Manon Dulude Counseling Services

08/18/2025

Social Media and the Rise of Mental Health Problems
by Phil Reed D.Phil.

Much has been said about rises in mental health problems reported by younger people over the past 20 years. It is estimated that the prevalence of anxiety for 18-to-25-year-olds was about 8% in 2008, compared with 15% in 20181, and it is now around 17%2. These figures certainly imply an increase in psychological problems for this age group. Many explanations have been put forth concerning factors responsible – such as living in a more uncertain world3, lack of resilience among the young4, or copycat reporting5. However, a suggestion that has not been explored in detail is that there is an increase in the experience of anxiety symptoms – not anxiety in the strict sense but as a result of social media withdrawal.

It is certainly the case that the rise in reporting of anxiety by younger people over the last 20 years has been paralleled by a rise in social media use. Twenty years ago (in 2008, when the iPhone/smartphone was launched), the prevalence of social media usage among 18-to-25 year-olds was 65%6, and now is around 99%7. This increase of 50% mirrors the rise in anxiety (although, is less pronounced). Of course, this correlation fits several of the above explanations, and, although it sounds harsh, copycat reporting of psychological problems from videos posted by others on social media – for either attention or identity – cannot be ruled out. However, another factor accompanying high social media use is social media withdrawal8 – which can sometimes (indeed often) present like symptoms of anxiety9.

Excessive social media use can happen for any number of reasons. I am not speaking about the personal reasons of the individual – which are of clinical importance – but of the underlying psychological processes. At least three such processes have been noted as important in this context: habit, addiction, and adjunct behaviours10,11. The latter are produced when there is a gap between the delivery of important reinforcers (events) in an organism’s environment, and behaviour emerges during this interval. Schedule-induced polydipsia is an example of this effect, where food is delivered to a rat at fixed intervals, and the rat comes to emit excessive drinking in between times – an effect linked with substance misuse12. This is an interesting suggestion in the context of social media use – is it just filling time between more important things?11 However, habit and addiction are better studied – both produce high levels of behaviour, but are different from one another.

Continued at

Increases in anxiety reported by younger people may perhaps be symptoms of social media withdrawal.

08/16/2025

Why You Really Are Only as Old as You Feel
by Sarah Grainger, Ph.D.

My dad will be celebrating his 80th birthday tomorrow, and he is living proof that age really is just a number. He’s not just surviving—he’s thriving. He still works full time running his small business, he lives independently, and travels internationally on a regular basis. He also looks at least 10 years younger than his birth certificate suggests (something he very much enjoys being reminded about).

I recently asked him how old he feels, and his response was “70.” That’s nearly a decade younger than his chronological age. While this was reassuring for me to hear, it turns out there’s science behind why this is a good thing.

How old you feel compared to your chronological age is referred to as subjective age, and this number can be lower, the same, or higher than your actual age. Psychologists have been studying subjective age for decades, and there is now a large body of research showing that it’s a surprisingly powerful predictor of physical and mental health, cognitive function, and longevity.

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/aging-gracefully-the-scientific-scoop/202507/youre-only-as-old-as-you-feel

08/14/2025

08/10/2025

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08/07/2025

Signs of Burnout and When to Get Help
by Manon Dulude, Ph.D.

Burnout is a serious issue which the World Health Organization (WHO) now recognizes as a legitimate medical condition. While it’s normal to feel very tired or stressed occasionally due to work, burnout is much more serious and should be recognized and treated as soon as possible. Below are the most common symptoms:

Exhaustion — feeling tired occasionally is perfectly normal, especially during busy or challenging times at work. However, feeling tired all the time or most days is not normal and may progress to feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. If you feel completely depleted and dread the thought of work, you may be experiencing burnout.

Continued at https://manondulude.com/signs-of-burnout-and-when-to-get-help

08/02/2025

Bibliotherapy — the practice of “prescribing” books for healing — isn’t just another wellness fad. Canadian psychiatrist Dr. Martina Scholtens says it’s already in national treatment guidelines for depression and anxiety; she tailors titles — from poetry to memoirs — to patients’ specific needs and has published an evidence-based reading list at bibliotherapy.ca.

Beyond the clinic, bibliotherapy also thrives as an art. Some seekers meet with professional “bibliotherapists” who craft literary playlists to help people process grief, stress or big life shifts. Journalist Cody Delistraty credits an imaginative fiction list for reframing his grief after his mother’s death.

The idea isn’t new: WWI hospitals stocked “war libraries” so wounded soldiers could read their way to recovery, and today’s resurgence reflects a belief that slowing down with a good book can still calm minds, spark insight and strengthen well-being.

