mental health
Many of us spend a lot of time, money, and effort into making our tough feelings go away. When someone says, “I’m feeling really anxious” (or sad, overwhelmed, depressed, etc.), a common response is to see your doctor for medication, talk to a psychologist to work through it, or go do something that will distract you from what you’re feeling. The general goal of doing these things is to make us feel better, or to avoid sitting…
By: Margaret Reynolds, LCPC Navigating the Terrain What follows is a visualization exercise to help you find perspective and develop awareness, appreciation, and authorship for your life’s journey. This will involve painting a mental picture for yourself and then looking at it in three distinct ways to learn and grow from the experience. Doing this will come naturally to some and will be more difficult for others. I recommend that you make notes or sketches as you…
Do you listen to your inner child? As adults, we often become preoccupied with our “adult” roles and forget that despite the aging process, we were all once children. Your inner child is within you no matter how old you are, and this part now depends on your adult self for nurturing. If you struggle with mental health issues, even if it’s not depression with a capital D, your inner child may benefit from more nurturing. Many…
Situational mood problems like a temporary break up, money issue, or argument with a friend can seem devastating but anxiety or depression treatment can seem unfit at the time. Mood problems in general can create various types of distorted thinking like tunnel vision, all or nothing, and black and white thinking. I like to call this type of thinking “Rough Draft” thinking because it’s sloppy and not reflective of our entire strength and resilience. More specifically, the…
By Andrew McNaughton LCSW CADC How we choose the words we use in expressing our thoughts to ourselves and others directly impacts how we make ourselves feel. I have previously addressed rational and irrational thinking in a previous blog, and this will expand on those concepts by demonstrating the benefit of exchanging the vocabulary of demands with preferences. The difference might, on the surface, seem slight, but the impact of our use of preferential instead of demanding…
By Andrew McNaughton LCSW CADC Change is a process, and certainly not an easy one, but the benefits of making positive changes will almost certainly outweigh discomfort felt during the process. We are not, however, always prepared to dive into making changes, or are even able or ready to see that we could benefit from changing. Before attempting changes, it is useful to be able to identify how ready we are to begin to make them. This…
If you’ve recently been to a yoga class or read a self-help book, you’re probably familiar with the term mindfulness. During therapy, your counselor may tell you to be mindful of your emotions or behavior in a particular situation. Numerous research studies continue to demonstrate that mindfulness based interventions provide stress reduction and overall symptom reduction for many mental health conditions, including anxiety. Yet, understanding how mindfulness can really help you and applying it in day-to-day life…
By Andrew McNaughton LCSW CADC What determines the significance and urgency of the risk if someone expresses suicidal ideation or intent? It is important to recognize it as a cry for help, not a cry for attention. Assessing for suicide risk requires a trained observer. However, in a crisis situation, it is important to be able to communicate the extent of the risk to 911. Do not hesitate to call 911 if your loved one has expressed…
If you have ever taken a yoga class, you have probably heard the instructor say things like, “Just breathe,” or “Focus on your breath.” Breathing is an essential element of yoga. Yoga involves intentional breathing – breathing with purpose and in a controlled manner – a technique which may also help with anxiety, depression, and other mental health struggles. Making breath the focus while practicing yoga can deepen relaxation and enhance a mind-body connection, as it has…
Many of us are required to take major tests to further our careers. Why do they push our emotions to the limit? What is so hard about proving what we already know? What makes studying so difficult sometimes? Big tests like the Bar Exam, Licensure Boards, GMAT or GRE usually have a big impact on the future and how we think about the work we’ve done so far. Doing well on them often requires things like rational…
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