1 in 3 Students Report That They Have Been Bullied This Year (St. Louis, Missouri): A new report found that 1 in 3 school age students report being bullied in school or online this year. Students who are bullied are more likely to experience anxiety, stress, depression, and other mental health related symptoms. The impact of bullying may also cause insomnia, lack of appetite, drug and alcohol use, and a decreased interest in school and social activities. In some cases, bullying has been reported as a contributing factor in suicides and retaliatory violence. Dr. Lena Pearlman, a mental health therapist in Creve Coeur, has the following advice and suggestions for parents of school age children that are dealing with bullying, “It is critical that parents model, encourage and foster open communications with their children. If your child reports bullying behaviors at school, it is important to stay calm, to be supportive, to reassure your child that it is not their fault, and to work with school staff to ensure that the bullying stops. Depending upon the duration and severity of the bullying, parents may also want to seek out a therapist who can help the student to work through the trauma, build their self-esteem, and help provide tools on how to deal with any future situations or challenges.” For more information, people can reach Dr. Lena Pearlman and Associates by phone at: 314-942-1147, by e-mail at: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com or online at: www.STLmentalhealth.com. Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates is a team of seven mental health therapists in St. Louis, Missouri. The practice works with patients of all ages. They specialize in stress, depression, anxiety, relationships, and other mental health issues. The office is located at: 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141.
Our practice works with children and teens who are being bullied. We also work with families and educators to provide critical information and strategies to use in dealing with the victim and also the perpetrator. Please contact us to learn more about our services: Dr. Bryan Pearlman, Practice Manager & Educator Phone: 314-942-1147 Email: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com www.STLmentalhealth.com
(St. Louis, Missouri): Back to school shopping, finding out who your teacher will be, and reconnecting with school friends, makes going back to school a very exciting time for most kids, teens and their families. For up to 1 in 8 school age children and teens, the thought of going back to school can cause significant anxiety. The anxiety may cause a loss of sleep, loss of appetite, mood swings, tantrums, and stress for the student. In extreme cases, this causes a complete refusal to attend school and significant school absences. Dr. Lena Pearlman, a mental health therapist in Creve Coeur, has the following advice and suggestions for parents of school age children that are dealing with school anxiety, “All children will deal with stressors and change in different ways. Transitioning from summer activities and schedules back to the school year can be a challenge. Having some anxious feelings or a bit of worrying about school is completely normal. When the situation rises to a child not sleeping, not eating, other physical or mental symptoms, or a refusal to leave the house or go to school, this is the time to bring this to the attention of a mental health therapist and your child’s physician.” Some strategies that can be used for children dealing with school anxiety include: transitioning back to a normal eating and sleeping schedule as the school year approaches, reassuring your child that what they are experiencing is normal, encouraging your child to discuss what is making them anxious, helping them to create a list of the positive of what to look forward to in the school year, and planning for the school year in advance. These steps will help minimize the school anxiety and will set the students up for success. For more information, people can reach Dr. Lena Pearlman and Associates by phone at: 314-942-1147, by e-mail at: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com or online at: www.STLmentalhealth.com. ### Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates is a team of seven mental health therapists in St. Louis, Missouri. The practice works with patients of all ages. They specialize in stress, depression, anxiety, relationships, and other mental health issues. The office is located at: 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141.
SUMMERTIME SADNESS IS A REAL CONDITION THAT IMPACTS UP TO TWO MILLION PEOPLE IN THE US (St. Louis, Missouri): “Summertime Sadness” was a hit song by singer Lana Del Rey a few years ago. It is also a true medical condition that impacts up to two million people in the US. Most people are aware of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This condition occurs in the winter when the weather cools off, the amount of sunlight each day reduces, and people spend more time indoors. Summertime is a trigger for those who suffer from Summertime Seasonal Affective Disorder (Summertime SAD). When summer begins, those with Summertime SAD begin to experience depressive symptoms. Summer depression often include loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, weight loss, and anxiety. Medical experts are divided on the exact causes of the disorder, but many believe that it has to do with schedule changes in the summer for students and families, body image concerns due to pool/beach attire, and potentially financial worries due to vacation spending. Dr. Lena Pearlman, a mental health therapist in Creve Coeur, has the following advice and suggestions for those who feel depressive symptoms primarily in the summer, “Summertime sadness impacts people in much the same way that the winter version does. People feel tired, they are stressed, and they often have difficulty getting out of bed. My advice would be to seek out help from a licensed therapist, to plan ahead for the season, and to make certain to notify your primary care physician about the symptoms that you experience only during the summer.” For more information, people can reach Dr. Lena Pearlman and Associates by phone at: 314-942-1147, by e-mail at: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com or online at: www.STLmentalhealth.com. ### Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates is a team of seven mental health therapists in St. Louis, Missouri. The practice works with patients of all ages. They specialize in stress, depression, anxiety, relationships, and other mental health issues. The office is located at: 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141.
