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As the Executive Director of ADAA, I am always thrilled when we realize our work is making a difference and that we are reaching farther and wider. So, when the Hadassah Foundation, a mental health organization in Cameroon, contacted ADAA with a request to access our free member-created, publicly available, evidence-based resources, we not only acquiesced, we collaborated.  

With school in full swing for students across the country, parents and caregivers could begin to see signs of school refusal. Rogers Behavioral Health’s Dr. Heather Jones explains how to identify it and provides strategies for helping your child overcome it.

In many illnesses, having one symptom makes you much more likely to have others. Such as, individuals with diabetes are more likely to also have hypertension. The same is also true for mental health disorders.

What comes to mind when you think of events that may be the cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Childbirth PTSD is different than other forms of PTSD as, unlike other trauma-related events, childbirth is an index event that is socially generally considered to be positive. But for many women, this event can also be a source of deep psychological trauma.

An upsetting myth about Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has been circulating online, saying that CBT “blames” individuals for their problems. Nothing could be further from the truth, and this profound misunderstanding could prevent people from seeking treatment that thousands of studies have demonstrated is effective in helping people get well and stay well.

How can we process inconceivable events and go about living our day to day lives? As a trauma and anxiety therapist, I am here to tell you that while it is extremely difficult, it is possible. Here are some suggestions for how to cope during these difficult times.

Fear is one of the six basic human emotions, with a clear evolutionary purpose: to help us respond to danger and survive. In Exposure Therapy, providers create a safe environment to intentionally “expose” their clients to objects, activities, or situations they fear.

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.

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.

Many years of research (much of which has been conducted by the authors of this post) have shown that people who try to avoid memories and reminders of difficult experiences have more symptoms of PTSD and depression, and other problems over time.