“Self-medication” with marijuana has been an ongoing issue for decades. With the recent legalization of controlled cannabis sales in Canada, however, there may be some confusion amongst youth as to the safety and advisability of marijuana use. Many people – youth included – are under the misunderstanding that cannabis is a blanket “cure” or “remedy”...
As fall leaves begin to change colour and the seasons begin to change in drastic ways, we can all expect the cold to kick in, the amount of sunlight to reduce, and our moods to shift as a result. This is particularly the case as folks begin to slow down in terms of their activity...
Back-to-school is often a very exciting time for students – a time when they can see their friends again, show off their new wardrobe, and take the new classes that they have been looking forward to since the summer. But school can also be a time when a young person’s depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder...
Teenage Self-Harming Seeing evidence of your child self-harming, or hurting themselves with intention, can be a terrifying experience for a parent. In addition to the fear, you may be unsure of what to do or say, and want desperately to stop the behaviour. This is a common experience for many parents, as the instances of self-harm...
“Feeling blue” or feeling “down in the dumps” is a normal part of being a teenager. There are many moments in one’s adolescence when they experience upsets or moments of sadness. Experts remind us that adolescence can be a very unsettling time and teens can be faced with an array of physical, emotional, psychological and...
In its latest revision to an international disease classification manual the World Health Organization announced “gaming disorder” as a new mental health condition included in the 11th edition of its International Classification of Diseases. Dr. Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a spokesperson for behavioural addictions at Britain’s Royal College of Psychiatrists said,”We come across parents who are distraught,...
“My kid is a little OCD.” A teacher recently told us about hearing a parent utter these words. A lot of people use this or similar verbiage, it turns out, to describe quirks or mannerisms which mimic Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. People may use this kind of phrase to describe someone who seems...
“Does my son need therapy?” “Should I get my daughter counselling?” There are questions we’re asked all the time here at Capital Choice Counselling in Ottawa. The series of events – or the long, gradual decline – that brought you to this place is significant and shouldn’t be diminished in any way. Chances are, if...
Blueprints. We need them to plan and create buildings, which in turn provide us with shelter and functionality for years. In addition to literal blueprints, though, what about the figurative blueprints that guide our lives? Without a blueprint, without a plan, where would we end up? Directionless, unsure of where we were going...
What’s the difference between shyness and social anxiety? Though this might sound like the setup for a bad joke, social anxiety disorder is nothing to laugh about. It’s rough out there for anyone who suffers from this insidious, often-overlooked condition, feeling a fear of going out into society and being amongst people on a...