Importance of Mental Health Screening for Kids and Teens Dr. Bryan Pearlman STLmentalhealth.com July 7, 2016 Many of us have memories of growing up in a time that was more simple. A time when things moved along at a slower pace. These memories include playing outside with friends until the sun went down. The images were of a family sitting down to a homemade dinner together while having conversations about the day’s activities. In this scene, a smart phone was one with push buttons instead of a rotary dial, and eventually one that had a cassette answering machine. Nobody knew about the internet, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat. In fact, a tablet was a mini-chalkboard with chalk, and a computer was the size of an office. Family vacations were eight people in a two-ton station wagon adorned with simulation wood paneling and a peace sign bumper sticker. Entertainment on this road trip included jamming out to Billy Joel, Elton John and the Bee Gees 8-tracks and being the first person to spot a VW bug (to avoid getting punched by a sibling). For many of us, this was a better time and one that we wish we could experience again. Today, the world definitely seems to move along faster. The pressure for kids and teens is at an all-time high. This is driven by competition to succeed at sports/activities, high stakes tests in school, rigorous standards to get into the right college, and peer pressure fueled by images of perfect bodies on social media and reality TV. A recent report stated that an average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as an average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s (Psychology Today). With the increase in stress and anxiety, there is also an increase in depression, drug/alcohol use, and other risky behaviors. Some alarming statistics that have been published by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): -80% of mental illness goes untreated -Suicide is the 3rd largest cause of death for people age 10-24 -75% of mental health disorders begin before the age of 24 -20% of all people have a mental illness -2 million people use opiates each year for non-medical reasons In light of the above information, and today’s current realities, it is absolutely critical that mental health receive the attention that is needed. Every child and teen should receive an annual mental health screening and/or checkup. Like many medical conditions, the key is early detection and treatment. Nobody can argue the benefit of detecting a tumor at an early stage or how much better a person’s life outlook is if plaque build-up in an artery is treated prior to a blockage. A great first step is to find a licensed therapist in your area. A good resource for finding therapists in your neighborhood is www.LocateATherapist.com. The therapist can work with your child or teen on coping skills, relaxation strategies, replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, and goal setting. These have all been shown to be effective methods for reducing stress and anxiety. We may not be able to go back in time for a less stressful life for our kids, but we do have ways in the present and future to help them to be less stressed and more happy. This starts with an annual visit to a licensed therapist. — Dr. Bryan Pearlman is the practice manager of Dr. Lena Pearlman and Associates (www.STLmentalhealth.com). He has spent the past 25 years as a leaders and educator in academia, non-profit organizations, and business. Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates is a mental health practice in St. Louis with seven licensed therapists on staff. The practice specializes in counseling and therapy for stress, anxiety, depression, and relationships. The licensed therapists work with individuals, couples, and families. Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates is located in St. Louis at: 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141. The practice can be reached by email at: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com or by phone at: 314-942-1147. Additional mental health resources can be found at: www.STLmentalhealth.com/resources.
