Over the past ten years or so, there has been a significant increase in children and young teens having suicidal thoughts. Doctors are seeing more and more of these children and young teenagers in emergency rooms showing up for anxiety attacks, depressive episodes, and suicidal thoughts, feelings, and attempts. This is even more common during the school year as the kids are feeling the pressure of school as well as suffering from issues related to social anxiety, bullying, peer pressure, and more. There was a study recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that from 2008 to 2015 children ages 5 years old to 17 years old are being admitted to children’s hospitals for reasons relating to suicide, either suicidal thoughts, feelings, or attempts. It was found by researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt that girls are more often attempting suicide than boys are. It was also found that the suicide numbers were higher during the school year and lower during the summer months. Depression in children should never be taken lightly or dismissed One of the issues that kids face is that many parents don’t take depression and anxiety in their children seriously. They…
One of the aspects of children’s health has been overlooked for quite some time. For many years, pediatricians didn’t consider the significant importance of a child’s mental health. Maybe simply because of a lack of understanding, or perhaps a lack of motivation in that it was necessary, regardless of the reason there was a time that a large majority of pediatricians did not place as much of an emphasis on a child’s mental health as they did their physical health. In the past, very often children who suffered from mental issues such as anxiety, depression, or a mood disorder, were simply dismissed. These problems weren’t considered valid or legit in that the child would simply “grow out of them.” Occasionally a parent would send a child to a child psychologist, but these problems were not taken as seriously in children as they were adults. How serious is a child’s mental health? As reported by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 5 children in the United States from the ages of 3 to 17, have a mental, emotional, or behavior disorder that is diagnosable; those numbers are contributable to about 15 million children. An astonishing 80 percent…
Any suicide is tragic and draws us to feel immense sadness. However, something about a celebrity. Suicide seems to really draw focus and peek our interest, as well as affect many of our emotions. There could be various reasoning to this. A Reason could also be that we are shocked as that celebrity seemed to have it all, and to have it all together, so we question how they could possibly be unhappy. Another reason is simply that it is a sad occurrence, and people who suffer from depression seem to be hit the hardest by such sad occurrences. However, it is all subjective and rarely will an onlooker be able to fully understand why that celebrity, or any person rather, made the decision to take their own life. The impact celebrity suicides have on us Not only do so many find interest, but a good amount of people grieves when a celebrity passes away, especially when they take their own life. It is interesting how we as people can feel so much for and about someone whom we didn’t know personally. People see celebrities as sources of entertainment, as well as measures of success against them. When it comes…
Throughout our lives most of us will at some point experience trying emotional difficulties. Sometimes the emotional pain left over after these encounters are seemingly impossible to let go of. It isn’t difficult to get stuck letting the past affect your everyday life and future decisions, but that is no way to live healthy or happily. There are actually positive ways to let harmful past occurrences shape a better future for yourself, and that is by learning from them and then letting them go. Of course, letting go is easier said than done. There is no simple way to do it. It takes a strong will and the courage to try and learn to control your thoughts and change your mindset. Try to recognize your reasons for needing to let go You need to try and recognize the reasons why you need to let go of what it is that is causing you emotional turmoil. You need to recognize that this past experience doesn’t need to continue hurting you forever and nor do you want it to. Write down the reasons why you no longer want to hold on to this harmful thing in your mind and use these reasons…
What we put into our bodies has a lot to do with our health, how we look, and how we feel. But can it affect our mood? The answer is yes. If you have ever eaten a candy bar or had a milkshake, and then felt a sudden and intense wave of energy, you know that food can affect how you feel. However, there are other conditions in which food can impact your mood, from the specific foods you eat to your eating schedule and habits. The chemistry of various foods can chemically and physiologically alter changes in our brain’s structure, which can lead to significant influence of mood and behavior: #1 Unhealthy diet and depression Research has indicated that having an unhealthy diet for an extended period can put you at risk for increasing symptoms of depression. Although there isn’t really proof that an unhealthy diet causes depression, it has been found that the two things are correlated. #2 Sugar & stress When you feel stressed out or overcome by anxiety, it is natural for the body to crave sugar; sugar helps to energize the body while it is trying to cope with negative feelings. However, if you feel…
