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MENTAL HEALTH AND YOUR CHILD Mental Health Awareness Week Current statistics show that approximately 1 in 5 young people has a diagnosable mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Many more children are affected by milder emotional difficulties and/or every day stresses. Through media, children today are also exposed to many things which could negatively impact their emotional wellbeing. For example, some of you may have heard about the TV/Netflix series called, “13 Reasons Why,” currently trending with teens. This program has recently been talked about in the media and has gained the attention of mental health professionals all over, especially here at American Behavioral Clinics. As a parent or caregiver, you are an influential support for your child(ren) and you have a pivotal role in their wellbeing. Given that the week of May 1-7 is Mental Health Awareness Week, we thought we would share some information with yo
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Insomnia

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Insomnia What is it? Insomnia is any sleeping problem that makes you feel that your time spent sleeping is inadequate or unrefreshing. It includes the following: difficulty falling asleep, waking up too early, waking up intermittently in the middle of the night or having a normal sleep pattern that doesn’t leave you feeling rested. Insomnia is classified as transient if it lasts from one night to three to four weeks, but it becomes chronic when it persists almost nightly for at least one month. Transient insomnia that returns periodically over months or years, is classified as intermittent. Insomnia may be related to a medical or psychiatric illness, or it may be a result of lifestyle factors.  Lifestyle factors are particularly important as causes of transient or intermittent insomnia and may include: ·         stress or anxiety ·         a change in sleeping environment (being a guest at a hotel or a relative’s home) ·         an uncomfortable sleeping environm
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Making Stepfamilies Work Making Stepfamilies Work Researchers estimate that nearly 50 percent of all first marriages end in divorce. This high rate has led to a boom in the number of stepfamilies. But their success rate doesn’t appear any better – roughly 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce. Therapists who work with stepfamilies say it’s a trend that can be reversed if stepfamily parents place greater emphasis on three main areas – communication , discipline and couplehood . Communication Open, honest communication is the backbone of a successful stepfamily. Unfortunately for many stepfamilies, communicating effectively may be difficult. Children, especially older ones, may not be enthusiastic about their mom or dad’s remarriage, so they may conceal their feelings out of loyalty to the non-custodial parent. Parents in the stepfamily may have problems communicating, fearing they may hurt the other’s feelings and jeopardize the marriage. Many therapis
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