Every person experiences stress in their lives and yet some seem to handle it well while others struggle. Today's episode is all about how to understand and take control of how we perceive and cope with stress. 

This week Brett and I discuss a topic that we were asked about by a listener. The question was about how to help schools provide support services for all children. In this episode of Psych with Mike, Brett and I examine this issue. I am also including a link to more information about Care Teams and an Amazon link to the book I co-wrote on the subject.

My Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Care-Team-Approach-Problem-Solving-Effective/dp/1558333916

Care Team Information:

https://www.dcp.wa.gov.au/Resources/Documents/Policies%20and%20Frameworks/Care%20Team%20Approach%20Practice%20Framework.pdf

Humans tend to think in terms of in-groups and out-groups. In-groups are those who feel an association based on some variable that can be the county they live in or even the sports team they root for. You may feel an affiliation for someone you normally would not because they join your in-group. For example, if someone from a different religion joins your softball team. Today we look at this concept more closely. Here is a good reference for more information on in-groups and out-groups.

https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/in-groupout-group 

In today's world, most of us experience a greater perceived polarization than at any time in memory. But are we more polarized than during the Vietnam War and the CivilRights Movement? What about the Macarthy Era and the "search for communists in the US? And how 'bout during the Civil War? 

That said we often see those that have views different from ours as "lying". On today's Psych with Mike, we explore why people lie, or at least why we think they do. 

To save you the time here is a link to information on the War of Jenkin's Ear. You'll find out why when you listen. 

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/military-history/the-war-of-jenkins-ear/ 

Sleep is something that every human being on the planet does every day. We complain about not getting enough or some individuals getting too much. Some people say they can survive on very little sleep while others say they can't function without 7 or 8 hours. But how many of us really know what is therapeutic about sleep and why?

Here is additional information linking poor sleep with cognitive disorders and even Alzheimer's Disease.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318273.php 

We continue the discussion about traumatic stress and discuss simple things that people can do to counteract the effects. 

What is traumatic stress and how is it different than regular stress or even anxiety? This episode of Psych with Mike we discuss this topic and explore how traumatic stress happens, how it works and how to deal with it. Here is a good resource on the subject to supplement today's conversation.

 http://www.istss.org/public-resources/what-is-traumatic-stress.aspx 

Parenting an adolescent is often considered one of the most difficult periods for both the parent and the adolescent. This time does not, however, need to be the dreaded experience that many fear. Understanding how your adolescent thinks differently and effective parenting strategies to promote a positive transition can significantly reduce perceived friction between adolescent and parent. For more information on how adolescents think differently see the blog post on the subject on the Psych with Mike podcast site. 

http://psychwithmike.com/how-adolescents-think 

Think you know what adolescence is? Bet you don't! Of course, we all either will, are or have gone through the developmental stage called adolescence but very few know how the stage of development actually came to be and why. More importantly, how do adolescents think and what impact does today's technology have on this developmental process?

In therapy, I am asked frequently what the difference between an addiction and a compulsion actually is. The terms are often used as synonyms by the media and individuals who do not know the difference. In actually however they are quite different. In addition to the discussion on the podcast, here is a link to a good article on the subject.

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-difference-between-an-addiction-and-a-compulsion-22240