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 …
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 …
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 …
Jacob and Hannah’s first son looked as healthy as any baby boy, but when he started growing, the new parents noticed he didn’t respond every time they called him. And he played with the sit-to-stand walker for hours…ignoring them when it was time for dinner or bed. They decided to have him evaluated, and when the diagnosis came back, it …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Signs and Symptoms of a Panic Attack “I feel like my heart is about to explode out of my chest.” “I’m struggling to catch my breath, I feel like I’m being smothered.” “I’m losing control and I feel like I’m going crazy.” Panic attacks are real and can be both emotionally and physically debilitating; in fact, many people who experience …
Hands (and feet) can become cold to the touch when they fail to receive an adequate supply of oxygenated blood. While sometimes cold hands may be the body’s natural response to cold temperatures, other times it can be a symptom of underlying health issues or a side effect of medications. Cold hands, in general, might not be cause for concern. …
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 …
