The terrible news of the killings in Paris is already flooding screens repetitively and there will be more and more images and discussions to come. News like this is, understandably, big and has a big effect on our mood and the thoughts and feelings we express out loud.
When things like this happen and there is a change in mood, the younger people in your household may have questions or they may be, also understandably, quite distressed by what they see and hear.
Should you be worried if your daughter leaves all but her lettuce leaf on her dinner plate….or your son is at the gym for the fifth time already this week? What do you say if your child is on his second plate of bacon or won’t wear the school sports pants because it “makes my bum look big”?
Our body image is the way we see, think, feel and behave with regard to our bodies.
The Spring Carnival is in full flight….the fillies, the fashion and the flutters. Hmmmm…..”flutters”. “Flutters” is one of those words that makes something that could be very serious seem like it’s a tiny, wee thing that is harmless, perhaps even beautiful. For some, a flutter is poison.
Problem gambling, in essence, is when someone has difficulties limiting money and/or time spent on gambling which leads to adverse consequences for the gambler, others, or the community.
It seems just so wrong to even be thinking about children perpetrating acts of terrorism or extreme violence. There’s a part of my head that just doesn’t want to go there. I find myself trying to duck and weave to avoid the scandalous, over-inflated, anxiety-provoking media articles designed to keep us glued to screen and print. At times like these when my head and my heart want to be going in separate directions, I know the place I can find solace is in solid research and facts.
When I take the “oh-this-is-too-awful-to-think-about” factor out of it, the sorts of questions my head is left asking go something like:
Depression in young people is something we hear more about these days, but sadly, it is still something that goes undetected and can seriously affect a young person…even to the point of suicide. There are many programs out there that attempt to make things better for young people and mental health. The great news is that young people are more aware of mental health issues than in years gone by. In fact, I would go so far as to say that young people are very interested in their mental health and in learning more. The other great news is that young people are better at help seeking then they once were. The not-so-good news is we still do not have an iron clad way of preventing depression in young people and the terrible news is that there are still many depressed young people who go undetected. However (more great news…) we can prevent depression from worsening if we work with high risk groups and with those who have the early signs of depression.
We know that young people at risk for depression may have a family history, some past traumatic experiences, a personality type or come from some marginalised or minority group because of their race, gender identity or even risk of homelessness. We also need to keep an eye out for the early signs of depression in young people. Warning signs to watch are:
When you think about health, what do you think about? How fit you are? Whether you have a disease or not? Being injury free?
Most people think about health as being something they either have or do not have, when, generally speaking, we are probably all on a spectrum of health. Some people who have chronic illnesses can be considered healthy if their conditions are managed well. However, like many things, when we start to think about health or sickness as something we either have or don’t have, we can open up a dyad of absolutes in our thinking that can generate anxiety. If I’m not healthy, I must be sick!
Having just returned from speaking at the Australian Summit on Bribery and Corruption, I was overwhelmed by the huge amounts of money large corporations commit to preventing bribery and corruption in their organisations and the huge amounts of time, money and resources government officials put into prosecuting offenders. It made me think about parallels between organisations and families. These large organisations, and indeed Governments, really want their employees and citizens to be honest and to be decently rewarded for good work. I think that is exactly what many parents want for their families, too – to raise children who are honest and decent people.
So how do we raise children to become honest citizens of the world?
Meltdowns – We’ve all had them. Some of us have had them more recently than others. Some might live with someone (grown up or little) who frequently melts down.
In psychology, we understand that melt downs are the letting out of built up emotions – frustration, excitement, disappointment, anger, despair, grief….
When we are helping little ones (or grown-ups) to learn to regulate their emotions, we are teaching them to label and safely express how they feel. We aim to help them to match their behaviour to certain situations, to turn their energy levels up and down – a little like we might adjust the volume of a stereo or the temperature of an oven.
Sometimes we need to build our energy up – like when we need to get going for the day or when we are about to play sport. Sometimes we need to turn it down, like when we are getting ready for bed or ready to concentrate and learn at school or at work.
With Fathers’ Day upon us this weekend, perhaps it’s time to think about what fathers need – not in the underwear, socks, and new fishing gear department, but more in terms of what really makes them happy. What do fathers need to be happy, mentally healthy and to be well?
Proudly, a lot of recent useful research into the mental health of our Dads has been completed here in Australia. When we go searching through the research on psychology and Dads there are a few themes that emerge:
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