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There isn’t a parent in the world who hasn’t witnessed a toddler in the grip of a full-blown, red-faced, flailing, screaming tantrum. As shocking as these outbursts can be, occasional tantrums are part of a child’s normal development. Young children have not yet achieved the verbal capacity to fully communicate their feelings or the self-control necessary to tamp down their surging emotions.

But not all tantrums are created equal. Certain patterns can be red flags that suggest professional help may be warranted.

High Frequency
Your child may pass through a phase when he or she is having a lot of tantrums. But if the frequency doesn’t slow over the months, despite all your efforts to teach him how to identify and control his outbursts, there may be a more serious underlying issue. Some studies have shown that children who experience at least five tantrums per day several days a week may be at risk for disruptive disorders, including ADHD.

Aggression
Biting, kicking, hitting, and throwing things are part of many an angry toddler outburst. After all, it feels good to punch that pillow, right? But if you find yourself ducking for cover or streaked with bruises almost every time your child has a tantrum, there may be underlying issues causing the outbursts, such as depression, oppositional defiant disorder, or ADHD.

Self-Harm
There may be no behavior quite as gut-wrenchingly disturbing as seeing a child hurt himself. Yet in the heat of a tantrum, some toddlers and preschoolers may exhibit self-injurious behavior like biting themselves, banging their heads, or scratching their skin raw. In these heartbreaking cases, the length and frequency of the tantrums don’t matter as much as the specific, consistent behavior, which strongly suggests the necessity of psychiatric intervention.

Endurance
A ten-minute tantrum might seem like forever to a parent trying to buy groceries in the check-out line, but if your child calms down in less than a half hour, consider yourself fortunate. Tantrums that routinely stretch for 30 minutes or more can be a sign of a more serious underlying problem. The same can be said if only extreme and external methods (such as a bribe or physical removal from the scene) succeed in calming the child.

If you have any concerns about your child’s ongoing behavior, never hesitate to seek out a mental health professional. Early intervention can do wonders.

We live in turbulent times. With so many of our men and women overseas in conflict-ridden countries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has become a subject of headlines. But PTSD doesn’t just manifest amid veterans of foreign wars. About eight percent of Americans will experience PTSD in their lifetime, and women are twice as susceptible as men.

Whether you’re experiencing distressing and unexpected symptoms yourself, or whether a loved one is behaving out of character, knowing the three major symptoms will help you identify the disorder and get help fast.

Re-experiencing The Trauma
One of the major symptoms of PTSD involves continuing to relive the trauma in an emotional and intrusive way at least a month (but usually much longer) after the traumatic event. This symptom can manifest in several ways:

• Recurrent, vivid dreams or nightmares
• Sudden flashbacks triggered by visual, auditory, or other sensory cues
• Physiological reactions that coincide with the memories, flashbacks, or dreams such as elevated heart rate, sweating, etc.
• Repetitive play (in children) that may involve reenacting or restaging with toys the upsetting events

Physical And Emotional Isolation
PTSD sufferers often go out of their way to avoid places, events or people that may trigger memories and flashbacks of the event. This behavior can lead to physical and emotional isolation. They may also repress certain parts of the event, refuse to talk about it, or cycle in crushing waves of guilt, shame and/or blame. The weight of these emotions may strain their ability to participate in happy events or even muster any positive feelings.

Heightened Reactivity
PTSD sufferers are often on edge. They may exhibit an extreme startle response or become overly vigilant and protective, to the point where they don’t sleep well. Insomnia is not uncommon, as is swift anger and irritability. Many PTSD sufferers resort to substance abuse and self-destructive behaviors in an effort to numb their pain.

If you suspect that you or a loved one may be suffering from PTSD, contact a mental health professional as soon as possible to get the help you need.

