Emotional and mental abuse are often misunderstood as “not as severe” as physical or sexual abuse.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  In particular, when you grow up in an emotionally and mentally abusive home, there can be serious ramifications to long term mental health in adulthood. Gaslighting, as explained in this article, is serious business.  But, with treatment (hopefully to both the caregiver causing the abuse so it doesn’t continue, and to the child effected by it) psychological wounds can heal.  This also often happens in relationships defined by domestic violence.  Even if the perpetrator doesn’t hit you, this is just as damaging, if not more so. If you think this has happened to you or is happening to you, there are resources.  Learn more about gaslighting here.

It is typically a mystery to parents and other friends and family members why a child or teenager may engage in self injurious behaviors. These can range from cutting to promiscuity (and some also include food issues). There is always a reason behind the behavior.  Here is a great article with some recent research that has come out about non-suicidal self-injurious behavior. Learn more.

It can be difficult to know if a child has mental health issue, especially in young children. Younger children typically do not have the verbal and cognitive capacity to explain what is going on for them, so usually they tell you through behaviors. But how do you know? Here are some tips that might help to determine if your child should be evaluated for a mental health issue. Learn more