The Effects of Depression on the Brain
Most people have a basic understanding of what depression is. But, fewer recognize that it’s far more than just a “feeling.” Depression is a mental health condition in every sense of the word. So much so that it actually has a direct impact on the brain.
Most people have a basic understanding of what depression is. But, fewer recognize that it’s far more than just a “feeling.” Depression is a mental health condition in every sense of the word. So much so that it actually has a direct impact on the brain.
When you’re dealing with depression, especially on a long-term basis, it can change the way your brain works. It can even change the size and certain structures within the brain. That might sound scary. But the good news is that with the right treatment, you can fight back against depression. The brain is resilient and can eventually go back to being completely healthy.
In the meantime, it’s important to understand the effects of depression on the brain. Maybe you’ve been putting off getting the treatment you deserve. Or, maybe you know someone with depression, and you’re trying to understand what they’re going through.
Whatever the case, let’s take a closer look at some of those effects and how much of a harmful impact depression can have on the mind.
Parts of the Brain Shrink
Again, the idea of your brain “shrinking” at all might sound scary. But, certain areas do tend to decrease in size when depression takes hold. The hippocampus is especially impacted. It’s the part of your brain responsible for learning and memory. Other areas that can shrink due to depression include the prefrontal cortex, the thalamus, and the frontal cortex.
What causes these areas to become smaller? When you deal with depression, you experience a chemical imbalance caused by an increase in cortisol. Cortisol is often known as the “stress hormone,” and too much of it can wreak havoc on your body. Too much of it can cause weight gain, high blood pressure, and fatigue. Too much cortisol in the brain also serves as a roadblock to neuron development.
Not every area of the brain shrinks due to depression. While some parts get smaller, the amygdala gets larger. It’s the part of the brain responsible for emotional regulation. An enlarged amygdala can lead to mood swings, hormonal shifts, and difficulty sleeping. Unfortunately, all of those things can end up making your depression worse.
Cognitive Issues
In severe cases of depression, people can experience lower cognitive functioning. This is due to long-term cortisol exposure. When the development of neurons is slowed or stopped for an extended period of time, the person dealing with it can start to experience memory issues, difficulty concentrating, and executive dysfunction.
Changes in Brain Communication
Long-term depression can also impact the circuitry of your brain. Your brain has to communicate with itself effectively and the rest of your body using various circuits. When those circuits are disrupted for any reason, including depression, your emotional responses can become worse.
Again, that, unfortunately, causes a vicious cycle that can make your depressive symptoms become worse.
What Can You Do?
With the right treatment, your brain can return to a healthy state no matter how long you’ve been dealing with depression. But it’s important to read that again. The right treatment is necessary. Depression is a very common mental health condition. It’s also often very manageable but not something you should try to deal with on your own.
One of the best things you can do to fight back against depression is to seek out professional help. Therapy is the best way to get to the root cause of your depression. Once you know where it stems from, you can work from the ground up to beat it. A therapist can also help you learn how to manage your symptoms each day and find some peace and comfort instead of hopelessness and sadness. Reach out to us to learn more about depression therapy.
The Impact of Social Media and the Rise in Eating Disorders
Another problem sometimes associated with social media is the rise in eating disorders. One study from 2020 found that young people who use social media are actually more likely to develop an eating disorder.
Social media has plenty of benefits. It’s a great way to stay connected with people you love and don’t get to see often. It allows you to stay up-to-date with family and friends. For teens, social media is a fantastic way to “follow” friends and be in the know about upcoming events.
But there are also plenty of downsides to social media. Everything from cyberbullying to comparison issues has seen a rise as social media has increased in popularity.
Another problem sometimes associated with social media is the rise in eating disorders. One study from 2020 found that young people who use social media are actually more likely to develop an eating disorder.
But what’s the connection? What does social media have to do with the rise in disordered eating?
The Age of Influencers
Social media is no longer just about connecting with friends and family. Many people make a living on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, working as influencers. Some of those influencers gain their fame by claiming to be experts in health, fitness, and/or nutrition. While some of them are legitimate and offer sound advice, others could be doing more harm than good.
Some influencers lead unrealistic lifestyles. They don’t practice realistic, healthy nutrition, and they encourage their followers to do the same. They might go so far as to do unhealthy things “behind the scenes” to make their bodies look perfect without telling their followers. Unfortunately, the goal of an influencer is to, of course, influence their fans. When they’re deceitful in what they’re doing, their followers might still try to be just like them, potentially harming their bodies with extreme diets or exhausting workouts in the process.
Comparison Issues
We touched briefly on comparison issues above, but it’s a big problem in the social media world. You might see a friend from high school looking thin and healthy and find yourself getting jealous. Or, you might think everyone in your family that you see online is “skinny,” and you want to look just like them.
When you compare yourself to others, it’s easy to become obsessed with beating them or being better somehow. It can take over your thoughts and make you obsessed with something like food or how you look.
It’s important to keep in mind that social media is nothing more than a highlight reel. You don’t know how many pictures someone had to take before finding one they liked to post. Very few people are going to post about the negative or hard things going on in their lives. Take what you see with a grain of salt, and try not to compare yourself to others.
Misinformation
There’s a lot of great, science-backed information on social media. But there’s also a lot of fake information. It’s important to discern fact from fiction, especially when it comes to statements about your health.
For example, don’t be quick to try an extreme diet, weight loss supplement, or exercise routine without looking at the science first. If you’re interested in those things, you’re probably already overthinking how you look. It could be easy for something like an extreme fad diet to take control and lead you down the path of an eating disorder.
If you’re already struggling with disordered eating or you’re having negative thoughts about your body, don’t wait to get the help you deserve. Eating disorders can do extreme damage to your physical and mental well-being. Reach out to us now to stop the problem before it spirals out of control in eating disorder therapy. The sooner you fight back against those thoughts, the easier it will be to have a healthy relationship with food and your body.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of GAD
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common mental health conditions in the world. It’s defined as ongoing anxiety that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common mental health conditions in the world. It’s defined as ongoing anxiety that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities.
GAD can have an extremely negative impact on your life. It can cause you to live with constant fear or worry, with little relief.
Unfortunately, because anxiety is so prevalent in today’s society, many people end up dealing with GAD, assuming the symptoms are “normal” or without getting an official diagnosis.
It’s important to recognize some of the common signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. When you start to connect the dots with what you’re feeling, you can reach out for help, receive a diagnosis, and get the treatment you deserve.
So, what are those signs and symptoms?
Time Is Important
You might be used to worrying about things. Even kids worry, and it’s normal. Maybe you’ve even been called out on your ability to think about the “what ifs” in a situation. But there’s a difference between regular worrying and anxiety.
Normal worries tend to come and go. They might flare up when a certain situation arises and fade away when that situation is done.
Anxiety doesn’t work that way.
One of the clearest signs of generalized anxiety disorder is experiencing symptoms for six months or longer. That includes worry that doesn’t really go away, no matter the situation. That’s often because GAD causes you to think about the “what ifs,” even if they aren’t realistic. Often, the symptoms of GAD are more intense than whatever the situation calls for.
Common Symptoms
With that in mind, it’s important to understand that everyone can experience anxiety differently. Extreme worry is just one of the symptoms. It can trigger various additional problems that can negatively impact your quality of life. Some of the common symptoms of GAD include difficulty sleeping, irritability, and an inability to relax.
Anxiety can also cause physical symptoms. Headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, sweating, and trembling are all common physical signs of GAD. Anxiety doesn’t give your body a chance to rest. It makes you feel like you always have to be on high alert. So, your body responds to that “fight or flight” mentality by doing what it can to defend and protect itself. The only problem is that when there’s no real threat, you will likely stay in that mindset, and your body will quickly tire and sore.
Because you’re putting your body through so much, it’s also common to experience lightheadedness and dizziness with anxiety.
Unfortunately, these symptoms are common with a variety of conditions. You might not immediately think of anxiety when you have headaches or fatigue. But, if you have multiple symptoms along with extreme worry, it’s a clear sign that your mental health is impacting your physical well-being.
Anxiety Doesn’t Happen Overnight
Worry can happen at any time. But GAD isn’t something you develop immediately. Rather, it’s a gradual condition. It can begin in childhood and continue to get worse over time. Anxiety doesn’t exclude anyone, and it doesn’t target anyone. However, research has shown that women are more likely to experience GAD than men.
What Can You Do?
If these symptoms sound familiar, know that you’re not alone. The good news is that GAD is often very manageable and treatable. But it’s not something you should tackle on your own.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional right away. Getting to the root of your anxiety is the first step in treating it. Anxiety therapy can also make it easier to manage your symptoms and regain control of your life.
Just Diagnosed With ADHD - Here Are 5 Next Steps To Take
Many people think of ADHD as a child’s condition. But plenty of cases go undiagnosed in children, and you can carry the symptoms with you into adulthood. As a result, you might have difficulty concentrating, dealing with impulsive behavior, and having difficulty with relationships because it’s hard to stay focused.
Many people think of ADHD as a child’s condition. But plenty of cases go undiagnosed in children, and you can carry the symptoms with you into adulthood. As a result, you might have difficulty concentrating, dealing with impulsive behavior, and having difficulty with relationships because it’s hard to stay focused.
Those signs and symptoms can often lead people to their doctors, where they’re surprised to receive an ADHD diagnosis.
Sound familiar? If you’ve just been diagnosed with ADHD and find yourself wondering what to do next, don’t worry. This diagnosis can actually be a good thing. Now that you know where the symptoms stem from, you can take active steps to manage them and live a more comfortable, fuller life.
So, what steps should you take after an ADHD diagnosis?
