[Self-Test] Were You Raised by Emotionally Immature People?

You have come a long way, and you’re still learning and growing. Be thankful for the lessons. Take them and make the best of things today.For my 18th birthday, many moons ago, my grandfather on my mom’s side gave me four lightly-used flannel shirts that he no longer needed.

Now, thinking things through can be a great thing of course.But getting lost in a sort of overthinking disorder – where you too often draw up worst-case scenarios in your mind or try to see all the possible outcomes – can result in you becoming someone who stands still in life.In becoming someone who self-sabotages the good things that happen in life (and the good news you get).I know. I used to spend too much time on overthinking things and it held me back in ways that weren’t fun at all.But in the past 10 years or so I’ve learned how to make this issue so small that it very rarely pops up anymore.

“Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.” ~Jack Kornfield

It’s not what you say to everyone else that determines your life; it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the greatest power and influence.The best lessons we learn in life are the lessons we learn over and over again. The human mind needs lots of reminders — lots of practice — to operate effectively.

When I was 15 years old, I joined my school publication to become a student journalist.That decision changed my life.Through the high school newspaper, I learned to write news, opinion, and feature articles. One of my teachers gave me a piece of advice that still sticks with me today:“You’re not a writer if you’re not a reader.”From that moment, I began reading non-fiction books and novels.

“Head up, heart open. To better days!” — T.F. HodgeStruggling to find your motivation? Feeling unsure about the next steps?There are just a few things you need to know right now.This quick read is for YOU…Once upon a time there was a woman in her mid-sixties who noticed that she had lived her entire life in the same small town.

Caffeine is the world’s most common (and delicious) stimulant. Unlike prescription stimulant medications such as amphetamine (brand name: Adderall) or methylphenidate (brand name: Ritalin), caffeine occurs naturally. Coffee drinkers with ADHD may find that it improves focus, ramps up productivity, promotes wakefulness, and reduces ADHD symptoms.

Q: My neurodivergent teen doesn’t understand how he come across to other boys. (It’s not good.) I’ve tried to talk with him about this, but he just gets angry or defensive and shuts down. How should I start this conversation in a way that won’t make him feel bad about himself?First, I want to acknowledge that you’re in a tough spot – and you’re not alone.

And to refill your motivation and optimism so you can make your fall a happy and fulfilling one.“October is a hallelujah! reverberating in my body year-round…” – John Nichols“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” – L.M. Montgomery“October sunshine bathed the park with such a melting light that it had the dimmed impressive look of a landscape by an old master.” – Elizabeth Enright“I remember it as October days are always remembered, cloudless, maple-flavored, the air gold and so clean it quivers.” – Leif Enger“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F.

“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I built my life.” ~J.K. Rowling

By Charles Barnard, founder of Success Institutes. Emma’s alarm buzzed at 7:30 a.m., though there was no real reason to get up. […]

Disclaimer: If you’re having extreme thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please seek help immediately. Reach out to someone you trust, go to your nearest emergency room, or contact988 for free, confidential support that’s available 24/7.Pregnancy is so often portrayed as a joyful time where women “glow” in anticipation of the life they’re creating. The truth is, though, emotional distress during pregnancy is more common than most people realize.

The goal is to change your response to what you can’t control — to gradually grow stronger on the inside, so less on the outside affects your inner peace and joy without your conscious permission.The mind is the biggest battleground. It’s the place where the greatest conflict resides. It’s where we all develop thinking habits that put us in direct opposition with reality — where the things we fear drain us but never actually happen.

The risk of developing depression doubles when a teen has ADHD, and adolescence is often the backdrop to initial depressive episodes. Teens with depression tend to withdraw – their irritability, sadness, or negative affect seemingly walling them in beyond reach. Stuck outside those walls, parents seldom know what to say or do to breech their teen’s fortress of isolation.Building interpersonal connections is difficult — and essential – for people struggling with mood disorders.

