The trauma and grief of miscarriage don’t end when a regular menstrual cycle begins weeks later. Women who lose a pregnancy can experience perinatal grief and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People with a history of depression and/or anxiety should take special care to find support after a trauma….
Because children grieve differently from adults, they can benefit from bereavement support tailored to their specific needs. Grief camps for kids help children process grief and loss through group and one-on-one counseling, yes, but also through play and art. You can observe the power of children’s grief camps in the…
Any kind of abuse—whether it be physical, emotional, mental, sexual, etc.—can lead to PTSD, as abuse is a highly emotionally distressing experience. The overactivation of stress hormones causes the victim of abuse to experience a fight, flight or freeze response, which makes it near impossible for the individual to focus…
When the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was released, it no longer included a “bereavement exclusion” for the diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Clinicians acknowledged that though there is such a thing as “normal grief”, or “uncomplicated bereavement”, that doesn’t mean grief…
When you lose someone close to you, that grief never fully goes away—but you do learn to cope with it over time. Several effective coping techniques include talking with loved ones about your pain, remembering all of the good in your life, engaging in your favorite activities, and consulting with…
Spirituality often varies in definition and in practice—however, it’s ultimately about connecting to something greater than ourselves to live a happier life. Doing so can help us cope during difficult times, which means spirituality can prove important to addiction recovery. Those in addiction recovery (and others) can practice spirituality and…
We all cope differently with our struggles, but an effective, lesser-known method is humor. Humor can help us be more resilient when life doesn’t go our way; it enables us to make light of our situation and in the process even moderate the severity of a mental health condition. For…
Abuse often has short-term and long-term effects on those who fall victim to it, as it is a seriously distressing experience. Life can alter in a few ways, after the abuse; for example, one might have trouble trusting future partners or avoid romantic relationships altogether. Additionally, one can experience a…
Gaslighting is a dangerous form of manipulation which causes the victim to question their own sanity, judgment, even memories. The abusers place blame onto their victims and rely on their victims’ insecurities. If you feel threatened by an individual, you often feel confused around the individual, or you feel weak…
The loss of a loved one to suicide can hurt on a deeper level, often because of all the questions left unanswered. This type of loss can leave one feeling overwhelmed with guilt, wondering what they could have done differently and questioning everything they know to be true. While this…
When you use substances to deal with your problems, they never get resolved and those negative feelings will still be there. More effective coping strategies include creative endeavors, talking with a trusted love one, and doing things you truly enjoy. Another negative effect of using drugs and alcohol is brain…
Many don’t fully understand what it’s like to experience addiction, from developing the illness, to going through withdrawal, to working towards recovery. But it’s important we try our best to achieve a greater understanding, so we can best help those who suffer with the disease. A common misconception is that…