In the News

  • Childhood Trauma and ACE Scores in the News Again

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 3 minutes

    I think that makes sense. This is consistent with previous studies. What I want to know about, though, are the 45% who don’t have depression, the 49% who don’t have anxiety, the 75% without PTSD, and the 80% with no substance abuse issues. What was different for them? What kind of help or support was available for them as children compared to the others who did suffer from these issues? What kind of trauma were they dealing with? What kind of community did they live in? What resources were made available for them?

  • Do You Fear Happiness?

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    How often, as children, did we decide to “fly under the radar” and not draw attention to something that brought us happiness because that just created a target? How many of us, as adults, still live with the fear that identifying something that makes us happy only invites someone to hurt us by taking it away? Even when there is no one there to take it, we live with that fear and don’t get too attached to anything.

    My hope for all of us is to find a safe place to overcome that and enjoy the things that make us happy.

  • Is Online Therapy Dying?

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Even though some companies might have gotten this all wrong, we still have the same issues we’ve had with mental health services that we’ve had for years. It’s too difficult for too many people to access. Technology can help eliminate some hurdles preventing people from getting help. That is worth doing when it’s done right. Those services can and should go away when it’s not done right. The fact that many are indicates that chasing money is not the way.

    That shouldn’t ever be the way. It doesn’t mean online therapy itself is a bad idea, though. We must be careful to get it right.

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    Thinking about Therapy for your Child?

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

    From my perspective as an abuse survivor, if you think there’s even a chance your child has been abused, bullied, or is simply dealing with mental health challenges that need help, get the help early if you can. It only gets worse the longer you wait. Read the examples, and if any of them sound like your kid, do something.

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    The Daily Podcast Takes on Adolescent Mental Health

    ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

    I found it interesting because I think the show does a good job of talking to people involved with treating kids and showing what the problem is. Starting with the conversation with a pediatrician, we learn that medical schools don’t effectively train doctors to deal with mental health issues. The risks to children they’ve been taught to deal with are external. These include viruses, broken bones from accidents, stitching cuts, etc. Today, however, the risks to kids have become much more internal. They are harming themselves due to mental health issues at rates we’ve never seen before. Doctors have not been trained to deal with those kinds of risks, and it is made clear that if you’re studying to be a pediatrician, you focus on the external risks because if a kid comes in with an internal risk, you’ll refer them to someone who specializes in mental health.

    Of course, there’s a problem with that.