1. Understand Your Diagnosis
It’s easier to come to terms with the fact that you have ADHD when you understand what it is and how it might be affecting your life. That’s something you can talk to your doctor about. The good news is that many adults diagnosed with the disorder receive treatment options that don’t require them to take medication.
But, whether you take medicine or not, it’s important to understand that your ADHD diagnosis doesn’t define who you are. It’s okay to grieve what could have been, especially if you recognize that you could’ve been diagnosed as a child and gotten help earlier. But don’t let those feelings control the next steps you take. Educate yourself on the disorder and focus on how you can move forward.
2. Find a Treatment That Works for You
Again, you might not have to take medication to manage your symptoms. Many adults benefit from things like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You can also benefit from some life coaching skills like self-regulation, organization, and planning.
However, if you’re having a hard time managing your symptoms, don’t feel guilty about taking medication. Sometimes, it can be the piece of the puzzle that’s missing. Medication can also help to supplement therapy.
3. Focus On Your Strengths
There’s no question that ADHD can create some challenges. But this diagnosis doesn’t mean you can’t have a full and successful life. If you have goals, you can reach them.
Instead of focusing on those challenges, focus on your strengths and improve them. Maybe you’re creative. Perhaps you’re a master of the written word or can solve complicated equations quickly. Let those strengths guide you. Use tools and resources to help you achieve your goals, like time management apps or organizational techniques.
4. Find Other ADHD Adults
Finding out you have ADHD as an adult can feel isolating at first. But rest assured that you’re not alone.
Don’t hesitate to join support groups — whether online or in person. Connect with other adults who have ADHD. You might even know someone in your inner circle who has been diagnosed with the disorder. Connecting with these people will give you a sense of much-needed support.
You’ll also learn what others do to manage the disorder and find a sense of hope knowing there are people like you who are achieving their dreams.
5. Practice Self-Care
While daily self-care might not be an active treatment for ADHD, it can improve your overall well-being. Things like prioritizing sleep, staying physically active, and eating a healthy diet can all help you feel better physically and mentally.
Some research has even shown that certain foods can “improve” ADHD symptoms by boosting concentration and helping with certain medications. Protein-rich foods, for example, can enhance your attention span and reduce blood sugar spikes.
If you were recently diagnosed with ADHD and aren’t sure where to turn, let these steps guide you along the way. If you’re looking for more help and support, please contact us to schedule an appointment soon for ADHD testing.
Filtering Reality: The Dark Side of Social Media's Beauty Standards
Filters that 'enhance' your appearance could be barriers to you having a positive body image.
An increasing number of influencers and everyday users take to social media to discuss mental health matters, a once-taboo topic. However, despite the potential to facilitate productive discussions and positive change, certain aspects of these platforms—such as filters—may harm people's emotional well-being.
Click here to read more on Eating Disorder Treatment
This One Hack Allowed Me to Enjoy the Toddler Years
Parenting during the toddler years can be quite the rollercoaster ride.
Parenting during the toddler years can be quite the rollercoaster ride. One moment you’re enjoying a snuggle with them on the couch, the next you’re navigating a full-blown temper tantrum because you handed them the wrong color cup. It’s a challenging season of parenthood, to say the least. It’s easy to get caught up in the hard moments, allowing a meltdown to overshadow the good moments.
Click here for more information on Child Therapy.
Narcissistic Relationship: Signs You Are Dealing with a Narcissistic
True love never hurts anyone, but being in a narcissistic relationship can make you feel unloved and exploited.
Written by Aastha Pahadia on Pinkvilla
True love never hurts anyone, but being in a narcissistic relationship can make you feel unloved and exploited. Read on to know about the signs of a narcissistic partner.
Click here to read entire article.
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5 questions to ask before you take that comment personally
Article Written by Gwen Moran on Fast Company
On the receiving end of a sharp comment from a boss or coworker? Stop. Breathe. Ask yourself these questions before you react.
Click here to read entire article.
Click here for more on couples therapy.
Your Postpartum Eating Disorder Doesn't Have to Be A Silent Struggle
Article by Tyler Francischine on Giddy
Article by Tyler Francischine on Giddy
Key Points
The stress of the postpartum period combined with the diet culture messaging on social media can lead to harmful behaviors.
Women can experience birth trauma or unanticipated deliveries, leading to feelings of powerlessness and depression.
Early detection and medical support are crucial for effective treatment and recovery.
Click here to read entire article.
Click here for more on depression therapy.
Back to School Anxiety: Strategies for a Smooth Transition
As the end of summer approaches and the fall weather begins to set in, the excitement of a new school year can be tinged with a sense of anxiety for many young people. Back-to-school anxiety is a common phenomenon that can affect schoolgoers of all ages, from kindergarteners to college students.
As the end of summer approaches and the fall weather begins to set in, the excitement of a new school year can be tinged with a sense of anxiety for many young people. Back-to-school anxiety is a common phenomenon that can affect schoolgoers of all ages, from kindergarteners to college students. The mix of unfamiliar routines, academic challenges, social adjustments, and the uncertainty of what lies ahead can trigger feelings of unease. However, by recognizing the causes of this anxiety and implementing effective coping strategies, both students and their parents can make the transition back to school a smoother and more positive experience.
Let’s dive right into common school-related stressors for children, teens, and young adults. Your child may experience discomfort and fear due to any of the following:
The idea of separating from parents (separation anxiety)
Worries about meeting academic expectations, test anxiety
Concerns about peer/social interactions and conflict
The fear of bullying
Worries of sensory overload (such as navigating loud, crowded school hallways and cafeteria)
It is not at all unusual for young people to experience at least a little anticipatory anxiety leading up to the new school year — and for parents to notice a rise in worries.
How to Identify Your Child’s Back-to-School Anxiety
You may notice your child asking many school-related questions about the grade they are entering and their new classroom or teacher as a way to seek assurance. Sometimes you may even notice your child asking the same questions repeatedly, in an effort to process their anxiety and find some reassurance from a parent. These questions are often socially related, and may sound like “What if my friends are not in my class? When will I see them? What if I don't have anyone to sit with at lunch?”
As the new academic year approaches, some families may notice their school-aged children and teens increasingly worrying about their image: their clothing, their physical appearance, or even if they have the “right” or “best” school supplies.
In some cases, health may be affected: school-aged children and teens may experience trouble falling asleep or changes in sleep patterns in the days leading up to the first day of class or have increased physical complaints like headaches, stomachaches, and fatigue.
Some young people may attempt to cope with their back-to-school anxiety with avoidance behaviors surrounding school-related activities, including academic avoidance and even truancy.
The more parents can understand and empathize with their child, the more parents will be able to help their child find solutions to this period of psychological discomfort.
What Parents Should Know: Psychoeducation for Families with School Children
Becoming familiar and understanding your child’s school-related anxiety involves a deeper dive into the thoughts that are fueling the anxiety itself. Here are the different types of anxious thought patterns your child may be experiencing as the return to school awaits:
Social anxiety is characterized by a fear of social interactions and/or a fear of negative judgment from others. In regards to going back to school, your child may experience social apprehension, fear of speaking up or presenting in class, or dread casual interactions and/or organized social events. Social anxiety is most commonly found in young children and adolescents and tends to start earlier for girls than boys (Lebowitz, 2021). Some other fears of children with social anxiety are: eating in front of others, using public restrooms, and answering a question in class (Lebowitz, 2021).
Academic anxiety comes naturally for many middle schoolers and high schoolers, especially for those who feel pressured to do well, or for those with perfectionist tendencies. Encourage your child to do their best every day, and that their best is good enough. You might even encourage them to understand that their “best” will look different from day to day, and that is also okay. Be supportive and encourage their best efforts, but don’t encourage comparison. “Do your best, don’t worry about the rest” is a helpful affirmation that your child can remember during their busy school day. Avoid using any language that pressures your child to perform to a certain standard. Practice radical acceptance of your child by affirming them for making a good effort. Avoid shaming or punishing your child for receiving a lower grade than expected. For many, self-esteem can be tied to academic performance. Remember to love your child unconditionally by offering praise when they show up and complete assignments, and when they don’t perform well on a test, validate their feelings and approach them with gentle curiosity and supportive language. Be a part of their solution.
Intrusive thoughts can create anxiety for many children. Intrusive thoughts are sudden, unwanted, and uncontrollable thoughts (often anxiety-based) that give rise to anxious thought cycles. A good way of navigating intrusive anxious thoughts is by externalizing them. Help your child understand they are separate from their thoughts by helping them practice mindful awareness of their thoughts. A helpful image for children is to consider their minds as the sky and to help your child visualize thoughts as clouds passing through the sky of their mind. It may be helpful to remind your child that weather, much like our thoughts, is a passing condition that doesn’t last forever. Another way to tackle intrusive thoughts with your child is to give the anxious/intrusive thoughts a name, like the “Inner Bully.” You can help your child self-soothe by giving them examples of how to respond to these anxious thoughts.
Here is how parents can help with back-to-school anxiety
Acknowledge and allow your child to experience anxiety instead of avoiding it. A natural inclination we may have with our anxieties is the avoidance of situations that provoke the anxiety. As a parent, you may also feel naturally compelled to protect your child from stressors or help reassure them that their worries aren’t necessary. Despite a parent’s best intentions, protecting children from what they fear can actually reinforce the anxiety thought cycle. It’s best to acknowledge your children’s emotions and help them brainstorm baby steps to empower them to take actions that can help them self-soothe and resolve their concerns while providing the necessary scaffolding to help them execute their problem-solving actions. Be sure to help your child identify the emotion they may be experiencing. For example, you might say “It sounds like you’re feeling anxious
Be solution-focused. Parents are naturally inclined to protect their children, with a deep desire to eliminate stressors or help them avoid situations that cause anxiety. You may notice yourself doing this when you reassure your child that their worries won't come true. However, this can actually contribute to a negative cycle that reinforces anxiety in the long term. Instead, acknowledge your child's emotions, then help them brainstorm small steps to find solutions to their worries and concerns. This will empower your child to take action to help themselves and teach them healthy coping skills, and emotional self-regulation (a key ingredient to healthy parenting). For example, you might say, "It sounds like you're feeling anxious about your new history class. Why don’t we look at the syllabus together?" Boost your child by praising them for any brave behaviors, rather than letting them give in to their anxiety.
