clarity

September 2, 2020

What We Know Is Driving Addiction: Dopamine

Addiction is often thought of as a decision or selfish behavior. What if I told you that the process of addiction is an automatic unconscious process of the brain that acts like a reflex? Dopamine is a big player in how the brain works and continues cycles of addiction. Dopamine is released in abundant amounts while using drugs or engaging in compulsive behaviors (e.g. gambling, sex, and compulsive eating.) But dopamine is also released as a reaction to stress, which creates the cycle of addiction.
September 30, 2020

Tips for Dealing with ADD/ADHD During COVID-19 (For the Kids!)

My name is Brooke Cornett and I am a sophmore at Purdue University Northwest. Having dealt with ADD and ADHD in school as a child, and now studying Psych and Mental Health in college, I can offer an interesting perspective on the subject. I have had to, by trial and error, test these methods on myself growing up and now am in the position to study their effectiveness on a broader scale through the University.
October 14, 2020

Treating Clients Who Have Experienced Police Brutality.

With a current spotlight on police brutality amongst people of color in our country, it’s important to discuss the mental health effects these traumatic interactions can have on those affected. Police brutality has been defined as the use of excessive physical force or verbal assault and psychological intimidation by law enforcement. Excessive use of force by aggressive police officers often result in increased rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma, as well as overall lower well-being, lower self-regard, and ill health, particularly among minority populations.
January 22, 2021

Gaining Awareness Through The Johari Window Model

One of the key factors about emotional intelligence laid out by Dr. Jeanne Segal is self-awareness. Self-awareness is described by Dr. Segal as the ability “to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances.”
February 1, 2021

New Year, New Goals

This past year has been absolutely bonkers! We’ve experienced social injustice, a Presidential election, and an invisible virus that has the ability to shift the entire world as we formally knew it. Bruised, afraid, intensely watching the news, social distancing, and wearing a mask, 2020 was a challenging and heartbreaking year for many. Typically, the beginning of a new year is the time where we reflect on our past year, re-evaluate what's important to us, and set new goals for the upcoming year. Interestingly enough, most new year's resolutions are broken within the first week of the new year.
March 23, 2021

Ode To Single Moms

Up by 5 a.m. prepping bottles, packing school lunches on your own, doing a load of laundry, responding to the teacher’s email, placing diaper bags in the car so you do not have to make three different trips because you don’t have an extra hand to help ,does any of this sound familiar? If it does, I imagine, “ you”, my lovely reader, are living the life of a single mother. It is by far the hardest, unpaid job that a woman will ever have, while it has its rewards, it is still very challenging.
April 20, 2021

Shame and Amygdala

The amygdala is a collection of nuclei near the base of the brain – the limbic system - where emotions are given meaning, remembered, and attached to associations, as well as responses to them (emotional memories). The amygdala is also known for its role in the processing of fear. In infants, a distress cry helps signal to caretakers to come “save” them. It toddlers, this same response may show up, or they may attempt to “flee” the danger by crawling away. Later in life, a “fight” back response might show up in anger or conflict.