There has recently been a lot of coverage about how social media is negatively affecting today’s youth. Late last year, the cover of Time magazine was titled, “Anxiety, Depression and the American Adolescent”. Clearly, the advancement of technology is something that impacts us all. Time’s article highlights how modern technology, virtual reality and over-stimulation are some of the more meaningful reasons why anxiety and depression have become so prevalent among teens.
If you’re worried that your teen is addicted to social media and uses it define themselves, this article is for you.
Below you’ll find 5 ways social media is affecting kids and what you can do about it.
- Working HARD to maintain an online identity
The article highlighted a teenager with 17 Facebook accounts. Can you imagine the time and effort it takes to use that many accounts simultaneously? Let alone, remembering all of the details of your new online personality. What people see online is what others want them to see.People who are dedicated to crafting a new personality online are able to create a “made-up” version…
Read more: 5 Ways Social Media Has Increased Anxiety & Depression for Kids Today
Don't lose hope! You CAN beat your addiction.
Addiction treatment today has a one size fits all mentality. Insurance companies will only reimburse those institutions that follow the 12-step model of Alcoholics Anonymous. If you've known anyone who has gone to a substance abuse treatment facility, you've probably heard the gripe that they're forced to partake in the 12-step model of recovery.
This means joining AA or NA, which, for some, just isn't a good fit. In many cases, they're told this is the only way to truly recover. But this narrow approach has failed many — forcing an addict to do anything is a recipe for disaster.
Instead, educate the individual and let them make an informed decision. As someone who's worked in inpatient and outpatient drug treatment settings, I believe there are other ways to recover from addiction. I developed a program called Transformative Recovery based on these 11 tenants:
1. The Desire To Change
No matter what program or situation you put yourself in, if you don’t want to change, you won'…
In my practice I focus on solutions. One of the best things we can do to improve our well being is to have a routine focused on positivity and progress. Today I will give you 5 things you can do in the morning to be happier and thrive.
- Morning meditation - Every morning I like to meditate to start my day off and clear the cobwebs. This could be walking, sitting, standing, breathing. There are so many different ways to meditate. You don’t need to be sitting crosslegged in the lotus position. I like to listen to music while walking my dog before the sun rises. I enjoy watching the animals and day come to life while pondering life and the day ahead. I am able to get centered and that is how I want to start my day.
- Do something for yourself. - Whether it is to make a special kind of coffee, instagram, make love to your partner do something that makes you feel good. I have 2 reading rituals I do most mornings, both take less than five minutes. One is a daily reflection from a book of positive quotes, the other is a deck of cards…
Read more: How to start your day off right and change your life
Sometimes we feel life keeps handing us lemons and we want to give up. This can be an opportunity to change our perspective and grow. There is an exercise I like to use and have shared with many client’s. When I feel like something is a problem or a mistake it is important to reframe it and turn a negative into a positive. The exercise is called, "Look for the Lesson and the Gift" and can be found in Marci Shimoff’s book, Happy for No Reason Try it and see what it can do for you. Soon, it will become second nature and automatically done in your mind.
Look for the Lesson and the Gift
- Sit quietly by yourself close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
- Recall a specific situation that has caused you to feel wronged or to blame others. Picture the person or people involved, the setting, and what was said or done.
- Imagine taking several steps back and observing the situation from a distance, as though you were watching a movie on a screen.
- What part of what happened can you take responsibility for? Did you ignore signs tha…
What is TIR? (Traumatic Incident Reduction)
- Rapid method of effectively reducing trauma
- It involves re-experiencing past traumas in a completely safe environment, free of distractions, judgments, or interpretations.
- When something happens that is physically or emotionally painful, one has the option of either confronting it fully and feeling the pain, or trying in some way to block one's awareness of it.
- Unexamined, unresolved past events tie up our energy and intention.
- Traumatic Incident Reduction provides a safe space and the means to fully examine that which had been blocked.
- A past incident loses its ability to hurt us at the point where we have looked it through and through.
- In the process, we release our resistance and the painful emotion and negative thought patterns contained in that past trauma.
What is EMDR?
EMDR consists of the following processes:
- Evidence-based psychotherapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) treatment of other psychiatric disorders, mental health problems, and somatic symptoms.
- EMDR facilitates the resumption of normal information processing and integration.
- Targets past experience, current triggers, and future potential challenges.
- Results in the alleviation of presenting symptoms
- A decrease or elimination of distress from the disturbing memory,
- Improved view of the self, relief from bodily disturbance
- Resolution of present and future anticipated triggers.
Read more: EMDR(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)