Gradual Exposure: Expose children to the school environment before the first day. This can include visiting the school, meeting teachers, or attending orientation events. Familiarity can reduce the fear of the unknown.
Set realistic expectations: Teach children that it's okay not to be perfect. Setting realistic goals and expectations can alleviate the pressure to excel at everything.
Positive framing. Help children reframe negative thoughts into positive ones. Instead of focusing on what might go wrong, encourage them to think about the exciting aspects of the new school year.
Open communication. Encourage open dialogue between parents and children about their feelings regarding the upcoming school year. By addressing concerns and uncertainties, parents can offer reassurance and support.
Practice school routines. Try out “a school day dress rehearsal” to help your child become familiar with their daily routine during the school year. Have your child set their alarm for a school day wake time that allows them enough time to get ready, eat breakfast, pack lunch, and gather any needed materials for school, all in time to take the “bus.”
Model behavior problem-solving behaviors and emotional self-regulation strategies. Demonstrate the types of behaviors and coping skills you’d like to see in your child as they navigate their school day. Children model what they see in others, especially parental figures. If your child notices you taking deep breaths before doing a difficult task, for example, they may be more inclined to do the same independently. A great tip for parents: use feeling statements to identify your emotions. This will increase your child’s emotional vocabulary, helping them articulate their inner experience and be better able to ask for help—a very valuable and positive coping skill that helps them work their communication skills to boot.
Extracurricular activities. Encourage participation in extracurricular activities or hobbies that your child enjoys. These activities provide a sense of accomplishment and opportunities for social interactions.
Help your child get adequate sleep. The shift from a summer wake-up schedule to the school year wake-up time can be very challenging for many children, particularly preteens. Fatigue from inadequate or not enough sleep can make children much more vulnerable to anxiety. A helpful strategy might be to gradually move your child's wake-up time earlier and earlier in short increments in the weeks leading up to the start of school. Help create calm in your child’s room by removing screens (TV, phone, computer) outside the bedroom at night, playing gentle music, diffusing essential oils like lavender, installing a soft night light, and making sure they feel physically comfortable and supported by their bedding.
Seek professional help: If anxiety becomes overwhelming and persistent, consider consulting a mental health professional. Therapists can provide coping strategies tailored to the individual's needs.
Back-to-school anxiety is a natural response to the changes that a new academic year brings. By understanding its underlying causes and implementing effective strategies, both parents and young people can navigate this transition with greater ease. Remember that addressing anxiety is a gradual process, and with patience, support, and a positive outlook, the return to school can be a period of growth, learning, and new experiences.
Click here for more information on anxiety therapy.
Dry: Why Hydration Matters This Summer
We sat down with Kelsey Riesbeck, RD, Director of Dietary Services at Lift Wellness Company, to learn how dehydration happens, who is most vulnerable, and how we can all do better in keeping hydrated and happy this summer!
Summer Hydration Tips from our
Director of Dietary Services, Kelsey Riesbeck, RD.
We sat down with Kelsey Riesbeck, RD, Director of Dietary Services at Lift Wellness Company, to learn how dehydration happens, who is most vulnerable, and how we can all do better in keeping hydrated and happy this summer! For 1:1 health strategies, tools and tailored guidance, you may schedule an appointment for dietary services with Kelsey and her team here.
Kelsey, experts always advise us to drink more water… can you tell us why?
KR: When the body does not get enough water, it is not able to adequately perform its normal daily functions. Water is an essential nutrient that helps to protect the organs and joints, regulate body temperature, aid in digestion, and transport nutrients to cells among many other responsibilities. Without it, these functions have decreased efficiency. Symptoms of underhydration and dehydration may include lightheadedness/dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth/bad breath, increased feeling of thirst, persistent headaches, nausea, stomach pain, constipation, and decreased urination. Children will often display irritability and weariness. A great indicator of dehydration is urine color. Clear, pale urine is indicative of good hydration, while dark, amber colored urine may be a sign of inadequate fluid intake. Outcomes of consistent, recurrent dehydration can eventually contribute to lower social/emotional/physical performance, diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular/kidney disease, and decreased longevity.
Fascinating. And, if hydration is this critical, why do people struggle with drinking enough water?
KR: Most individuals fail to meet guidelines for adequate fluid intake as a result of a variety of factors. For example, poor daily routine and high stress work environments can play a large role in remembering or making the time to refill water bottles. Lack of high water content foods in the diet such as fruits and vegetables can also contribute to higher fluid needs coming from beverages.
So…exactly how much water should people drink regularly?
KR: General guidelines state that adult males should aim for 13 glasses of fluid per day, and adult females at least 9 glasses per day. This does not account for the portion of fluids coming from food, which make up approximately 20% of daily water intake. These guidelines of course depend on activity, medical conditions, weather temperature, age, etc.
Are there actually groups of folks who need more water than others?
KR: A few examples of groups of people that may need more water compared to others would include pregnant and lactating females, athletes, individuals taking certain daily medications such as diuretics and blood pressure medications, and individuals that live in hot/humid climates.
Great to know! What kinds of things can exacerbate dehydration?
Dehydration can be exacerbated by illness (high fever, vomiting, diarrhea), increased sweating with activity or in hot climates, and high sodium diets among others. Coffee (in moderation) does not actually exacerbate dehydration contrary to popular belief.
What are some conditions that may increase dehydration?
KR: Several groups are critically impacted by dehydration; and I will walk you through some of them below.
1. Individuals with Eating Disorders Eating Disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa can increase risk for dehydration as a result of various negative behaviors around food. These behaviors may include laxative abuse, vomiting, and restriction of fluid-containing foods and caloric beverages. Some individuals also struggle with fears of excess water weight, and thus avoid water in an attempt to control body size.
2. Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus can also contribute to dehydration as it can cause high blood glucose (or sugar) due to the body’s inability to either effectively produce or appropriately use insulin. Insulin is the hormone which helps control blood glucose and convert food to fuel in the body. When insulin is low/absent, excess sugar spills into the urine and fluid follows- leading to increased urination and dehydration.
3. Individuals with Substance Use Disorders are unable to control their use of drugs, alcohol, or medication and may be more prone to dehydration. This can be due to the diuretic effects of some drugs such as alcohol, the lack of cognitive ability to remember to consume fluids, and excessive sweating from drugs such as stimulants. During detox, individuals may also experience dehydration from side effects such as nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive sweating.
4. The elderly may often struggle with adequate fluid intake due to decreased awareness of the physical sensation of thirst, memory impairment, reduced organ function, fear of frequent urination, and difficulty swallowing. Total body water content also gradually reduces with age, meaning older adults may naturally dehydrate quicker than their younger selves.
5. Cancer can increase risk for dehydration as a result of treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation. These drugs frequently lead to side effects of nausea and lack of appetite, making it difficult to consume adequate calories and fluids. Additional dehydrating side effects can include vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive sweating.
Thank you, Kelsey! So we take it that these populations need to be particularly thoughtful about water consumption.
Before we go, do you have any tips to share about HOW people who wish to can increase their water consumption, beginning today?
I love to help clients increase their water intake by making it more fun! Try adding fruit slices or ice made from juice to water or seltzer to add some flavor. Having a water bottle that is easy to drink from and carry can also help with consistency and remembering throughout the day. It helps to continue to build on existing habits, so pairing fruits and vegetables with meals and snacks can also be helpful, as they are mostly water!
Body positivity feeling too lofty a goal? Embrace body neutrality instead.
Here in the heat and the heart of summer, some clients and community members have reported facing internal struggles with body image. We’ve listened to clients share their goals of achieving body positivity, and difficulties achieving this aim. The Lift team would like to introduce a new concept (or remind you of one you may have forgotten,) by suggesting our clients consider embracing body neutrality over body positivity.
Mary Dobson, MA, LMFT, CEDS
Here in the heat and the heart of summer, some clients and community members have reported facing internal struggles with body image. We’ve listened to clients share their goals of achieving body positivity, and difficulties achieving this aim. The Lift team would like to introduce a new concept (or remind you of one you may have forgotten,) by suggesting our clients consider embracing body neutrality over body positivity.
We sat down with Lift's own Andrea Ciarlelli, LMFT & licensed body positive facilitator, and asked her to walk us through the difference between these two concepts. The following is what she had to say.
First of all, let’s go over the root of the term body positivity. The origins of the body positivity movement date back to the Fat Acceptance movement of the 1960s. The idea of ending fat-shaming served as the seed of a larger project of accepting and celebrating all bodies and body types. The Fat Acceptance movement was actually originally founded by fat, queer, black women, who wanted to liberate marginalized people and bodies.
Today, many public-facing fat-acceptance advocates, including Lizzo, argue that the modern body positivity community excludes the voices and groups instrumental in its development, including larger people, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color. Some argue the body positive movement has been co-opted by mostly cis, thin white women.
People of every size can and certainly do at times have body image issues (especially, but not exclusively, those with body dysmorphia or eating disorders), and there are many people without lived experience in fat or marginalized bodies who have contributed to the body positivity movement, so there should be space to recognize their contributions. At the same time, individuals with larger bodies and marginalized identities such as the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities cannot be left out of these conversations. While we commonly first think of body positivity in terms of body acceptance, there are concepts like body neutrality and Body Trust (TM) that are likely more inclusive to all.
