begins with the desire to want to be healthier, so just by deciding on a healthy resolution you are off to a great start, however you may just need a little help following through. What is important for success is how you go about achieving and maintaining your New Year’s resolutions. 1. Be realistic It’s extremely important to set resolutions that are realistic for you, your lifestyle, and your schedule. You need to be honest with yourself about your goals and what you will be able to achieve in light of your career, your family, and your social life. If you aren’t realistic about your goals then you will likely just end up frustrated or quitting. 2. Set short-term progress goals along the way If you take it step-by-step, you are much more likely to achieve your goal. If you have smaller goals along the way,…
Anxiety and depression are some of the most common mental disorders; not just in the United States, but all over the world. It is likely that you or someone that you are close to suffers from a mental health issue. Luckily, we live in a day in age where people are doing their best to raise awareness for mental health. However, regardless of the awareness, the issue remains that if you don’t experience the mental disorder yourself it can be very difficult for you to know the right things to say to that person much less understand what they are going through. Unless you are a professional therapist in Carrolton, the best thing you can do is remember that their pain is real, simply listen and tell the person that you will try to understand. “It’s all in your head” When you tell someone that it is all in their head, there is not a productive outcome. This only implies that you find their circumstances made up or easily resolved, when this is actually not the case for a person suffering from the mental health disorder. Instead of telling someone that it is all in their head, know that…
