Linda B.'s Story

Hurried but not quite awake, Linda B. left her house on a cold, snowy February morning. There was nothing to grasp in her icy driveway, and she fell quickly, unable to break her fall. Dazed, her heart pounding, she crawled to her car and pulled herself to her feet, carefully touching the growing bump above her left ear. The dazed and dizzy sensations, followed by an annoying headache, were reminiscent of an auto accident two years ago. The forty-four year old fifth grade teacher arrived at her classroom and brushed off the bad start to her day.

Depression is a mood disorder that affects daily functioning for those suffering. Feelings of sadness can make a person feel less interested in the activities they once loved. Getting through each day is a new challenge. Depression currently affects approximately 19 million Americans, yet there are still many myths associated with depression that prevent true understanding of the disorder. In order to help loved ones struggling with depression, knowing the truth about the disorder and debunking depression myths is key.

Low birth weight is considered less than five pounds eight ounces. In the US, 12% of babies are born prematurely. Since the early 80’s the rate of prematurity has risen by 17%. Research consistently finds a greater risk of developmental disabilities as these children move from infancy through adolescence. Prematurity can result in brain injures causing neuromotor and cognitive deficits. Oxygen deprivation and respiratory problems require oxygen supplementation, and can cause permanent injury to the brain and have been linked to later cognitive and motor deficits.  Premature, low birth weight and fragile infants often have a variety of disabilities in the areas of cognitive, academic, sensorimotor, social-emotional and behavioral development.

Read this list of free mental health apps to help maintain wellness each day!

Over the past nearly 20 years, I have worked successfully with children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety disorders using neurofeedback. There are times when anxiety is secondary to a learning or social problem. If a person has a problem with their brain, they cannot trust their brain function and conclusions, which is very anxiety provoking. This is especially true if these challenges have been happening for a long time. In this case, it is necessary to address the neurological underpinnings of the learning problems as well as the anxiety.