So, what is body neutrality and how can it be helpful? It's important to remember that whether an individual suffers from an ED or not, some days, we will not feel good or accepting about our bodies, and that is okay! Many of us have weight that fluctuates daily, monthly, or over life cycle, depending on hormones, age, metabolism, pregnancies, and activity level. We also all have days when self-esteem and self-love are lower, due to reasons related or not related to how we feel about our bodies. For example, if someone has an argument with their significant other or roommate before a meeting, they may have a negative thought track prevalent in mind and view every interaction after the argument as a personal attack, which can lead to assumptions and more pervasive negative thought patterns throughout the day, including body thoughts.
We all know that toxic positivity is when someone is constantly trying to point out the good in a situation, find the silver lining, a lesson, etc. and cannot acknowledge that sometimes things are unfair, life can be hurtful and there is harm being done. It can be difficult for people to feel safe to be their authentic selves around toxic positivity as it is invalidating and harmful as it takes away one's perception of what is happening. Body positivity can have a similarly negative impact, and effectively shame or gaslight people out of having any negative emotions/thoughts about their physical presentations.
Examples like bullying and criticizing others are often given by clients. If a client reports having an "off" day, they may make comments about being unhappy in front of the mirror getting ready for the day, and log those thoughts automatically as a character deficit or being "disloyal" to their body positivity, when in fact, they just had an honest human moment of not feeling "good enough,” and were struggling with self-esteem and self-worth. We also see people living in larger bodies who endorse body positivity and/or body neutrality put down or bully others in larger bodies by making comparison comments and assigning hierarchy based on size or weight. This is extremely harmful as it is divisive to effecting change in fat-phobic, oppressive systems.
Body neutrality has benefits as it can be one tool in helping people find a neutral or accepting point of entry after having a lifelong experience of feeling uncomfortable in their body, not good enough, shameful or disgusted with their body. It can also help people seek community and have language around how to talk about some of these issues, specifically related to how we talk to parents, children, educators, physicians, etc. about bodies.
The Body Positive (TM) is a great program created by Connie Sobczak and Elizabeth Scott in "1996 to create a lively, healing community that offers freedom from suffocating societal messages that keep people in a perpetual struggle with their bodies." But the term Body neutrality could be more accessible to some people as they might not be able to hold both ideas- "my body" and "positivity" together for various reasons, such as trauma, distrust of the body, dissociation from body. Neutrality focuses more on acceptance of having a body and holding gratitude for the things it can do, as opposed to focusing on certain parts of the body and liking the way it looks. Both body positivity and body neutrality have blurred lines as some body positive work also focuses on gratitude for the body as well.
Personally, I recommend reading up on both body positivity and body neutrality and exploring if learning to implement either or both would be helpful in practicing for yourself! If you’d like to explore your relationship with your body/body image, I am a licensed body image facilitator and am happy to offer 1:1 consult to discuss developing a peaceful, non-judgmental, and non-reactive relationship with your body. To schedule with me directly, click here.
Click here for more information on eating disorder treatment.
Mary Dobson, LMFT, CEDS, interview was published in HighsNobiety today on the unfolding Jonah Hill/Sarah Brady alleged ‘emotional abuse’ scandal
interview was published in HighsNobiety today on the unfolding Jonah Hill/Sarah Brady alleged ‘emotional abuse’ scandal.
HighsNoblety today interview.
Full Transcript of the Interview
1. In Jonah’s text messages to Sarah, he asks her to stop doing several things, including surfing with men, posting photos of herself in a bathing suit, and modeling. Are these legitimate things to ask of a partner?
Great question. In the now infamous text exchange, Jonah presents Sarah with several areas of uncomfortability for him in the form of that laundry list of items. For the record, there is nothing wrong with a partner sharing about areas of vulnerability and discomfort, or even asking for reassurance and comfort from their partner around these areas that induce insecurity or fear of abandonment or betrayal. With that said, it is critical to note the undertones in Jonah’s text messages, for he was not merely asking Sarah to stop doing these things—he was giving her an ultimatum between engaging in these activities, or having him as a partner. Asking and telling are not the same. While it’s acceptable to say, “this behavior makes me uncomfortable and I wish it didn’t,” or I wish I could avoid this feeling of discomfort somehow,” it is another thing entirely to say, “this behavior makes me uncomfortable, and because I’m uncomfortable, you will now need to alter your behavior and rearrange it in a way that gives me a feeling of comfort.” Such a suggestion infers that Jonah’s internal emotional life has a higher priority value than Sarah’s happiness, livelihood, identity, and personal freedoms.
If Jonah felt that being in a relationship with Sarah was untenable unless she amended her lifestyle, then the correct statement would be, “I care about you and would like to be in a relationship with you, but I am too insecure at this moment in time to tolerate the feelings of discomfort triggered by your public image, body, surf culture, and social life, so I need to take space, do some more work on myself, and perhaps come back when I am strong enough to tolerate my insecurities and accept you for you are at this moment.” It is never the job of a partner to determine our comfort. That is, as we shrinks like to say, “an inside job.” Expecting others to change so that we aren’t triggered is unrealistic, and an ineffective relational strategy, no matter what kind of relationship it is (parent/child, friendship, siblings.) People don’t owe us behavioral change. We can ask, but it’s never owed.
2. I’ve been seeing a lot of discussion online about how Jonah’s text messages weaponize “therapy speak” — for example, he characterizes the things he doesn’t want Sarah doing as his “boundaries for romantic partnership.” What are your thoughts on this?
As we know by the brilliant film Stutz, Jonah appreciates, and has participated in, therapy. Unfortunately, Jonah’s experience as a longtime therapy patient does not qualify him as a therapist himself, and he is certainly not Sarah’s therapist. What we see in the texts is Jonah utilizing a “one-up position” with Sarah, acting as expert on boundaries by way of his experience in therapy, and simultaneously capitalizing on her lack of experience with “therapy-speak.” This is actually manipulative, whether Jonah intends it to be or not. In Jonah’s desperation to feel comfortable in his relationship, Jonah presents his boundaries in a way that suggests they are endorsed by his therapist, and covertly uses his therapist as an abettor to his statements (while it is highly unlikely that any therapist would have validated Jonah’s demands within the context they were presented.)
Jonah’s weaponizing use of term ‘boundaries’ reflects his ignorance of the therapeutic tool he’s attempting to utilize. Boundaries are intended to insulate something that is precious to us, in order to protect it. Jonah can set boundaries for himself, as we all may, but he is in fact very much crossing a boundary by setting boundaries for his partner’s behavior.
3. I’ve seen people point out that setting boundaries doesn’t mean setting “rules” for other people - do you agree, and do you have any examples of more appropriate asks when it comes to boundary-setting?
We set boundaries for ourselves. A boundary that dictates the behavior of another person is not a boundary, but a ploy for control. For example, we can’t set a boundary that a parent doesn’t drink too much at a holiday dinner. We CAN set a boundary that if a parent drinks too much at a holiday dinner, we can choose not to be around them, by either leaving or asking them to leave. Boundaries are how we pre-determine our level of participation in a tricky situation. Here is an example of an appropriate boundary that Jonah could have set with Sarah: “I have decided that it’s too triggering for me to see people admiring your body on Instagram, so I’ve decided to unfollow your account so I don’t have to look.”
4. How do you think gender and gender roles play into the conflict between Jonah and Sarah?
Jonah wanted Sarah to cover up, and specifically limit socializing with men, because he saw her body as an object of lust and objectification. Jonah did not trust other men around Sarah with her body, but he also did not trust Sarah with her body. Jonah’s request that Sarah limit viewership of her body to him alone indicates possession, and such a viewpoint is rarely seen in a female to male relationship. Jonah saw Sarah’s body as possessing the power to attract admiration and arousal, and he wanted to rid her of this power in order to disempower Sarah.
5. Is there anything else about Jonah’s text messages that raises red flags for you?
This conflict was marked not only by gender and gender roles, but by the power and economic imbalance between a wealthy celebrity and someone who is not. Jonah’s tone with Sarah implies superiority, and is alternately pedantic, patronizing, dismissive, and ridiculing. Jonah holds the power in the relationship with Sarah, and Sarah must accommodate his whims and demands, or another woman will step in who will. Jonah’s knowledge of his celebrity and fame comes through his lines as entitlement and expectations that Sarah will cater to his wishes because his needs and wants are of higher importance than hers.
At one point in the interchange, Jonah and Sarah reference a financial arrangement. Sarah has begun questioning Jonah’s authority, and confronting his behavior. Jonah reminds her that he has financial leverage over her, even including her own psychotherapy bill. He offers to continue to pay for her therapy through the end of the year, which is unsettling, because many therapists may be swayed to side with a celebrity who is footing the bill over his partner, who is not. Sarah’s financial dependence on Jonah is an overlooked element in the power differential between them. Sarah was beholden to Jonah, and more likely to acquiesce to his demands, however unreasonable, because he was helping her.
6. There’s been a fair bit of criticism leveraged at Sarah for posting the messages online. What’s your take on that?
The veracity with which Sarah has unleashed this character assassination is without question concerning. Over the past week, Sarah has doubled down and posted a near constant stream of private text messages between herself and her famous ex. While Sarah may have recently experienced a therapeutic breakthrough in which she feels freed from her self-blame around not being able to make this relationship work, Sarah’s compulsive posting and incessant attacks on Jonah are misguided. I believe that Sarah’s motive to help liberate other women from controlling relationships has been surpassed by her righteous indignation, and desire for revenge. When we are so committed to ‘cancelling’ someone due to their treatment of us, it is generally more constructive to look inward and find forgiveness for the qualities in ourselves that allowed such disrespect. In lieu of persisting with her focus on Jonas, I would recommend addressing this anger and venom in therapy, so it can be productive.