How To Help A Friend Or Relative That Has A Mental Illness By: Dr. Lena Pearlman I am asked almost daily about how someone can help a friend or relative that has a mental illness. There is no secret recipe or formula for best helping someone with a mental illness. However, the below 10 items are definitely important things to consider and keep in mind when dealing with someone who has a mental illness. 1.) Help them to connect with a top psychiatrist and therapist. There are many doctors and therapists out there, find the best person you can. 2.) Understand that you may not be able to “fix” your family member or friend. 3.) Despite your love, concern and hard work – things may get worse before they get better. Things may not get better at all. 4.) Avoid the stigma. Having a friend or relative with a mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. 5.) Don’t blame the victim, yourself or others. Blaming someone for a mental illness, is like blaming someone for having cancer or heart disease. 6.) Do your homework. There are many great resources out there for you to better understand the illness and how to best help the individual. 7.) If you are a primary caregiver for the individual, make sure to take care of yourself and get any help that you need. This can be very stressful and exhausting. It is easy to neglect yourself, while caring for another person. 8.) Get help if you believe the individual may be at risk of hurting him/herself or others. 9.) If there are others in your family or friend group, form a team. This will provide more resources and lighten the load of each individual. 10.) You have every right to hate the illness, but be careful not to hate the person. They did not choose to get a mental illness. More mental health resources can be found at: www.STLmentalhealth.com/resources. Dr. Lena Pearlman is a licensed therapist and the clinical director of Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates – a mental health therapy practice in St. Louis, Missouri. The practice provides counseling and therapy for individual, couples and families of all ages. The therapists specialize in stress management, depression, anxiety, anger, relationships, and other mental health related issues. Dr. Lena Pearlman and associates can be reached at: 314-942-1147 or by email at: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com. The office address is: 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141.
St. Louis Mental Health Therapist Encourages a Mental Health Checkup During Mental Health Awareness Month (St. Louis, Missouri): May is mental health awareness month. St. Louis therapy practice, Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates, is encouraging people to have a mental health checkup this month. Dr. Lena Pearlman stresses the importance of a mental health checkup, “One in five people will suffer from a mental health related issue in their lifetime. Every person will be impacted by a friend or family member with a mental illness. Early detection and treatment can positively impact a person’s quality of life.” Mental health related issues are often not diagnosed or brought to the attention of a physician. Dr. Pearlman explains the cause of this, “People are screened for heart related items, cancer and other diseases. Society understands these physiological concerns and the treatments for them. Historically, mental health related items were viewed in a different light. There has often been a stigma attached to this. Due to this stigma, many people do not report their symptoms or seek out help. We are working very hard to change the perspective of mental health and ensure that people get the help that they need.” — Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates is a team of mental health therapists in St. Louis, Missouri. The practice works with patients of all ages. They specialize in stress, depression, anxiety, relationships, and other mental health issues. Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates can be reached by phone at: 314-942-1147, by email at: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com and online at: www.STLmentalhealth.com. The office is located at: 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141. St. Louis mental health resources are available on the practice website.
5 Ways to Promote Mental Health with Your Kids During Summer Break Summer break can be a great time for kids and families. This can be an excellent opportunity to bond as a family, to explore, and to create lasting positive memories for your kids. It can also be challenging to find the proper balance of fun, relaxation, enrichment, and positive mental health. Some important items that should be incorporated into summer break: Structure and Chores: Even though summer is supposed to be a break and a fun time, you still will want to have structure and responsibility. The chores can be simple and can rotate daily or can be steps towards a larger project that may take weeks or months. Trying to keep a schedule will also help to ensure that your kids don’t sleep until noon and waste away the summer. It will also make transitioning back to school in the fall much easier. Play: Kids still need to have fun playing. This is an important method for learning and improving social skills. It also enables kids to problem solve and explore. The play should definitely involve time without “screens” in front of them (unless it is a screen used to sift through a stream to find minerals). Bedtime: Many kids have bedtimes only during the school year. We all know school age kids that stay up well past midnight watching cartoons or playing video games. While it is true that they don’t have to get up early to get ready for school and to catch a bus, it is still important to ensure that kids are getting at least eight hours of sleep each night. This will help their growth and development. Give-back: Try to find opportunities for your kids to give back to the community and/or to help others less fortunate. This can become an amazing experience and also will help cement the importance of helping other people and other very important character building traits. Hobby: Summer is a great time to discover a hidden or yet to be identified talent or passion. It can be a new sport, activity, game, or even collecting something. The above items will help your child to develop as a person, maintain physical health, help others, and promote positive mental health. Have fun and enjoy! ———— Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates provides therapy and counseling services for individuals, couples, and families of all ages. The practice specializes in stress, depression, anxiety, relationships, and other mental health related issues. Dr. Lena Pearlman and her team provide free training and resources to teachers, counselors and families in St. Louis county. Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates can be reached by phone at 314-942-1147, by email at: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com or online at: www.STLmentalhealth.com. The address is 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141.
