Preteens and Mental Health

“Mental health is the overall wellness of how you think, regulate your feelings and behave. A mental illness, or mental health disorder, is defined as patterns or changes in thinking, feeling or behaving that cause distress or disrupt a person’s ability to function.” (The Mayo Clinic) While the focus is often on teens and adults, preteens also experience mental health …

What It Feels Like to Live with Mental Illness

When someone has a broken leg, the evidence is visible. They have a cast, possibly crutches; people can witness their struggle with opening doors or navigating furniture. But when someone has a mental illness or disorder, the evidence may not be obvious—if others can see it at all. And no can see “inside” the struggle of trying to navigate a …

Early Mental Health Evaluation: Diagnosing Childhood Mental Health Disorders

Early mental health evaluation in children can be challenging for many reasons—primarily because children may not be able to express themselves clearly. Their vocabulary is somewhat limited. Also, their feelings, emotions and understanding of themselves is evolving. Their cognitive and social skills are not fully developed. Because of these limitations, it is vital that parents and primary caregivers understand the …