It feels like just yesterday we were counting down to the new 2018 year. I was ready to face the new year with a brand new set of resolutions, but this year, it was time to actually keep them. Half what through the year, I'm reminding myself how far I've come and encouraging myself to keep going. Looking after yourself shouldn’t feel like a chore. Self-care is important, but … [Read more...]
How a John Mayer Song Helps Me Cope with Panic Attacks
There are so many tips and tricks when it comes to dealing with panic attacks. Weather it's deep breathing, muscle relaxation, or simply distracting yourself, there are many tried and true methods to help calm the attack. While I cannot say there is one simple method that always works for me, there is something I always like to remember when battling the symptoms of … [Read more...]
AiT Exclusive Interview: Anxiety, Sex Ed and RealTalk with MyHealthEd Co-Founder Cristina Leos
More than any other time, the teenage years are confusing times. This couldn't ring truer when it comes to sexual education: anxiety about pregnancy, STDs, and body changes abound! Fear not- RealTalk is here to help you with all of your innermost questions and concerns. Best of all, the content is youth-led! Join us for an AiT Exclusive interview with MyHealthEd's Co-Founder, … [Read more...]
Weathering the Scrupulosity Storm: A Story of OCD, Faith and Healing
My brain was a vortex. Thousands of thoughts, like drops of water, flowed together in a harsh rush of unwelcome emotions. They crashed together, circling down toward an uncertain conclusion, a dark place deep inside of me, from which I believed I could never come up for air. But I was wrong. As real as my feelings of fear, anxiety, sorrow, and hopelessness were, the reality … [Read more...]
Think:Kids: An Overview of Group Parent Therapy Program
In light of Oprah’s 60 Minutes piece on trauma-informed care that ran on PBS March 11, 2018 (which I highly recommend), I wanted to share my family’s somewhat untypical experience with trauma, mental illness and the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) model. Childhood trauma such as sexual abuse or sudden death of a parent can increase a person’s vulnerability to mental … [Read more...]
An Honest Conversation About Race and Mental Illness
At the time of writing this, it’s shortly after the 2 year anniversary of MarShawn McCarrel’s death. MarShawn, a well-known Black Lives Matter activist, took his own life on the statehouse steps on the 8th of February 2016 in Columbus, Ohio. He was 23 years old. Depression, his being hyper-aware of his race and issues concerning race in the US, and the emotional toll of his … [Read more...]
Rejection From Every Direction: How to Manage College Application Anxiety
For any college-bound student the year leading up to the application deadlines is extremely stressful. On top of keeping up with classes, studying for entrance exams, and visiting colleges, students have the agonizing task of creating “the list” of schools to which they want to apply. For our anxious student, this time period caused her an enormous amount of fear, uncertainty, … [Read more...]
On Therapy: What I Learned From Watching My Sister In Therapy
Going to therapy is a huge step in learning to manage mental health issues. I personally have never gone to therapy but I know a few people that have and it has really helped them a lot. My immediate family members seem to be particularly susceptible to mental illness, most likely due to the death of my mom nearly 15 years ago. My dad has been clinically depressed ever since, … [Read more...]
The Hardest Part About Parenting a Teen with Anxiety
I’m not writing to evoke your sympathy. I know that virtually all the contributors in this amazing community are teens. So what do I hope to get from this post? I would love for some parents to step up and start writing about the experiences with the anxiety in their teen’s life. Let’s talk about how to help her/him. Let’s ask the questions where the answers are not so obvious. … [Read more...]
Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter From Your Daughter Recovering From a Restrictive Eating Disorder
Dear Mom and Dad: If you’re reading this, it means you want to help my recovery. Honestly, support is one of the most important parts of recovery, and parental support makes a huge difference. But you've had an eating disorder… There’s no nice way to say this – you suck at dealing with eating disorders. And that’s okay! It’s easy to get it wrong. No matter the intentions, … [Read more...]
Life Can Be Tough Sometimes, But So Are You!
To almost anyone you ask, they will say that transition, no matter the circumstance, is one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome. Most of us are faced with this tricky concept during our teenage years as part of the long, tedious journey into adulthood. Transition can come in many forms, whether that be transition to just a grade older, a new school, or a new lifestyle … [Read more...]
Why No Name-Calling Week is Important for Everyone
Thanks to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLESN), January 15th-19th has been declared as No Name-Calling Week. No Name-Calling Week is a period of time organized by K-12 educators and students to end name-calling and bullying in schools (GLESN, 1/8/18). They offer a robust and inspiring website with the tools to help educators and make this week a … [Read more...]
Love and Depression
There are a lot of people who tell us that in order to love someone else, we have to love ourselves first. But self-loathing can be a huge aspect of depression, not to mention all the other aspects that can make life difficult for us, let alone a relationship. Depression can manifest itself in so many ways though, not just self-loathing, but even still it can adversely affect … [Read more...]
Stressed, Excited, Anxious? How to Tackle Back to School Anxiety
Happy New Year! With the new school season (or new semester) upon us, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious about what the year has in store for us. Without a doubt, we all have changes that we must deal with. Whether it be new classes, new people, new professors and teachers, and maybe even new jobs or new cities. With all this change coming our way, and a certain … [Read more...]
AiT Exclusive Interview: On-Demand Video Therapy with LARKR
As we head into the new year, I’m particularly excited about how advanced mental health technology and innovation continue to advance and how the entire eco-system is becoming more accustomed to using such innovations and technology. Today, I’m pleased to welcome the LARKR team to an exclusive AiT interview! Join us as we cover the latest in offer access to quality mental … [Read more...]