This blog is written by the clinicians at Jonah Green and Associates, a mental health practice based in Kensington, MD that provides quality services for children, teens, families, and adults. It is intended as a resource for families who are seeking to expand their knowledge about mental health and mental health services, and also as a resource for families who are seeking quality mental health services, especially in the mid-Atlantic region. Please feel free to post questions and comments on any of the entries as well as on any topics or articles from our companion web site www.childandfamilymentalhealth.com.
Sometimes we realize it immediately. Oops, I just knocked that glass off the table and now there’s water everywhere.
Sometimes we realize it only after someone points it out to us. “That wasn’t a very nice thing to say.”
However we realize it, making mistakes can be painful. We may feel guilty or embarrassed, and struggle with how to make things right. We may be tempted to ignore our mistake, rationalize our behavior, or perhaps blame someone else.
You might be the most optimistic, affectionate pregnant couple right up until the moment your baby is born. The months after your first child’s birth, however, may be one of the most difficult periods of your or any couple’s life. Problematic communication patterns that couples that they had worked through may return, sometimes with more intensity than ever. This phenomenon is well documented in the scientific literature, and there are many films about it (Two days in New York, Knocked Up …). And yet, new parents often feel unprepared when it happens to them. These new parents are relieved to hear that it is normal to feel exhausted and disoriented in your new role as a parent. And it is also completely normal to fight more with your partner during the postpartum period.
Avoidance is a natural response to fear and anxiety. Fear is adaptive and serves as an alarm to move us out of harm’s way. Many stressors, such as running across a busy street or scaling a tall building, should be avoided. Each time we successfully stay safe, our brain rewards us with a flood of relief; we survived, and we like that feeling.
Your child is sitting down to take an exam. His teacher or professor walks by, drops the test on his desk, and he immediately starts to panic. His palms are sweaty, and he cannot seem to remember any of the content he studied. His heart is beating quickly, and he’s starting to feel light-headed. He cannot seem to figure out why this always happens when he sits down to take a test. Does this sound like a familiar scenario for your child? If the answer is yes, the cause might be test anxiety.
Every year my in-laws, the Gundersons, host the Gundy Undie Run. The premise is that friends and family who are brave enough run a race in the dark, cold night on Christmas Eve… wearing only their underwear. It’s a tradition that brings some fun and humor to the holidays. The holidays are supposed to be filled with joy and celebration, right? However, for people who have lost loved ones, the excitement of the holidays can often be accompanied by feelings of sadness and loneliness.
