Month: November 2021

How Social Media Affects Mental Health

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

By Jillian Hoff

In a world where most individuals are obsessively using social media, it can be detrimental to a person’s mental health.  Some of the most common symptoms that come from excessive use of social media include an increase in anxiety, depression, isolation, and fear of missing out (FOMO). Humans need social interaction, which can be given through social media but only to an extent. Humans need an in person social interaction with the people around them to feel connected. There is a reliance on social media to be able to connect with others now, especially during the pandemic. The convenience that comes from using social media may seem like it is beneficial but it the overuse of it can be the reason for your decline in mental health.

How to know when social media is affecting your mental health:

  • You start spending more time on social media than with your friends in person.
  • You compare yourself to others on social media.
  • You find yourself being distracted while you are at work or school.
  • Using social media is disrupting you sleep.

Ways to improve on mental health after a social media addiction:

  • Turn off your phone at certain times of the day.
  • Keep your phone or tablet in a different room when you are completing a task or going to bed.
  • Use social media in an active way instead of passively. This means you are using social media for a purpose.
  • Take on a new hobby or adventure to new places as a means of meeting new people and getting off of your phone.
  • Interact with others when you go somewhere instead of sitting on your phone.

Know when to put down your phone, it will make all the difference in your mental health!

If you or someone you know is seeking therapy, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Sources

https://www.riseservices.org/the-impact-of-social-media-on-mental-health/

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm

Eating Disorders Part 3: Eating Disorders in the LGBTQ Community

GalleryJudy Gurfein 1 Comment
By: Abby Erasmus

Members of the LGBTQ community experience an array of challenges that pose as risk factors in developing an eating disorder. Many members of the community experience fear of rejection from individuals they are close with and those outside their immediate circle; they often experience verbal or non- verbal violence, PTSD, discrimination, inability to meet the body image ideals within some LGBTQ contexts, internalized homophobia or transphobia, and more. These negative experiences can lead to depression or anxiety, which in turn can result in unhealthy coping mechanisms like an eating disorder. Past research indicates that about 54% of LGBT adolescents have been diagnosed with a full blown eating disorder (ED), and an additional 21% of LGBT adolescents reported they suspected having had an ED at some point in their lives. Further, about 61% of LGBT adolescents in one study reported that they had engaged in at least one disordered eating behavior in the past year. These statistics emphasize the importance of learning about the diverse, root causes of EDs within the community and how they manifest.

EDs manifest differently in the sub- groups of the LGBTQ community, and are experienced at higher rates compared to their straight or cis- gendered counterparts. In one study, adult and adolescent lesbians reported more binge eating, purging, and laxative use than their heterosexual counterparts, as well as the highest rate of binge- eating compared to any other sexual orientation. Lesbian women also report the highest rates of weight- based self- worth, while bisexual women have been found to report the highest levels of eating pathology compared to lesbian and gay men. Further, gay men report a higher likelihood of engaging in exercise with the intention of losing weight, restrictive eating, fasting, bingeing, purging, and diet pill use compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Lastly, transgender and gender- nonconforming youth seem to be at particular risk for developing an ED; this is due to all risk factors mentioned above, as well as conflicting gender identity and being dissatisfied with their body.

Despite these findings and the clear prevalence rate of such pathology within the community, and increased rates in relation to their straight/ cis- gendered counterparts, many members do not seek help. Many LGBTQ individuals fear their therapist or doctor won’t understand the unique problems within their community. In order to increase rates of treatment, we need to strive for cultural competency in which providers understand the unique experiences of LGBTQ individuals that can lead to EDs, and what EDs look like within the subgroups of the community.

If you or someone you know is seeking therapy for an eating disorder, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Sources:

https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y

Why Are Eating Disorders More Common in the LGBTQ Community?

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/general-information/lgbtq

https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eat.23257

Unexpected and Unwanted Pregnancy: The Psychological Effects of a Pregnancy One is Not Ready For

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

By: Rebecca Fernandez

Unexpected and unwanted pregnancies can end in one of three ways. The first: The pregnant woman carries the fetus to term and keeps the child, putting her previous life on hold to raise a child into a life that is not ready for them. The second: the pregnant woman carries the fetus to term and gives the child up for adoption after birth – at which point she may have grown extremely attached to them. Finally, the third: the pregnant woman undergoes an abortion.

While none of the above options are desirable, it is important to note that none of them are any more emotionally destructive than the others. Thus, contrary to many pro-life arguments, abortion isn’t a particular source of trauma. Rather, abortion is a solution to the broader traumatic issue of unexpected and unwanted pregnancy.

