Browse Category: Mental Health and Stress
There are few things as devastating in life as the
loss of a child. When contemplating the thought, the response of most parents is they can't imagine being able to go on. The grief would simply be too much to bear.
In the wake of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, those who were in close proximity to the infamous terrorist attack on the twin towers are dealing with reopened wounds. Thousands of survivors have learned to traverse the rocky road of recovery while struggling through a
long, painful healing process anchored by fortitude, family, or faith. But though memories of the tragedy have faded with time, the decade anniversary of the horrific event brings them back to the surface – if they were ever truly buried in the first place.
For much of the nation, September marks the end of summer and back to school time for our kids. While some are excited to reconnect with friends, others are a little worried about new teachers and new academic challenges. These feelings are normal, and the majority of kids adjust and go with the flow with no real difficulty. But there is one group whose feelings of dread go beyond a case of anticipatory jitters. For
victims of bullying, September isn't just the beginning of a new school year. It's the beginning of another year of harassment and despair.
A radical new approach towards addiction. For millions of people in America and across the globe who
suffer with addiction, solutions sometimes seem as far away as the center of the Milky Way. People who become afflicted with any addiction, be it drugs, alcohol, sex or gambling, find it challenging to replace the 'high' they have become so accustomed to feeling.
When it comes to stress relief, most of us need a little help. Whether you practice daily meditation, take brisk walks or engage in a friendly chat, there are many forms of relief that don’t require a pharmaceutical drug or a trip to a psychiatrist’s office.
Anyone that has ever been caught in the throes of depression understands it's a devastating, and at times debilitating, illness. It's like a thief that robs you of your energy, concentration, memory,
libido, and enjoyment in things that used to bring you pleasure. In the most severe cases, it can even take away your will to live.
All of us experience
anxiety from time to time, especially in our fast-paced lives and these hard economic times. Without this crucial emotion, it’s possible our physical safety and our health would be compromised. Why? Anxiety plays a role in meeting the basic challenges of ensuring food, shelter, and a safe haven from danger are available to us. However, when anxiety reaches a certain level, it does much more harm than good. Excessive anxiety that leads to debilitating dysfunction and distress may mean your anxiety has evolved into a full-blown disorder.
Imagine a day without your smartphone,
iPad, or laptop. How would you feel cut off from Facebook, G-chats, or text messages? If you say “liberated” you’re in a huge minority. According to a recent study, for most people the word “lonely” most adequately describes what it would feel like to be disconnected from the vast universe of the Internet.
We spend so much of our time trying to please and care for other people. Our focus tends to be mostly on our children, our spouses, our jobs, and our friends and family. Often the one who is left for last is YOU! How does that impact your health? How does that impact your overall wellbeing and happiness?
The Current mood of the U.S. could be
diagnosed as a collective depression, with Washington as it's main protagonist.
Could your job make you depressed? Obviously, certain
stress factors can occur in any career, but studies have shown some jobs are more likely to cause depression than others. Various factors such as isolation, dealing with the people in crisis situations, and self-sacrifice account for much of the burnout and depression found in workers in certain fields.
Acclaimed New Orleans psychic
Cari Roy, as seen on The Today Show, A&E, The Discovery and Travel Channels, shares information on a condition known as Psychic Stress and offers ways to help to feel calm even during times of uncertainty.
Bad news for extreme coffee lovers out there. New research has found that
stressed-out coffee guzzlers are three times more likely to experience a “break from reality” than non-coffee drinkers. It’s not as bad as seeing pink elephants or hearing tiny voices in your head, but too much coffee can lead to hallucinations and hearing things.
Uh oh.
The capture and killing of Osama bin Laden led many to wonder what drives the mind of the
criminally insane. In part two of our series on mental disorders we examine some of the illnesses associated with those felt to be “not guilty by reasons of insanity.”
Osama bin Laden, the infamous mass murderer who changed the world with his catastrophic terrorist act on U.S. soil, has been described as half-mad, half-genius, evil incarnate and a narcissistic sociopath. Now that he is dead many wonder if he should have been brought to trial rather than captured and killed. Whatever the outcome of such a trial would have been, many in the media have already labeled bin Laden as criminally insane.
Based on his extensive history of indiscriminate terrorism, Osama bin Laden had earned his Western reputation as a heartless, evil villain. The accounts surrounding his death only encouraged this narrative: using his wife as a shield, harboring a vast pornography collection and, perhaps most notably, promoting the destruction of the U.S. and American culture. Some of this is propaganda, perhaps, but it begs the question: just how evil was bin Laden?
Whether it's rainbows on roses or whiskers on kittens, we all have our favorite things – things that for whatever reason just make us happy. Now psychologists tell us there is hard data proving there are
certain things that have the power to bring pleasure and meaning into your life.
In the recent weeks since Osama bin Laden’s capture and killing, scenes continue to play out on in the media reminding us of the “day of jubilation.” It’s true that for most of us, Osama bin Laden’s death brought feelings of intense relief and a welcomed sense of justice being served. However, for those who were
personally impacted by the terroristic 9/11 attacks, the event simply rekindled traumatic memories. Those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, may have experienced the reigniting of the horrible old feelings they continue to carry with them years after 9/11.
Most of us have at one time or another experienced
some level of loss, and resulting grief. Whether it was the loss of a grandparent, or friend, or even a pet, this loss was probably very emotional, with feelings of sadness, fear, or even anger. While you may not have known it at the time, you were probably going through one or more of the stages of grief.
On May 2, 2011, the world learned that
Osama bin Laden had been killed by American Navy Seals. As the news reverberated across nations, reactions and emotions were mixed. Some people were relieved or even excited an icon of terror had been demolished. Others relived the most painful days of their lives. One could safely say the families of victims of 9/11 fell within the latter group.