As the parent of a child with a learning disability, negotiating the academic stresses of high school can be a challenge, even with many resources and support available. Continuing onto college, with its compressed schedule, large amounts of reading, and high stakes testing, may seem like an uncertain prospect. Yet, in 2014, over half of learning-disabled high school students intended to push through to higher education.

So what challenges do college-level students with learning disabilities face?

Know The Law
Many of the public school resources available to learning disabled students were born of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. This piece of legislation required public schools to offer an individualized and appropriate education for all children with disabilities. Generally, these rights end when the child graduates from high school.

For college students with learning disabilities, the important legislation is the Americans With Disabilities Act. Through this act, students with disabilities continue to have the right to be accommodated, but only if they are otherwise qualified. That is, college students must pass the tests and courses for which they are accommodated. Otherwise, the college has the right to remove them from the program like any other student who fails to maintain passing grades.

Know Your Student Disability Services
Although colleges that receive federal funds are legally obliged to comply with the Americans Disability Act, many institutions of higher education struggle to provide the range of services necessary for a wide variety of physical and academic accommodations. Furthermore, pushback from professors is common.

As expected, some colleges are better than others in encouraging learning differences and disabilities. Check out top-ten lists to find the best fit for your child.

Know What You Need
The most important tool that any student with a learning disability can develop is self-advocacy. Bereft of the structure and active care received in the elementary/high school education system, a student must learn to articulate the disability he has and ask for the help he needs. To take advantage of the resources offered, make sure the student:

• Submits proper documentation of the learning disability to the Student Disabilities Service office
• Can articulate the specific kinds of accommodations that help him in tackling his disability
• Asks where and how to access specific resources, such as technology assistance, digital recorders, speech-to-text technology, etc.
• Asks to discuss with SDS staff as to how to best introduce the subject with professors, if necessary

Only you and your child know what he or she is capable of. A learning disability shouldn’t dissuade them from pursuing their academic dreams.

Children grow at different rates, both physically and cognitively. Some are born chatterboxes and others remain the strong and silent type until they suddenly speak in full sentences. The first three years of life are critical, for this is when a child’s brain is most receptive to speech and language development. Delays are like canaries in the coal mine, red flags for possible cognitive or learning disabilities.

Make sure your child is on track by checking out these age-related developmental milestones.

The First Year
Hearing is vital to developing early speech and language, thus many of the early milestones involve attention and focus. By his first birthday, your child should:

• Clearly hear you when spoken to, and turn in direction of sounds
• Recognize some words, like bottle
• Use simple gestures like waving and lifting arms to be picked up
• Use “nonsense” sounds (other than crying) to get attention
• Respond to simple requests like “wave to grandma” or “want more?”

The Second Year
During the second year, your child is developing the cognitive capacity to understand more complex language and vocalize it as well. By his or her twenty-fourth month, your child should:

• Be adding more words to his vocabulary every month
• Be able to vocalize harder consonant sounds, mostly at the beginning of words
• Point to familiar things that you specify, such as the family pet or a toy
• Listen to songs and rhyming patterns
• Put two words together as questions or descriptions, such as “Daddy hat” or “more cookie”
• Respond to simple questions and commands like “Kick the ball” or “Where is Grandma?”

The Third Year
Though your child has been cognitively developing language for two full years, this is generally the period he or she refines skills and uses them so that both speech and comprehension appear to blossom. By your child’s third birthday, he or she should be able to:

• Sit and be absorbed by a book for longer periods of time
• Understand the difference between simple opposites such as “up” and “down” and “in” and “out”
• Know a name for most things and ask if he doesn’t
• Follow simple two-part directions
• Be generally understandable, even though he may trip over words or stutter

If your child doesn’t seem to be reaching early developmental milestones, consider consulting an audiologist or a speech-language pathologist. Early intervention can do wonders to put your child back on track.

Yes, stress is bad for you. Long-term stress can exacerbate headaches, heart disease, weight gain, anxiety, depression, and even cause some cognitive impairment. Doctors, psychiatrists, and friends are always telling you to take it easy . . . but how, exactly, do you do that when you’re so stressed that you feel like your mind is about to explode?

