Nakieta Lankster, PsyD

Nightmares. Tantrums. Regressions. Grief. Violent outbursts. Exaggerated fear of strangers. Even suicidal thoughts. In response to a call on social media, parents across the country shared with NPR that the mental health of their young children appears to be suffering as the weeks of lockdown drag on. Most U.S. states have canceled in-person classes for the rest of the academic year. This week in Senate testimony, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of A

Music therapy is an ancient and yet very modern practice that has the power to heal and transform our brains and bodies in significant ways. Kathleen Howland, speech language and music therapist explains how music really does have the power to heal our brain and heart. Kathleen M. Howland is a certified music therapist and licensed speech language pathologist. For the past 30+ years, she has worked with a variety of clinical populations using music to enhance speech, language

Holidays can be tricky. Some people may think of them as a time to get together with family and friends. Some may be happy about a chance to rest, relax or have a barbecue. Yet for others, a holiday may serve as a grim reminder of events they would like to forget. This is frequently the case on Memorial Day for some of our veterans, who may be reminded of distressing memories from their tours of duty. This is especially true for combat veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic s

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. With the current global pandemic, experts around the world worry that we might face another crisis in the coming months: a mental health crisis. A recent mental health poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that “nearly half (45%) of adults across the country (US) say that worry and stress related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are hurting their mental health, an early sign that the health and economic crises is likely to incr

Despite these challenges, there are ways to help manage your eating disorder struggles while sheltering in place and physically distancing. Here are eight tips: 1. Accept that it's harder to manage your eating disorder right now. "It's OK to be struggling. You shouldn't feel guilty about it," Brooks says. This is a time more than ever to emphasize progress over perfection, Brannan advises. 2. Reach out. People with an eating disorder are usually good at isolating themselves,

Practical tips and online support can help people with depression, anxiety and other conditions cope. Living with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD and other mental health conditions can pose a challenge even in “normal” times. Then COVID-19 came along. For nearly a month, it’s added new twists to life with a mental illness. The inability to see a trusted therapist in person. Added stress about jobs, whether losing one, having to work in public despite the risk of g

Trauma is often the result of an overwhelming amount of stress from a situation that exceeds one's ability to cope, such as the death of a loved one, the end of a meaningful relationship, or the rejection of a loved one. Do you pretend that everything is good when it really isn’t? When you don’t have a positive and healthy way of dealing with your trauma, you end up repressing your negative emotions. It can be hard to recognize unresolved trauma on the surface, especially wit

Enforced lockdowns. Isolation from friends and loved ones. Loss of job, income, economic stability. Grief and loss on so many levels -- from missing milestones such as birthdays and graduations to severe illness and death. Difficult times made worse by the fear of an invisible, deadly enemy who strikes via the very air we breathe. Such is the anxiety-ridden reality of living in the age of coronavirus for many people around the world. While some of us may be coping well right

"Some years ago, before quarantining became a way of life, I stood in a packed crowd at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. We were gazing, awe-struck, at what appeared to be a gargantuan (and grumpy!) barracuda through thick glass. My exuberant six-year-old son shot up on the bench and shouted to the crowd around us: “Look, it’s just an obstacle illusion!” Caleb had correctly perceived that the size of the fish was distorted and made formidable by the glass between us. He

Resilience is the process of finding healthy ways to adapt and cope with adversity and distress. Building resilience can be key to helping us get through the Coronavirus crisis and its aftermath. It can helpprotect us from various mental health symptoms, such as depression, anxiety and traumatic stress. And it can help those of us who already have mental health conditions cope better. Prior tragedies have shown the power of resilience. Knowing this, and how to build resili