Below is a great article about helping children cope with divorce. The writer is a professor of psychiatry at Yale. The original article appeared on www.psychologytoday.com. — A pediatrician once asked me to help a six-year-old named Sam, who was struggling with anger and sadness over his parents’ divorce. His mother and father had separated nine months before, and he was fighting at school and crying himself to sleep nightly. After I talked with Sam weekly for six weeks, he began to feel better and calmed down at school. His parents, who worked hard at co-parenting, had both noticed the change and shared that information with me and, on my advice, with him. Sam seemed surprised. “You talk about me with Dad?” he said. Mom answered, “We got some help understanding your upset about our divorce, and we are cooperating better about you [sic].” Sam replied, “Good. Now I can get over it!” Nearly half of America’s married couples face the likelihood of divorce. Most of these couples have children, most of whom will be affected, though it is hard to predict how. Here are a few things to keep in mind when helping children cope with divorce. Although the stigma of divorce stings less these days, partly because it is so common, children almost never think it is as good an idea as the parents who seek it. Don’t insult them by trying to talk them into agreeing with your point of view about its benefits or its hazards. Children, especially the young ones, love having their families together and often feel anxious, angry and saddened when they begin to come apart. Most parents work at separating and divorcing without traumatizing their children. Children often recover from this loss without serious emotional scarring and with their ability to trust in relationships intact, especially when parents acknowledge how their children are feeling about this event and when children trust the adults to hear them out and love them through it. One of the most difficult aspects of divorce to young children, besides a change in family income and lifestyle that may accompany a divorce, is the threat to (or in some cases the end of) their parents’ friendship with each other. This particular loss may leave children feeling more alone and worried that they might be next. Boys and girls typically respond differently to divorce. Boys show their distress more obviously with behavioral, school or social troubles, like Sam. Girls may seem okay at first with few outward signs of distress but may suffer the effects later when they enter their first close relationship and feel overwhelmed by self-doubt, suspiciousness and fear of abandonment. Children who handle divorce best are the ones whose parents honor their children’s needs above their own, are able to work out fair financial and parenting plans and, most importantly, help each other be the best parents they can be. Dr. Kyle Pruett is a Clinical Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. Article shared by Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates – a St. Louis Mental Health Therapy practice that specializes in stress, depression, anxiety, relationships and other mental health related issues. The team of five therapists provide counseling and therapy services to children, teens, adults, couples and families at the Creve Coeur office – 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141. Contact the office at: 314-942-1147 or bryan@stlmentalhealth.com. The practice website is: www.STLmentalhealth.com.
Mental Health Therapy Myths There are so many myths about mental health therapy that travel around. Some have some factual basis, some are confusing, and others are completely false. Below are five myths that I have heard lately. Myth #1: Only people who are crazy go to a therapist. Answer: False Reality: There are many reasons why people choose to see a therapist. These may include: stress (from work, life or school), depression or feeling down, anxiety, relationship challenges, life transitions, career transition, coping and grieving, conflict, or a host of other mental health related issues or concerns. Myth #2: Weak people seek out therapy, strong people can solve their issues on their own. Answer: False Reality: Strong and successful people from all walks of life, socioeconomic groups, and careers see a therapist on a regular basis. This includes – professional athletes, celebrities, business people, attorneys, politicians, doctors, nurses, educators, students, and others. These individuals realize the power of having a therapist on their team to help explore and guide them on their journey to feeling their best and living a fulfilled life. Myth #3: My family and friends are the only support I need to feel better. Answer: False Reality: While having a supportive network of family members and friends is important, having an unbiased person to listen and speak to is invaluable. They can help you process and plan for the present and the future. Myth #4: Therapy is nothing more than a place to vent and complain. Why not go to a bar or a barber shop? Answer: False Reality: Therapy is way more than just a place to vent and complain. A skilled therapist will help you to reflect on items or situations that have been challenging or concerning to you. They will work together with you in a problem solving and planning model. Myth #5: Everyone, including my work, will find out I’m in therapy and this will be a problem. Answer: False Reality: There are Federal Laws that protect your health related privacy (under HIPAA). The only way people will find out that you are in therapy is if you tell them. ————- Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates is a St. Louis mental health therapy and counseling practice. The team of therapists specialize in stress, anxiety, depression, relationships, and other mental health related issues. More information about the practice can be found at: www.STLmentalhealth.com. You can find many resources on the website. Dr. Lena Pearlman and her team can be contacted by phone at: 314-942-1147 or by email at: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com. The office is located at: 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141.