Check out these quick, in-the-moment 10-minute de-stress ideas.

Rock On
Music really does tame the savage beast. It doesn’t matter whether you pick classic hard rock, dubstep, or Mozart piano sonatas, so long as the music is something you love and has the power to influence your mood.

Get Moving
In the middle of the workday, you may not be able to take a jog in a nearby park. But there are other ways you can exercise, such as:

• Dance in your office for ten minutes (like nobody’s watching)
• Take a brisk walk around the block
• Do twenty push-ups and twenty jumping jacks
• Perform some yoga poses

Meditate

Regular meditation has been shown to have immediate as well as long-term effects on your mental and physical health. If you’re already in the habit of spending some mindful time during your day, then taking an extra meditation break can go a long way to lowering your cortisol levels.

Take A Deep Breath
Nothing will make you tense up more than having someone tell you to take a deep breath when you’re anxious, angry, or just worked up. Yet deep breathing techniques can help lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety. The goal is to fill your body with oxygen as well as return your breathing to the easy, slower pace of when you are calm and relaxed.

Have A Healthy Snack
Eating shouldn’t be the first response to stress. But if you tend to lose your temper when you’re “hangry,” stopping to consider the fact can help you manage the stress before it arises.

Phone A Friend
Unburdening your woes to a trusted friend or family member can help, so long as that good friend knows how to listen emphatically and not escalate the situation.

Kiss And Tell
If you’re at your wit’s end and within walking distance of a loved one, take advantage of the contact. A quick hug and kiss can work wonders.

Go For A Laugh
Laughter is nature’s organic stress reliever. You may not be in the mood to watch that 10-minute internet video reel of newscasters dorking out on TV, but by the end of it, you’ll likely feel better.

Do Mindless Tasks
Cross-stitching, knitting, and Rubik’s Cubes occupy your hands and give your mind a repetitive task on which to concentrate. These kinds of tasks direct upsetting thoughts away, at least for the moment.

Buy A Stress Ball
Stress balls work in the same way exercise works. They’re subtle, can fit into your pocket, and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials.

Stress is inevitable, but how you handle it can be modified. If you ever feel overwhelmed by the stresses of everyday life, contact a mental health professional. They can provide you with tips and techniques to better cope.

Americans spend billions of dollars a year and uncounted hours on dieting aids and nutrition efforts to get our bodies in peak health and condition. If only we spent a fraction of that considering our mental health, which is also strongly affected by the foods that we choose put into our body.

Make sure your brain is getting the vitamins and minerals it needs by checking out these 5 foods that promote mental health.

Whole Grains
Blood sugar spikes and troughs have long been shown to exacerbate a number of mental health issues, worsening the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and ADHD, among others. Unsteady blood sugar can also affect focus, concentration, and memory in everyday life.

A diet low in simple sugars and higher in complex carbohydrates helps mitigate the blood-sugar rollercoaster effect. Whole grains like oats, beans, whole wheat, wild rice, and soy are an integral part of such a diet. They provide carbohydrates that require more work for your digestive system to break down. Glucose is thus released slowly, helping you feel full longer while providing a steadier stream of fuel.

Fish
A human brain consists of about 60% fat, which may be why it craves healthy fats and oils. In particular, omega-3 fatty acids are involved in the biosynthesis of some neurotransmitters, notably serotonin and dopamine, which are key molecules responsible for mood. Since our cells cannot make these essential nutrients on their own, we depend on our diet to supply them.

Salmon, which is high in omega-3, has long been considered a brain food, but other fish such as mackerel, anchovies, and sardines also provide brain-boosting fatty acids. To a lesser extent, omega-3 can be found in walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds. If none of these appeal, do what your grandparents did and take a spoonful of cod liver oil every day.

