mental health

Digital self-harm

Digital Self-harm: What Parents Need to Know

Posted on by stephen

Self-harm is defined as the infliction of pain onto oneself and can be seen as a symptom of several different mental health disorders, especially in adolescents. Self-harm behaviors typically include restrictive and binge eating, cutting, hitting, scratching, burning, and picking. There are a variety of reasons why people may self-harm and research suggests that these are the most common:

  • Expressing or coping with emotional distress
  • Trying to feel in control
  • A way of punishing oneself
  • Relieving emotional tension or pain

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Depression in Kids

The Not So Usual Suspects: Less Common Signs and Symptoms of Depression in Kids

Posted on by stephen

When parents think about signs of depression, they might first look to symptoms that friends or family have had. We typically think of someone who is depressed as being sad or down all the time.

There are some less common signs that might serve as clues that a child is depressed and these include: irritability, academic decline, changes in weight, and self-harm behaviors.

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Our kids should not go back to normal

Why life Shouldn’t go Back to “Normal” When it Comes to our Kids’ Mental Health

Posted on by stephen

Most of America is coming out of over a year of lock down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The majority of schools are offering at least some in-person learning. Recreational sports are beginning to resume. Several states have started to drop mask mandates for vaccinated individuals. Large scale sporting events and even concerts are back on Spring and Summer schedules for many venues.

Things are finally getting back to normal.

We are hearing this phrase in many different settings. At the grocery store check-out line. At school drop off. At the end of work zoom calls. We smile as we say it – no doubt dreaming of the summer BBQ’s and beach vacations that may finally be within reach.

But when it comes to the mental health of our kids and teens, what if “getting back to normal” isn’t the best metric to meet?

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Bridge in the mist

Dialectics in DBT: The Power of “And”

Posted on by stephen

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The main goals of DBT are to teach people how to live in the moment, regulate their emotions, develop and maintain healthy relationships, and cope with distress. You might remember back in June when we wrote about a communication strategy called DEAR MAN. This is a DBT strategy aimed at helping people set boundaries and ask for what they need in a healthy and balanced way.

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