·7. Do you think Jonah’s behavior constitutes emotional abuse? Do you have any advice for someone in a similar predicament?
Most people, at some time or another, will exhibit emotional abuse towards another person. I have treated many couples who were stuck in a pattern of emotional abuse with one another for decades, only to enter couples counseling, learn tools, become better attuned to one another and themselves, and find a new, peaceful and productive communication style. Sometimes, individuals are emotionally abusive in one relationship, and become emotionally abused in another. Poor communication skills and inadequate conflict resolution can be resolved in therapy, with impressive results. It would be unfair to label Jonah as an emotional abuser. Rather, it is fair to say that Sarah’s world and all that came along with it presented a challenge to Jonah which he could not overcome. Rather than acknowledging the mismatch between his insecurities and her lifestyle, Jonah attempted to force Sarah to become someone she is not. Upon discovering that, Sarah exploded with rage, mostly self-directed, for having put the success of a relationship above her personal authenticity. This rage has largely come out at Jonah as the trigger for her self-abandonment. One would hope that she is also looking at her part, and giving herself grace for losing herself in people-pleasing to suit a charismatic personality. Ultimately, no relationship is worth self-abandonment, and a healthy relationship will never request divorcing parts of yourself in order to maintain its survival.
Click here for more information on couples therapy.
When Compare Equals Despair, (And How To Handle It)
To put comparisons in historical perspective: just before the advent of broadcast television, many Americans were only visually exposed to the faces and features of the individuals who lived in their own town or district. When it came to beauty and body comparisons, the options were limited to classmates, colleagues, community members, family, and friends.
By Mary Dobson, licensed psychotherapist, certified eating disorder specialist, Founder/CEO: Lift Wellness Company, (serving Westport CT in-person, and TN, VA, CO, TX, NY, DC, GA, NC, PA. CO, FL, MA virtually); Founder/CEO Lift Teen & Parent Wellness Centers, coming January 2024 to Westport, CT.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’ If true, there is no question why so many young American women are more joyless than ever. NAMI cites 1 in 6 U.S. adolescents, and 1 in 3 young adults, have experienced a major depressive episode, and young women have emerged as the highest-risk group for mental health.
To put comparisons in historical perspective: just before the advent of broadcast television, many Americans were only visually exposed to the faces and features of the individuals who lived in their own town or district. When it came to beauty and body comparisons, the options were limited to classmates, colleagues, community members, family, and friends. A person with aesthetically pleasing proportions might be admired, or even envied, but their attractiveness would have been chalked up to good fortune or good genes. Opportunities for comparison were limited, and time-restricted to the length of physical interaction. Further, while a person may objectively notice that an attractive person is frequently admired, no measurable means of comparison existed. A beautiful person could be admired, and the admirer could still believe that if a comparison were drawn between themselves and the beautiful person, their appeal may be equal or near.
As the American beauty industry evolved along with media, beauty companies discovered the power of utilizing television, newspapers, and magazines to sell a new to the American consumer: the dream of aesthetic improvement. ‘If you don’t like the way you look, you don’t have to accept it. You have choices, and you can change it.’ This simple but powerful suggestion created ripple effects in intrapsychic relationships, the psychology of an individual’s self-relationship, as well as the psychology of spending behavior. The freedom to choose, or buy, cosmetic improvement, was being sold as a fast-track ticket to greater self-esteem, better sex, a wealthier mate, a happier home.
Quite ironically, the exact opposite has proven true. Mental health is on the rise in America. The advent of social media platforms like Instagram in 2012 is so statistically relevant to American mental health that the Surgeon General recently issued an advisory about social media’s adverse impact on youth mental health, citing risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. Problematic, when up to 95% of young people ages 13-17 report using a social media platform and more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.” (US Dept of Health and Human Services.)
Americans are now confronted with hundreds of images of faces and bodies in a day, and the opportunities to compare are bottomless. Further, unlike in the past, there is a measurable means of tracking the court of public opinion. “Likes,” “follows,” “shares,” and checkmarks, or the absence of these things, pronounce a person visually appealing or not, and there is no arguing with the evidence. Individuals know within minutes of posting how their visual aesthetic is playing on a worldwide audience, through comments, traffic, unfollows, and DM’s. When negative feedback is received, a person is then presented with modern day solutions: change yourself! The preferential representation in feeds by ‘influencers’ of a particular skin tone and physical anatomy, avows and reinforces the superiority of Eurocentric beauty standards, and provides some tangible suggestions to improve one’s appearance in order to garner greater popularity, or love via ‘likes:’ smaller nose. Lighter skin. Smaller bone structure. Straighter hair. Bigger eyes. The popularity of certain social media influencers can also invent (or extinguish) define beauty trends: Bigger butt. Bigger lips. Bigger boobs. Bigger eyebrows. Smoother skin. Whiter teeth. Longer lashes. Smaller waist.
Depending on who and what you follow, your echo chamber of an ever-narrowing beauty ideal will only further perpetuate the suggestion that in order to be liked or loved, one must confine themselves to a standard of beauty that may or may not resemble your own. While plastic surgery has grown in tandem with the beauty industry’s ability to be carried around in your pocket, not everyone is able to jump right in to surgical solutions. Filters, body-morphing and face-editing features such as those on Adobe Photoshop Express, can produce a refined and polished version of yourself, which may even meet the standards of your comparison-objects and garner an internal sense of worthiness and equivalency in ‘follows’ and ‘likes.’ But there is a flaw to that system, in that the discrepancy between edited images and your own real-life appearance will create a chasm where self-loathing and body dysmorphia can fester and grow. By creating an idealized version of self, the unedited image that exists in real life becomes intolerable and unacceptable. Rather than working to accept your flaws, you have erased them, but only in the metaverse. The gnawing disparity between a filtered image and your true presentation creates more unhappiness about your real presentation, and an internalized sense of shame. Forgetting that others are also altering their appearance in this forum, the knowledge of falsifying yourself makes any experiences of perceived aesthetic inferiority almost unbearable, leading to grief, despair, and self-hatred.
In my clinical psychotherapy practice in Westport, CT, and Boca Raton, FL, where I treat eating disorders, body dysmorphia, perfectionism, and self-love, I have seen a tremendous rise in body dissatisfaction due to social media. I am particularly disheartened by pre-pubescent and pubescent women, whose bodies are quite literally in a state of transformation in order to produce menses. These growing women point to women who are five to ten years their senior, and in a separate physical developmental stage altogether, and lament the differences in physique, facial structure, or tone. The unfairness of a perfectly imperfect growing person, comparing themselves to a person whose story they do not know-- who could suffer from eating disorder, mental health, or plastic surgery dependence-- and using that visual as a weapon against themselves, is egregious.
We take cues from our environment, and our modern-day environment exists in the 2D and the 3D. Individuals with high levels of anxiety or rejection-sensitivity will create constructs on how accepting the world will be, based on who and what they see portrayed in social media. If a seemingly flawless person posts a photo and it is met with a comment that they need to lose weight, all viewers will experience the vicarious trauma that occurs when we observe bullying, and know that we could be next. Given the presumed similarities between online behavior and social behavior, most people make determinations from online behavior that carry over to real life. If a person decides the internet is not a safe place for their authentic selves, then the real world will not be either. Feeling unacceptable and inadequate leads to detachment, isolation, and loneliness, which are three causal factors in the development of depression.
Because filters are free, acceptable, and available to everyone, most Americans have probably experimented with them. Just because usage may have felt benign at the time does not mean that harm was not caused. The inferred underlying message behind a filter is clearly, ‘you are not enough, just as you are.’ Many who start off with filters innocently eventually progress into body-altering and face-contouring apps, because the filter alone is no longer sufficient to effectively eliminate perceived flaws. The use of filters is progressive, because once you look a little better, that will no longer satisfy, and you will want to see what a lot better looks like.
Some Suggestions to mitigate harms caused by ‘the comparison trap’:
Sign off. Conduct regular ‘social media cleanses.’ I believe that regular use of a social media cleanse is essential for mental health maintenance. Just as you may take time away from alcohol during ‘Dry January,’ a social media cleanse provides an opportunity to re-examine your relationship with the apps that take up so much of our time. In reclaiming that time back, we break the knee-jerk reaction pattern of picking up the phone and going straight to social. It’s critical for each of us to learn what we then do with that time instead. Do we call a friend, reply to a message, take a walk, practice self-care? Behavioral addictions like scrolling provide quick and easy dopamine hits, but on a break, we are reminded that we have control of our time, our thoughts, and our media consumption, and to that end, we can choose what narratives to subscribe to.
Delete, Unfollow, Unsubscribe. You can tell so much about a person by looking at their feed. As people change, so will their feed. Unsubscribing to accounts that promote diet-culture, plastic surgery, hours in the gym, and obsessive emphasis on appearance, WILL enhance your self-image. Then, subscribing to accounts that share positive psychology tips, heartwarming hero stories, inspirational videos, relationship advice, cute puppies, health-at-every-size, or beautiful scenes from earth or space, will immediately enhance your mood. If you like the way you look in a filter, pick ONE (for me, it’s always been Clarendon ,) and apply it in one click to your photo-sets so you don’t have to agonize over your photos, alter them individually, or over—analyze your shots.
