We are designed to feel anxiety. Anxiety is protective because it helps us survive by warning us of dangers.
Everyone experiences anxiety, although some of us get so anxious that we wonder if we can handle it. And sometimes our anxiety may be unreliable, giving us false alerts.
Luckily, there are a number of relatively simple, effective, and inexpensive ways to deal with anxiety. ...continue reading
Anyone who has struggled with an addiction will tell you that addictions are very difficult to beat. Even those who desperately want to quit may go to rehab multiple times before succeeding.
For over three decades, neurofeedback successfully helped reduce cravings and resolve any underlying issues that may be driving addictive behavior. In a 1989 study of veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder, 80% of clients were able to remain sober for at least 18 months. Most of the clients also were able to eliminate their PTSD symptoms. ...continue reading
Mental health providers and other professionals often talk about a child or adult's "dysregulation" and "self-regulation," but these terms are often left undefined. A 2017 summary and the 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services help define self-regulation and show the complex social, biological, and environmental factors involved in development of self-regulation.
The summary defines self-regulation as "the act of managing one’s thoughts and feelings to engage in goal-directed actions such as organizing behavior, controlling impulses, and solving problems constructively."
Being able to self-regulate helps us succeed in many aspects of life, including creating satisfying relationships, tolerating difficulty, prospering in school and work, managing finances, and maintaining physical and mental health. Self-regulation is a critical life skill. ...continue reading
Therapeutic farms use work in a natural environment to improve mental health.
Did you know that the State of Maryland was actually an innovator in this approach over a century ago?
In the 1970s I spent a summer working with older men at the Springfield State Hospital in Sykesville, MD. Long before Springfield was a mental institution, it was an estate and working farm, originally developed as the dowry for the daughter of a wealthy Baltimorean, William Patterson. His daughter was intended to marry Napoleon Bonaparte's brother, Jerome Bonaparte, although the marriage was later blocked by Napoleon.
In 1896, the State of Maryland transformed Springfield into a mental institution. Springfield was intended as an advance, using a more humane medical model for care instead of the prior practice of housing the "insane" in almshouses and poor farms ...continue reading
Work and intensive contact with nature can help people recover from psychotic disorders, sometimes completely.
Maryland was an innovator in this approach over a century ago. The state abandoned this model, perhaps due to the public's fluctuating concern for the mentally ill and unwillingness to fund treatment programs. Eventually Maryland's mental institutions were better known for abuse and overcrowding.
Therapeutic farms are making a comeback. In the US, the Hopewell Community is having positive outcomes with its therapeutic farm community by using work and contact with nature as a means to improving social skills, emotional self-regulation, and consistent medication use. ...continue reading
An article in Time Magazine by Susanna Schrobsdorff, Anxiety, Depression, and the American Adolescent, explores the causes of the recent significant increase in teen mental health issues.
http://time.com/magazine/us/4547305/november-7th-2016-vol-188-no-19-u-s/
Schrobsdorff identifies a number of potential causes for the increased rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems ...continue reading