What do you use to get through your day? We all have ways of coping with life. Some individuals eat, and eat, and eat in order to satisfy an emptiness of joy or fulfillment. Others spend money they don’t really have in an effort to obtain inner happiness. Still, others seek contentment through substances of various types. September is National Recovery…
Every child goes through various stages in life when they explore, grow, and develop into who they are supposed to be. During this time, children are learning about themselves—their likes and dislikes—as well as their hopes and fears. But what if you begin seeing your child’s personality change to where her fears outweigh her hopes?…
Have you ever reached a breaking point when you just couldn’t take it anymore? How did you handle it? This week, we saw a young, strong athlete step away from expectations that felt like “the weight of the world on her shoulders” to establish a boundary for emotional self-care. It took a lot of guts…
The strange and scary sensations overwhelmed me. It felt as though I had no ability to control my composure. One time, the perceptions were so strong that I headed to my doctor’s office for fear that I was having a heart attack! These symptoms, as I later learned, were the result of having panic attacks.…
Did you make a New Year’s resolution to eat healthier this year? If so, good for you! Eating a healthy diet is one of the most important decisions we can make for our physical and mental health. Wholesome nutrition, in combination with exercise, is vital to leading a thriving lifestyle. Let’s face it though, unhealthy eating often seems…
Last year brought many changes as a result of the pandemic that altered life as we knew it. Now, many children are experiencing anxiety and parents are wondering what to do. Anxiety in children can look very different depending on the child and his age. Younger children often seem irritable and have meltdowns or tantrums. They…
Have you wondered when, and how, to discuss the topic of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco with your kids? Perhaps you’ve seen the devastation of substance abuse in families close to you and hope to keep this problem from entering your own doorstep. Benjamin Franklin is known to have said, “An ounce of prevention is worth…
People with substance dependences often tell concerned loved ones that they can handle it. In other words, “it” doesn’t control them. I think this mindset is true of most people with obsessions of any type. Perhaps you can say “No” to substances like drugs or alcohol but, what about food? Does it have a bite…
Lorraine Looney, LMSW, shares practical insights for how to encourage a friend or family member struggling with addiction.
Lately, it feels like we’re taking steps forward in returning to normalcy from what it has been the past year. But then something else in the news knocks us several steps behind. The back-and-forth of these events or situations can be tiresome and angering at the same time. But I’ve found some helpful methods for…