The National Suicide Prevention Website lists a number of warning signs that can be helpful in recognizing if one is at risk for suicide. Knowing the warning signs, especially if behaviors are new or have increased as well as signs that seem related to a painful event, loss, or change are tell-tale signs.
You officially completed treatment…congratulations! Now what? Like other areas of life where one completes a task, there are steps necessary to maintain positive results.
“Laughter is the best medicine”, especially now. Scrolling through social media, humor was interspersed leading up the election results. You may think of entertainment when it comes to laughter–your favorite sitcom, comedian, or personality that evokes and good belly laugh. However, laughter has many purposes besides entertainment. It is a great means of coping during difficult times by offering relief from stress.
Who can relate to at least one of the following?
Stressing out over holiday plans to make everyone “happy”
Making a decision that you don’t agree with in order to “keep the peace”
Running all over the place, driving or traveling long distances when you would rather stay put
Saying “yes” to plans when you’d rather say “no”
Pushing yourself beyond your limits because it is something you “should” be doing
Feeling obligated to do the same yearly activity/ outing that you’ve always done because “others are counting on it”
I find it ironic that National Stress Awareness Day falls on the first Wednesday in November, or the day after Election Day. While the United States is known as a stressed out nation, it was ranked number seven according to the 2018 Gallup survey which found that “more Americans were stressed, angry and worried last year than they have been at most points during the past decade.”
The sad fact is that individuals in the LGBTQ+ community often feel as if they are wearing a “mask” every day of the year. Imagine what it would be like to feel that your true identity was hidden–feeling pressure to conform, especially when it often does not feel safe to express your gender identity or sexual orientation.
With the US Presidential Election of 2020 fast approaching, stress, anxiety, and tension is at an all-time high as we anticipate the outcome of our next president.
The first step in stopping panic attacks is to understand what exactly defines a panic attack.
As a therapist who works with individuals who experience panic attacks, here are my top 10 things friends, family and concerned others should do (and not do) when someone is having a panic attack. – Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC
The Holidays can be a stressful time. Here is a list of 7 things to remember to help with Self-CARE.