📌 This is an AI-generated summary of an article by Lisa Godfrey with CBC. To read the article, Google "A book prescription for mental health?"

07/31/2025

The One-Word Solution for Manipulative Adult Children
by Jeffrey Bernstein Ph.D.

As a parent coach and psychologist, I’ve worked with many mothers and fathers struggling with manipulative adult children. It’s a deeply painful, confusing dynamic. You may ask yourself, “Where did I go wrong?” or “How do I help without being taken advantage of?” The answer isn’t giving up on your child; it’s rediscovering your boundaries. And sometimes that starts with one firm, compassionate word.

That word is enough.

Let’s be clear: Manipulative adult children aren’t monsters. They’re hurting. They often use guilt, emotional blackmail, or even intimidation, not because they’re evil, but because they’re stuck—and, in some cases, emotionally regressed. Your empathy matters, but so does your well-being. And saying “enough” isn’t harsh. It’s human.

Let’s walk through some examples from parents I have coached. Please note that names have been altered to protect confidentiality:

Verbal abuse disguised as emotional expression
Camille, a loving mother in her 60s, constantly received angry, accusatory calls and groundless, scathing texts from her 28-year-old daughter, Rachel.

“You never did anything for me,” Rachel would scream or write.

Camille would cry, apologize, and absorb the blame. When I asked Camille if she felt she was wearing a "Kick Me" sign when interacting with Rachel, Camille had her profound, relationship-altering moment of insight.

Camille finally said to Rachel, “Enough. I won’t be spoken to like this. You owe it to yourself, Rachel, just as much as to me to learn to speak respectfully.”

Something then shifted. Rachel hung up. But weeks later, she sent a message that stunned her mother: “I didn’t like it, but thank you for finally standing up to me. I needed that.”

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/liking-the-child-you-love/202504/the-one-word-solution-for-a-manipulative-adult-child

07/24/2025

07/24/2025

Recovering from an Affair — What You Can Do to Rebuild Trust
by Manon Dulude, Ph.D.

One of the most devastating issues we can face in a committed and monogamous relationship is the discovery of an affair. For many, the sense of betrayal is just too much to bear, and the relationship is swiftly abandoned. However, it is possible to get past infidelity if both parties want to and commit to the difficult journey it usually requires. Here are a few things to consider if you find yourself in this situation:

Take Responsibility
This is critical. The “cheater” must own up to their actions, apologise, and be genuinely remorseful about what they have done. Without feeling remorse — and communicating that remorse to their partner — it will be impossible to build trust again and create a path forward.

Accept that Recovery Takes Time
With infidelity, there are no quick fixes; it can take many months or longer to work things out. Both parties must be realistic about the time and effort required to put things right. In particular, the “cheater” must accept that even if the affair did not mean much to them, it may be of huge significance to their partner. Also, it’s important that the transgressor does not become impatient and decide for themselves how long it should take for their partner to “get over it”. Only the injured party can fully know when they have recovered, or if they ever can.

Continued at https://manondulude.com/recovering-from-an-affair-what-you-can-do-to-rebuild-trust

07/21/2025

The Lost Art of Doing One Thing at a Time
by Jennifer Gerlach LCSW

Key points
▪️Multitasking may have a negative impact on creativity and flow states.
▪️Juggling multiple tasks at once can interfere with our ability to be mindful.
▪️A one-minded approach at times can be preferable both for mental health and performance.

Read the article at https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/beyond-mental-health/202505/the-lost-art-of-doing-one-thing-at-a-time

07/17/2025

How to Stop Fixating on Your Feelings
by Samantha Boardman M.D.

Take a moment and think about your right big toe.

Focus on it. Straighten it. Wiggle it.

Now ask: how does it feel? Snug in your sock? Slightly pinched in your shoe?

You likely hadn’t noticed it up until this moment, unless, of course, you have gout or recently stubbed it. But now that you’re paying attention, your right big toe is taking up prime real estate in your mind and is impossible to ignore.

Attention is a spotlight

What seems like a psychological trick is actually a demonstration of how attention works. Our brains are amazing filtering machines, adept at cancelling out huge amounts of stimuli that would otherwise be too much to handle at once. It’s only when we shine a spotlight on something (in this case, the big toe) that it enters awareness. And what we focus on determines what we experience. The more we concentrate on something, the larger it looms.

Continued at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/positive-prescription/202506/its-time-to-stop-fixating-on-your-feelings