If you grew up with a parent who made you feel invalidated or unloved as a child, your pain is very real. In a supportive home, parents provide children with love, security and acceptance. Without having these basic needs met, some children grow up with low self-esteem, serious depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. …
Category: Mental Health
Tips to Manage Test Anxiety
I must admit it has been a very long time since I have taken a test of any kind – yet I can still recall that feeling of anxiousness that bubbled up inside me for days before an exam. Perhaps you can relate. Feeling nervous about test taking is a normal reaction for many. Whether…
Impulsive Behavior and Your Mental Health
I am writing this article on a whim. This is not my norm. Usually, when I choose a subject to write about, I plan ahead and focus on something that is currently being discussed in the news or social media. As someone with ADHD, I am prone to impulses (case in point) and have spent…
Gratitude Is A Choice
I just turned 64 years old a month ago. Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday, I attended my older sisters’ wedding. She now has two grown daughters with children of their own. I never thought I would be looking in the mirror at a 60-something year-old woman staring back at me…
Dealing with Negative Self-Talk
By Candace Schoner I’m sitting on my sofa with my cat Tali by my side and it has just started to rain heavily. I just came back from walking with my neighbor and discussing a myriad of topics from religion to relationships. I admit I’m not an expert on either, but our talk made me…
What I Learned About Grief
By Carrie Kerwick Four years ago, I lost my husband of 18 years to suicide. It was tragic and unexpected and left our family shattered. Losing him came with a pain that I thought would never go away (and it never really does). I wondered if I would ever be able to survive it. As…
Dealing with Conflict Adverse Personality
By Candace Schoner For me, 2023 started off horribly with the death of my mother. She was 92 and living on borrowed time so her passing did not come as a total surprise. As her Medical Power of Attorney, I was the first to learn that she died peacefully in her sleep. What followed was…
Signs and Treatments for PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (or PTSD) affects every area of life, relationships, physical health, success, career, and overall happiness. If you’ve ever lashed out at loved ones, lost jobs, or pushed people away…It’s NOT your fault. According to mental health professionals, PTSD is an emotional and physical reaction to a shocking or frightening event such as…
Trouble Sleeping? Sleep Disorders and Your Mental Health
For years I suffered from insomnia and still to this day have trouble falling and staying asleep. According to the American Sleep Association, nearly 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder and about 10% of people have long-lasting insomnia. Most cases of insomnia are related to lifestyle or environmental factors such as poor sleep habits,…
Diagnosing Addiction
By Candace Schoner A recent comment from a colleague about my “addiction” to coffee prompted me to wonder why some people become addicted to certain things while others appear to be asymptomatic. According to Psychology Today, a person with an addiction uses a substance or engages in a behavior for which the rewarding effects provide…