The first official day of summer is nearing, and with it comes intense summer heat, backyard BBQ’s, and fun vacations; it’s safe to assert that summer is a time of happiness. However, if you are suffering from summer depression, it probably isn’t. Many people believe that seasonal affective disorder is only prominent in the winter, but the sad reality is that so many are also affected in the warm, summer months. Symptoms of summer depression Difficulty sleeping Loss of appetite Anxiety Weight loss Unexplained stress or feelings of sadness Agitation Isolation What causes summer depression? There are different possibilities in terms of why people suffer from summer depression. While for some people it stems from environmental stressors like intense heat, vacation envy, being “out-of-shape”, or a lack of structure and responsibility, for others it actually has to do with their biological structure. For those who have this innate biological influencer, it is called summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, or summertime SAD. #1 Summer-onset Seasonal Affective Disorder First, let’s discuss the biologically related reason behind summer depression. You may have heard about SAD (seasonal affective disorder) from the opposing end, where people experience depression in the colder winter months. Unfortunately, a small…
A large number of adults suffer from anxiety and stress. It is only natural that we will endure stressful situations in our day to day lives, but unfortunately, some of us will have more difficulty in dealing with them. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), about 40 million people over the age of 18 suffer from anxiety. Stress not only affects people in their daily activities but also leaves them lying awake at night; the lack of sleep certainly doesn’t aid in stress and anxiety. If you are someone who has trouble dealing with stress and anxiety, keep on reading to learn about a few tips that can help you manage it more efficiently. #1 Become more mindful You will be surprised to learn the power you have over yourself when it comes to how you think. Try and practice being more mindful. Whenever you feel yourself overwhelmed with stress or anxiety, learn to talk yourself down instead of antagonizing yourself. Focus on thinking only positive thoughts. By learning to self-soothe, you will be amazed at what you are capable of. Remember positive self-talk phrases such as the following: “This too shall pass” “I will get…
It is only natural to have cold feet before your wedding day, but how do you know if these doubts are just pre-wedding jitters, or something more serious? Most brides and grooms will admit to having some hesitations leading up to their wedding day – after all, you are about to take the plunge and commit to spending the rest of your life with one person. In the majority of cases, this freak-out time means you are experiencing some pre-wedding anxiety that will pass as soon as you see your soon-to-be-spouse at the end of the aisle. Cold feet can show up in many different ways, from focusing on all your partner’s annoyances to a panicky feeling about the 200 guests that are flying in for your big day. While having cold feet and feeling anxious about your wedding day isn’t always healthy, it is completely normal. You are about to make a huge commitment that will impact the rest of your life – so it is no wonder you are feeling a little out of sorts! That being said, there are certain ways to deal with these jitters that are healthier than others. We often recommend couples come into…
Social media has become a staple in our lives – whether you are young or old. While there are many benefits to this level of connectivity, it has also created more issues than we could have ever imagined. Take Instagram, for example. Today’s youth are faced with images of stereotypical beautiful and alluring women with slender waists, long legs, and the ‘perfect’ figure. So how do young girls compete? The answer is that, as parents and role models, we must learn how to instill confidence and empower these young women to love and value themselves. Raising a confident girl in this Instagram culture isn’t easy and will undoubtedly come with hurdles, but it can be done. You may be asking yourself, “how can I encourage my daughter to be confident in who she is when she is confronted on a daily basis with an unrealistic standard of beauty and perfection?” While we’ve come a long way since the gender-prescribing attitude of the 1950s, there is still work to be done. Movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have helped change the way we view women – and ourselves – as we work hard to create a more inclusive, positive culture of…
Making the decision to start therapy is undoubtedly a big one, but there are also a few things you should keep in mind before your first session. Walking through the door for your first appointment can be difficult and even scary for many people, but we are here to tell you it doesn’t have to be. The very idea of entrusting a complete stranger with some of your innermost thoughts is intimidating, to say the least, but this could easily be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. Many of us have an idea of what we think therapy will be like – which is often based on what we’ve seen in movies and on TV. While these fictitious notions of therapy aren’t too far off, they don’t exactly prepare you for what it will really be like. Therapy is a great way to address a wide range of concerns. Some of the most common reasons for seeking counseling include anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating issues, marital disputes, family problems, anger, work and career concerns, and conflict. For both the therapist and the client, the first session is everything. This is where you will begin to build a relationship and…
