Rebecca O'Connell, LMFT

08/28/2013

Finally! I have started my blog page addressing relevant events, teen culture, codependency and anxiety resources, etc.! Check it out on my website rocmft.com

Rebecca O'Connell, LMFT - Laguna Hills, CA. Psychotherapy for children, individuals and families: Help with anxiety, depression, codependency,communication and more! Cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, effective treatment of phobias, relaxation, counseling for children.

08/16/2013

Even though teen brains are often thought to be under-developed in relation to brains of adults, Epstein (2007) makes the argument that studies have consistently shown that multiple levels of memory and intelligence actually peak at age 15.5 and then slowly start to decline.
The good news: you have an excuse for forgetting the milk!

Food for thought: How many teens do we underestimate in competence, intelligence and decision-making on a daily basis? If you don't believe it, ask one of them! They may surprise you

02/13/2013

a film about teen bullycide

11/02/2012

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/1MDD_ADULT.shtml

Women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression during their lifetime. In 2008, 8.1%, of women ( with 12 month prevalence) qualified as depressed, whereas only 4.6% of men were depressed. Data from SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) also show that the prevalence of depression differs by age group. In 2008, 8.7% of adults in the age range 18-25 years were depressed, compared to 7.4% of adults 26-49 and only 4.5% of adults ages 50+.

These statistics bring up interesting questions:
Why do women have such a higher propensity for depression? Is that we are more “emotional,” we are under more social stress and pressure, or merely that we seek help at a higher rate?

Regarding age: the fact that 18-25 year olds have the highest rates of depression out of the US population is somewhat ironic, as culturally these are seen as the “best years” of a person’s life: less responsibility but increased social privileges. So one wonders… is there validity to the “quarter-life crisis idea?” Let me know your thoughts, ideas or personal experience

While everyone occasionally feels sad, these feelings will typically pass within a few days. When a person has major depressive disorder, they experience a severely depressed mood and activity level that persists two weeks or more. Their symptoms interfere with their daily functioning, and cause dis...

10/30/2012

Find out if you are OFFICIALLY a perfectionist, like me

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/perfectionism/index.shtml

10/27/2012

Fun fact: if your ring finger is longer than your pointer finger it indicates high levels of testosterone in your system. (Don't worry ladies, this just means higher levels of male-type characteristics such as assertiveness, competitiveness, etc). In Utero hormones affect brain development, gender preferences, and learning styles.

10/19/2012

According to Michael J. Gertner, a new blood test can reliably diagnose teen depression, which is wonderful since most teen mood swings can be extremely confusing to everyone involved.

This new method relies on genetic biomarkers from a blood screening. Hopefully this new "objective" indicator of major depression will help with increasing treatment for teens ad off-setting maladaptive coping such as substance abuse, su***de, and risky sexual indiscretions.

10/17/2012

New studies by SAMHSA show that 20% of people over 18 in the US suffer from "mental illness" (an emotional or mental condition that is significant enough to impair daily life and diagnosable in the DSM) within THE PAST YEAR.

Of those 45.9 million people...

TWICE as many young adults (age 18-25) suffered from mental illness than people over 50. Women were also more likely to suffer than men.
With these statistics you wonder: is there truth to the "quarter-life crisis?" or is it just that young adults are more aware of and open to reporting emotional and mental struggles? Any thoughts welcome

10/10/2012

Good news, studies show that younger and younger couples are seeking therapy to improve communication and prevent the development of contempt (One of Gottman's 4 horses of the apocalypse)...
There is no shame in being proactive: therapy is healthy, will improve your communication with all people in your life, and even better, now it's cool ;) (I like to think I had something to do with this)