Why Do I Feel This Way? Archives

Depression

Beyond Sadness: Understanding the Complex Symptoms of Teen Depression

Speak to any parent who has a teen with depression, and most will tell you that somewhere along the way, there was a nagging feeling that they couldn’t shake: “Is this really normal?” At first, the anger, moodiness, and withdrawal seemed like the typical growing pains of adolescence. But as time went on, that initial dip became a steeper decline: their teen seemed to lose their spark, instead becoming tired,

January 8, 2025

Teens

When You Feel Like Punching a Wall, Read This First

Punching things, breaking things, throwing things out of frustration—some businesses have even found a way to monetize these common venting techniques. The Break Room, with locations all over the world, offers customers the chance to grab a bat or any other heavy stick of their choice and literally smash some dishes, glasses, or appliances in a room. But why do so many people want to destroy or punch things when

May 1, 2024

Why Can’t I Focus - Mental Health problems

Teens

Why Can’t I Focus On Anything? Do I Have ADHD?

Maybe you’re trying to read, but your thoughts keep wandering to your weekend plans. Perhaps you’re trying to listen in class, but your thoughts wander to what happened in the latest episode of your favorite show. You’re in a serious conversation with someone, but you keep zoning out. You find yourself thinking, “Why can’t I focus?” more often than you’d like. If you’re an adolescent, it’s normal to get distracted

March 26, 2024

Getting Help

Medication Side Effects: I Don’t Like the Way My Medication Makes Me Feel

If you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health or behavioral issue, you might be on medication. Adhering to your medication regimen daily is an achievement. You know that medication will help you feel better, so you’re doing your job in the recovery process. However, many medications come with side effects. Whether you’re on antidepressants, anti-anxiety, ADHD, or other medication, you might be experiencing one or more unpleasant symptoms. For example,

March 5, 2024

Family & Home Life

Research Report: Teens, Acne, and Quality of Life

Acne is the Most Common Skin Condition Among Adolescents “When I was 12, I got my first pimple. It was on the right side of my face, about an inch from my nose, right in the middle of my cheek. I noticed it first thing in the morning. It looked horrible. I was mortified. So I poked it, prodded it, squeezed it, did everything to try to make it go

July 18, 2022

What is Radical Acceptance and How Can it Help Me?

Core DBT Skills: Radical Acceptance If you’ve heard of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), then you’ve probably heard of radical acceptance. Maybe your child mentioned it, or maybe their therapist told you about it. Maybe you’ve seen the phrase as you researched DBT online. This article will give you an expanded understanding of radical acceptance, and how can it help your family. What is Radical Acceptance? Radical acceptance is the idea

May 13, 2021

Mental Health Awareness Month 2021: Tools 2 Thrive Phase Two

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. At the beginning of 2020, no one could have predicted where we are now, almost halfway through 2021. We faced the worst public health emergency in a hundred years: the coronavirus pandemic. Physical health and wellbeing were our first priority all year, which was critical for getting the pandemic under control. Citizens around the country made enormous sacrifices and did their best to mitigate

May 10, 2021

Why is Toxic Positivity Harmful to Teens?

When you’re upset, sometimes the last thing you want to hear is: Don’t worry, be happy! Just look at the bright side! Let’s stay positive! But whether you like those phrases or not, you hear them all the time, so you know how unhelpful – and annoying – they can be. When people smile and tell you to stay happy no matter how painful or difficult your situation is, they’re

April 29, 2021

Children of Alcoholics Awareness Week 2021

Each year during the week of Valentine’s Day, alcoholism awareness advocates around the U.S. and the world observe National Children of Alcoholics Week (COA Awareness Week) to draw attention to the challenges children of alcoholic parents face every day. In response to the growing epidemic of addiction in the U.S., COA Awareness week now includes all children of addiction – not just children of alcoholics. The information in this article

February 8, 2021

Parents

February is Boost Your Self-Esteem Month. What Exactly is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem is a phrase most of us encounter early in life. Our first understanding of self-esteem is typically a simple one. If we like ourselves and think well of ourselves, then we learn we have what the adults in our lives call high self-esteem. But if we don’t particularly like ourselves, think negatively about ourselves, then we learn we have low self-esteem. Those first impressions and first lessons are accurate,

February 3, 2021