Quit using appearance altering applications. There is no safe use of face or body-altering apps, because the very use of them perpetuates a falsity that will inadvertently trigger your followers by reinforcing a narrative of unrealistic/unattainable standards, and that is causing harm. Your outright self-rejection, manifested in alterations to your features or waist size, will covertly or overtly send a message to your followers that you, and similarly they, are not acceptable and cannot show up as you/they are. Despite what you are thinking, your psyche is constantly observing and taking note of this behavior to form conclusions about your safety in the world. Let your subconscious mind witness your self-acceptance, and form the conclusion that you deserve it.
Be intentional about your real-life appearance alterations and the motives behind. People are free to make reasonable changes regarding their physical appearance. When these changes are specific and time-limited (coloring hair, a nose piercing, a breast reduction, adding muscle,) then they are relatively benign. However, when self-improvement becomes chronic and unattended, it often reflects a larger mental health issue at play. In this case, an individual can have a myriad of surgeries, gain or lose weight, alter their lips, eyes and nose, and still continue to have a list of needed improvements. The unawareness that rejection of the physical reveals an inability to accept the internal self is rampant at this time. We as therapists must work with clients to decide when to validate their hopes and dreams, even those appearance related ones, if they feel congruent to the individual and who they believe they are. But when a person is relentlessly critical of their appearance and appears unsatiated, it’s essential to help them discover the underlying issue at play motivating this self-abandoning behavior.
Make a gratitude list of all of your positive physical, intellectual, emotional and relational attributes, every day. Summer can be a difficult time for body image, and being mindful of this trigger is important. Make sure to give yourself attention and appreciation. Foster body neutrality and radical acceptance.
Experience the summer with all of your senses. Enjoy the taste of ice cream on a hot day. Feel the water on your skin at the beach. Take delight in the warm sun on your shoulders. Focus on the sensory experiences of this season rather than the visual aesthetic in a bathing suit. Let yourself take pleasure in the natural beauty, increased daylight, and fresh air, so you are too filled up with joy to waste time obsessing about your body in a bathing suit.
Remember: never compare your insides to anyone else’s outsides. People tell us constantly how they have been their richest and skinniest, while they’re most miserable and lost. Please don’t imagine that you know how someone’s vacation went, or how happy someone feels, based on a picture in a feed. I have had summers at home in my backyard that were far happier than summers touring abroad. You can never know what someone else is experiencing internally, and the person who is on the move in Montauk and Morocco all summer may never feel the satisfaction, contentment and inner peace you have sitting at Compo Beach without a care in the world.
Enjoy your summer. Focus on YOUR lived experience. Give yourself dignity and grace. If you need a lift, call your therapist and get your support. We love you and are rooting for your highest good, always!
Mary and the LIFT Wellness team
Cyberbullying
As lovely weather approaches, many of us look forward to seeing our kids partake in all of the fun activities summertime offers: swimming, sports, and plenty of fresh air…
As lovely weather approaches, many of us look forward to seeing our kids partake in all of the fun activities summertime offers: swimming, sports, and plenty of fresh air… Regrettably, another realism of this less-structured season is that they will soon have more time to spend online!
Social time and the desire for peer acceptance are developmentally appropriate priorities for teens. The foundation for social-emotional wellbeing is built on positive, affirmative communities of belonging, which teens have traditionally found through natural environmental outlets (think: sports, clubs, the arts, family, neighbors, and friends.) But what are the implications when these days, teens are interacting electronically nearly as much as they are IRL (in real life)?!
Westport CT-based outpatient counseling centers, LIFT Wellness Group and LIFT Teen + Parent Wellness Centers, credit measurable upticks in teen mental health to some of the downsides of our digital age, chief among them, cyberbullying. Let’s be honest: we’ve all experienced the dehumanizing aspect of communicating online. In the absence of direct eye contact, social cues, body language, or immediate proximal relational consequence, words are said (or memes shared,) that cannot be retrieved, often with insufficient consideration towards the receiver! It should be no surprise that this phenomenon does not pair well with the underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex of an adolescent brain.
While cyberbullying, which is harm inflicted on others through personal technology, happens to individuals of all ages, adults possess skills to recover that teens may not. Cyberbullying takes root, and is perpetuated, largely in virtual spaces devoid of supervision: text messages, gaming platforms (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter,) chat games (Roblox, PUBG, Overwatch, Call of Duty Black Ops, Fortnite and God of War,) video sharing, streaming, and community platforms (YouTube, Discord and Twitch.) The goal of a cyberbully is to intimidate, shame, or coerce a targeted person or group. While done in a myriad of ways, examples of cyberbullying behaviors include spreading lies/misinformation, posting embarrassing content, sending/forwarding hurtful messages or illicit images/videos, impersonating others, or posting with intention to willfully bait, reject, or exclude others.
There are inherent dilemmas around teens and safe cyber activity. First, teens are working to differentiate and therefore may not disclose what is happening in their online lives. Because advancements in technology have rolled out faster than you can say ‘metaverse,’ we parents, who did not grow up with social media, find ourselves at an impasse regarding setting limits with tech. Some weigh known risks of social media against the risk of their child being left out of conversations, and are unclear how to proceed, while others believe it’s unrealistic to begin drawing limits on tech, after years of established permissibility. While social media may serve as a haven for teens who struggle to find their place in the community, excessive time online is correlated with mental health and poor self-image. We continue to experience the fallout from the relationship our youth developed with technology when it was designated a primary mode of social contact and academic stimulation during the pandemic. Resultingly, when cyberbullying is internalized as perceived public perception, teens are uniquely susceptible to its impact, and can react intensely to the palpable experience of rejection.
While peer-pressure may have had a greater hand than best-practice regulation in setting parameters for safe teen tech utilization thus far, it is NOT too late to explore how your child’s online identity is routinely altering, shaping, and influencing their actual life.
8 Steps PARENTS can take to help teens:
1. Call a tech meeting for the family and discuss research and rationale for implementing healthy tech parameters. Suggested parameters include leaving all devices to rest in a centrally-located point in the home, setting timers to disarm devices after allotted periods of use, having devices automated to shut down at bedtime/charging time, forbidding tech at the family table/before homework, and storing all devices on airplane mode, charging overnight in master bedroom.
2. Begin initiating an open, curious, and transparent dialogue with teens during and after their tech use, asking questions about who they were chatting with, whether their conversations made them feel good, and why/why not.
3. Model openness by including teens in conversations about experiences you’ve had with hurtful interactions online.
4. Educate yourself on cyberbullying, and watch vigilantly for its warning signs: anxiety, fear, or dread about going places, secrecy, avoidance, anxiety about technology, an increased desire for privacy or solitude, social withdrawal, a lack of interest in activities, changes in mood, behavior, sleep, appetite, or “acting out” behaviors such as anger.
5. Ensure your teen knows that you will take any needed action to remediate cyberbullying, including getting help from available resources, such as school or bullying hotlines, the appropriate authorities, and medical and wellness professionals. Ensure your teen is aware that physical threats or crimes (extortion, stalking, blackmail, sexual exploitation) must be reported to the police.
6. Model and foster resilience with your child by reading books or watching age-appropriate movies on bullying together.
7. Do a “social media cleanse” as a family, unfollowing all accounts which trigger sad, angry, jealous, or hurt feelings. Talk about the JOMO (the joy of missing out,) and how putting your well-being first is an act of self-care. If you or your teen are not ready to block someone, remember that restricting an account allows the accountholder to approve, delete or ignore comments.
8. Provide alternatives. Teens not only need to know what not to do, but what TO do instead! Offer a variety of engaging options for family and social time to mitigate the impact of the virtual world, by cultivating nurturing and affirming real-life relationships. We can’t take something away without replacing it.
8 Steps TEENS can take to help themselves:
1. On social media platforms, promptly block any accounts that are bullying. Witnessing bullying promoted vicarious trauma, which makes you feel unsafe even when you aren’t the victim.
2. Formally report any bullying behavior on the platform itself. This is a very important step in stopping bullying and preventing others from being harmed or harming themselves.
3. Collect evidence. Save and/or screenshot any text messages or social media posts you come across that are harmful, inappropriate, cruel, or abusive. Cyberbullies leave a digital footprint.
4. Don’t retaliate. If you see or experience bullying online, block the posts, and seek help from trusted outside sources.
5. Don’t be an accomplice. Don’t share instances of bullying with those who aren’t helping you make it stop. This doesn’t help the situation and can spread harm, intentionally or not.
6. Never share private information like passwords, addresses, or phone numbers with anyone online.
7. Make all social media accounts private. You can control your audience and who sees your posts. Choose to allow only those you care about, trust, and respect to follow your accounts. Turn off comments, limit comments, or filter comments as needed.
8. Refrain from interacting with anyone online who you do not personally know. This includes not clicking on any links from unknown people. Control who is allowed to message you by adjusting your privacy settings. It’s best to allow messaging only from those you know, trust, and respect.
