To a very young neglected child the world can seem a very scary place. In many ways anxiety is simply part of growing up. Children may be frightened about starting school, or moving to a new home in a different neighborhood, or even falling ill and having to visit aContinue Reading
When people abuse drugs or alcohol they begin to notice small physical changes. Some subtle signs include sudden weight change, slurred speech, facial puffiness and bloodshot eyes. As the months go by, illness becomes more frequent. Small unexplained bruises and abrasions appear. The individual becomes accident prone, both in andContinue Reading
Twenty percent of Americans suffer from depression during their teen years, but as many as one-half go undiagnosed, and as few as one-third actually receive some form of treatment. Recent studies show the suicide rate for young people in the United States has increased by 70 percent in the lastContinue Reading
Is my child gifted? How does a parent spot an unusually bright child? Early signs of giftedness are not always “intellectual.” Giftedness can be either the possession of a high I.Q. or special talents or aptitudes, such as creativity. The following signs may reveal that your child is gifted: AnContinue Reading
How does parental neglect, family disruption and day-care affect a child? What happens when circumstances prevent a child from forming close attachments? This is the saddest area of psychology. Babies raised in institutions, without stimulation, attention or love by a regular parent, or locked away in an abusive, neglected conditionContinue Reading
According to psychoanalyst Erik Erikson (1902-1994), during the fifth stage of human development – adolescent through young adult years – we struggle with identity issues. This is the time when we develop a sense of who we are, i.e., our self-image. In many cases it becomes “self-images.” New Problems ConfusedContinue Reading
Online gaming was officially recognized as a mental illness by the World Health Orgahization (WHO) in June, 2018, adding it to the International Classification of Diseases according to Newsweek Magazine. For Online Gaming Disorder to be considered an addiction, the condition must extend beyond normal playing, to a point whereContinue Reading
It’s a fact that parents think they know what their teenage children are up to. But in most two-parent homes, both of them work and many have more than one job, making supervision a low priority. In homes with just one parent, there is even less supervision. Some surveys showContinue Reading
As appalling it is to hear about adults hurting, degrading and neglecting a helpess child, even more disgraceful is the sexual abuse perpetrated on a child by a parent or caretaker. Sexual abuse refers to using a child for sexual purposes. The practice can involve simple fondling, to oral, analContinue Reading
The term pedophile, as well as all sexual activities, is controversial when included in the published mental health disorder categories, creating an environment in which an increasing number of human behaviors is open to being declared deviant. Diagnosis The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5), publishedContinue Reading