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How Art Therapy Will Help With Trauma

What does painting have to do with mental health? Lots, actually. Art therapy is a popular intervention for those with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, low self-esteem, trauma, and more. PTSD and other childhood attachment issues like neglect are particularly amenable to art therapy. Many studies analyzing children with PTSD find that the participants in the treatment group often see a reduction in their acute symptoms (Chapman 2011). Why Art Helps With

September 24, 2019

Suicide Prevention Month: When It Comes to Suicide, We Can All Save a Life

September is National Suicide Prevention Month in the U.S. In honor of this month, we’ll share resources and highlight ways that everyone can make a difference in the life of a suicidal teen or adult. If you have a family member or friend who is struggling with depression or another mental health issue, they might be suicidal. But there’s often no way to really know for sure unless they tell

September 3, 2019

This School’s Mental Health Awareness Program Tackles Real-Life Teen Stressors

Sometimes, the signs are clearly visible—people can read you like a book. Other times, no one can even guess what you’re struggling with inside. This dichotomy was the inspiration behind Colorado’s new statewide mental health campaign, “Below the Surface.” This attention-grabbing awareness campaign stemmed from a wave of student suicides in high schools around Colorado Springs, which kept happening one right after another. In just one high school, in the

August 19, 2019

Getting Help

4 Mental Health Clubs in High School & How to Create Your Own

Mental health issues in adolescents are increasing rapidly. According to the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, more than 30% of high school students around the U.S. reported “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in recent years. More than 17% have seriously considered suicide. And more than 13% have even made a plan. These numbers have been rising since 2007. Some students are using their time and energy to try and

March 14, 2024

Can I Ever Be Happy? Five Things You Can Do That Will Make Yourself Happier

Our founding fathers worked tirelessly to ensure all U.S. citizens would be given the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” According to our founding documents, happiness is a core value of American society. However, America has never been so unhappy. Just look at the rate of depression in teens today: at any given time, as many as 15% of adolescents are suffering from at least some symptoms

July 8, 2019

Does Anxiety Ever Go Away?

If you have an anxiety disorder, you might wonder if and when it will go away. When will you finally be cured? When will those voices in your head, those all-consuming thoughts and worries, finally give you peace once and for all? First, the bad news. Anxiety doesn’t really vanish forever. It’s just like any other feeling you have—sadness, happiness, frustration, anger, love, and so on. Just like you can’t

June 26, 2019

How Can I Stop a Panic Attack? Coping Skills For Panic Attacks in Teens

If you’ve ever had a panic attack, you’re probably familiar with the symptoms: Your heart is pounding, hard. Your body starts shaking; your thighs might be trembling, and you can’t stop. The blood is rushing to your head, and you’re getting hot flashes or chills. Your mind feels like it’s swimming. Your breath comes out in shallow gasps, and your chest is tight and heavy. Everything is scary. You feel

June 20, 2019

Is it Normal to Be Mad All the Time?

It’s normal to get angry at times. If someone maliciously insults you or your family, it makes sense that you’ll be angry. A classmate spreading a false rumor about you at school? That would make lots of people upset (and your school should probably discipline the bully.) You may get angry if your parents decide you can’t get something you really want—your driver’s license, an additional piercing, a tattoo, attendance

June 19, 2019

Why Do I Have to Take Medication for My Depression?

If you’ve been diagnosed with clinical depression, you might have been prescribed medication in addition to therapy. There are a number of different medications that treat depression. The most common class of drugs is called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), which include Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro, to name a few popular ones. Oftentimes, many SSRIs come with side-effects. You may get nauseous, dizzy, and restless when you take your

June 5, 2019

12-Step Programs: Do They Actually Work?

Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Codependents Anonymous…If you’re a teen who has struggled or is struggling with alcohol addiction, drug abuse, or other mental health issues, you’ve probably heard of the 12-step approach to recovery. These mutual-help groups, as they’re known, operate under a set of 12 guidelines that encourage self-searching humility, faith, and honesty as methods to achieve abstinence. These peer-led groups have regular meetings, usually on a weekly basis,

June 2, 2019