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Child Abuse
(800) 422-4453
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Support
(all topics includi
Text TRUST to 741741
Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI)
Image-Based Sexual Abuse
(844) 878-2274
Boys Town National Hotline
Teen Mental Health Support
(all topics including bullying)
(800) 448-3000
Text: VOICE to 20121
Games and Online Harassment Hotline
Emotional Support for Gamers
Text: SUPPORT to 23368
GLBT National Youth Talkline
(800) 246-7743
NAMI National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline
Mental Health Conditions
(800) 950-6264
Text: Helpline to 62640
helpline@nami.org
National Alliance for Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders
(866) 662-1235
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Child Sexual Exploitation
(800) 843-5678
National Dating Abuse Helpline
Dating Abuse
(866) 331-9474
Text: LOVEIS to 22522
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Domestic Violence
(800) 799-7233
(800) 787-3224
Text: START to 88788
National Eating Disorders Association
Eating Disorders
(800) 931-2237
National Grad Crisis Line
Crisis and Suicide Intervention for Grad Students
(877) 472-3457
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Human Trafficking
(888) 373-7888
Text: HELP to 233733
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Sexual Assault
(800) 656-4673
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Suicide Prevention
(888) 628-9454
Safe Place
Teens in Crisis
(all topics, including bullying)
Text: safe to 44357
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline
Emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters
(800) 985–5990
Text: TalkWithUs to 66746
STOMP Out Bullying Helpchat Crisis Line
Bullying and Cyberbullying
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Suicide and Crisis Emotional Support
988
Teen Line
Teen Support
(all topics, including bullying)
(800) 852-8336
Text: TEEN to 839863
Trevor Project
LGBTQ youth, friends, family
(866) 488-7386
Text: Start to 678678
Vita Activa
LGBTQ Stress, Trauma, Crisis, Chronic Fatigue and/or Gender Violence
52155-8171-1117 (Whatsapp)
@VitaActivaOrg
Resources for Parents
Parental Controls
Nintendo Switch Parental Controls
Microsoft Windows Parental Controls
Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls
Parent's Guide to Instagram
Parent’s Guide for Bullying on Instagram
Parent’s “Pressure to Be Perfect” Guide to Instagram
How to Deal With Conflicts and Abuse on Instagram
Common Sense Media Review: Instagram
Instagram Safety and Privacy Settings
TikTok
TikTok Account and Privacy Settings
Parent's Guide to TikTok Safety for Teens
Common Sense Media Review: TikTok
Parent's Ultimate Guide to TikTok
TikTok Safety and Privacy Controls
Common Sense Media Review: Facebook
Snapchat
Common Sense Media Review: Snapchat
Parent's Ultimate Guide to Snapchat
Common Sense Media Review: Twitter
YouTube
Parent's Guide to YouTube Kids
Parent's Guide to Family-Friendly YouTube Channels
Discord
Parent's Ultimate Guide to Discord
Discord Blocking and Privacy Settings
Reporting Abusive Behavior to Discord
How To Enable Parental Controls on Discord
Twitch
Filing a Report on Twitch (Web)
Filing a Report on Twitch (Mobile)
Common Sense Media Review: Twitch
Twitch Guide for Parents and Educators
Twitch Community Guidelines and Safety
Report Harassment and Cyberbullying on Pinterest
Common Sense Media Review: Pinterest
How to Block Someone on Pinterest
Edit Account Privacy on Pinterest
Tumblr
Is Tumblr Safe for Kids? What Parents Should Know
Common Sense Media Review: Tumblr
Common Sense Media Review: WhatsApp
Blocking and Reporting on WhatsApp
How to Use WhatsApp Responsibly
ChatGPT
Navigating the Risks of ChatGPT
Minecraft
Parent's Ultimate Guide to Minecraft
Roblox
Parent's Ultimate Guide to Roblox
Fortnite
It might be a quarter life crisis…Or just the stirring in my soul (John Mayer/Why Georgia)
A quarter life crisis isn’t a myth. For many young adults in all parts of the world, the quarter life crisis is unquestionably real. Experiencing a quarter life crisis is natural, developmentally appropriate life stage development period in which values, purpose, meaning and goals are measured against societal expectations, family pressures, internalized perfectionism, peer reinforcement, and financial pressures.
A quarter life crisis isn’t a myth. For many young adults in all parts of the world, the quarter life crisis is unquestionably real. Experiencing a quarter life crisis is natural, developmentally appropriate life stage development period in which values, purpose, meaning and goals are measured against societal expectations, family pressures, internalized perfectionism, peer reinforcement, and financial pressures.
While a crisis of confidence can be uncomfortable, confusing, chaotic, and even even scary, experiencing a personal crisis is often a sign that we are growing. In crisis, the mind is busy and engaged, working hard to integrate past and present information. As a result, we experience the sensation of distress. Put more simply, we experience crises when our brain involuntarily goes into overdrive in an attempt to help us understand and accept that we are growing and changing.
It can be difficult to know what to do during a crisis, especially if it is your first time experience of one—which is often the case for those in quarter life crises. You may be feeling lost, confused, and overwhelmed. You may feel alone and misunderstood. Thankfully, you aren’t actually alone—there are millions of young people, all over the world, who are going through a parallel experience, whether they are speaking about it at brunch or not! If you’re in quarter life crisis, there isn’t anything wrong with you. You’re not weird, and you are not losing your mind.
Although it may be hard to believe, being in crisis is not a hopeless situation. There are many ways to help yourself during this stressful period.
Here are a few:
Every day, reserve one full hour for personal time. Use this hour for self care activities, rest, your favorite hobbies, reading, journaling, or watching a movie you love. Make sure you choose activities that relax you and whatever you do, do not try to be productive during this time :)
Talk to someone you know and trust about what's going on. Keeping your crisis a secret will only cause you to feel worse. Talking to someone who loves you and understands you can be very helpful. Sometimes people don’t want to open up to others because they don’t want to risk feeling embarrassed, criticized, or judged. Remember, you won’t feel better if you do this alone. Asking for help means you’ll feel better, sooner. So don’t delay! Asking for help requires courage, yes. But there’s not much to fear if you ask for help from the right people. A good rule of thumb: list some people you have known for a long time. Circle anyone on that list that routinely behaves respectfully towards others, frequently offers their support, and refrains from judgmental language. These are the qualities of safe, trustworthy people—the right people to ask for help. People to contact for help might include an old beloved friend, a person you met a while back in a support group, or a helping professional such as a licensed psychotherapist, a counselor, or a religious authority figure. If you can’t find someone to talk to, try asking a medical professional to guide you to people who can listen, find a peer support group, call 211 and explore their resources, or call a local or national crisis support hotline. Try to find a couple of people who can help you. Create your own personal support network!
Write down your thoughts and feelings that are coming up during this time. Writing out your thoughts can help you process your emotions and help you release any thoughts that seem stuck on repeat. Additionally, writing about your experience can help you brainstorm new thoughts to replace old, unhelpful thoughts. Writing it all out can also help you identify new ideas you can try out to help yourself feel better.
Affirmations:
Listed below are some affirmations which may be helpful to any young adult and older adults experiencing a personal crisis. Reading these affirmations can help individuals ground themselves and cultivate a sense of clarity, hope, and increased stillness of mind. At Lift Wellness Group, one of our therapists recommends writing down one or two affirmations in a journal or on a sticky note placed on your mirror or refrigerator door.
I am strong and capable of change. I welcome change in my life.
Change isn’t comfortable, but it’s ok to be uncomfortable sometimes. I will feel comfortable again.
If I feel scared, it’s okay. I can let myself feel my feelings. My feelings are not facts.
Feeling my feelings will not harm me.
I am capable of doing hard things. I can be proud of my efforts.
I will always try my best. My best will look different from day to day, and that’s okay.
It’s ok to not have all of the answers. I have faith that I will find the answers when the time is right.
I will show myself gentleness, kindness, and compassion. I let go of any unhelpful self criticisms.
I am willing to trust the process.
I can always ask for help. Asking for help is good self care.
Nothing lasts forever. Everything is temporary, including this experience.
I know that right now, I am growing. Growth is good.
It’s ok to have growing pains. This a good opportunity to care for myself.
I can remind myself that my feelings are not forever.
I can’t fight the waves of the ocean, but I can learn to surf.
This too shall pass.
It’s important to practice being patient with yourself as you navigate this tricky time. It’s also a good idea to pay attention to how long the crisis is for you. If it seems like you’ve been in crisis for a long time, it’s probably worth seeking out a mental health professional for some extra support. At Lift Wellness Group, our team of licensed counselors and psychotherapists are ready, prepared, and available to help you. Remember, help is just one phone call away.
Contributed by Errin Gaulin and Mary Dobson
Click here for more on depression therapy.
Showing Yourself Love this Valentine’s Day ❤️
Whether you’re single, married, dating, or in a complicated relationship, making Valentine’s Day an expression of SELF-LOVE will give this holiday a new and promising twist! At LIFT, we choose to focus on self-love this Valentine’s Day. Here are a few ideas on how to implement self-love strategies this V-Day:
For some, Valentine’s Day is a dreaded annual tradition of dashed expectations. Although a traditional outlook on Valentine’s Day puts pressure on your partner to deliver your love language on a silver platter along with a flowers, cards and candy, the holiday can take on a more empowering narrative, should you choose to let it. This year, whether you’re single, married, dating, or in a complicated relationship, making Valentine’s Day an expression of SELF-LOVE will give this holiday a new and promising twist! At LIFT, we choose to focus on self-love this Valentine’s Day.
Here are a few ideas on how to implement self-love strategies this V-Day:
Self-care
Self-care activities are an absolutely essential means of relieving stress. Adding self-care to your daily routine is an integral way to combat burnout, and there’s no better day to begin than this annual celebration of love. Self-care can be something as simple as watching a favorite TV show, setting up an at home spa complete with face masks and a soothing tub, making a gratitude list in a journal, chatting with a friend, taking a nap, playing with a pet, engaging in a creative pursuit, or taking a walk outside. We need self-care throughout the day to manage our stress levels and to promote our physical and mental health. You can make this February 14th extra special by giving yourself a self-care treat that you don’t regularly get to enjoy. Further, we recommend writing down a few trusted self care activities and starting EVERY day by picking one simple practice to honor and appreciate your relationship with the forever love of your life: you!
Self-affirmations
Self-affirmations are encouraging statements that help challenge negative thought processes. Repeatedly saying an affirmation can create a shift in your mindset. The more you use that phrase, the more likely you are to start believing it and acting in ways that make a positive difference. This Valentine’s Day you can focus on self-love by picking a self-affirmation that you would like to work on. Some examples of self-affirmations are: “I am lovable and capable,” “I am learning to love myself,” “The more I love myself, the more I am able to love others,” “I am choosing to be kind to myself,” “I deserve happiness and joy.” Let these mantras float through your mind all day, soothing you and softening your heart as you go about your busy schedule.
