It can be very difficult and heart-wrenching to see a loved one struggling with symptoms of mental illness. And often it can be hard to know how to best help and support your loved one.

Every individual is different and situations vary greatly. The person may have a specific diagnosis, or you may just have concerns about the way a person has been talking and behaving. You know your loved one and may have an understanding of what approach or support will be most helpful. However, below are a few tips and things to consider when you are trying to help a loved one.

Withdrawal from social interaction, unusual problems functioning at school, work or social activities or dramatic changes in sleep and appetite are possible signs.  Someone exhibiting these signs or having these experiences does not necessarily mean the person has a mental health problem, the symptoms could also be related to other issues or problems. But fo ...

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Trauma is defined as an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects. Traumatic events range from one-time incidences to experiences that are chronic and even generational. 

Acute trauma refers to a one-time event, such as an earthquake, fire, assault, or car accident.
Chronic trauma refers to traumatic experiences that are repeated and prolonged, such as ongoing exposure to family or community violence, chronic bullying, or a long-term medical issue.
Complex trauma refers to exposure to multiple traumatic events from an early age, often within the caregiving system or without adequate adult support, which has short and long-term effects in many areas. Examples include abuse and neglect within families, witnessing domestic violence, or experiencing other forms of violence or a ...

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Social Media Addiction 

The same devices that make connecting with our communities on social networking sites so convenient also make social media extremely difficult to resist. Notifications and alerts with their 24/7 dinging, ringing, and buzzing make it challenging to concentrate on other, more critical aspects of daily life. We’re often compelled to immediately check our smartphones and tablets for fear that we might miss out on something important. Psychologists estimate that as many as 10% of social media users in the United States actually have a behavioral addiction to social media, whether they know it or not.

Initially, a person’s social media interaction creates a favorable emotional state. Some neuroscientists have likened this “high” to an injection of dopamine — a feel-good hormone our bodies produce naturally. This good feeling leads to a preoccupation with social media to the point that people ...

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