After Orlando: A Mom Who Knows Talks Mental Health After Orlando: A Mom Who Knows Talks Mental Health With reports that the shooter in the Orlando tragedy displayed behavioral and emotional problems as far back as elementary school, violence and mental illness have again become linked in the public conversation.
‘Stand Up for Mental Health’ Good for More Than a Laugh ‘Stand Up for Mental Health’ Good for More Than a Laugh Funny things happen when David Granirer’s stand-up comedy students get in front of the mic to deliver the routines they’ve spent weeks honing — not just laughter but a shift in the way those on the stage and in the audience view mental illness.
Author Shares Hard Lessons About Mental Illness Author Shares Hard Lessons About Mental Illness Looking back, the signs were there, she realizes now. The extreme bursts of energy and creativity, the sudden low moods, the sleep problems, the sensitivity to sounds and light, even the infidelities. But at the time, all that seemed clear to Sheila Hamilton was that her brilliant and passionate husband, David, the father of her child, was becoming someone she no longer recognized.
Got Debt? Your Mental Health Could Be at Risk Got Debt? Your Mental Health Could Be at Risk As shopping season — err, the holidays — approach, we look forward to super savings on the perfect gifts. In all the excitement, it can be far too easy to spend money you don’t have.
University of Minnesota Gets Creative With Campus Mental Health University of Minnesota Gets Creative With Campus Mental Health Each fall, during a campus welcome event at the University of Minnesota, representatives from the school’s mental wellness services challenge students to see if they can balance a peacock feather on their fingertips.
5 Ways to Cope With Fear in an Increasingly Scary World 5 Ways to Cope With Fear in an Increasingly Scary World Every few weeks, we hear news of tragedy striking somewhere in the world. Between school shootings, terrorist attacks, suicide bombers and other acts of violence, some who are not directly impacted still find themselves reeling in fear.
Online Role-Play Tool Shows Military Families How to Help Their Heroes Online Role-Play Tool Shows Military Families How to Help Their Heroes The young serviceman is back from deployment, safe again in his family home but having trouble sleeping, drinking more than usual, and uninterested in old friends and activities. His parents’ concern heightens with each day, but they aren’t sure how to approach their son without making matters worse.
Retailers Asked to Pull ‘Mental’ Halloween Costumes Retailers Asked to Pull ‘Mental’ Halloween Costumes Go Halloween costume shopping online and you’re sure to see them: “Gone Mental” costumes for adults and children with blood-stained tunics and straitjackets, “Asylum” wall decorations, even a 6-foot “Animated Asylum Patient” complete with “crazy” facial expression and blood-stained teeth.
Toxic Stress in Childhood Means Mental Health Troubles in Adulthood Toxic Stress in Childhood Means Mental Health Troubles in Adulthood Emotional, psychological and physical abuse during childhood lay the groundwork for the onset of mental illness, addiction and self-destructive behavior in later life.
Anxiety and the College Student Anxiety and the College Student Anxiety comes with the territory in college, and a little is a good thing. After all, it’s what helps spur you to finish that paper, to pay attention to your health and safety, and to show up for class.
Violent, Horrific Images Putting Journalists in Emotional Crossfire Violent, Horrific Images Putting Journalists in Emotional Crossfire Many psychologists believe journalists exposed to graphic and violent news footage could be at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders.
Bipolar Disorder ‘Invented Fad,’ Fox News Host Says Bipolar Disorder ‘Invented Fad,’ Fox News Host Says Fox News radio personality Tom Sullivan recently referred to bipolar disorder as “the latest fad.” He claimed the diagnosis was invented by the mental health profession to exploit the masses for profit, and stated his belief that bipolar disorder was neither a disease nor a disability. Sullivan was responding to a caller on his talk show who had been discussing her 13-year battle with bipolar disorder and describing how it had turned her life upside down and made it impossible to maintain her career.