Leafy Green Vegetables
Spinach, dark green lettuce, kale, and turnip greens provide lots of folic acid, one of the B vitamins. Broccoli provides an essential trace mineral, selenium, necessary for proper thyroid function. Deficiencies in B vitamins and selenium have been shown to exacerbate depression and sleep disorders.

Your mother was right: Eat your greens.

Foods Fortified With Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin, produced naturally in your body in reaction to UV rays. About 75% of American teens and adults don’t get the vitamin D they need, and the deficiency is over 90% for African-Americans. Vitamin D levels have been shown to have an effect in those suffering from Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) as well as depression.

Vitamin D is an oil-soluble vitamin, so it’s more common in fatty foods like fish, liver, cheese, and the yolks of eggs. It can also be found in fortified cereals and juices.

Lean Meats
A scientific study in Australia showed a striking correlation between the amount of red meat eaten and mental health. With all other factors taken into consideration, the women who ate less red meat were almost twice as likely to have a depressive or anxiety order.

Beef rules when it comes to providing essential minerals such as iron and zinc. These nutrients are found in higher levels in the brain than in any other part of the human body. Zinc deficiency has been linked to depression symptoms and ADHD, and iron deficiency has been linked to irritability, mood swings, and depressive symptoms.

Improving your diet is one vital aspect of mental health care. If you’re sure you’re getting the nutrients you need but are still experiencing difficulties, never hesitate to contact a trusted mental health professional.

The teenage years are a time of great physical and emotional upheaval. Awash in fluctuating hormones, teenagers struggle to understand the changes in their minds and bodies all while seeking their place in the greater community. It’s a rare family that doesn’t live without the drama of slammed doors, withdrawals, and mood swings. But for a percentage of these adolescents, many “typical” teenage behaviors may actually point to signs of mental health struggles.

Check out these 8 warning signs that your teenager may be suffering from more than just adolescence.

Changes In Sleeping Patterns
Because of the many physical changes that teenagers are going through, they need more sleep than adults. Also, because of their increasing responsibilities in high school, they tend to be sleep-deprived. Sleeping past noon on the weekends or spending half their vacation days in bed isn’t, in itself, unusual behavior for adolescents.

But you may have reasons for concern in these situations:

• If their normal sleep patterns change dramatically
• If it seems like they are sleeping all the time
• If they use fatigue as an excuse to avoid social situations or going to school
• If their energy levels have dropped for no discernible physical reason

Changes In Eating Patterns
Changes in eating patterns to the point of excessive weight gain or loss can be a sign that your adolescent is struggling with an eating disorder. In addition to sudden weight changes, keep an eye out for the following signs:

• Obsessive exercise
• Evidence of frequent vomiting, particularly after meals
• Irregular menstruation
• Dizziness, fainting, fatigue

Social Isolation
It’s natural for teenagers to withdraw from family life as they seek more independence and autonomy. But if an adolescent withdraws from both family and friends and shows a resistance to attending any social gathering, including school, he or she may be grappling with a larger problem.

A Slide In Academic Performance
Red flags fly whenever a child shows a sudden drop in academic performance. If inquiries into the classroom situation don’t reveal an organic reason, such as bullying, improper academic placement, or an underlying learning disability not previously diagnosed, consider other sources. Your teenager may be having difficulties concentrating, focusing, or remembering due to anxiety, depression, or another mental health difficulty.

Frequent, Diffuse Physical Ailments
The mind-body connection is strong. Anxiety, among other disorders, can cause very real physical symptoms. Anxiety over an upcoming test or project is natural, and learning how to deal with occasional bouts of stress is an important life lesson. However, consider seeking professional health for a child who suffers from any of the following symptoms on a chronic level:

• Headaches
• Nausea or stomachaches
• Backaches, shoulder stiffness, or other muscular aches

Melancholy
When a grandparent or a pet dies, sadness is natural and can last for a long period of time, returning and retreating as the process of grieving continues. But if your child seems chronically sad without an obvious trigger, cries excessively, or grief seems to be deepening rather than ebbing and flowing, these symptoms may be warnings of a more serious mental health issue.

