Mental Health

March Madness and Gambling Addicts Are Often At Odds

We’re nearly halfway through NCAA® March Madness® tournament. The excitement is ramping up as the team in the Sweet Sixteen prepare for the next round. Those whose brackets aren’t already busted are anxiously waiting to see if their picks will help them reign supreme over their friends and co-workers, and maybe even allow them to take home a cash prize. But some people—an estimated 6 million in fact— might instead be anxiously waiting for the tournament to be over. They are the people who struggle with pathological gambling addictions. For them, this time of year presents an overabundance of challenges and triggers. While many of us are cheering our teams on the road to the Final Four, they are fighting to stay on the road to recovery. Read More

The Downward Spiral of Self-Harm and Drug Abuse

When a person has no healthy outlet for emotions like anger, frustration, self-hatred and sadness, he or she may turn to acts of self-harm as a way of expressing and dealing with distress. Self-harm, also known as self-mutilation or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), is a type of self-inflicted bodily injury that causes pain, bruising, or bleeding. Cutting is the most common form of self-harm, but hair pulling, biting, burning, head-butting, hitting, carving, scratching, skin picking, poisoning, and intentional interference with wound healing are also typical. Read More

Why is January the Peak Month for Depression?

The third Monday of every January has been declared “the most depressing day of the year.” Even though there’s little scientific evidence that depressed moods peak at this time, many people do start to feel blue this time of year for one reason or another. In many parts of the country, the weather is cold and dreary, the holidays are over and the credit card bills from said holidays need to be paid. It’s important to note, that there’s a significant difference between feeling a little blue and suffering from clinical depression. If you’re not sure whether what you’re feeling is a temporary “funk” or something serious, please reach out to a healthcare professional. Read More

Man Rule #1: No Crying

By Dan Griffin, Senior Fellow at The Meadows “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about!” “What? Are you going to cry like a little girl?” “Crybaby.” And, of course, the meaningless and obtuse: “Man the f#@$ up!” Rare is the man who has not had at least… Read More

The Privilege Paradox in Today’s Young Adults

By Claudia Black, Ph.D. At the Claudia Black Young Adult Center, we work with young adults from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. But, many of our clients grew up with the privileges that come with being from upper-middle income and high income families. Read More

Five Ways to Practice Gratitude

Sometimes, it may feel simply impossible to see the positive in a given situation or to have gratitude for your position in life. We may feel like the world is intent on sending us obstacles and gratitude may seem out of reach. What’s ironic is that gratitude is just what we may need to conjure up solutions to life’s challenges. Gratitude opens up new possibilities. The word itself is from the Latin gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness. People who embrace gratitude can see the beauty in most situations and, as a result, are likely to realize the beauty in all aspects of life. Developing gratitude is like building muscles – doing so requires repetition and persistence. Read More

College-Age Suicides Escalate

Untreated Depression Costs Lives Each new day brings rays of sunshine that invite life’s pleasures – the enticing scent of freshly brewed coffee; the warmth of embracing young children as they scurry off to school; or savoring simple bowls of delightful berries in all of its sweetness. Unfortunately, life’s splendors are no longer in reach for suicide victims. There are no more tomorrows and no options to change course. No more laughter. No more aha moments. No more tender hugs from loved ones. Nothing can reverse the loss of a life to suicide. It’s finite. Over. There are no second chances. Unfortunately, suicides on college campuses have been accelerating at an alarming rate. Paul Soutter, a sophomore at the College of William & Mary, recently took his own life. A once high-achieving young man, his death has brought increased attention to this epidemic of sorts. His death will forever leave a mark on his family, friends, teachers, and everyone else who knew this young individual who was once so full of life. This was the fourth student death at the college this year. Read More