Be your own Valentine!
If you do not have a romantic partner this Valentines (or even if you do,) please, be your own! Make yourself a Valentine’s Day card by listing all of the things you love about yourself. Writing down what you love about yourself is a way to bring positivity and gratitude to the very forefront of your day. Treat yourself to something heart-warming, like your favorite chocolates, flowers, or a token that represents your commitment to your growth and intrinsic value. Make an effort to practice self-acceptance and unconditional positive self regard all day, and see how that feels. Does it yield a bit of extra self-compassion? Maybe more empathy for others? We all deserve to feel comfortable in our skin, and to experience our own warmth, kindness, forgiveness, love, respect, and affection. Tokens and objects are a symbolic way of demonstrating this, but time spent enjoying and appreciating your own company is even more meaningful. Being your own Valentine puts into practice the innate and powerful belief that you are worthy, valuable, and deserving of happiness.
We hope you truly enjoy this day of loving yourself, because we love you!
A special New Year’s Greeting from our CEO and founder, Mary Dobson, LMFT, CEDS
2023 will bring some exciting new announcements from LIFT. From its origin story with feisty and determined roots as a one-woman psychotherapy practice known as Woodlands Psychotherapy 🌳 LIFT has sprung into team of 20 brilliant, dedicated, and passionate behavioral health providers.
We’ve been quiet recently as we log quality time with family and friends, but I could not let the year come to a close without wishing you all a peaceful and meaningful holiday season, however you desire to celebrate.
2023 will bring some exciting new announcements from LIFT. From its origin story with feisty and determined roots as a one-woman psychotherapy practice known as Woodlands Psychotherapy 🌳 LIFT has sprung into team of 20 brilliant, dedicated, and passionate behavioral health providers. We are honored to have created the space for nearly 10,000 counseling, psychotherapy and nutrition, and life coaching sessions this year, which took place where we are planted, in our physical downtown Westport office, as well as virtually. We are humbled to have created a beacon of hope, help, healing, and the visible representation of mental and emotional health and well-being in the central location of downtown Westport, a community we have loved and patronized our whole lives. While our diverse and multifaceted family tree continues to branch out in specializations and areas of focus, our roots {commitment to our community and primary purpose}, deepen and mature.
With few days left in the calendar year, we traditionally take an intentional distance from our organism, to pause, appreciate, and reflect. From time to time, it is essential to walk back and review the forest from a distance in order to take in the whole picture, rather than the sliver of perspective proximity provides.
But before we go, I want to share with you that years ago, I had a seed of a concept in my mind for a descendent of LIFT Wellness. This new year, you will learn more of this new and flowering branch coming to life, forming with confidence and purpose from our proud evergreen. Once again, I find myself going out on a limb, knowing well that this bough will be green, small and vulnerable at first, and also knowing that over time, this offshoot will grow into a safe, comforting shelter, providing respite, restoration and replenishment to those who wander in need. I can’t wait to share more in the coming months.
In the meantime, we as a team, in our own ways, will take time this week to take inventory of our own health, and the development of our minds and thought processes. As 2023 approaches, consider the systems you are a part of: your families, your school communities, your neighborhoods, your workspaces. Imagine how impactful self-inquiry and development will be in the influence and trajectory of the health of the whole. We are all products of larger systems, and yet we have such strength, power and influence in our individual contributions. Perhaps this exercise leads you to conclude that you may need to be replanted. Growing ‘as a person’ can mean becoming wiser, overcoming a personal problem, or healing from hurts. In all cases, improving the health of the tree’s parts ensure its continued growth and proliferation.
Sending you wishes for a safe and healthy new year celebration, and I will see you “next year.”
Why Adults Should Get Routine Anxiety Screening
We have all heard of it, but how do we know if we have it? And how do we know if it’s something we should be paying closer attention to?
Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Many people worry about things such as health, money, family problems, and relationships. But sometimes anxiety can interfere with our everyday functioning and activities. It’s important to understand the difference between “regular” anxiety and an anxiety disorder.
What exactly IS anxiety?
We have all heard of it, but how do we know if we have it? And how do we know if it’s something we should be paying closer attention to?
Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Many people worry about things such as health, money, family problems, and relationships. But sometimes anxiety can interfere with our everyday functioning and activities. It’s important to understand the difference between “regular” anxiety and an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are a bit different than run-of-the-mill anxiety in that they involve more than temporary worry or fear. For people with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with our daily functioning and activities such as job performance, schoolwork, socialization and relationships. There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and various phobia-related disorders.
One of the most common anxiety disorders is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) which is characterized by excessive and persistent fear and anxiety about everyday events. This type of anxiety can interfere with daily life. It is not the same as occasionally worrying about things or experiencing anxiety due to stressful life events, which is a common reaction. People living with GAD experience frequent anxiety for months, sometimes even years.
Symptoms of GAD include:
Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge
Being easily fatigued
Having difficulty concentrating
Frequent irritability
Experiencing headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches, or unexplained pains
Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health issue in the United States, affecting about 40 million adults. Yet only about 37% receive treatment for their anxiety. The pandemic has only aggravated this issue, sending cases soaring over the past two years. According to one study cited by the task force, between August 2020 and February 2021 the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or a depressive disorder increased to 41.5 percent from 36.4 percent. In addition, according to the World Health Organization, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25 percent during the first year of the pandemic.
So, what can we do about it?
For the first time, a panel of medical experts from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force is recommending that adults under age 65 get screened for anxiety. These preventative screenings are designed to help primary care physicians identify early signs of anxiety during routine care, by using questionnaires and other screening tools.
Anxiety can go undetected quite frequently. The benefits of screening include early identification and treatment of an anxiety disorder. Based on the screening results, primary care physicians can refer their patients to a mental health care professional for a more thorough evaluation.
Why is this important?
Mental health conditions are just as important as other physical conditions, and we really need to be shining a light on and treating mental health conditions with the same urgency that we do other conditions. The “invisibility” of mental health conditions, like anxiety, can contribute to being frequently undiagnosed, which can then lead to further problems down the road such as depression, substance misuse, insomnia, digestive problems, headaches and overall poor quality of life. The recommendation of these new screenings is one step further in normalizing mental health conditions by making them part of routine visits with primary care physicians. Utilizing these screenings can help detect early identification of anxiety so that people can be informed and be referred to a mental health professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.
References: The National Institute of Mental Health; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health (DSM)
Click here for more information on anxiety therapy.
Do You Need a Career Coach? - Part 2
A career coach is someone who has specialized training in helping and advising job seekers to hone various skills related to their careers. These can include written materials (think resumes, cover letters, and sometimes LinkedIn profiles), enhancing clients’ networking abilities, strengthening interviewing skills, and helping define career goals and aspirations.
The last couple of years have brought immense change and transition to the world of work. Employees have had to navigate hybrid work and home offices, blurred boundaries between work and home, all with the backdrop of a global pandemic, political and social turmoil, and general upheaval to what used to be business as usual. What may be the most drastic change the workforce has seen has been the mass exodus of employees leaving companies voluntarily, colloquially known as the Great Resignation. You may find yourself in a position to consider if you will join this watershed moment in labor market/employer relations as people are reconsidering their relationships with loved ones and corporations and making decisions on what to prioritize in droves. If things at work aren’t feeling as constructive, supportive, or viable as they were pre-pandemic, it may be time for a change. But the actual work of finding new employment can be brutal: reworking a resume to pivot within your industry, the time spent agonizing over cover letters, applying to roles that match your passions and skills with fair compensation can all be exhausting. It can often feel like a second job in addition to the one you’re hoping to leave!
Here is where a career coach can provide some invaluable resources and support. Coaching has become part of the zeitgeist in recent years with coaching platforms and practitioners popping up across the Internet and social media, but who are career coaches and what specifically can they do to help? A career coach is someone who has specialized training in helping and advising job seekers to hone various skills related to their careers. These can include written materials (think resumes, cover letters, and sometimes LinkedIn profiles), enhancing clients’ networking abilities, strengthening interviewing skills, and helping define career goals and aspirations. Finding and utilizing a career coach can help expedite the process of finding your next role, however it is important to understand that career coaches are not headhunters, therapists, or recruiters. They help coach job seekers be more effective in their search so that they get that offer letter sooner.
When is it time to enlist the help of a career coach? Depending on your goals, you may seek the support of a career coach earlier or later in your job search. If you are looking for a total career overhaul and switching into a new field, a career coach may benefit you earlier on in your search to help rework your resume so the disparate roles you had in the past still highlight relevant skills. If you are looking to advance in your current field to a leadership or management position but have not been getting those second interviews after a few months, a career coach can help assess where the hangups may be in companies pursuing you as a second round candidate. If you are trying to find a new job for the first time in a few years, a career coach may help prepare you for the job market before you even leave your current role.
Making the decision to invest in personal or professional development is rarely one that is taken lightly. If you feel that it may be time to invest in a career coach, take a few things into consideration when searching for your ideal coach. Find someone who you can connect with, who you feel comfortable sharing your concerns, expectations, and aspirations with. You will be paying for these services and for the sessions to be most effective, you as the client must be willing to open up, be honest, and put in the effort to make the most of what you learn. Consider how and where you best learn as well, does that mean that meeting in person is a must or are you comfortable with virtual sessions? Take some time before reaching out to write down what it is you are looking for support with and what goals you’d like to achieve through your coaching sessions. Once you have a picture of what you’re looking for, reach out to the coach you feel would be the best fit for you and get started!