Social Anxiety Disorder – What It Is and How To Treat It

A friend turns down invitations to gatherings that will include more than three or four people she knows. A family member accepts invitations but always backs out at the last minute. You accept whatever reason they offer but wonder if there’s something more going on. Could they be struggling with social anxiety disorder? Social anxiety disorder. Social phobia. Different names….the …

Looking for Ways to Help Depression Holistically? 4 Natural Ways to Fight It

Have you ever known a friend or family member to struggle with sadness they couldn’t seem to shake? Maybe you’ve struggled that way and wondered if what you were feeling was just sadness or if you were wrestling with depression symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depression affected nearly 5% of the US adult population in …

Coping Skills for Addiction – What To Do When Your Loved One Is Addicted

Addiction to drugs or alcohol often starts with recreational use that becomes more and more frequent until users don’t want to be without their drug of choice. Watching a loved one sink into addiction is a painful process, and the emotions that accompany the journey can feel like a roller coaster ride.  A loved one’s addiction is not something you …

Caring for the Caregiver

One in five of Americans provides unpaid care to a child or adult with health problems or special needs. We care for our parents, spouses, kids, grandparents, other relatives, friends and neighbors.  The number of unpaid caregivers—including child caregivers—has risen over the past five years. Surveys show that the people we care for have increasingly complicated needs. More of us …

Diagnosing and Treating Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression). Manic episodes are “up” times, marked by high energy, little sleep and exuberant self-confidence and euphoria. Depressive episodes are marked by low energy, trouble concentrating, anxiety and often hopelessness. We may not understand how much havoc bipolar disorder causes in the lives of affected individuals, who struggle to …

Personal Growth Through Self-Reflection

Self-reflection has been part of spiritual practices for thousands of years. More recently, therapy and programs like Alcoholic Anonymous have incorporated it to help change undesirable behaviors. As a means of examining our lives, self-reflection offers a great opportunity for transformation. It can lead to insights and new perspectives in how we see ourselves and others, which opens a door …

Busting Common Myths Surrounding PTSD

5 Common Myths that Surround PTSD It’s been called shell shock, battle fatigue, war strain, soldier’s heart and, now, post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD has been called different things over the years, mostly centered around soldiers and their experiences. Although PTSD treatment has been a reality since the 1980s, there’s quite a bit of public misunderstanding. PTSD is a mental health …