Articles
Identifying 5 Most Common Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders we face today, with nearly 1 in 5 adults experiencing symptoms of anxiety in a year. We also see anxiety numbers being nearly twice as high in women as in men, but both experience anxiety at high levels (as shown in this breakdown by rehabseekers). Anxiety isn’t just rising in adults; it is rising in most segments of the population. There are many different factors for this in our modern world, including a better understanding of anxiety and how it presents itself across demographics. In this article, I want to explore [...]
9 Quick Ways to Deal with Depression and Anxiety
Do you suffer from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks? Do you feel that there is so much more to life than these emotions that make it hard to lift your head or leave the house? You were created for much more than experiencing anxiety and depression. God knew our hearts and minds would become downcast at times. We can reach out to Him and mental health professionals to help us in dealing with depression and anxiety. There are also lifestyle tweaks we can use to alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety quickly. How to Deal with Depression and Anxiety Although [...]
Parenting Depressed Teens
If you’re looking for tips and advice on parenting depressed teens, this article is for you. It’s been said that men are from Mars and women are from Venus in their psychological differences and styles of communication. Sometimes it can be as accurate to say the same of teens and parents; the gap between a teen and their parents can feel like the width of a galaxy. The sweet, communicative child can turn into a brooding, distant stranger in a few short years. It often feels impossible to know what they’re going through. For the parent or caregiver, this decade can [...]
How Your Attachment Style Influences Your Relationships
Attachment theory is one of the most acknowledged psychological theories in the last fifty years (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2009). Bowlby, one of the theorists who developed this theory, believed that every person is born with an attachment behavioral system that is wired for survival. The goal of the attachment system is to attain protection and support from those around us in dangerous situations, and it is vital early in life because babies and young children are unable to defend themselves from danger (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2009). Yet, researchers believe that we do not grow out of our attachment style as we [...]
Coping with Grief: Grieving Together with Your Spouse
One of the things implied by being a couple is that you are present with and for each other in better or worse times. Life comes with many joys, but also many sorrows. Couples walk with each other in these seasons, ideally providing support and comfort. When grief visits a family, a couple stands together as they process their loss. Though two people may be in similar circumstances, they don’t necessarily experience them in the same ways. Each spouse may have different ways of grieving, the grief will hit them in different ways, and they will need to find ways to [...]
5 Ways Love Can Help Every Aspect of Your Health
On February 14 of each year, we celebrate love on Valentine’s Day. Although some people reject the idea of celebrating love on just one day a year, love can surprisingly have a profound effect on every aspect of our health. Studies have shown that happily married couples get more restful sleep and that love releases hormones that help people relax, increase their immune function, and help them ward off disease. Love is an essential part of a productive and well-lived life. Here are five ways to affect every aspect of your health. Physical As stated above, love profoundly affects a person’s [...]
Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month
The month of June holds many significant meanings: the beginning of summer, Father’s Day, and men’s mental health awareness. As a male mental health counselor and as a man who has received counseling more than once, I’ll be the first to say, men, take that first step, trust in yourself, and invest in your healing. This article will focus on the important role men play in our society and how so many men are often impacted in ways that often lead to men feeling alone. What does it mean to be a man? Are there stronger or weaker examples of men? [...]
How to Identify and Heal from a Codependent Relationship
Our relationships are an important part of what makes us who we are. Not only do our relationships contribute to our flourishing, but the patterns we form and the people we surround ourselves with reflect our values and how we navigate the world. It’s also true to say that we aren’t always conscious of what we’re doing in our relationships, nor do we find it easy to pinpoint issues that may exist in those relationships, especially in a codependent relationship. This article aims to help you identify any codependent patterns in your relationships. Codependency can exist in the parent-child relationship, between siblings, [...]
Therapy for Anger Management: Does It Really Work?
Anger is a normal emotional reaction to situations that cause you to feel threatened or harmed, and that trigger your brain’s fight-or-flight response. Stress hormones flood your body, sending more blood to your muscles and sharpening your focus to prepare you to defend yourself or move away from the source of danger. This type of anger is a useful, instinctive, survival response that enables you to protect yourself. Anger, however, is not always in response to a physical threat. It can also be a response to emotional pain, frustration, or a perceived injustice. You can, for instance, get angry when your [...]