Teletherapy: A safe, easy, and effective solution for mental health services during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly increased stress in all of our lives, and is particularly problematic for those already suffering from anxiety, and depressive illness. At the same time, shelter-in-place orders, designed to stop the spread of COVID-19 have [...]
Many years ago, my husband and I were busy working and raising my two beautiful children. Life seemed to be moving along nicely when, out of nowhere, my 10 year-old son started showing signs of anxiety. It was subtle at first but got worse very quickly. I always knew he was a bright boy [...]
Normalcy fell by the wayside over the last twelve months, due to Covid-19. With the health of our families and members of our communities at risk, we found our businesses, schools, houses of worship, stores, and entertainment outlets closed. Many of us were forced to shrink our social circles to small ‘bubbles’ of family [...]
Written by Emily Anastasio, PhD, LP The short answer is: no. You do not technically need psychological testing for a diagnosis of ADHD. Some doctors will give the diagnosis based on a single checklist. There are even internet-based “assessments” you can complete now that can lead to a diagnosis by a mental health professional who [...]
What a year it’s been. An onslaught of disruption that has impacted our physical health, careers, finances, education, social activities, and friendships. For many, the pandemic has left lingering hardships. For some it has meant the loss of loved ones. Now, as the pandemic loosens its grip, and life gets back to normal, it’s [...]
All relationships are complex - a melding of unique personality traits that are brought together as a single union. Relationships often develop into some mix between supportive and restrictive, all-consuming and mundane, happy and heartbreaking, loving and hurtful. The worst of these relationships are where personality traits intertwine to form an abusive relationship, resulting [...]
Oh bother, another blah gray winter morning. I can’t think of a good reason to get out of bed. I might just skip breakfast and sleep another fifteen minutes. Does it really make any difference? Too many people on the road right now anyway, I don’t think showing up 15 minutes late will matter. [...]
It’s a real heartbreak when a loved one suffers from depression or anxiety. In searching for ways to help, you may feel unsure if your efforts will be taken as an act of love or a painful intrusion. Broaching the subject can be met with anger, embarrassment, denial, shame, and frustration from the person [...]
January 1st – A traditional time to reflect on the year gone by, take stock of the positives and negatives in one’s life, and chart a new course towards eliminating bad habits and creating good ones. Historically, New Year’s resolutions are targeted towards improving physical health (better diet, eating less, exercise, quitting tobacco, drinking [...]
The pandemic has been around for over nine months, with no signs of letting up. We have our good days and bad days. Now our holiday plans need to accommodate a new unwelcomed guest: COVID-19. We miss our family and friends. We miss hugs. With the virus spreading and death rates climbing, it’s hard [...]
As I see the first snowflakes fall early this season, it reminds me that the holidays are approaching faster than I'd like. Every holiday season has it's share of heightened anxiety and other emotions, but this year is exceptionally rough with COVID-19 and rising cases of infection. Thoughts flood into my mind and anxious [...]
A new CDC report reveals the startling impact COVID-19 is having on the mental health of unpaid adult caregivers. The home phone rings, AGAIN, for the fifth time! I’ve equally ignored the last five calls on my cell phone as ’m trying to get dinner on the table...Four more rings on the home phone [...]
Education During A Pandemic As the world scrambles with the health and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and educators are struggle to create safe and effective programs for upcoming school year. Solutions will range from all in-class schooling, to hybrid schooling (a mix of in class and virtual), to 100% virtual learning. Along [...]
A Board Game for Making the Conversation Easier While parents and guardians across the country have had to talk about COVID-19 with their children already, many children still have questions, concerns, and apprehensions. How do we talk with them about this, especially when news is changing every day and we don’t know when or [...]
Hoarding has been considered an offshoot of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), but recently this categorization is being reevaluated. Without exception, hoarding is always accompanied by varying levels of anxiety and sometime develops alongside other mental illnesses such as dementia and schizophrenia. Recent neuroimaging reveal interesting commonalities among hoarders including severe emotional attachment to inanimate objects [...]