A trauma-informed therapist helping a mother and daughter work through family trauma.

Understanding How Family Trauma Affects Children

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Family trauma refers to deeply distressing or disturbing experiences that disrupt the stability, well-being, and relationships within a family unit. This type of trauma can stem from a single traumatic event or a series of traumatic experiences, significantly impacting family members.

Children and teens are especially vulnerable, as family trauma often affects their emotional, mental, and physical health during critical developmental stages. A trauma-informed approach is essential to supporting families in navigating the impact of trauma and rebuilding healthier family dynamics. Read more

A mental health professional helping a teenager work through their mood swings.

When Should You Be Worried About Teenage Mood Swings?

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Watching your child change over time can be challenging. One moment, they’re open, full of life and laughter, and suddenly, almost overnight, everything feels different. Before you know it, they seem distant, overwhelmed, and hard to reach. They’re more withdrawn, prone to tears, and shout unexpectedly, making every conversation feel like walking through a minefield.

The teenage years are a rollercoaster of emotions, leaving you wondering what’s normal and when to worry. Teenage mood swings are a natural part of child development, but for some teens, these emotional fluctuations may indicate more significant mental health issues.

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A mother talking with a doctor about her child’s pediatric bipolar symptoms.

Spotting Pediatric Bipolar Symptoms in Your Child

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Your child’s mood can be unpredictable. Sometimes, they’re full of energy and giddy to the point of being reckless — then suddenly, they’re sad and withdrawn. It’s only natural for these mood swings to cause you to worry.

While those changes can be completely normal, they can also represent several mental health conditions including pediatric bipolar symptoms. If you’re a parent or caregiver concerned about your child’s symptoms, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the different ways mental health disorders present themselves.

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A woman who suffered relationship trauma forming new relationships in a support group.

How Relationship Trauma Affects Your Mental Health

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Relationship trauma, especially in your youth, can severely disrupt your well-being and ability to form new relationships. Through adulthood, it can affect your emotional responses and potentially lead to trust issues, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or mental health conditions.

When a child or adolescent goes through toxic relationships during their formative years, it can affect them throughout their entire life if not addressed.

With the right coping strategies and professional help, it is possible to overcome the traumatic experiences caused by toxic relationships.

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A chiropractor administering an adjustment, one of many holistic healthcare approaches.

Explaining Holistic Healthcare: What Does It Really Mean?

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Holistic healthcare has become synonymous with alternative medicine or non-conventional medicine – but is that actually what it means? There are a lot of misconceptions about the term “holistic,” and, as a result, people may avoid certain practices labeled “holistic therapies.”

However, many of these practices are widely accepted as an effective way to treat underlying causes of disease and manage chronic pain. Let’s explore what holism actually means when it comes to the medical system and your well-being.

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An adolescent girl looking at her phone next to the words “How Does Social Media Impact Mental Health?”

Let’s Talk about the Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health

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Online socialization is part of everyday life. Thanks to smartphones, the internet is always just a tap or two away, leading to a drastic increase in the amount of time adolescents and young adults spend online. According to the Pew Research Center, nine in ten U.S. teens use social, with close to half admitting to high levels of screen time.

There’s no two ways about it – social networks impact the mental health of teens and young adults who are constantly online. It’s now a regular part of young people’s lives, so it’s important to understand the real-life consequences when it comes to excessive use of social media (and how to support those who are feeling the effects).

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A mother and son talking to a doctor about an ADHD and depression diagnosis.

The Link Between ADHD and Depression in Adolescents

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Depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are both common mental health conditions that young adults and adolescents experience. However, while they share some common symptoms, they are different things. A diagnosis of ADHD does not automatically mean a depression diagnosis – however, the two are often comorbidities.

Understanding the link between ADHD and depression – and the differences between the two – can help you or your loved one find the proper mental health care needed to manage the symptoms of either disorder.

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Parents playing a game with their children.

6 Ways Parents Affect a Child’s Mental Health

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Parenting is not an easy job. There are endless things to think about and keep track of when you have children. Aside from the obvious ways that having a child impacts your life (like sleep deprivation), there are also mental health factors that come into play — and those factors ultimately affect your children. In fact, our interactions can have a profound impact on each child’s mental health as well as their emotional well-being for the rest of their lives. Let’s look at how parents affect mental health of children — and what you can do to ensure their well-being.

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A mother and her young adult daughter spending time together outside.

The Recent Rise of Mental Health Issues in Youth: What You Need to Know

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Childhood and adolescence is a hard time for most. The mind and the body are both developing rapidly, and this often comes with stress and other unique challenges. Some growing pains – both physical and emotional – can be expected and are even essential to a child’s development.

In recent years, there has been a marked increase in children and adolescent mental health issues, so much so that the rise of mental health issues in youth is a concern to most healthcare providers, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic is not completely to blame for the increase in poor mental health in young adults. In fact, the mental health crisis in children and teens has been going on for much longer than you would expect.

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School students receiving mental health support from a behavioral health provider.

School Mental Health Supports: Help Your Child Navigate The Years Ahead

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Mental health issues in schools have been on the rise, and, unfortunately, school-based mental health services aren’t always equipped to deal with the students’ needs. If you’re worried that your child is struggling with their behavioral health, it can be hard to know how to support them when they’re outside of the house for the majority of the school year.

While it takes a licensed mental health professional to make a diagnosis and design a treatment plan, it’s important to be aware of the state of mental health in schools and understand the warning signs of a child who is struggling with mental health issues.

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