Check out these recent Hot Topic articles! Visit this page regularly to find links to new articles that will keep you informed and engaged.
'Time Heals All Wounds:' Is There Any Truth to This?
If you ever thought that all you needed was a few months to get over something traumatic, trust that you are not alone. Most of us have been there and believed the same thing before. After all, the popular cliché “time heals all wounds” is used by many people for good reason.
What's More Important: Impact or Intention?
There is a curious cultural debate happening now. Let me summarize it like this: when it comes to interpersonal interactions, impact trumps intention. Meaning that, regardless of what Person A’s intention was behind what they said or did, the only thing that matters is how their actions impacted Person B. The reasoning for this, as proponents say, is to prioritize the harmed party's pain and the damage caused. This assumes there is a Victim and a Perpetrator, whereby the Perpetrator is harming the Victim. Advocates say only when you prioritize the painful impact can repair happen.
How to Encourage Teens to Open Up About Mental Health
Today, I’ve asked Ken Duckworth to share his Tip of the Week.
“You’re depressed and need help.”
“Not going to happen.”
So begins and ends countless discussions when we ask teens to open up about mental health. I have seen so many loving parents fall into this pattern—urging action but getting resistance in return. Sometimes this direct strategy works, but often it does not.
How to Eliminate Work-Related Anxiety From Your Weekends
It’s Sunday.
The perfect day for anxiety to spike in anticipation of the work week. It is hard not to think about work when it is looming only a few hours away.
Let’s be honest–work is stressful. You might be walking on eggshells dealing with a critical boss who micromanages your every move. Perhaps you are stuck with difficult coworkers who you wish you never had to work with. Maybe you feel burned out from the constant barrage of emails and phone calls.
The 4 Core Rules of Successful Conversations
Ever wonder how it is that we all seem to know how to make conversation work? Even when we aren’t brilliant conversationalists in terms of what we talk about, we still seem to follow some underlying rules for how conversations should be managed. For instance, that we should take turns, that we need to try to be clear, that we talk in snippets and not soliloquies. But what is this strange guiding force that drives our conversations forward?
What if You Don’t Know You’re Anxious?
Earlier this month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended anxiety screening for adults under the age of 65. The draft recommendations are designed to help primary care clinicians identify early signs of anxiety during routine care, using questionnaires and other screening tools. Although they did not specify a particular tool, the one commonly used is the GAD-7 scale.
What to Say Instead of "Be Careful!"
The words "Be Careful!" just fall out of our mouths so easily. But this phrase gives children no useful information. It only tells them, "I'm anxious, so you should be, too!"
As parents, on the one hand, we want to keep our kids safe. On the other hand, we also want our kids to grow and become stronger. That means, as much as we might want to keep them bundled in bubble wrap, we need to encourage them to take reasonable risks. No one grows by staying comfortable.
8 Key Questions to Help Ease Your Anxiety or Depression
The latest statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health report that approximately 18 percent of American adults ages 18-54 have an anxiety disorder in a given year. Approximately 10 percent of individuals ages 18 and over will suffer from a depressive illness. The prevalence is real and staggering across the country.