Let’s face it: sometimes it’s difficult to clue your family or even some of your closest friends in during times of great stress or turmoil. Perhaps you may have reason to believe your loved ones will misunderstand you, or maybe you would feel more comfortable talking to someone who isn’t involved in your situation. Whatever your reason is, it’s perfectly okay to reach out for … [Read more...]
The Renovation of a Home
“Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays, 'cause no matter how far away you roam, if you want to be happy in a million ways, for the holidays - you can't beat home, sweet home.” - Carpenters If home doesn’t feel the way that it used to, does this classic line still hold some value and truth? Sometimes going home for the holidays is more stress-inducing than it is … [Read more...]
Being Vulnerable Is The Door To Confidence And Self-Acceptance
There’s that familiar feeling again. The sweaty palms. The butterflies in my stomach. The constant overthinking in my mind. I was always taught to be self-sufficient and have my own. As a result, I consider myself to be a strong and independent woman. So it came as a surprise when asked one day, “why are you troubled waters in the ocean of life?” In the back of my … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Reduce Your Anxiety by Getting in Touch with Nature and Your Community
Throughout my teenage and adult life, I’ve found nature and working within my community to be a great way to alleviate stress. Exercise can lead to a healthy heart and lessen anxiety due to gaining a higher-level of endorphins, and in the long run, help you feel better about you. Take your friends with or go solo. Some examples of how venturing into the great outdoors may help … [Read more...]
Listen, Sharing & Comparing: Advice for Parents on How to Help Their Teens with a Mental Health Disorder
This week I want to give some guidance to parents whose children are dealing with mental health problems, how to approach them and help them cope. I think it is interesting to talk about it from my point of view, because the depression and eating disorders that I’ve had my family isn’t really aware of even now, since I never managed to tell them the truth. I was always too … [Read more...]
Supporting My Sister with Anxiety: What I’ve Learned
Personally, I have conflicting feelings about labelling mental health conditions. On the one hand, mental health conditions are health conditions - they have signs and symptoms, medications, and health risks. How can you expect to treat a health condition if it remains a nameless entity? What’s more, labelling it can offer a sense of closure and community - finally, you are … [Read more...]
Managing Medications: What’s a Parent To Do?
It’s been a few weeks, or months, or years, since your teenager began treatment with an SSRI, and she can’t--or won’t—describe what difference she senses, if any. She still feels debilitating anxiety at times, or has tough days when obsessive thoughts dog her. Yet you believe she’s better. Isn’t she? How does a parent evaluate from the outside looking in? This post … [Read more...]
Therapy Tips: Advice for Teens and Parents to Make Therapy a Smashing Success
Tips for Teens: You’ve made it this far. Chances are, if you’ve stumbled across this article, you are either considering or already in therapy. I just have to stop here for a second to say what an epic achievement you’ve already made. The fact that you are reading this article alone says great things about how far you have come. Seeking help is something to be proud. Trust … [Read more...]
Leaning on a Friend: 4 Ways to Make a Difference for a Friend Struggling with a Mental Health Issue
When it comes to mental health conversations with friends, many of us can relate to this Ad Council video. Broaching the topic of mental illness with even close friends can be awkward and uncomfortable. Having a group of supportive friends is great resource to have when battling a mental health disorder. They can take your mind off whatever it is you are going through, yet … [Read more...]
My Story: Writing About Mental Illness Heals Me
While there could be a whole tome the size of the DSM to chronicle all the mental illness-tinged happenings in the life of Mary L. Sukala, that, to me, speaks as much to who I am as the fact that I weighed less than three pounds when I was born (another story for another day--I’m a preemie and triplet). It’s my medical history, nothing more. So for this piece, I’m zeroing in on … [Read more...]
Tips for Anxious Flyers
Flying can be a stressful experience. As I embark to study abroad, I thought of a few key tips I use when I fly that can help you reduce your anxiety on your next trip: Have a music playlist at the ready Be prepared to have a playlist that has enough music to last you through most of the flight. Since you will be seated with people for a while, putting your headphones can … [Read more...]
A Closed Letter to My Immigrant Parents
Dear Mom and Papí, No number of “thank you’s” or “I love you’s” could possibly cover it. You dedicated your life to make sure I could build my own. You crossed oceans and continents to get here. You kept your head down and worked hard to put me through school. You slept on floors, went to bed hungry, worked multiple jobs just to make sure we could make it. And we made it. I … [Read more...]
Anxiety Hacks While Bored – YouTube Scavenger Hunt
Feeling like you need to escape and try something new to ease your anxiety? You've probably already heard that Mindfulness has been demonstrated to reduce anxiety and stress time and again. But how does one put it into practice? A daily meditation practice may be challenging to startup and continue to do on a consistent basis, so taking it one step at a time with no … [Read more...]
Things I Do To Manage My Anxiety on Weekends
Weekends can be a stressful time for those of us with social anxiety- we want to have friends, be loved, and in the know (FOMO is real!), and yet we don't. I've often wondered what it would be like to live completely free of my social phobia and attend parties with classmates, crack jokes over drinks, and heck, maybe even be the life of the party one day. However, as it stands … [Read more...]
The Link Between Exercise and Mental Health: A Psychologist and Marathoner’s Perspective
By: Melissa Tanner, Ph.D., Guest Contributor Exercise can have a profound impact on mental health, in a variety of different ways. There are the obvious ways, such as the famed “runner’s high,” which refers to the euphoric sensation caused by endorphins released after strenuous physical activity. Exercise can also promote a regular sleep schedule, which is crucial to mental … [Read more...]