Suicide is Double in Rural Young People Suicide is Double in Rural Young People A distressing new report from the journal JAMA Pediatrics finds that adolescents and young adults in rural communities take their own lives twice as often as those in cities, sparking an “urgent” need to ensure mental health help and access in large swaths of the country. And the gap between remote and urban populations is growing, the study says.
How Does Stress Affect Suicide Risks in the Military? How Does Stress Affect Suicide Risks in the Military? A new study from a team of American researchers indicates that soldiers dealing with chronic stress have substantially higher chances of seriously contemplating suicide than their counterparts exposed to only short-term stress.
Are Therapists Ever Off Duty? Are Therapists Ever Off Duty? You attended school, studied diligently and earned your degrees — not to mention the “alphabet soup” of letters those degrees allow you to tack onto the end of your name. You’ve worked with clients to help them learn ways to live happier, healthier lives.
Largest-Ever Study Finds Genetic Markers for Schizophrenia Largest-Ever Study Finds Genetic Markers for Schizophrenia A collaboration of more than 100 scientists from several countries has identified 108 genetic markers linked to schizophrenia, according to research recently published in the journal Nature.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Key Factor in Depression Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Key Factor in Depression Up to one-third of all women with polycystic ovary syndrome will develop symptoms of depression, largely irrespective of their age, according to recent findings from a group of Polish researchers.
Introvert, Shy, Socially Anxious: What’s the Difference? Introvert, Shy, Socially Anxious: What’s the Difference? Not long ago, the introvert was commonly viewed as the sad, lesser flipside of the extrovert. We now know better, recognizing introverts as having unique gifts that enrich not only themselves but society as well. Still, confusion reigns as to what it means to be an introvert, especially because the term is so often used as a synonym for shy, or to describe someone dealing with social anxiety disorder. It doesn’t help that even the experts sometimes disagree on where the lines should be drawn. In general, however, the three terms are recognized as distinct categories that only sometimes intersect. Here’s how it breaks down:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Reduces Anxiety During Pregnancy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Reduces Anxiety During Pregnancy Recent findings from a team of Canadian researchers indicate that a form of change-oriented psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy can help ease the impact of anxiety in pregnant women.
Psychological Reactions Contribute to Onset of Premenstrual Disorders Psychological Reactions Contribute to Onset of Premenstrual Disorders New findings from a team of American researchers indicate that women who have certain mental reactions to monthly menstruation may have increased chances of developing a premenstrual disorder, including the mood disorder known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
New NAMI-Faithnet Program Launches New NAMI-Faithnet Program Launches With mental illness now affecting one in four Americans in any given year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the acronym “NAMI” (which stands for National Alliance on Mental Illness), is becoming increasingly familiar. The organization educates, equips and empowers individuals, families and communities about issues related to mental health. Now, a lesser-known but national NAMI initiative known as FaithNet has come to Broward County, Florida, the site of the Elements Behavioral Health program The Recovery Place (TRP). FaithNet resources churches and other faith groups on issues of mental illness and addiction—and TRP employee Anthony Acampora is Broward FaithNet’s very first coordinator.
New Information on Overlapping Cases of Schizophrenia and OCD New Information on Overlapping Cases of Schizophrenia and OCD Schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are well-known psychiatric conditions that typically make profound changes in the behaviors of affected individuals. Current evidence indicates that the two conditions appear together in the same people much more often than random chance would permit. In a new study, published in 2013 in the journal CNS Spectrums, a multinational research team examined the effects of overlapping symptoms of schizophrenia and OCD. The members of this team concluded that people affected by both of these disorders essentially develop a unique, distinct form of mental illness, which the researchers refer to as “schizo-OCD.”
Bipolar Disorder Increases Risk for Premature Birth Bipolar Disorder Increases Risk for Premature Birth Women with a history of severe bipolar disorder have a much higher chance of giving birth to their children prematurely, a new study finds.
Depression and Self-Harm More Likely in Bullied Siblings Depression and Self-Harm More Likely in Bullied Siblings Those who were bullied by their siblings during adolescence are twice as likely to report being depressed and twice as likely to report self-harming, according to new research from the United Kingdom.