The impossible choice can leave a woman feeling helpless and alone. All of the options can be painful and traumatic. Whether the specific thoughts and feelings revolve around the woman losing her previous life and anticipated future to take care of a child, losing a child that she grew attached to throughout her pregnancy, or undergoing an abortion and losing the opportunity to raise a child because she isn’t ready, the lasting effects – grief and otherwise – can remain for a very long time. The different regrets – what-ifs, guilt, sorrow, grief, self-hatred, self-doubt, etc. – stemming from any of these choices all have the potential to linger for the rest of the woman’s life.

For anyone presented with this impossible crossroads, the most important thing to remember is that whatever decision you make is valid. There is no magic solution, and the best one of the three options varies with each individual woman’s situation. All of the options can lead to pain and trauma. To move forward with life after this point, it is important to work through your feelings by talking to friends or loved ones. Speaking with a therapist can be extremely beneficial as well. You are not alone – help is out there.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health after an unexpected or unwanted pregnancy, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/199707/the-effects-abortion

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200811/abortion-and-the-emotions-it-brings

https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2006/08/abortion-and-mental-health-myths-and-realities#

Vaping; Vaping Addiction is Becoming More Prevalent in Teenagers and Young Adults

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Vaping; Vaping Addiction is Becoming More Prevalent in Teenagers and Young Adults

By: Priya Desai

Vaping has risen tremendously in the past couple of years, especially within the teenage population.  Patients as young as 13 years old were reported to either get sick or die after they vaped. Products that are harmful to your body would be e-cigarettes that include nicotine, THC, and even vitamin E acetate. Many users started using vapes that contain vitamin E to help them reduce their use or contain their use, but these were recently found to be harmful too. People’s lungs end up looking like popcorn lungs due to vaping. Vaping is linked to EVALI which stands for e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury. Symptoms for this disease include shortness of breath, coughing, vomiting, fever and chills, chest pain, dizziness, headache, and diarrhea. To diagnose this, doctors evaluate the patient’s history of vaping devices and take an X-ray of the chest or a CT scan of the lungs. This disease is newer, and among the cases reported, about 96% of patients have needed to be hospitalized.

Vaping is extremely addictive and many teens smoke this to fit in, but this is also why many of them enter early adulthood with a nicotine addiction. Teenager’s vape out of curiosity. There are a variety of different flavors these products provide, and so the teens often do tricks with the device. Normal cigarette smoking has gone down within the teenage population, but e-cigarettes have gone up because they are “easier” to get away with since there is no odor and they are easier to hide. People are also attracted to the different flavors that stores sell. Although e-cigarettes might not seem that harmful, one pod of liquid nicotine is equivalent to smoking one pack of cigarettes.

If you or someone you know is seeking therapy for a vaping addiction, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Citations: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-matters-menninger/202001/vaping-teens-are-dying-be-cool-and-collected

https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/evali

https://www.rallyhealth.com/quit-smoking/why-do-so-many-teens-vape

Image Citation: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ochd.org%2F2020%2F09%2F18%2Fcdc-study-reveals-teen-vaping-use-down-in 2020%2F&psig=AOvVaw1NH06SDRcHM5tWOL_daimc&ust=1631802234262000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCIDMk6uXgfMCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAM

ADHD in Girls: Suffering in Silence

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

ADHD in Girls: Suffering in Silence

By: Stacey Rodriguez

Generally thought to be a disorder specific to school-aged boys, attention deficit disorder (ADHD) has shown to be relatively prevalent in girls as well. The disorder includes 3 subtypes: hyperactive and impulsive  (HI), inattentive, and combination. ADHD is commonly associated with the HI subtype, which is most commonly exhibited by boys. Contrastingly, girls tend to exhibit the inattentive subtype. By nature, inattentive features are not as overtly obstructive as that of hyperactivity and impulsivity, often causing them to go unnoticed. In fact, studies estimate that 75% of girls with attention deficit disorder never get diagnosed. Additionally, it is theorized that societal norms, such as gender roles, might also be a factor in this disparity; since many overt characteristics of ADHD do not align with female gender norms, such as the tendency to be disorganized or interrupt others speaking, girls with the disorder tend to suppress the tell tale signs. 

The result of undiagnosed attention deficit disorder can be detrimental, as it can lead to mental health consequences in adulthood. This is largely due to the fact that girls tend to internalize mistakes. This internalization leads to negative internal dialogues, which puts girls with ADHD at higher risk for eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and depression. It is imperative to be aware of the ways in which the disorder manifests differently in girls. For example,

A girl with ADHD might:

-be more more easily irritated, or sensitive to certain sounds/feelings

-talk significantly more than her peers and often interrupt others

-struggle to commit to completing tasks or activities

-often make “careless” errors

-seem to be especially disorganized

-tend to be forgetful

If you or someone you know is seeking therapy for attention deficit disorder, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Source: https://www.cfpsych.org/blog/what-parents-need-to-know-about-adhd-in-girls/

Image Source: https://psychbc.com/blog/adhd-is-different-for-girls-what-families-need-to-know