A Follow-Up to Bullying

I recently wrote a post on bullying at school, in which I included a link to an article on increased efforts to understand and prevent bullying at schools. This article can be found here. I wanted to post a follow-up because I have been coming across more articles on bullying since then that are interesting and informative! I wanted to pass them on. The first one is a brief article which highlights a few statistics, as well as a study on bullying that was recently completed in Finland. The study concluded that young people who are bullied typically experience psychiatric problems later in life. To read this brief article, follow this link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090916/hl_hsn/scarsofbullyinglinger.

The second article, which can be accessed here,

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/schooling/bullying/the_wounded_spirit.aspx, is an article from Focus on the Family that explores the lasting effects of bullying on adults. The last article is geared towards parents whose children are being bullied. It advocates being vigilant and aware of your child's emotional well-being, as bullying often results in varying degrees of depression. If your child or teenager is experiencing depression, it is wise to seek professional help, either through counseling or other avenues. Follow this link to read.

Life Without ED

Today's post is dedicated to a book that I think anyone who has ever struggled with an eating disorder (or is currently struggling with one) should read.  Jenni Schaefer, a musician/author/activist, has written this book with the help of Thom Rutledge, a therapist who has counseled her throughout her recovery.

Jenni shares pieces of her personal journey, while also sharing how she has recovered from/learned to manage her eating disorder. She writes about how she has learned to do this with the help of her therapist, who encouraged her to separate herself from her eating disorder, which she affectionately nicknamed ED. 

On her personal website, she has a great page devoted to eating disorder resources/links. Follow this link to check them out. Jenni also has a new book coming out entitled Goodbye Ed, Hello Life.  This book not only focuses on recovery, but the freedom and joy that comes from complete recovery of an eating disorder. She provides hope and encouragement in both books through sharing her experiences and acting as an example that recovery from an eating disorder is possible and that life in recovery can be lived with joy and peace!!

Teenagers and Depression

There was a study that was recently released that suggests teenagers who are depressed and do not receive help are at greater risk of developing serious mental illness later in life.  The implication is that teenagers experiencing depression greatly benefit from receiving treatment and face a reduced risk of developing more serious problems down the road. An article on BBC News that details this study can be found here.

In light of this news, it might be helpful to discuss the warning signs and symptoms of teenage depression, as it differs slightly in presentation from adult depression.  The following are symptoms to watch out for if you believe your teenager is depressed: 

**feelings of worthlessness                               

**tiredness, lack of energy, lethargic               

**sadness                                                              

**hopelessness                                                    

**frequent crying (more than is typical of your teen)

**losing interest/enjoyment in activities which use to be of interest/enjoyment

**social withdrawal (from friends and family members)

**changes in sleep habits and appetite

**difficulty with concentration

**suicidal thoughts or thoughts about dying

Here is a chart, courtesy of HelpGuide.org, which details the major differences between teenage and adult depression.  For more information on this topic, visit http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm.       

The difference between teenage and adult depression

Depression in teens can look very different from depression in adults. The following symptoms of depression are more common in teenagers than in their adult counterparts:

• Irritable or angry mood – As noted above, irritability, rather than sadness, is often the predominant mood in depressed teens. A depressed teenager may be grumpy, hostile, easily frustrated, or prone to angry outbursts.
• Unexplained aches and pains - Depressed teens frequently complain about physical ailments such as headaches or stomachaches. If a thorough physical exam does not reveal a medical cause, these aches and pains may indicate depression.
• Extreme sensitivity to criticism - Depressed teens are plagued by feelings of worthlessness, making them extremely vulnerable to criticism, rejection, and failure. This is a particular problem for “over-achievers.”
• Withdrawing from some, but not all people - While adults tend to isolate themselves when depressed, teenagers usually keep up at least some friendships. However, teens with depression may socialize less than before, pull away from their parents, or start hanging out with a different crowd.

If you’re unsure if an adolescent in your life is depressed or just “being a teenager,” consider how long the symptoms have been present, how severe they are, and how different the teen is acting from his or her usual self. While some “growing pains” are to be expected as teenagers grapple with the challenges of growing up, dramatic, long-lasting changes in personality, mood, or behavior are red flags of a deeper problem (www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm, 2009).

Stress: A Follow-Up ...

The last post that I made discussed tips for stress management, as this time of year can be stressful for returning students and parents alike.  This article, entitled 'Dealing With Back to School Blues' highlights a few pointers to help alleviate the stress that commonly occurs during this time of year. 

Stress...

With a new academic year in full swing, I have heard parents, college students and teenagers alike mention the increased level of stress that accompanies this time of year. Changes in routines and schedules can be stressful- regardless of whether the change is positive or negative. We tend to think of negative events as being stressful, but positive events can also trigger stress. Whether you are returning to school as a student, or you are a parent who has children returning to school, or you are neither and are undergoing stressful situations at work/home, learning how to healthily manage stress is an important skill to possess. For this reason, I thought that I would post some tips for managing stress, brought to you by the American Psychological Association :)

Stress Tip Sheet

In today’s fast-paced and ever-connected world, stress has become a fact of life. Stress can cause people to feel overwhelmed or pushed to the limit. The American Psychological Association’s 2007 “Stress in America” poll found that one-third of people in the U.S. report experiencing extreme levels of stress. In addition, nearly one-in-five report that they are experiencing high levels of stress 15 or more days per month. While low to moderate levels of stress can be good for you when managed in healthy ways, extreme stress takes both an emotional and physical toll on the individual.

With the consequences of poorly managed stress ranging from fatigue to heart disease and obesity, it is important to know how to recognize high stress levels and take action to handle it in healthy ways. Being able to control stress is a learned behavior, and stress can be effectively managed by taking small steps toward changing unhealthy behaviors.

APA offers the following tips on how to manage your stress:

Understand how you experience stress, Everyone experiences stress differently. How do you know when you are stressed"How are your thoughts or behaviors different from times when you do not feel stressed"

Identify your sources of stress.What events or situations trigger stressful feelings" Are they related to your children, family, health, financial decisions, work, relationships or something else"

Learn your own stress signals.People experience stress in different ways. You may have a hard time concentrating or making decisions, feel angry, irritable or out of control, or experience headaches, muscle tension or a lack of energy. Gauge your stress signals.

Recognize how you deal with stress. Determine if you are using unhealthy behaviors (such as smoking, drinking alcohol and over/under eating) to cope. Is this a routine behavior, or is it specific to certain events or situations" Do you make unhealthy choices as a result of feeling rushed and overwhelmed"

Find healthy ways to manage stress. Consider healthy, stress-reducing activities such as meditation, exercising or talking things out with friends or family. Keep in mind that unhealthy behaviors develop over time and can be difficult to change. Don't take on too much at once. Focus on changing only one behavior at a time.

Take care of yourself. Eat right, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and engage in regular physical activity. Ensure you have a healthy mind and body through activities like yoga, taking a short walk, going to the gym or playing sports that will enhance both your physical and mental health. Take regular vacations or other breaks from work. No matter how hectic life gets, make time for yourself — even if it's just simple things like reading a good book or listening to your favorite music.

Reach out for support. Accepting help from supportive friends and family can improve your ability to manage stress. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors.