Self Care

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. — experiences mental illness in a given year. Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life. For children aged 8–15, the estimate is 13%. Jennie Dopp, the Development Coordinator for the Utah Parent Center, joins us to talk about ADHD, ADD, and Dyslexia.

Examining the why behind cultural beliefs and attitudes toward mental health.

The social stigma surrounding mental illness is very real. What would happen if we changed our perspective on mental illness and how we treat it?

Dona Matthews, Ph.D., psychologist, author Although some emotional withdrawal can be expected as children mature into teens, it may be hard to notice more serious warning signs of mental health issues that go beyond the average teenage angst. Dona Matthews shares how to recognize indicators of mental health problems and how to strengthen your relationship with your teenager.

The United Nations says more than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas and that figure is rising quickly. On the one hand, urbanization brings modern benefits for quality of life and access to services. On the other, people who live in cities are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders, depression and even schizophrenia. Researchers at Stanford University have been looking into the power of nature to mitigate those mental illnesses and published some intriguing evidence in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Greg Bratman is a doctoral student at the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources at Stanford University.

This episode features stories about living with anxiety and depression.

Guest: Dr. Jeffrey L. Metzner, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado. Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper and rapist Brian David Mitchell is serving a life sentence in prison. But Wanda Barzee – Smart’s other captor – has just been released from prison. Barzee received a 15-year sentence for pleading guilty but mentally ill to her role in the 2002 crime. While in prison, the state parole board says Barzee refused mental health evaluation. Even so, the board determined she had served her time and they couldn’t keep her any longer. Elizabeth Smart and her family believe Barzee is still a danger and implored officials to reconsider. How is it that someone who admits mental illness underlying a serious crime – and maybe even gets a more lenient sentence as a result of that – can refuse treatment while in prison and then be released back into the public?

How can we grow despite mental illness?

Spending a lot of time on social media seems to be linked with suicidal thoughts in teenaged girls.

Training your brain like an athlete trains their body

Statistics say that 1 in 4 people have mental illness. And 1 in 25 suffer so badly from it that it disrupts their professional and personal life. Many suffer in silence. They’re afraid or ashamed to tell others, for fear of the stigma. Rachel visits with young adult novelist, Robison Wells, about his journey through mental illness, and, the passion he has for speaking out on the subject, especially in his books, articles, and social media. Robison Wells is the award-winning author of Blackout, Variant, Airships of Camelot and others. Robison lives in the Rocky Mountains in a house not too far from elk pastures. His wife, Erin, he says, is a better person than he will ever be, and their three kids cause mischief and/or joy. Wells suffers from five mental illnesses, as you will hear him explain, and is an outspoken advocate for others like him.

We share ways that you can look after your children's mental health.

Tips for overcoming social anxiety

Guest: Sonia Bishop, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at UC Berkeley  We all get a little anxious from time to time. Some 40 million adults in America experience something more than a “touch of nerves” on occasion – they have full-fledged anxiety disorders, such as phobias or panic attacks. And here’s a bit of bad news for those people – new research published in the journal Nature Neuroscience shows anxious people are more inclined to make bad decisions when faced with uncertainty.

Have you ever wonder what are the differences between ADHD and Anxiety?

Guest: Carrie Wrigley, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Morning Light Counseling About 3 in 10 American adults will have an anxeity disorder at some point in their lives, according to the National Insitute of Mental Health. When anxiety strikes, your mind can start to race, chest can constrict, and breathing can shallow. Many people that experience anxiety feel they've completely lost control. Counselor Carrie Wrigley has some advice to help you or your child overcome anxiety.

Research says that 3 in 5 college students have felt “overwhelming anxiety” within the last year. While it used to hardly be recognized as a serious issue, anxiety is now a widespread epidemic, and it looks like college students might be the most at risk. Dr. Jared Warren is a psychology professor at Brigham Young University, and he joins us to talk about this more.

Taking risks, facing anxiety.

It'd be nice to have friends, but it can be hard to make them!

How Creative Can You Be Under Pressure?

If you feel more recharged after spending the evening at home with a book than you do after a night out with friends, that’s a good indication that you’re an introvert. But if the thought of going to a party with a noisy crowd makes you freeze in fear, you’re probably experiencing something more than just introversion or shyness. Social anxiety is the third most common psychological disorder, after depression and alcoholism. Dr. Ellen Hendriksen joins us to talk about how introversion and social anxiety relate, how to face your anxious fears, and how to be yourself. Dr. Ellen Hendriksen is a clinical psychologist at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. She is the host of the podcast “Savvy Psychologist,” and the author of the book How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critics and Rise Above Social Anxiety.

It’s important to catch anxiety issues early in life.

Clinical psychologist Ellen Hendriksen answers all of our questions about social anxiety and how to be your authentic self in social settings.

Nearly half of American women will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.

Kamini Wood shares her advice on facing our fears and anxieties.

Eti Ben-Simon of Univ of California on sleep and anxiety.

Can we change negatives feelings into positives?

How can parents make schools a safe haven for their children?