Struggling with a mental illness can make it challenging to plan ahead for some individuals. Some years can be uneventful while others can bring big changes or the need for additional help managing mental health. As the year draws to a close, many people choose to make New Year’s resolutions. But, if you’re not sure...Read More

Winter is hard. For many of us, it’s a season of cold, gloomy days with little sunshine. We spend less time outdoors and more time under artificial lights. For 5% of the U.S. population, these seasonal changes can signal the start of seasonal affective disorder, more commonly known and appropriately abbreviated as SAD. SAD is...Read More

Around the holiday season, we often hear that it’s better to give than to receive. But did you know that there is some scientific truth to this? It’s easy to feel as though we’re too busy or stressed to help others, but research shows that giving back to others is helpful for our own mental...Read More

The holiday season is upon us. Shopping, parties, gift-giving – it seems non-stop from Halloween until the New Year. This season is meant to represent love, family, and cheer, but for many it’s a source of stress. A big cause of holiday stress can be trying to do too much. While stress is necessary for...Read More

If you struggle with disappointment or sadness during the holiday season, it can seem as though nothing is fulfilling. Even if your life is going great, you’re not alone if you feel this way sometimes. Even successful people can find themselves feeling crushed by the winter season.      There are many strategies available to help you...Read More

Do you have a great work ethic, but struggle to stay on task? Or maybe you consider yourself responsible but often miss important details or miss deadlines, or are often late for meetings. Maybe you’re not very good at studying, but know that you’re smart.  Sound familiar? It’s possible the cause is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,...Read More

Each year, many of us make health-related promises to ourselves. We attempt to take better care of ourselves and set goals to exercise and eat healthier. Just as our physical health and fitness are important, so is our mental fitness. It’s vital to our overall health and happiness. We live longer and richer lives when we...Read More

If you think it can be challenging to support someone who has attempted suicide, you’re not alone. Often, people don’t know what to do or say and finding the right words can be difficult. It can be incredibly overwhelming. It’s important to create a “safe zone” where the person you are supporting can feel loved,...Read More

According to the CDC, U.S. suicide rates are growing rapidly each year. Rates are now at the highest since World War II. Some of the contributing factors are believed to be high stress, social media usage, and the current opioid crisis.  CDC data from 2017 shows that 14 out of 100,000 Americans had a cause...Read More

Suicide is currently in the top 10 list of leading causes of death in the United States according to the CDC. Over 47,000 individuals lost their lives as a result of suicide. Even more tragic is that suicide is the second leading cause of death in individuals between the ages of 10-34 and fourth leading...Read More

A somewhat startling new trend in recent years is “mommy drinking” culture. Meant to be innocent and funny, it’s common to see t-shirts, memes, and coffee mugs that might say “This is actually wine”, or “It’s Wine o’clock.” Products and apparel make it seem more normalized, or that “everyone is doing it”. It may even,...Read More

Often, mental health issues begin during the school years. It may seem logical that mental health education should be a vital part of the curriculum and to begin at an early age, yet that is not the reality in most schools. Stigma and misconceptions are prevalent, and knowledge lacking. Yet, since children spend much of...Read More

Mental resilience is trending, and for good reason! Resilience, or the ability to adapt and bounce back during difficult times or trauma, makes us better able to handle challenges that happen during our lives and remain strong. Often, resilient individuals have already overcome difficulties in their lives and are better equipped to face challenges when...Read More

In the U.S., we’ve recently seen mental health issues coming to the forefront of conversations, especially as these issues present themselves in diverse ways. These conversations are still uncomfortable, but we must have courage to talk about these issues with our family and friends. Yet stigmas and disparities surrounding mental health issues often prevent mental...Read More

Do you feel guilty for saying no? Often those who feel this guilt fear rejection, disapproval, blame or criticism. They may feel a lack of recognition. These fears are irrational beliefs and often become worse while under stress. These feelings don’t need to be your normal. People-pleasers are fearful of saying “no” due to a...Read More

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition that is usually diagnosed after an individual experiences symptoms beyond one month following a traumatic event. PTSD symptoms may not show up until months, or even years later. There are three main types of symptoms that appear prior to being diagnosed: Difficulty sleeping, trouble concentrating,...Read More

In today’s stressed out, burnt out society, it’s no wonder that self-care is trending. Self-care is the practice of taking care of your physical, mental, and spiritual health by improving your overall wellbeing. Consistent self-care practice has been shown to build confidence and self-esteem, improve productivity, and be able to more easily cope and adapt...Read More

Assuming too much responsibility could increase your chances of developing OCD and anxiety. Researchers from Hiroshima University surveyed American college students about their feelings related to three types of responsibility: responsibility to prevent or avoid harm, responsibility for negative results, and responsibility to resolve a problem. The team found that participants who felt strong feelings...Read More

Heart failure patients who suffer from depression and anxiety are at greater risk of progressive heart disease and other adverse outcomes, according to a new study published in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. In addition, healthy individuals with depression are more likely to develop heart failure. Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart can’t pump enough...Read More

They Are Problems With Negative Emotions Attached to Them. By Audrey Sherman, Ph.D. Do you sometimes feel like you must have something terribly wrong with your brain, that you respond to things inappropriately or with too much intensity when others seem to blow right through those same problems? Does your head spin with the seeming overwhelm...Read More