Sudden Changes in Personal Hygiene
Your early adolescent, not quite yet cognizant of her changing body chemistry, may need a nudge or two to start showering regularly and using deodorant. But if she suddenly stops showering or changing clothes, or, alternatively, become obsessive about excessive cleanliness, there may be a problem beyond normal teenage behavior.

Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is a problem in itself, but it’s also frequently a sign of an underlying mental health illness. It’s not uncommon for adults and adolescents with undiagnosed mental health issues to seek numbness or escape in alcohol or illegal drugs. Keep watch for thrill-seeking or extreme behavior. In these cases, it’s vital to see beyond addiction to treat the deeper issues as well.

If your teenager has been exhibiting any combination of the above symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact a mental health professional. Early intervention can mean all the difference in getting your child the help he or she needs.

Everyone loves an extrovert, folks whose bubbly, talkative, outgoing personalities make them the bright center of any social gathering. But not everyone is born with the same temperament. Natural introverts, those who are reserved, comfortable with solitude, and not always at ease in public gatherings, often get a bad rap. As children, they’re frequently labeled as “shy.”

But there’s nothing wrong with being shy. Nor is it unusual to feel awkward in a new or chaotic social situation. With a little help, even the most reserved child can learn to successfully navigate a world full of extroverts.

Practice Politeness
Navigating everyday social situations does not come instinctively; it’s a collection of learned behaviors. If your reserved child isn’t picking up on the social cues, perhaps those cues need to be explained and demonstrated.

Consider practicing these scenarios with your child in the comfort of your home.

Play-act introducing your child to a new stuffed animal, focusing on appropriate responses and the importance of eye contact.
Using his toys, arrange a “meeting” between two characters who are “strangers” to one another, offering up icebreaker conversation starters.

Be a good listener to determine whether your child has any particular social concerns, like how to ask for something from an adult. (“Excuse me, Mrs. Smith, may I be excused?”, or “Excuse me, Mr. Jones, may I borrow a pencil?”) Knowing the language cues gives them one less thing to worry about.

Shift The Spotlight
“Say hello to Uncle Charlie” may seem like a simple request, but to a shy child clinging to a fistful of your pant leg, Uncle Charlie’s size and unfamiliarity can be daunting. If your child is put on the spot without warning, his anxiety level may surge and so will the instinct to withdraw.

Consider talking with the adult for a while before drawing attention to your shy child. If he or she sees how comfortable you are with someone who is a stranger to him, his anxiety may ease. He may also pick up parts of the conversation that will remind him of an earlier encounter. If your child and Uncle Charlie have a mutual interest, injecting that into the conversation may be a better icebreaker than asking a young, natural introvert to perform an awkward social ritual.

Shrink The Circle
Most natural introverts are active, engaging, and talkative once in the presence of people with whom they are comfortable, such as the immediate family and long-time friends.

Offering up lots of opportunities for your child to have one-on-one playdates is one way to ease him into confidence in social interactions overall. Larger gatherings are inevitable, but if a child has developed a few friendships among the crowd, he’ll have an oasis of comfort which he can expand, at his own rate.

Type-A personalities may chafe at having to “waste” one-third of the day sleeping, but studies have long proven that a good night’s sleep is necessary for optimal physical and mental health. Sleep improves focus, learning, and mood, as well as cardiovascular and immune-system functioning. Yet about one in three Americans will suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorder during their lifetime.

One natural remedy has proven to be nearly as effective as over-the-counter sleep aids: Exercise. Check out these five exercises to help you get a better night’s slumber.

Aerobic Exercise
Whether you bike, jog, swim or cycle, dedicating 150 minutes a week to vigorous aerobic exercise has been scientifically proven to show a 65% increase in quality of sleep. Physically active people sleep longer, more deeply, and don’t fall asleep over their lunch break.

The vigor of the activity matters. Regular but less vigorous exercise and strength training did show some sleep benefits, but not to the extent of activities that also improve cardiovascular conditioning.

Outdoor Exercise
Exposure to the sunlight during exercise has been shown to significantly improve sleep habits and quality. Thus outdoor activities like hiking, jogging, bicycling, etc. have an advantage over indoor gym-type aerobics when it comes to sleep quality.

Scientists speculate that the extended exposure to daylight may regulate sleep hormones for those that have lost touch with circadian rhythms.

Stretching Exercises
Yoga has been shown to lower stress levels and calm the mind, all of which promotes good slumber. Performing a series of yoga stretches right before bedtime can also ease body aches and tightness and help you fall asleep more quickly.

Breathing Exercises
How often have you gone to bed only to lie awake, staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything that happened during the day as well as everything you have to do tomorrow? Those hours you spend worrying are hours you should be sleeping. Training your mind to calm down requires exercise, too.

Many doctors recommend a series of breathing exercises before bed. Making these breathing exercises a nighttime routine can help you seize back all those hours lost to worry about your next project.

Relaxation Exercises
Mindful meditation, practiced twice a day, has been shown to improve sleep quality. It also helps to reduce daytime sleepiness and the assaults of everyday anxiety. With regular practice, you’ll be able to consciously shift your body out of stress mode into a relaxation mode conducive to better sleep.

Any exercise habit takes time and practice to take hold, but well worth the improvement to your health—and life.

Everyone has a bad night’s sleep now and then. A difficult day at work can make you toss and turn. Sleep apnea or a terrible cold can also affect the quality of your slumber. But if you have acute or chronic sleep issues that persist for at least a month and render you fatigued, sluggish, and unfocused, you may be one of the six percent of the population who suffer from “true” insomnia.

Before reaching for medication, consider cognitive behavioral therapy.

Health, Head, Heart
Before diving into any extended therapy, it’s important to check if there’s a health source for insomnia that can be quickly fixed. Many medications and physical conditions can be the cause of frequent waking, difficulty in falling asleep, and general restlessness at night.

Some of the physical and medical causes of insomnia may include:

• Sleep Apnea
• Asthma
• Heartburn
• Allergies
• Arthritis
• Chronic Pain
• Caffeine, Alcohol, Nicotine
• Diabetes
• Frequent Urination

Some of the medications that can interfere with sleep patterns include:

• Diuretics
• Antihistamines
• Some medications for ADHD
• Some medications for depression or anxiety
• Some medications for hypothyroidism
• Some medications for high blood pressure
• Some corticosteroids

If you suspect any of these issues may be contributing to your sleep difficulties, contact your health care provider.

Retrain Your Brain
Cognitive behavior therapy is a talk therapy that promotes an increased awareness of your thinking and behavioral patterns. Through sessions with a mental health professional, you’ll learn how to recognize these patterns and be offered strategies and techniques that allow you to better respond to and modify them. CBT is one of the approved methods of therapy for insomnia as well as many other conditions.

When you start CBT, you’ll be asked to keep a sleep diary to monitor your sleep habits for a couple of weeks. The therapist will then recommend changes in diet, environment, and routines that may be inhibiting your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. The therapist will also teach you techniques to help calm your stress, anxiety, and racing mind, such as:

• Biofeedback
• Meditation
• Muscle Relaxation
• Deep Breathing
• Mental Imagery

CBT isn’t an instant cure to insomnia, but the therapy is empowering and will teach you tools that will help you long after the sessions are over.

Remember, insomnia can be a symptom of a serious underlying mental health condition, such as chronic anxiety and/or depression. If you don’t feel like yourself and sense that stress and anxiety are taking over your life, never hesitate to contact a mental health professional.