The Effects of Bullying on Mental Health

Bullying has affected children and teens for generations. But we’ve only recently understood bullying’s mental health effects, which extend beyond the victim to bystanders who witness it and the bullies themselves. What is bullying? The Centers for Disease Control defines bullying as a form of “youth violence” toward a victim involving unwanted aggressive behavior from a bully (an individual or …

PTSD: Evaluation and Therapy

Nightmares… avoiding certain streets… becoming easily startled or feeling on edge…   Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can manifest in many ways. The National Center for PTSD defines PTSD as “a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.” Precipitating events can also include sudden …

7 Ways to Get Help When You Feel Alone

At any given moment, at least a third of us feel lonely. As we write this, the social distancing of the COVID-19 pandemic has probably pushed that figure higher.  We can take comfort in knowing that loneliness is not a permanent state. There are many ways to address and alleviate / heal loneliness. But first, let’s explore loneliness itself. The …