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Everyone experiences anxiety at some level. However, when feelings of self-doubt, apprehension, and nervousness aren’t linked to a particular life event, anxiety can severely impair a person. You don’t have to live with the fear, obsessive thoughts, or insistent worries that an anxiety disorder can bring about.

Holidays can be a challenging time for anyone, and that's especially true if you or a family member are already dealing with conditions such as anxiety or depression. When you're putting together your to do list for the holidays, you might want to consider including family therapy in your plans. See how working with a counselor could help you and your loved ones.

Is it really possible to increase the levels of serotonin and decrease depression with food? In order to understand this process, you also need to know that serotonin is made by combining tryptophan and tryptophan hydroxylase. You may not directly be able to increase the amount of serotonin in the brain but you can increase the amount of tryptophan by eating foods in certain optimal combinations.

Drug addiction can create a powerful hold on a person's life that can seem impossible to escape. However, cognitive behavioral therapy can break that grip and help you get back on your feet in a new sober lifestyle.

You may have heard that serotonin fluctuation in the brain leads into depression. It’s possible that your brain may just not be producing enough serotonin. It may also be the case that serotonin is produced but isn’t absorbed by the brain. Serotonin may not be reaching the receptor sites. Or there may be a shortage of tryptophan—one of the chemicals which leads into the production of serotonin.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying negative patterns of thinking, which are known to contribute to anxiety disorders. Working with a therapist over multiple sessions, clients learn to identify these negative thoughts and to replace them with more positive, adaptive ones.

PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a condition in which someone who has previously experienced or witnessed a traumatic event suffers from persisting mental and emotional stress. PTSD is a mental health problem that can manifest itself within anyone -- it is important to remember this.

Do you have a depressed teen who has been contemplating or openly discussing suicide? This is a very scary prospect because it can be so unpredictable. Most people who commit suicide do it on a whim or an impulse. As a result, it is important to identify the patterns of thought that can lead to suicidal thoughts and correct them with cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT.

The relationship you develop with your child is a crucial predictor of his successful development. All children form attachments with their caregivers in the first few years of life, and this attachment is representative of how the child feels about her caregivers. This means how you react to your child’s behavior has a long-term impact on your relationship and his ability to develop healthy coping habits.

Anxiety is a fact of life, and it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Sometimes anxiety can be a great benefit; it can heighten our senses in situations that could become dangerous. It can also help you meet a deadline for work or school. Anxiety can be a helpful red flag if your life has become too stressful and your body is telling you that you need to slow down, build in boundaries or take time off. Use your anxiety! Don’t let it become another thing you stuff to the side, refusing to acknowledge.