Psychology Blog July Archive

Are your children ready for the first day of school?

By Jennifer Baxt at 07/31/08 10:11

Some children are excited about their first day of school and some children are a little nervous about it. It is a whole new experience for them, one that their parents should do their best to prepare the child for. It is natural for some children to feel nervous about it. After all, they are being introduced into an entirely new environment. Parents should try their best to have their child see that this experience is one that they will enjoy and that there is really nothing to feel nervous about. There are some things that parents can do in order to prepare their child for their first day of school.

Read more: Are your children ready for the first day of school? [click]

What are the main warning signs of substance abuse?

What kinds of people are prone to addictions or substance abuse? Many people are susceptible to these problems, especially people who suffer from depression, low self-esteem, loneliness, excessive stress, or are in a relationship they don’t like and don’t feel they can get out of. Young people who have difficulty fitting in, are constantly under attack by bullies and peer pressure, have a lot of stress at home or are extremely unhappy with themselves are also individuals to watch for signs of possible addiction or substance abuse. An adult or teenager can start to develop a problem long before anyone really notices if the parents or spouses are unsure of what to look for; however, if a person can detect the signs early enough, they might have an easier time convincing the troubled individual to get help. People who are able to recognize it in their selves can also get help that they need as well.

Read more: What are the main warning signs of substance abuse? [click]

Teenage Depression

Most everyone recognizes that moodiness is a normal part of being a teenager, whether parents like to accept it or not. Teenagers are at a time in their life when they are going through numerous changes in both the mind and the body. They are in the transition from child to adult, which means hormonal imbalances and changes that can cause a change in a teen’s mood. It is also a time in their life when they are starting to assert their independence, which can cause some friction with the parents, but this is also seen as a normal part of the stage.

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How do you help a friend with depression?

When most think of depression, they think about a family member with depression or someone that they know of who is suspected of being depressed in school or the workplace, but few will think about what to do with a depressed friend. What can one do for their friend who appears to be suffering from depression? Many will be unsure of what to do for their friend. Some will try and ignore the problem and think that it will just go away; others will distance themselves from that person so that they don’t have to deal with it. What doesn’t seem to cross the minds of most is that getting their friend into online counseling would have been the best idea and the best thing they could have done as a true friend.

Read more: How do you help a friend with depression? [click]

Medication and anxiety

Some medications that are given to people who are suffering from anxiety are from the family of medication called benzodiazepines, though they are sometimes prescribed to help people who have difficulty getting to sleep, to help control seizures and to help patients who are working to become less dependent on alcohol. The purpose of this medication is to calm a person enough so that they can relax. What happens is that the benzodiazepine medication reduces the activity in some parts of the brain, and this is what causes a person to calm down and relax. There are more than fifty different kinds of medications that are from the benzodiazepine family, many of them used for treating different problems. Though, they are often used in helping many people who are suffering from anxiety.

Read more: Medication and anxiety [click]