Learning to set boundaries with your child can be challenging. You want to be firm yet loving. How do you do that in a way that your child will learn to be positive and responsible? The link below is to an article from Psychology Today. As always, I would love to hear your feedback!
May is National Mental Health Month. You might be thinking “do we really need a whole month to be aware of or to celebrate our Mental Health?” I think a month is not long enough. If you ask me, most people do not spend enough time on their mental health. Being healthy is about taking care of your mind and your body. If you are not dealing with stress effectively over time, it will take a toll on your body physically. Below are 10 tools to help you with your mental health.
10 Tools
These proven tools can help you feel stronger and more hopeful. Check out these easy-to-follow tips:
1) Connect with others
2) Stay positive
3) Get physically active
4) Help others
5) Get enough sleep
6) Create joy and satisfaction
7) Eat well
8 ) Take care of your spirit
9) Deal better with hard times
10) Get professional help if you need it
2011 National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day”
Today, May 3rd marks National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day is a day to join SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), communities, organizations, agencies, and individuals around the country in raising awareness that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development right when they are born. This year’s theme is on building resilience in young children dealing with trauma.
For more information go to SAMHSA’s website www.samhsa.gov/children
Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback!
Eating disorders seem to be quite prevalent these days not just for teens but for adults as well. Check out this article on Yahoo! that talks about some possible “new” eating disorders that have been emerging.
In recent years, suicides have increased among teens. In the affluent suburbs of Chicago they have increased at an alarming rate. As a therapist/counselor in the Chicago suburbs, I do not want this post to be about blaming others for what they have not done. I want this post to be about finding solutions so teens do not feel that suicide is their ONLY solution. Michele Borba, well-known author and speaker, describes the following tips when discussing suicide and depression with your teen. 1) Review the facts: if a suicide does happen, chances are the story will be discussed at school or amongst your child’s peers, so review the story before you talk; 2) Find the right time. Make sure it’s a relaxed, uninterrupted time; 3) Begin with a simple question or direct statement. It can be something like “Have you heard the sad news?”; 4) Be honest and direct, but careful. Give the details your child needs to know. Withhold facts or details that are not in your child’s best interests. 5) Describe depression.To help your child see the difference between normal sadness and depression; 6) Be prepared to be unprepared. You are not going to have all the answer and that’s OK. Let them know you are always there to listen; 7) Talk about cyber-bullying. Emphasize that you recognize bullying and cyberbullying is a growing and serious problem; 8 ) Teach “Tattling” vs “Reporting.”; and 9) Discuss “safety nets.” Identify adults your child feels safe with, other people they can talk to when issues arise.
To read more of Michele Borba’s blog click on the link below.
Your teen won’t talk to you for hours? How about days? How are you supposed to react as a parent? Do you demand they talk to you? Do you let them be? The link below is to an article from factoidz.com.
Relational aggression or RA as it is often referred is any behavior that is intended to harm someone by damaging or manipulating relationships with others (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Unlike other types of bullying, relational aggression is not as overt, or noticeable as physical aggression. However, the effects can be long lasting. Boys tend to be more overt in their bullying or ways of expressing negative feelings using physical aggression and victimization. Girls, on the other hand, are usually brought up with an emphasis on being “nice” so their bullying or ways of expressing negative emotions are more covert. RA has been a growing problem among girls and kids in general and it starts younger and younger. Jane Belvanz from A Way Through explains 5 Key Friendship Skills that are essential for student success and need to be taught at a young age. These skills are to begin with grades K-2. The skills are 1) Self Trust, 2) Decision-Making, 3 ) Assertiveness, 4) Bullying Refusal, and 5 Conflict Resolution. The link below will take you to their blog for a complete recap of each step.
Treating eating disorders like anorexia has been traditionally focused on the individual with the eating disorder. Parents and other family members have not been included in the individual’s treatment. It was believed that removing the individual’s family would benefit her recovery. That the individual’s dysfunctional family was intensifying her symptoms and her illness. As a counselor who treats children and teens this model has always perplexed me. How can you treat a teen with anorexia or other eating disorder without including his or her family with and then place that adolescent back into the family that is considered so dysfunctional? It doesn’t make any sense. Parents will not have learned anything about the illness nor will they have learned any new ways of coping. The link below is to a Time Magazine article that outlines a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry led by researchers at Stanford and the University of Chicago. This study suggests that not including the family in treatment for eating disorders is a mistake. Thanks!
The upcoming Royal Wedding has highlighted Kate Middleton’s thin appearance and brought to light the term “brideorexia.” While many future brides try to lose unrealistic amounts of weight before their wedding most do not. Our culture does emphasize thinness to unhealthy degrees. The link to the Time article below talks more about “Brideorexia” and the real concerns of Anorexia in current times.
For the last several years drinking alcoholic beverages and energy drinks together has become quite the rage. As an alcohol and drug counselor this troubled me as alcohol is a depressant and energy drinks containing high levels of caffeine are stimulants. The the effects it has on the body in large quantities is not favorable and now this study not only confirms my theories but expands upon them. The findings concluded that those who mix alcohol and energy drinks are highly stimulated and highly impulsive, yet feel they feel less impaired. This can lead to risky and even lethal behavior. The link below explains more facts about the study through a link on WebMD. Feel free to contact me with additional questions.
