Many clients come to me searching for help dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Some realize they are suffering with it, while others may not be aware of the severity of it. PTSD occurs when someone has been the victim of or has witnessed a terrifying event where there was a threat of death, serious injury,…
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental health condition that results in extreme mood swings and emotional highs and lows (depression). When patients ask me, “what causes bipolar,” there is no simple answer. Underlying causes or factors can include genetic predisposition or sudden and chronic stressors such as drug/alcohol abuse, financial struggles, losing a…
The holidays are an excellent time to bond and strengthen family relationships, however they can also be stressful particularly when dealing with family conflict and differing personalities. Some conflict can arise spontaneously, while other times there may be hurt feelings from the past that present themselves again when you reunite. Today I want to focus…
Grief is a natural response to loss–both universal and personal. Individual grief can vary depending on the nature of the loss and can be caused by the death of a loved one, ending of a relationship, loss of a job or independence, diagnosis of an illness, etc. Grief is a strong, sometimes overwhelming emotion that…
Do you feel like your teenager shuts you out, ignores you, or even hates you at times? Is it hard to have a conversation or do you feel like you can’t get them to open up? If you’re feeling this way, it probably isn’t your imagination. For many parents, this happens during the adolescence period…
Anxiety disorders affect nearly 40 million Americans, making it the most common mental illness in the U.S. We all have some anxiety, but it becomes a disorder when that excessive fear and worry continues beyond one event and starts interfering with daily activities and sleep. What is sleep anxiety? Sleep anxiety is a type of…
Anxiety in teenagers can look different from kids and adults. It can be hard to notice it in teens because they are good at hiding their feelings, and symptoms can also vary from person to person. Some teens might hide their feelings while others lash out or act irritable. And oftentimes, anxiety can lead to…
Unfortunately, with a mass shooting occurring every day in the United States (CDC), adults, teens and children are having to deal with grief on a regular basis. In addition to family members and friends, first responders such as EMTs and Emergency Room staff are dealing with grief due to these mass shootings. Adults may have…
During the pandemic many teenagers spent a great deal of time on their laptops and the internet. It was really the only option they had since we were under quarantine and they could not go to many places when quarantine ended. Since teens were spending a lot of time online, many parents worried about sexual…
The United States has an epidemic of mass shootings. No other country has the same issues with children being killed by guns as the United States. The Gun Violence Archive has estimated there have been 2,128 mass shootings since 2013, roughly one per day. Since 2019 the number of shootings have increased every year (CDC). …