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New Year’s Resolutions for Better Mental Health

New Year’s Resolutions for Better Mental Health

Planning can help make your resolutions and dreams become a reality. Take 10 minutes each morning or evening to break them into daily To Do items. Set clear priorities and specific goals, which are comprised of simple, achievable steps that include deadlines. Resolutions can be 

Personal Insights on Building Teen Resilience

Personal Insights on Building Teen Resilience

Escalating pressures from varsity sports, Advanced Placement courses and the trauma of losing two teammates to suicide early in high school led a now 21 year old to be unable to communicate with his family and friends. Because “athletes don’t show pain,” he could not 

How to Talk About Mental Health

How to Talk About Mental Health

While mental disorders, such as depression, are common, they often are misunderstood. When someone makes a “joke” about mental health issues, keep your response simple and calm. You can remind the speaker that stereotypes limit us all and that he or she probably would not 

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy

The Project Horse Empowerment Center, located in Purcellville, Virginia, helps individuals with depression, anxiety and other social and behavioral issues. In a “community of mutual healing, benefit, respect and compassion,” clients and rehabilitated rescue horses engage in equine assisted therapy and experiential education. Individuals may 

Helping “iGen” Develop Healthy Relationships With Technology

Helping “iGen” Develop Healthy Relationships With Technology

“iGen” has been defined as youth who were born between 1995 and 2012 and whose childhoods have been influenced by the increasing presence of smartphones and social media. A 2017 study found that heavy users of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other forms of social media 

Seeing a Social Worker for Therapy

Seeing a Social Worker for Therapy

Individuals struggling with mental illness often wonder if they should see a psychiatrist, a psychologist or a social worker. If they are interested purely in medication, treatment by a psychiatrist is necessary. For those who wish to receive therapy, Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) can 

Debt and Depression

Debt and Depression

A 2013 study found that those who are in debt are three times more likely to experience mental health issues. Furthermore, individuals diagnosed with mental health problems, including depression, are more susceptible to financial difficulties. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Americans lose 

Creating Better Mental Health

Creating Better Mental Health

Americans consume far more than they create, purchasing most of the things that they want and need and the entertainment that they enjoy. There can be more satisfying ways to nourish and express yourself, however. Rather than simply being artistic (like dancing, painting or writing), 

Facts From National Depression Screening Day

Facts From National Depression Screening Day

This year, National Depression Screening Day fell on October 11th. In fact, major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability for Americans between the ages of 15 and 44. Mental illness also is associated with a greater occurrence of chronic diseases, including asthma, cancer, 

Boosting Your Test Taking Skills

Boosting Your Test Taking Skills

Even when they attend class, do their homework and study, students with mental health issues can experience anxiety when taking tests. Various simple actions and practical strategies can improve their performance on academic assessments and reduce stress, however. It is important to learn as much