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Love. One word that packs so much meaning, and yet still gets misinterpreted and misunderstood. I often see couples who appear to miss the mark when it comes to giving and receiving love. I hear things such as “I don’t feel loved” from a client, as their partner then looks confused next to them saying, “But I do things that show my love all the time.” How is it that we miss each other when it comes to this feeling that we all desire? Herein lies the problem in relationships. I interpret love as abc, while my partner might interpret it as xyz. We have different perceptions and different expectations.

It's that time of the year where the weather is breaking and spring seems to be rapidly approaching. It may still be February but we can all imagine sitting by the beach or pool on a beautiful day in June. Thousands of Americans made the New Year's Resolution to get in shape, but less than 10% stick to their goal. A healthy eating and living lifestyle is one of the best resolutions to make. Clean eating and working out have never ending physiological and psychological health benefits. There's no better time to reevaluate a goal like the present. Let's talk game plan!

Struggling with suicidal thoughts is something that often happens when people have mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Some-times people act on those thoughts and have a suicide attempt. Other times, people just continue to struggle with the suicidal thoughts but never act on them. With teenagers, you have to worry about the issue of impulsivity when they are having these thoughts. Teenagers who are in an emotional state of mind and will not be looking at the "bigger picture" of what is making them upset therefore tend to act on their emotion and possibly do something to harm themselves. When teenagers have a suicide attempt, they often do not actually mean for it to be successful but unfortunately, sometimes it is.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month
 
Yes, we have made great progress in decreasing the stigma that exists regarding mental health issues and related treatment. However, we still have a long way to go. Several role models have recently “come out” in the media in an attempt to normalize mental health issues and to encourage open, honest discussion and treatment. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Lady Gaga for example, recently have shared their own struggles and emphasized that it is time to stop hiding mental health struggles and to discuss these issues in the same manner that we would discuss physical health issues. We all need to do our part!

For many parents, the biggest stressor of our kids going to college is paying for it. There are others such as, “How will they stay safe?” and “Will they adjust OK?”. But the finances are, typically, the bulk of the concern. Like you, I started a college savings account (a great idea, by the way) when my daughter was born. 20 years later, I now have two kids, one in college and one going in 2018. As time was progressing, I was watching my account grow and thinking, “Why is everyone worrying so much?” “This is going to be just fine.” Until, I started watching the cost of tuitions EVERYWHERE increase at a dramatic rate. Then, I joined everyone else in worrying.

Some of us have had a friend, co-worker, or loved one complete suicide. Some of us know someone who knows someone who has completed suicide. We hear about it on the news at times or we hear about it from a friend. Dealing with the aftermath of a suicide is a terribly painful ex-perience and there are many myths about suicide that leave this topic taboo. So much so that we just don’t talk about it. Or when it is discussed, there is some misinformation being spread around. This article is to bring awareness about suicide and what you can do to stop those myths.

‘Something happened…’
 
1 in 6 women, 1 in 33 men, and 21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have experienced sexual violence (RAINN, 2016). These startling statistics reveal the likelihood of a friend, co-worker, or family member possibly opening up to you with the statement above when reaching out for help regarding their sexual assault. Below are some tips to assist you in providing a healing response to a survivor of sexual assault.

All too often, I hear complaints of “I can’t do that”, “nothing will help me”, or “they will never understand”. Our minds bombard us with these messages of insufficiency and negativity. It’s not uncommon though, and it’s easy to fall into this trap of having a negative mindset toward our situation and our lives in general. Isn’t it true though that the way we speak to ourselves has a great influence on our outcomes? I’ve seen it firsthand with some of the clients that I’ve worked with. In my experience, we are certainly more likely to fall short when we tell ourselves that we can’t do something. If I truly believe that this won’t work out, then I’m almost setting myself up for that exact outcome, because I already introduced the idea of “failing” into my mind.

  1. Thirteen Things to Consider and Ways to Open Communication
  2. Social Media Detox
  3. Effective Communication
  4. When To Be Concerned About College Related Stress

Full Article Index

The Behavioral Wellness Group is a counseling center providing therapy and behavioral health services and assessment including chemical dependency/drug addiction treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and other therapies. We also provide mental health or psychological assessments, and psychological,educational and bariatric testing. Providing services to the following communities in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake County: Cleveland, Ashtabula, Beachwood, Chardon, Concord, Eastlake, Euclid, Fairport, Geneva, Grand River, Highland Heights, Kirtland, Leroy, Lyndhurst, Madison, Mayfield, Mayfield Heights, Painesville, Pepper Pike, Perry, Russell, Solon, South Euclid, Thompson, Wickliffe, Willoughby, Willoughby Hills, and Willowick, from our offices in Mentor, Ohio.