The Best Strategies for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) sounds a lot like Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), but is a far more extreme condition than PMS. If you have PMDD or know someone who does, the good news is that there are treatments that work.
Controlling Your Emotions in Parenting: Helping Yourself First
While children can be quite wonderful, our kids can also pull emotional responses out of us that leave us feeling exhausted and frustrated. This article covers the importance of taking care of your emotional health as a means of enjoying parenting more and increasing your effectiveness as a parent.
Building Independence: Teaching Your Child When and How to Ask for Help
It’s counterintuitive to many people that requesting and receiving help is a necessary skill in developing and sustaining independence. This article discusses a framework for developing these skills in your kids.
Dealing with Serotonin Withdrawal from Antidepressants
While antidepressants often save lives, they can also result in very serious emotional and physical side effects from missed doses, reduced doses, or abrupt stopping. This article talks about the rarely discussed risk of acute depressive symptoms and the more widely known physical symptoms of serotonin withdrawal from switching or stopping your antidepressant medication.
A Note to the Suicidal Christian
God does not want you to die by suicide. This article discusses the biblical and theological truth that we are called to persevere in difficult times, even during depression, anxiety, and other serious life events. There are basic steps that you can take to stay safe if you are feeling suicidal.
Universal Screening for Depression and Sustained Sadness in Kids to Prevent Youth Suicide
Screening kids for depression (and sustained sadness) and connecting them with mental health services is an effective step in preventing suicide in youth. This article reviews recent research that supports this intervention and includes other data that shows this approach to be logical, strategic, and a high-yield use of suicide prevention funding.
Never Delay Dealing with Depression
Some people avoid dealing with their depression only to find out that they waited too long. This article addresses the reasons for dealing with depression immediately. Depression can become a pattern in the brain, so doing activities that alleviate depression and getting rid of your depression as quickly as possible will give you the best outcomes.
How Good is Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT)?
Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) is a computerized version of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that is delivered over the internet. This article addresses hard questions critics have about iCBT, research supporting its benefit, the impact it can have in communities and who can benefit from the treatment.
Supportive Psychotherapy: How Good is “Treatment as Usual”?
Supportive psychotherapy is commonly used as a comparison intervention or “treatment as usual” in mental health research studies. While it is often expected by the scientific elite to be less effective than newer, manualized therapies, it has been proven to be an effective intervention for many conditions. This article covers basic approaches in supportive psychotherapy and who might benefit from the treatment.
Helping Teach Your Child Social Skills
Some parents are at a loss if their child struggles with social skills because it seems like such a basic, naturally-acquired ability. However, many kids struggle with lagging social skills and this can result in fewer friendships, trouble learning at school or aggression. This article addresses creative strategies for helping your child.
What to Do When You Know Why You Are Depressed
Some people have severe depression despite having a relatively good life. Others know exactly why they are depressed and can identify the specific cause or situation that is worsening their mood. This article focuses on depressive symptoms caused by maladaptive patterns and life toxicities and what to do about them.
How Does Yoga Help Depression?
There is growing evidence showing that yoga is beneficial for depression. Researchers are looking at biological mechanisms, but are there other factors involved? Yoga practices vary, which makes determining the mechanism of its benefit difficult. However, observing yoga from a holistic perspective, rather than only from a neurobiological standpoint, may lead to insights into how yoga helps depression.
Your Safety Plan for Suicide Prevention
Everyone needs a safety plan. Death by suicide is usually attributable to depression, yet even people who have no depression at all are at risk of suicide at times of extreme stress and vulnerability. This article describes the nature of suicidal thoughts and how to develop a safety plan to prevent suicide.
The FDA’s Duty to Children’s Mental Health
50% of lifetime mental illness starts by age 14 and 75% of lifetime mental illness starts by age 24. It has been conclusively proven that mental illness is a disease of youth, yet the FDA has done little to approve mental health treatments for youth. This article addresses some of the enormous missteps by the FDA and what they – and you – can do today to improve the mental health of children.
The Surprising Results of Exercise for Depression
Regular exercise is a strategy that not only helps major depression but also helps prevent mental illness. There is an abundance of research on the positive effects of exercise on mental and physical health and the results for depression are amazing. This article explains the effects of exercise on depression and how to make it work for you.
Acting on Anxiety – Knowing When to Confront It or Avoid It
Anxiety can block us from doing the activities we love and can make our lives miserable, unproductive and inefficient. Making a proactive plan about how and when you will deal with your anxiety will immediately reduce your anxiety. The best and most durable solution for anxiety is confronting it at the right moment and at a rate that you can tolerate.
Mindfulness – How to Chill Out and Stop Beating Yourself Up
Anxious and self-critical thoughts steal joy from life, even from our favorite activities and greatest accomplishments. Practicing mindfulness will result in decreased overall anxiety and help you to be kinder to yourself as you develop the ability to calm your mind and let go of the need to judge yourself for every mistake, real or perceived. This article provides an introduction to mindfulness.
Accepting Insomnia and Other Ways to Improve Your Sleep
Sleep problems are one of the most challenging and frustrating things that many people deal with on a regular basis. Accepting insomnia is a critical component of improving your sleep and not letting it control your emotions. This article explains 16 ways to improve your sleep and several backup strategies if healthy sleep habits are not enough.