Explore our blog for insightful articles, personal reflections and ideas on topics that you may care about and that we are hoping will be thought provoking.
Loneliness can be a significant challenge for older adults. Retirement often marks the beginning of this isolation, as the daily routines and social interactions that come with work disappear. Without the structure of a job, older adults may find it harder to meet new people or maintain regular contact with former colleagues. Similarly, the loss of loved ones—whether a spouse, close friends, or siblings—can create an emotional void that is difficult to fill.
The impact of religion on mental health is profoundly complex!
For some, religion can be a source of immense comfort and a powerful mechanism for healing, offering a sense of community, guidance, and strength in difficult times. It can provide a framework for understanding life's challenges and a path to peace through prayer, rituals, and a shared belief system.
Thanksgiving is often a time for family gatherings, good food, and catching up on life’s happenings. Beyond the typical holiday small talk however, it can also be an opportunity to connect more deeply with those important to you. If you’re hoping to spark more meaningful conversations this Thanksgiving in 2024, here are some thoughtful conversation starters that can help lead to emotional and reflective discussions.
We used a tool that allowed us to see the most the most commonly searched questions on the internet related to mental health treatment and older adults.
We hope to work on answering these questions and addressing the context for some their common themes on an ongoing basis here through our blog --- we hope this helps increase the amount of accessible information and tools available for the EBWS community.
How can we help the mental health of the elderly?
"Language processing" refers to how the brain 1. interprets linguistic information (understanding what others say), and 2. communicates with words (remembering words and talking). This process is what allows humans to make sense of relationships and share reality with each other. The ability to communicate and share emotions is what originated the idea of human beings living in collectives and advancing in the first place.
As we know it today, there is no clinical difference between the symptomatology, presentation, and severity of postpartum depression when compared to the image of classical depression, however, the theological distinction in research and treatment is critical in providing appropriate care and advancing our knowledge about the condition. This important separation of the disorders encourages clinicians and researchers to address significant biological, cognitive, social, and cultural nuances that influence the experience of the disorder.
A maladaptive addiction of any kind is often referred to as a "family disease" because addictions are created by, operate using, and are reinforced by factors beyond the individual. Behavioral disorders are both influenced by and deeply impacted by family dynamics and environmental relationships. For example, when a person is struggling with addiction, family members experience emotional trauma, and stress in response.
You might hear of a therapist assigning a client an exercise, or task, in which they have a conversation between conflicting parts of themselves. It is normal to feel like we engage in inner-conflict on a daily basis, where different parts of ourselves want or need different things. The part of you that needs comfort and soothing may crave a quick fix through “compulsive behaviors,” whereas another part of you that has goals for a more balanced and peaceful lifestyle wants you to work through those cravings without acting on them.
"The concept of the Child Within has been a part of our world culture for at least two thousand years," (Whitfield, 1987). Charles Whitfield, M.D., authored "Healing the Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families. While formalized as a soft science through the world of psychotherapy, with figures such as Carl Jung, Emmet Fox, and Alice Miller, the concept of an "inner child" is quite spiritual, personal, and ancient.
According to the experts at EXIS, dealing with social anxiety can be really tough. Just thinking about certain social situations might make you feel nervous, worried, or even scared. These feelings can really affect your life, but the good news is that you don’t have to let social anxiety control you. There are ways to manage it and feel better.
At EXIS Recovery Inc. in West Los Angeles, they understand how challenging social anxiety can be. Here are four friendly tips to help you manage it: