Teens who blog may relate better to their friends and improve self esteem, research published by the American Psychological Association shows.

According to a study covered in this article from Medical News Today, a group of 161 high school students in Israel – 124 girls and 37 boys, with an average age of 15 – were selected for their level of social anxiety and difficulty relating to friends. During a 10-week span, four groups were assigned to blog and two control groups were assigned to write a private diary or do nothing. During this time, self-esteem, social anxiety, emotional distress and the number of positive behaviors improved significantly for bloggers when compared to teens that did nothing and those who wrote private diaries.

According to study’s lead author, Meyran Boniel-Nissim, PhD, of the University of Haifa, Israel, “Blogging enables free expression and easy communication with others.”

During the study, many students opened their blogs up to comments from the online community. Students sharing their difficulties with the public improved their self-esteem, anxiety, emotional distress, and positive social behaviors the most.

If you know someone who is dealing with social distress, anxiety, or another mental illness, Pasadena Villa can help. We provide full medical treatment, psychiatric therapy, medication management, life skills training, and aftercare via our safe, friendly locations in Orlando, Florida and the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. Call 877-845-5235 or contact us online for more information about our residential mental health programs.

Toddlers with depressed mothers are more likely than other kids to develop behavior problems as they get older. Behavioral issues, such as being overly aggressive, hyperactive, or withdrawn, can be reduced if the child spends a few hours a day in daycare, study shows.

The new study followed 438 Australian mothers and their children from infancy until the kids were 5 years old. As little as half a day of childcare a week appears to significantly reduce the risk of toddlers exhibiting behavioral problems at age 5. When mothers had reoccurring symptoms of depression, their toddlers were twice as likely to act out and four times as likely to be sad or depressed themselves.

According to a study covered in this article from Today Parenting, author Lynne Giles, Ph.D. at the School of Population Health and Clinical Practice at the University of Adelaide in South Australia, there are several ways in which childcare may buffer some of the effects of maternal depression on child behavior.

“First, some respite from the maternal role for mothers with depression may help the mothers fulfill their parenting role when they are with their toddler,” said Giles. “Second, toddlerhood is a time when social interactions are very important developmentally. So day care may also help to fill a socialization role of depressed mothers.”

Other psychiatry experts say this premise makes sense.

“A mom needs a break- it’s good for everyone’s health,” said Dr. C Neill Epperson, professor and vice chair of Department of Psychiatry at Emory University.

Dr. Margaret Stuber, professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles believes depression can hobble a mom’s ability to give a toddler what she needs to develop into a healthy preschooler.

“Toddlers need someone who is able to respond to their emotional outbursts,” said Stuber. “Someone who can help them understand their feelings and how to regulate them.”

If you know someone who is dealing with clinical depression, anxiety or another mental illness, Pasadena Villas can help. We provide full medical treatment, psychiatric therapy, medication management, life skills training, and aftercare in via our safe, friendly locations in Orlando, Florida and the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. Call 877-845-5235 or contact us online for more information about our residential mental health programs.

“Recovery” from a mental illness is an emotionally charged term that, unfortunately, can be difficult to define, due to the current social stigma about mental disorders. Fortunately, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has been aggressively promoting the need to advance the nation’s behavioral health and reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

Through the Recovery Support Strategic Initiative, SAMHSA announced a new working definition of what “recovery” means to those suffering from mental illnesses or substance abuse: “A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.”

The importance of this definition is twofold:

1. it recognizes there are many different pathways to recovery and each individual determines his or her own way
2. it reinforces prior legal mandates within the Americans with Disabilities Act that all Americans deserve a high-quality and  satisfying life in the community

In addition, SAMHSA met with several leaders and providers in the mental health community to promote the 4 key tenants behind the new definition:

1. Health: overcoming or managing one’s disease(s) as well as living in a physically and emotionally healthy way;
2. Home: a stable and safe place to live;
3. Purpose: meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income and resources to participate in society; and
4. Community: relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.

The overall message to Americans, especially those within the mental health community, is that “recovery” is holistic, requiring support in growth in body, mind, spirit, and community.

Pasadena Villa similarly believes every person can live a happy, productive and healthy life. We prepare our clients for life outside of any treatment program via our Social Integration Model. If you or someone you care for needs residential mental health treatment, please call 877.845.5235 or contact us online to speak to someone today.

Mental illnesses and disabilities can be a difficult subject in the workplace. But a recent Employment Issues Symposium, held in Nashville, Tennessee, stressed the importance of treating mental health the same as physicial health when the topic of work performance and disability arises.

HR Daily Advisor offers some insights into how to approach employees suffering from a mental illness or other disability. Above all, they stress to managers not to call anyone “crazy,” but to rather, work through the problem and look for ways to assist employees who need help.

Experts increasingly acknowledge that work is a key factor in supporting mental wellness. So, for those who have suffered from mental illness, meaningful employment is an essential part of the recovery process. Remember that, while employers have the right to a productive employee, employees have the the right to work in a safe environment, free from discrimination and harassment.

If you or someone you care for suffers from clinical depression, anxiety, or another mental illness, please call us at 877-845-5235 or contact us online. We provide full medical treatment, psychiatric therapy, medication management, life skills training, and aftercare via our safe, friendly locations in Orlando, Florida and the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. We believe every person can live a happy, productive and healthy life; every client has the ability to learn, grow and recover.

Autism Spectrum Disorders affect 1 in 110 U.S. children, impacting 13 million families. (The term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) encompasses the three branches of the autism disorder: Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).) Parents not only feel overwhelmed when it comes to finding resources for their kids, they also often find that their Facebook friends can’t relate when it comes to autism.

These parents of children with autism have a new source of online support in the form of myautismteam.com. The new social network connects parents and allies who understand the difficulties and rewards of raising a child with autism.

The site was launched by MyHealthTeams.com founder and chief executive Eric Peacock in June of this year and as of December 8, has over 13,000 members. Peacock wanted to give parents a place where they can find not only medical information, but also local services, such as barbers, and other community resources that are autism-friendly.

“Our mission is simple,” says Peacock. “When you or a loved one are diagnosed with autism, it should be easy to find the best people around to help you.” Peacock describes the site as, “a kind of combination of Yelp and Facebook, to make it easy to find parents who have been in your shoes and to find great providers.”

Emily Ybarra, of Orem, Utah, whose son Cruise, 4, has autism, joined myautismteam.com in September. “If I’m having a particularly difficult day with my son, the only place I can really vent is on that Web site because everyone knows what I’m going through,” said Ybarra. “On Facebook the majority of my friends don’t have kids on the spectrum, so if I start complaining about something I get all kinds of unsolicited advice from people who have no idea what I’m going through. You get to the point where you don’t want to share that kind of thing on Facebook.”

Pasadena Villa^® provides mental health residential and transitional services for adults with cognitive, emotional and social disorders, including Asperger’s Syndrome. We provide full medical treatment, psychiatric therapy, medication management, life skills training, and aftercare in via our safe, friendly locations in Orlando, Florida and the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. Call 877-845-5235 or contact us online for more information about our residential mental health programs.

The winter holiday season, including New Years, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Thanksgiving, is an emotionally charged time of year. Unfortunately for many people, those emotions include sadness, loneliness, and anxiety. It’s easy for the season to take its toll on mental health, even for those who do not suffer from a mental illness. Headaches, excessive drinking, overeating, arguments, and insomnia are common consequences of holiday stress.

Many mental health therapists believe  symptoms of anxiety and depression worsen this time of year because people are unable to say “no” to all of the extra demands on their time, finances, and energy. The Mayo Clinic can help you take control of the holidays with this set of tips to prevent holiday stress and depression.

If you or a loved one is dealing with extreme anxiety and depression or another mental illness, Pasadena Villa can provide the healing environment and tools to help. We also offer medication management and a variety of therapy programs all designed to promote social integration. Pasadena Villa’s mental health facilities include adult residential treatment centers in Orlando and Tennessee, as well as transitional living. Please call 877.845.5235 or contact us online to speak to someone today.

Winter is fully upon us. Hours of sunlight are at a minimum and the weather can often become gloomy. For people suffering from depression, it can be a difficult time of year, as many physical strategies – such as engaging in outdoor activities on warm, sunny days  –  for managing the mental illness are no longer available. The holidays bring additional layers of stress, fatigue, financial constraints, and conflict among family and friends. Even those who do not suffer from clinical depression can find themselves falling victim to headaches, excessive drinking, over-eating, and lack of sleep.

From counteracting the depressive effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder to devising mental challenges that boost the mood, Psych Central offers 12 Winter Depression Busters for good mental health this holiday season.

The holidays are no reason to avoid the challenges of mental illness. If you are the caretaker or family member of an adult or young person with clinical depression, anxiety, or another mental illness, please call us at 877-845-5235 or contact us online. We provide full medical treatment, psychiatric therapy, medication management, life skills training, and aftercare via our safe, friendly locations in Orlando, Florida and the Tennessee Smoky Mountains.

“The job was gone, the gun was loaded, and a voice was saying, ‘You’re a waste, give up now, do it now.’”

When life presents its unfortunate twists and turns, it is often too much for some to bear. Joe Holt, an entrepreneur from Missouri, understands this feeling all too well. Fired from his first consulting job, Holt quickly became consumed with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. As he sat with his wife Patsy, who attempted to console her husband, Holt was hiding the gun he intended to turn on himself from her view.

“She says, ‘Joe, I know you feel like quitting, but what if tomorrow is the day you get what you want?’ And walks out. I sat there staring at that gun for an hour at least, and finally decided — never again. It can never be an option. Patsy deserves for me to be trying.” Holt, 50 years old and diagnosed with schizophrenia, now manages his mental illness with the help of his wife. For many who suffer with mental illness, prescribed medication is simply not enough to effectively treat their symptoms.

“If you’re going to focus on recovery, you might want to ask those who’ve actually recovered what it is they’re doing,” says Frederick J. Frese III, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine who has written about his own struggles with schizophrenia. “Certainly, traditional medicine has not worked very well for many of us. That’s why we’ve had to learn so many survival tricks on our own.”

Read more about Joe Holt and his journey through life with schizophrenia in the New York Times.

English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, and film director Stephen Fry is the picture of success. And he is bipolar, something that was diagnosed until he was 37 and suffered a frightening brush with deep depression and suicidal feelings. Fry disappeared for a week and when he reappeared he sought treatment for his mental illness. He has gone on to become an advocate for mental health in Great Britain.

Fry talks of life of a young man and the deep loathing he had of himself because he couldn’t understand the darkness inside of himself. And yet the other side, the mania, fed his creativity and propelled him to a hugely successful career. Even today he struggles to give up that self that feeds that creativity.

Nearly 15 percent, or 2,000, of those with bipolar disorder in the U.K. commit suicide each year. Fry works to draw attention to the disorder and to diminish the stigma surrounding mental illness and encourages others to seek treatment and improve their lives.

Are you caring for a loved one with bipolar disorder or another mental illness? Pasadena Villa^® offers psychiatric therapy, medication management, life skills training, and aftercare in via our safe, friendly locations in Orlando, Florida and the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. We treat a variety of mental illnesses in our adult residential facilities — among the clinical diagnoses we treat are schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, schizoaffective disorder, asperger’s syndrome, and autism spectrum disorders. Call 877-845-5235 or contact us online for more information about our residential mental health programs.

The words “inpatient rehabilitation” may sound intimidating, but for many patients, the experience turns out to be one of the best things to happen to them. Inpatient rehab may be ideal for young adults with mental health disorders requiring longer term care and who may also be present with a drug or alcohol addiction.

The inpatient setting provides an opportunity for personalized care provided by highly experienced staff, which is qualified and licensed. Many residents find this kind of environment “safe” and even a haven from the difficulties of the “real” world while they heal, recover and begin to learn important life skills and readjust to the outside world.

In addition to twenty-four hour professional care, often the company of others with similar issues and situations is helpful to residents. Being surrounded by other residents provides a sense of not being alone or not being the only one in the world with “problems.”

Watching residents gain skills and confidence in themselves as they move through their program and recovery is rewarding for them, their families, and the staff.

Pasadena Villa is an adult residential treatment facility that caters to individuals with bipolar syndrome, dual diagnosis, and other challenging mental illnesses,. Our mental health programs strongly feature the Social Integration Model, which immerses clients into real life activities within the community. We also offer medication management and traditional and group therapies. Pasadena Villa ‘s mental health facilities include adult residential treatment centers in Orlando andTennessee, as well as transitional living. Please call 877.845.5235 or contact us online to speak to someone today.