anxiety

  • Parenting, Uncategorized

    How to: Teaching Kids to Cope with Tragedy

    Unfortunately,  we’ve seen a rise in acts of terrorism over the past several years. Schools across the country now have lock down drills in addition to regularly scheduled fire drills so that students and school personnel should be prepared in case of emergency. According to cbsnews.com, the number of mass shootings, where four are more people were shot, ” so far in 2019 has outpaced the number of days this year, according to a gun violence research group. This puts 2019 on pace to be the first year since 2016 with an average of more than one mass shooting a day. As of Aug. 5, which was the 217th day of the year, there have been 255 mass shootings in the U.S., according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive (GVA), which tracks every mass shooting in the country.”

    These statistics are both alarming and nerve wracking to all of us, to say the least. Children, by nature,  are the most vulnerable physically, emotionally and mentally.  I’ll reassure you by sharing this before I cover how you can help children deal with disaster.  When asked for years to follow, what a child in my care remembered about the events on the day of a national disaster, his response was “green apples.”  So, how do we help our children cope with tragedy? (more…)

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  • Children, Family, Parenting

    Mental Health Mindfulness

    Mental Health Awareness

    As May comes to an end, so does Mental Health Awareness Month.

    It makes me sad to think that people might stop talking about this just because Mental Health Awareness Month is over, which is why I chose today to write this post. I would like to keep this conversation going even after today, after this month, after this year.

    In Case You Didn’t Know –

    According to Nami.org, 90% of those who die from suicide suffer from mental illness – suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States – it is the number one leading cause of disability worldwide.

    And…

    56% of American adults who suffer from mental health disorders do not seek help.

    Why?

    One word – Stigma.

    Stigma is a negative stereotype associated with mental illness.

    People are afraid to admit that they suffer from bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, etc. because they fear for the judgement that follows.

    Mindfulness

    However, with mindfulness we can beat the stigma.

    According to dictionary.com, mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

    Basically being aware of your own thoughts as well as the feelings of other people.

    If you suffer from mental illness, I implore you to be mindful enough to look to friends, family or physicians for help.

    • Don’t be afraid to seek advice. Your true friends, family and especially qualified Doctors will never judge you.

    If you know someone who is suffering, I implore you to be mindful enough to ask them how they are doing.

    • Pay attention to their symptoms. Sometimes you don’t need words because being there and showing that you care is enough. Sometimes it may be more extreme, and you might need to take action to get them help.

    If you know someone who is struggling to help another who is suffering, I implore you to be mindful enough to lend a hand.

    • Listen to what they are going through and know that more than just the mentally ill person is affected by mental illness.

     

    Lastly, let this be life-long. Not just one year, one month or one day.

    We have to be more mindful of ourselves and others. We must be.

     

    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

    1-800-273-8255

     

    I ask you: how can you be more mindful with Mental Health Awareness?

    Let’s keep the conversation going!

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