Perfectionism, or the tendency to want to do everything flawlessly, is often associated with increased stress and anxiety. Perfectionism combines excessively high personal standards (“I have to do my best at everything”), as well as feelings of failure if the person falls short of those benchmarks. Oftentimes, our need to be perfect stems from fear. […]
“Just like our fingerprints, people are all different. It’s no surprise that we learn differently too.” The above explanation is one that I often provide to young people when they are diagnosed as having learning disabilities. I also explain to them that most of the time, our schools teach the most common, and sometimes the […]
This blog-post is addressing a serious and potentially controversial topic: spanking. It’s a tough thing to talk about, so thank you for being brave and reading this article. New research regarding spanking has been in the news recently, with two ground-breaking studies in the last month. As a result, as a Clinical Child and Adolescent […]
So, you and your child completed the very long process a Dyslexia evaluation and diagnosis. You take a deep breath, and then realize, “What do I do now?” If you or someone you love is in this situation, you are not alone. Not only is obtaining an accurate diagnosis a difficult one, but helping your […]
ADHD can mean a lot of different things for different people. Some may be more restless, hyperactive, fidgeting, and constantly on the move. Others may seem constantly one step behind, not seem to listen to what you’re saying, forget things, lose track of things, and always be off-task. Some may have a combination of these, […]
Being a kid with social anxiety isn’t easy. As adults, many of us still have difficulty sitting down at a table and introducing ourselves to a group of strangers. In fact, many of us can say that if given the choice, we would likely choose not to be in that situation. Remember that your child […]
May is Mental Health Awareness month. There are so many great organizations out there that are championing this cause, and pressing for understanding, awareness, and treatment of mental health disorders, including www.breakthestigma.org and www.nami.org. Please consider visiting these sites, and sharing them widely. We at Hope Springs are passionate about bringing awareness and empathy to […]
…the CDC estimates that, in general, 50% of people are not compliant with medications. The findings are even more concerning for mental health. 80-90% of adults who are prescribed medication for ADHD do not take ADHD medication regularly, even though medications are prescribed daily on a long-term basis. Similarly, 50-75% of adults are non-compliant with antidepressant medications. The research by the CDC directly linked non-adherence to medication to 50% of treatment failure, and up to 125,000 deaths annually. That’s a life every 4 minutes. In summary, not taking medication as prescribed is a big deal and it’s dangerous.
Threats to school safety are an increasingly common fear. Many parents have expressed concerns on how to respond to lock-downs, threats, and reports of violence at their child’s school. Given the high number of reports of school violence in the last number of years, as well as the 24-hour news coverage of these events, people are understandably […]
Many children experience anxiety from time to time In fact, there is evidence to suggest that the number of children with anxiety disorders continues to increase over time, as well as the intensity of anxiety symptoms. Many things contribute to the stress children experience today. Our culture demands more time and energy from both children […]
Sandy is a mother of three children. She frequently feels overwhelmed and like she cannot balance the responsibilities of her life, her work, and her family. Even though her spouse is involved and supportive, her house is very cluttered and disorganized. She cannot find her keys or her phone, often losing them several times a […]
Many times, children with ADHD have difficulty adjusting to the school environment. Their symptoms can make school more difficult for them than for other students. Oftentimes, when working with the school, there are things that teachers and parents can discuss as accommodations to help children with ADHD cope better in the classroom. Here are some […]
