Tightening the Hinges Self-care is not being selfish. In fact, it is essential for balancing work and our personal life. Self-care can include learning or practicing a new skill, dabbling in your hobby, or taking care of yourself by taking time for yourself. Self-care is what we do to keep ourselves from reaching a crisis[…..]
By Savanna Woods Transitioning from an adolescent to an adult is an exciting, scary, and overwhelming experience. Being a young adult means gaining more responsibilities, trying to fit in with peers, striving to succeed in school, and developing deeper emotions. All while being bombarded with parents’ expectations and the need to feel accepted. Being a[…..]
Our pre-installed electrical system: how psychotherapy can change genetic expression Many have probably heard by now of how genetics has a profound influence on our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, or simply put, our mental health. This is a fact. Yet another part that is equally important is how an experience plays a large part in[…..]
How to build a healthy foundation: Self-Evaluation Self awareness and evaluation is the key to the stable foundation of good mental health. For me, the development of my own self-evaluation has been my favorite tactic for early detection of mental struggle. I created this early assessment after several episodes of poor mental health. This proactive[…..]
How to provide the needed support 1 in 54 children has Autism Spectrum Disorder and 1 in 6 have been diagnosed with a developmental disability. As these numbers continue to grow, it’s so important that teachers have the tools they need to support these students and help them learn, academically and socially. With a quick[…..]
1 in 54 babies born each year have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism is a neurodevelopment disorder that affects the brain in specific ways. These specific manners can range from highly functional to lower functional spectrum with social and emotional aspects of life. Autism impacts how the brain interprets social emotional inputs. I have always[…..]
I cannot imagine not eating for the taste or textures of certain foods. I enjoy baking and sharing food with others. In fact, Thanksgiving is my favorite tradition because of the gathering and the various foods available. Gathering around food is a large part of my family’s culture. Although disordered eating is not a mental[…..]
The Mental Health Association of East Tennessee is dedicated to the promotion of mental health awareness, wellness and recovery in our communities. Simply stated, our mission is to help others get help and support them in their journeys. But mental health recovery is not easy. It is not straightforward and it is not always fun.[…..]
No one is really prepared for the first time they see their loved one struggling with the consequences of a drug addiction. For me, it was Thanksgiving 3 years ago. For both myself and my parents, it brought a string of very intense and unfamiliar emotions. Concern for my brother. Fear for his health. His[…..]
Psychosocial Support One of the most rewarding actions I do is supporting friends and family with mental health and substance use disorders. In my experience, lending a hand of psychosocial support is an important element in the process of change or recovery. More importantly, you do not have to be a mental health professional. The[…..]
1+1=2 + Relationship = 3. This is math according to Marital and Family Therapists, relational therapists. Relationships are the key component of healing. In fact, our brain is wired to be social, states Psychologist, Dr. Louis Cozolino. We need relationships to thrive and grow, like a plant needs sunlight and water to survive. It is[…..]
During the holiday season, it can be challenging to constantly see advertisements of joyful people posted everywhere and not compare yourself to them. If someone is struggling with a mental illness, the emotions they are feeling may not match what they think they’re supposed to feel around the holidays. This may also be true for[…..]
It’s that time of year! Despite how unpredictable and stressful 2020 has been, the holidays are here, and the end of the year is drawing near. For some of us, the holidays are more stressful than enjoyable. We are all dealing with the challenge of keeping holiday traditions alive, while being safe and not putting[…..]
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network works diligently to raise awareness, offer support, and host events to shed light on the issue at hand. In any given year, Tennessee loses more than 1,100 men, women, and children to suicide, more than are lost to homicide, drunk driving, or AIDS. Suicide[…..]
Building positive support systems is key to self-care. These support systems could be shaped by anyone of importance within your life, especially friends and family. When something bad happens, we want to rest assured that we have people in our corner. During Mental Health 101, when talking about caring for our friends effectively, I always[…..]
Hello, I’m Cameron; I use he/him/his pronouns and I’m a trans guy living in Knoxville. Four years ago I found myself sitting in a Very Professional Psychologist’s office, complete with a leather couch, dark stained wood, bookcase full of very serious books. Said psychologist spent most of the 45 minute session talking about his experience[…..]
The Mental Health Association of East Tennessee believes that racism undermines mental health and we are committed to equal access to behavioral health services for all persons in our community. This is a position we have firmly embraced and use as motivation and inspiration in these challenging times. Why are these challenging times? Communities of[…..]
While there are numerous ways that we can speak about the factors that play into developing the disease of addiction, focusing on the recovery process allows for the sharing of hope and recognition that recovery is possible for so many.
When I think about mental health and masculinity I can only think of a couple of words: fear and anger. Stick with me because I promise I have a reason to use those words specifically. Let’s think about traditional masculinity for a moment. Men are taught to be a lot of things: stoic, “tough as[…..]
Dyslexia is hard to explain. Most people think dyslexia is a learning disorder that causes people to see letters backwards or that it causes letters to seem as if they are floating around on the page making it hard to read. That’s not what dyslexia is like. This is the current definition: “Dyslexia is a[…..]
The Mental Health Association offers all services to eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin or disability.
