Our Latest Blogs

Failure to Launch Part 3: What It Is and What It Isn’t

Chances are if you landed on this webpage, you are concerned about a young adult who still lives at home and does not seem to be moving forward in life.  Maybe that person is you, or maybe it’s a son or daughter, or someone in your extended family.  That young person may have been diagnosed […]

8 Study Hacks to Beat Test Anxiety

8 Study Hacks to Beat Test Anxiety

  You showed up to class every day. You took lengthy notes and studied for hours. You go to take the test and suddenly, your body tenses, your mind goes blank, and you can’t bring yourself to answer a single question. If you can relate to this then you are probably struggling with test anxiety […]

Failure to Launch Part 2: Setting Expectations for Young Adults at Home

young woman

Last year I wrote an article about young adult anxiety which quickly became one of our most popular posts on rtor.org. The article, Failure To Launch:  9 Tips for Managing Anxiety in Dependent Adult Children, is based on a podcast by Yale anxiety expert, Dr. Eli Lebowitz. Since it first appeared in 2016, many people […]

Cool Millennials and Stressed-Out Moms: Normalizing Excessive Drinking in Young Women

women and drinking

Both men and women enjoy drinking for a variety of reasons—to celebrate an event, to socialize with others, or calm down after a long day. Regardless of its benefits, alcohol can still cause dependence in both men and women. Yet, the stereotype of the alcoholic is usually pictured as a middle-aged man who would prefer […]

“I Have An Alternative Life in My Head… Am I Mentally Ill?”

daydreaming

Last year I joined Quora, a question-and-answer website where questions on every subject imaginable are posed and answered by its community of users. The community includes such notables as Barack Obama, Steve Case, and Justin Trudeau, who have answered questions on occasion. If you are curious about how celebrities choose the charitable causes they endorse […]

“The Mask You Live In”: Masculinity and Mental Health

mask you live in

The screen opens on an animated scene of a kid in a basement with his father looming over him. A booming voice yells, “be a man.” The animation fades to real life and shows NFL coach and former player, Joe Ehrmann, narrating the story of how his father taught him to “be a man.” Like […]

Alcohol and Self-Starvation: The Dangerous New Trend

beer on table

  We all know that college can be a breeding ground for partying. Many parents may worry that their kids in college might drink too much and develop an addiction, yet many don’t know that young adults are also at risk for developing an eating disorder. Unfortunately the two can come together to form a variety […]

College Survival Tips: The Dorms

family helping daughter move in to dorms

  I’m sure you’re feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness as the summer counts down and the first day of college gets closer and closer. College is a huge change and it isn’t something that should be taken lightly. One of the biggest adjustments you will face when you start college is living in […]

College Survival Tips: Academics

girl studying in college classroom

  College is a big transition and it comes with its own set of pressures and adjustments. One of the main areas of college life that give students the most stress is worrying about how they will do academically. Grades are no longer just a measure of how well you are doing in school; your […]

Introvert Wellness: Getting Out There

friends-laughing

  Many of the introvert struggles I hear and have experienced myself revolve around socializing: some people are too loud and pushy, some friends don’t respect boundaries, and networking requires too much small talk. The list could go on and on. I empathize with how uncomfortable the world can be for introverts especially since most […]

Sarah’s Scribbles Creator Talks with rtor.org: A Candid Interview with Comic Artist Sarah Andersen

adulthood-is-a-myth-cover

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet and interview the lovely and hilarious Sarah Andersen, the creator of the widely popular Internet comic strip, “Sarah’s Scribbles.” The strip follows the main character, Sarah, as she finds herself in funny and all-too-real situations. Recently, Sarah has released a “Sarah’s Scribbles” book, Adulthood is a Myth. […]

Quarter Life Crisis: Wellness

girl-in-sunlight

  Are you a twenty-something and you’re completely and utterly lost in life? Did your original life plans change or fail and it now seems like there is no hope of ever finding the right path to take? You might be experiencing a quarter life crisis. I’m here to tell you that as confusing and terrible […]

How You Can Help Someone Struggling with Mental Illness: Support Before Advice

support_before_advice_mental_illness

  In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are inviting one guest writer a week in the month of May to write about their perspectives on mental health. Today’s guest blog post comes from Farsh Askari whose post covers the need for more supportive dialogue when discussing mental illness. Be sure to check out his blog, The OCD Memorist. Thank […]

Failure To Launch:  9 Tips for Dealing with Anxiety in Dependent Adult Children

how to cope with grown child with mental illness

  This week I call your attention to the problem of “Failure to Launch” (FTL) in young adults. I’m not referring to the awful 2006 movie Failure to Launch starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. In the Hollywood version of FTL a handsome, fun-loving yacht salesman who lives with his parents at age 35 has […]

Off to College: A Mental Health Checklist for Parents of First-Year Students

It’s mid-August and that time of year again.  Having just dropped off my first-born at college a mere ten days ago, the off-to-school drill for first-year students is fresh in mind: Tuition paid, insurance waiver and other paperwork filed New clothes, laptop, mini fridge, school supplies, etc Figure out transportation options while away at school […]