Do you have someone in your life that you know needs some extra encouragement this year? Mother’s day is usually a day that most women are celebrated by their kids, family and friends. Unfortunately, some women don’t always receive the love and support that they really need. Some women are going through tough trials and situations, and they’re in need...[ read more ]
What happens when the police are called to handle a mental health emergency? And is the current coronavirus pandemic affecting their response? In today’s podcast, Gabe interviews Sergeant Matt Harris, a supervisor in the Mobile Crisis Response Unit at the Columbus, Ohio Police Department, to shed some light on an officer’s point of view during a mental health call. Sgt....[ read more ]
I have a 15-year-old son who is on the autism spectrum. He is in his first year of high school. For the beginning part of the school year, before COVID-19, he was doing well academically and socially. In fact, he loved school. He had many friends and was very verbal. Although he is autistic, I did not fret about his...[ read more ]
All good things must come to an end. And today is one of those days. In this episode of The Not Crazy Podcast, we say a sad farewell to our amazing cohost, Jackie Zimmerman. Tune in, as Jackie and Gabe reminisce about the good old days, ponder the fate of podcasts, and discuss Jackie’s decision to leave. They also...[ read more ]
I was recently asked if I thought the pandemic is a national trauma. The answer is a simple “Yes.” By the standards of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), the volume used by mental health professionals to guide diagnosis and treatment, the COVID-19 pandemic meets the criteria for trauma. Not all stressful events meet those criteria. The DSM-5 definition of trauma requires...[ read more ]
When COVID-19 emerged as a clear and present public health threat, most people felt the same range of emotions: somewhere along the spectrum of fear and anxiety. People are still feeling this way of course. But as initial shock wears off, people are settling into a new normal. As new studies emerge predicting longer and longer periods of social distancing,...[ read more ]
How many times have you thought, “When coronavirus ends, I will ______” — as if you’re putting off everything (or at least the things you most love) until then? They say that human civilization was built around our supposedly unique ability to plan for the future. Besides the fact that apes and birds do this too, it turns out that focusing exclusively on...[ read more ]
While our external world begins to shrink during this time of social distancing and shelter-in-place health orders, we are challenged to expand our personal, internal limits and thresholds for almost everything. It’s a little bit counterintuitive to think that while many of us are forced to stay at home, the demands on our lives go up. It seems like we...[ read more ]
For loners, recluses, and other solitary types such as myself, sheltering-in-place feels natural and normal. However scary other aspects of this pandemic might be, for us, this aspect isn’t. Working from home? Making our own meals? Amusing ourselves? Contactlessness? Not a problem. Not boring. Not weird. With stay-home orders issued worldwide and offenders arrested for attending funerals and weddings, it’s...[ read more ]
The prolonged health and safety stressors of COVID-19 has many parents reaching out to mental health professionals with concern over their teenagers’ increased levels of anxiety. In the United States, teenagers already experience higher rates of anxiety disorders than any previous generation in history. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the prevalence of anxiety disorders among adolescents aged...[ read more ]
