Therapy for Young Adults

I think the negative impacts of social media are well-documented, so I won’t get into that here…

What I will say is that growing up with social media might make it feel that it “has to be there,” but it actually doesn’t.

As social media degrades into AI-generated content, it becomes more apparent that social media functions to distract, sell you things & feed our egos….it’s not about connection.

If you struggle with too much time on social media, you are not alone.

If you are “doom-scrolling,” it’s even more important that you find a way to decrease social media consumption.

Learn to let it go & never look back.

As the saying goes…everything in moderation…

If you find yourself gaming an equal amount of a part time job most weeks…that’s too much…unless gaming is job for you (you make $$ doing it).

If gaming online is your only social outlet, that’s probably not going to meet your relational needs or lead to relational satisfaction.

If this is a problem for you, it will not simply take care of itself…you must take action to shift the behavior. If you find it’s functioning on the level of addiction, then the time is certainly NOW.

Please, please, please if you are using ChatGPT or other AI for emotional, psychological or relational support for any amount of time…STOP & challenge yourself to speak with people.

AI is not good for these things & as flawed as humans are, humans have evolved to relate to other human nervous systems. AI can never do that no matter how advanced it may become.

It’s like eating styrofoam when you’re hungry…you might feel full, but you haven’t taken in anything you need.

I don’t think I need to explain why this could be a problem. Smart phones are addictive.

They are convenient, so they aren’t going anywhere any time soon, so it’s up to each of us to make sure we are not over-doing it.

Phones are often used as a “security blanket” for anxiety. I can teach you better ways to manage anxiety than jumping on your phone & the apps on that phone.

If you sleep with your phone, look at your phone as soon as you wake-up or panic if you find you’ve left your phone at home…these could be a signs that you need to adjust your behavior.

If you are watching shows or Youtube enough to add up to a part time job most weeks…that’s likely too much screen time.

You can measure if it’s a problem especially if you aren’t really enjoying what you’re watching but feel an impulsive drive to continue instead of eating, going to bed, doing work, or other things you say are important to you.

An entire generation was lured into nicotine use through fruit flavors & the promise of lower addiction…a terrible lie by the nicotine industry…

Nicotine is a stimulant & is incredibly addictive.

There are no positives in nicotine use…none.

Finding a path to stop can be hard, but will be worth it to your overall health in the short & long run.

If you are using nicotine as self-medicating ADHD, this should be addressed ASAP.

The legalization of THC in many states & the rise of vaping has set off a perfect storm for over-consumption of THC…straight THC, stronger than any plant would yield.

Studies are now showing that people are not becoming addicted to THC, which is completely predictable with the stronger levels that are easily available.

If you’re using THC to sleep, this may also be an issues since THC messes with needed sleep cycles.

If you think you may be over-using THC or have become addicted to the chemical impact, don’t delay to get support & at the least transition back to flower & full plant.

Humans are not terribly good at focus & attention in general, but social media, phone use & the out-sourcing of thinking has decreased it even further.

If you can’t make it through reading a full book, you may be suffering the impact of this.

It’s not only ADHDers how struggle with focus these days…we are all vulnerable.

The good news is attention-span & focus are VERY trainable!

Anything that is referred to as an “energy” drink likely has plenty of of ingredients that are not good for you & especially should not be consumed on a regular basis (once/week, for example).

I don’t think energy drinks are good idea for most people.

There are other options for building stamina into your body & nutrition that are not about “propping” you up, which creates a crash for most people…at some point.

Coffee & caffeine consumption in the US is crazy high & normalized.

It would do all of us good to realize that caffeine is a stimulant & it’s not always a positive to be stimulated!

Gen Z are not the biggest consumers of coffee, so perhaps this isn’t a problem for you, but if it is, may be time to try a detox especially if you’re having sleep issues.

Caffeine does not detox through the system in time for bed when consumed past 11 a.m. & for those who are more sensitive, it can impact sleep if consumed as late as 9 a.m.

It is natural to stay up later & sleep a little later in the teen years & 20’s, but full reverse cycle is NOT normal. Reverse Cycling is when we are up most of the night & sleeping most of the day (past noon).

There is a Circadian Rhythm sleep disorder that may account for this issue, but it’s not very common. Having your sleep assessed is recommended if you think you may have this condition…

Otherwise, sleep training is possible, while taking into account neurodivergent sleep challenges.

Addiction does not rely on a substance (although there are VERY addictive substances out there).

Our phones, gaming apps & many other things are built to draw us in & keep us there.

The definition of addiction is as follows:

“a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence”