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Search Results for: self care

Stress Awareness Month

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Stress Awareness Month

What is Stress Awareness Month? Stress Awareness Month has been recognized during the month of April since 1992; it spreads awareness of the ways in which stress impacts our mental and physical health as well as urges us to find healthy ways to manage our own stress. What is stress and how does it impact us? We often talk about stress, but what does it really mean? According to the American Psychological Association, stress is defined as “the physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors. Stress involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body, influencing how people feel and behave” (2020). Put simply, stress is our own response to stimuli (stressors). Stress can be acute (responses to short term stressors) or chronic (response to ongoing, long term stressors), and not all stress is bad. Some stress can help us better navigate situations such as job interviews or …

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How to Support World Bipolar Day

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World Bipolar Day

March 30th is a special day. It marks the anniversary of World Bipolar Day. This date was chosen because it is the birth date of Vincent Van Gogh, who is thought to have struggled with bipolar disorder. There are 5.7 million Americans who can relate to Van Gogh. Out of that 5.7 million, 89% have severe symptoms. There are likely many more people with bipolar who, for different reasons, do not seek treatment. One way to change this and encourage everyone to get help is to bring about awareness of bipolar disorder, like supporting World Bipolar Day. Below are simple ways you can get involved in spreading the word and breaking the stigma of bipolar disorder. 1. Understand Bipolar Disorder Before you celebrate World Bipolar Day, take the time to learn everything you can about bipolar disorder, like that it is a mental health condition that causes a person to have mood …

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Trauma and ACEs

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Trauma and ACEs

What is trauma? When many people think of and conceptualize trauma, they may immediately think of trauma as an event that occurs; for example, one may explain a near-death experience as trauma. However, such situations are traumatic events. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years) and may include experiencing violence, abuse or neglect, violence in the home or community, or having a family member attempt or die by suicide; aspects of a child’s environment that can undermine perceived safety are also included on this list, specifically environments riddled with substance abuse problems, mental health problems, and instability due to parental separation or household members being incarcerated (CDC, 2021). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) describes a traumatic event as requiring actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence (APA, 2013). Trauma is a response to a deeply distressing or …

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10 Group Therapy Activities for Adults

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Participants completing group therapy activities

Group therapy activities are designed for a small group of people with similar issues. A licensed mental health therapist leads the group with special training in the issues shared by participants. For example, an alcohol use disorder group may be led by a certified drug and alcohol counselor. Therapists use various methods to help group members learn new skills while also learning more about themselves and others. Group therapy is a safe place where participants can share personal information without being judged or worried about confidentiality. It also helps everyone know they are not alone and that many others can relate to their circumstances. Types of Group Therapy Because everyone has different learning styles, it’s essential to have options for finding the right type of group therapy to attend. The four most common types of group therapy include: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is talk therapy that focuses on changing negative thought patterns to positive …

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War Trauma, Anxiety, and Mental Health Solutions

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War Trauma

War-related Trauma and Anxiety. In light of the current events unfolding with Russia and Ukraine, we see it as being critically important to highlight the mental health ramifications associated with war-related trauma and anxiety. To start, a traumatic event is one marked with feelings of helplessness, horror, serious injury, or the threat of serious injury of death; a traumatic event can cause physical, emotional, spiritual, and/or psychological harm. Examples of traumatic events include: serious illness, witnessing a death, domestic abuse, rape, incarceration within the criminal justice system, terrorism, and of course, war. Trauma describes the response to a traumatic event and can be marked by impairing anxiety, hypervigilance, and flashbacks.  Many but not all people who experience traumatic events can go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, women are more likely to experience sexual assault and child sexual abuse while men …

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