I’m the mom who forgets about the birthday party. Not in the quirky, lovable, hot-mess rom-com way — just in the regular way, where the invitation has been quietly sitting in my inbox beside its 20,957 best friends.I’m also the mom who doesn’t have one master family calendar but three. Two backups for the one I’ll sure lose.

FREE WEBINAR ON AUGUST 26 Click here to register for “An Adult’s Guide to ADHD Treatment Considerations” with John Kruse, M.D., Ph.D., on August 26 at 1 pm ET.

“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.When you first awake, be mindful and take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive and relatively healthy. Breathe onto the bathroom mirror just to see how amazing your breath looks. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing, I assure you it will start to feel like one.

The most powerful changes happen when we decide to take control of what we do have power over, instead of craving control over what we do not.Holding on is hard. Holding on contributes to stress, unhappiness, relationship issues, and so much more.

And to recharge your energy so you can go after your goals and dreams with renewed motivation and make this a successful day.“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt“The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.” – Rumi“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius“I get up every morning and it’s going to be a great day.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.When you can no longer think of a reason to continue, you must think of a reason to start over. There’s a big difference between giving up and starting over in the right direction. And there are three little words that can release you from your past and guide you forward to a positive new beginning.

“Jerry, there is some bad in the best of people and some good in the worst of people. Look for the good!” ~George Chaky, my grandfather

“I have seen and touched and danced and sang and climbed and loved and meditated on a lifetime spent living honestly. Should it all end tonight, I can positively say there would be no regrets. I feel fortunate to have walked 90 years in my shoes. I am truly lucky. I really have lived 1,000 times over.”Those are the opening lines of the final entry in my grandma Zelda’s journal—a 270-page leather-bound journal she wrote small entries in almost every morning during the final decade of her life.

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and delivered what would become one of the most powerful speeches in history, “I Have a Dream.” Speaking to over 250,000 people during the March on Washington, his call for racial equality echoed not only across America but throughout the world.More than just a moment in history, Dr.

My electric toothbrush has seen it all.

We sabotage our best intentions when we saddle new resolutions with these common ADHD traps: thinking too big and expecting overnight change.Ever optimistic, the ADHD brain assumes that it will hit the gym seven days a week, even after a long track record of doing the opposite. It believes it will craft elaborate, gourmet dinners every night after months of DoorDash and frozen pizza. It imagines it will wake up every day at the crack of dawn after a lifetime of hitting the snooze button.When we inevitably fail to overhaul our lives at breakneck speed, we feel ashamed and overlook our efforts.

August 13, 2025Serotonin dysfunction occurs in nearly three-quarters of psychiatric and somatic comorbidities linked to ADHD, according to a new systematic review published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.1The study identified 182 comorbidities in ADHD populations and found strong evidence linking 135 (74.2%) of them, including 91 psychiatric and 44 somatic conditions, to imbalances in the brain’s serotonergic system.“This association confirmed the occurrence of comorbidities within a clearly defined ADHD population (rather than the presence of ADHD within a population with a particular condition), and also confirmed that the comorbidity was a co-occurring condition and not an adverse event elicited by ADHD treatment,” the researchers wrote.The research team examined close to 50,000 papers published between January 2010 and March 2024. Based on the volume of articles and the overall high grade of evidence, they concluded that the top five psychiatric ADHD comorbidities associated with serotonin dysregulation include:The top five somatic ADHD comorbidities associated with a serotonin dysregulation include:The brain’s “feel good” chemical, serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, impulsivity, and physical functions, such as sleep and digestion.According to a recent study in Nature, serotonin neurons signal to the brain the expected value of near-future rewards.

Not available September 9? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Chronic pain is more common in autistic children and teens with and without ADHD than it is in neurotypical youth.

Empathy is the emotional glue that binds all relationships. I’ve never had an adult client come into my office and say, “My parents took too much time to truly listen to me. That really messed up my childhood.”When children refuse and resist, responding with empathy feels unnatural.