December 10, 2017
by Tracey Block
Nomophobia is becoming more widespread in this 21st century era of smartphone technology. Do you suffer from it? Answer yes or no to the following:
I obsessively check my smartphone for missed texts, emails or social media updates.
I constantly top up my cell phone’s battery charge.
I cannot leave a room without my smartphone.
Using these kinds of questions and more, researchers believe it’s time to start taking the condition more seriously.
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December 8, 2017
by Tracey Block
More than any other generation before them, Millennials are stressed out and anxious. According to researchers, they are the generation at the highest risk for mental illness. How did this happen? And can the results be reversed?
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December 7, 2017
by Tracey Block
A handful of crayons and a pad of paper. A blank canvas and tubes of colorful paints. These just may be the best addition to treatment for someone with a mental illness. Typical therapy sessions call for verbal expression, and the back and forth deliveries of a therapist's questions and a patient's answers. Researchers are rediscovering that art therapy allows for expression, exploration and a different way to heal.
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December 4, 2017
by Tracey Block
How young can your child be to receive a professional diagnosis, and treatment, for a mental illness? From birth to age 6, children develop very quickly, both mentally and physically. As a result, it is hard to tell if a new or questionable behavior is fleeting and nothing to worry about—or something that will become problematic for life. Specialists and researchers are finally starting to recognize the importance of the early years in mental health intervention and support.
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November 29, 2017
by Tracey Block
The stress is palpable. Deadlines are looming for students in colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada. The end of November means final exams are just around the corner; term papers are due. Add a disorder like ADHD to the end-of-term pressures and survival may seem uncertain. Can students with ADHD succeed in post-secondary studies?
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November 27, 2017
by Tracey Block
Mental health therapy. The words conjure images of a patient lying on a couch while a Freudian-looking therapist sits in an adjacent chair, notebook and pen poised to write. But in the 21st century, there are powerful new mental health options: digital tools. What are they and which ones would you trust with your mental health?
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November 25, 2017
by Tracey Block
Are we paying the price for Black Friday sales? Rather than a day to relax after the Thanksgiving holiday, Black Friday has, for many, become a day of stress and anxiety. Some see it as a challenge to find the best bargain. Others see it challenging their mental health and well being. How about you?
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November 23, 2017
by Tracey Block
It is no secret that North Americans watch a lot of television. Researchers have long discussed the negative effects of too many sedentary hours hypnotised by the glow of the screen. And now along comes 'binge-watching'. With the advent of TV streaming services, we now spend evenings, days or weekends watching entire seasons of our favorite shows. Can our mental health and overall wellbeing survive this kind of (in)activity?
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November 20, 2017
by Tracey Block
Every morning, many of us subject ourselves to a rude awakening—the sound of an alarm forcing us into the day’s obligations. But what does this artificial arousal have in common with current research into mental illness? A lot. The ebb and flow of the human daily biological clock, known as circadian rhythm, while different from person to person, dictates when we should wake, eat and sleep. More than ever, scientists recognize that denying the body its opportunity to sleep when it needs to can have detrimental effects on our physical and psychological well-being.
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November 17, 2017
by Tracey Block
Growing old. The one unifying factor among all humans is also the most difficult to face. The inevitable aging process is one we try to escape with expensive lotions and hair dye. Coming to terms with the physical signs of aging is taking its toll on our mental health. Researchers wonder if it is possible to hold a mirror up to reality and accept the natural cycle of life.
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