Tag Archives: special education

Bullying and Depression

Devastating News A few days ago, I learned that 9-year-old Madison Whitsett from Birmingham, Alabama, committed suicide. I have gleaned 3 facts from major news outlets – Madison was diagnosed with ADHD, she was being bullied at school, and she had recently started new medication. Although Madison’s parents have not divulged the name of the medication, some have stated that suicidal thoughts are listed as one of the side effects. I am profoundly devastated by this news. My heart breaks for this precious baby, her family, and the entire community. I thought long and hard about writing this blog post, […]

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Jesus, Therapy, & Prozac: Pastors Need Help Too

I had never heard his name until just a few days ago, but I now I can’t get his name or his heartbreaking story out of my head. I am overwhelmed by grief at the loss of this man’s life and at the unbearable pain that I imagine his wife, his 3 boys, and his church family now find themselves swallowed within. At the tender age of 30, Andrew Stoecklein, lead pastor at Inland Hills Church in Chino, California, died by suicide. Multiple news outlets report that he had struggled with depression and anxiety for the past several months and […]

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HELP! My Child is Struggling in School!

From kindergarten through high school, our children spend the bulk of their day at school. Within the school setting, they learn new skills and demonstrate mastery of educational concepts, form new friendships and nurture old ones, solve problems, manage conflicts and disagreements, and grow. Not infrequently, however, children begin to experience symptoms of a psychiatric illness that may greatly interfere with his ability to accomplish these tasks at school. The statistics bear out this very real risk of psychiatric illness.

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