Stress

Disastrous news gets delivered in a highly emotional way – often on purpose – and while having strong feelings for the victims of war, floods, earthquakes, mass shootings or horrific accidents is justified, we also have to be logical and in tune with our own emotional processes when interpreting the news.

As the holiday season approaches, many individuals find themselves grappling with challenging memories or experiences that may evoke intense emotions.

Limit the depth of exposure to details. People can consume news in limited ways. In other words, learn what’s happening, then stop there. Avoid the urge for disaster voyeurism. If you have heard the story, you might not need to search for the images or the videos; if you have seen them, there is no need to revisit them over and over.

In the U.S., anxiety disorders affect about one-third of the population. So it’s no surprise that a good number of artists and writers also suffer from anxiety and depression.

In the face of a perceived threat, your body often activates a fight-or-flight response. Heart in your throat. Butterflies in your stomach.

Suicide isn’t an easy topic. Yet, we can’t afford to shy away from it. The reach of suicide is staggering, and its impact is tragic and often avoidable.

The headlines and the CDC report are indeed alarming, but they should serve as a wakeup call to all of us. Yes, we should think seriously about why we are seeing a steep decline in the mental health of teenage girls, but we have to come together now as parents, family, friends, educators, clinicians, providers, and as a society to support, enhance and establish more preventive measures for our youth.

One of the most taboo topics in our culture is talking about how much money we have and how we spend our money.  If you are like most people, it is easier to tell your friends or therapist about your sexual experiences than to talk about your attitudes about money and spending habits.

When working with my clients and myself, I’ve found the following three essential strategies to be most effective in easing mid-term election anxiety and stress. 

To help with back to school, this blog features 8 strategies to cope with fears of school shootings.