coping skills

“Protect your peace.” “Guard your energy.” “If it costs you your peace, it’s too expensive.” Sound familiar? Depending on your algorithm, you might be bombarded by the message that good mental health means feeling calm, regulated, and comfortable as much as possible. On the surface, that sounds reasonable. Most of…

Wondering if therapy is working? It’s not always easy to tell, especially since healing is often more gradual than dramatic. Plus, it depends on what you’re hoping to address in therapy, since learning to manage a chronic mental health condition will likely take more time than helping you navigate a…

So, you’ve decided you want to explore medication for your anxiety. Now you’re faced with another decision: who exactly should you see? A psychiatrist? Your regular doctor? Your therapist? Here’s a clear breakdown of which providers can prescribe anxiety medication, what each option looks like, and how to figure out…

You may not call it catastrophizing, but you probably know the feeling well: You start off worrying about one thing (like a bad date or a comment from your boss), and before you know it, you’re swimming in all the worst-case scenarios. Another bad date means you’ll surely end up…

You’ve tried the deep breathing. You’ve gone for walks. You’ve journaled until your hand cramped. And you still feel just as anxious, angry, or overwhelmed as before. When the coping skills that used to work suddenly don’t, it’s easy to feel like you’re failing. But you’re not doing it wrong….

You cancel plans with friends—again—because your partner needs you. You stay up until 2 a.m. managing your adult sibling’s crisis, even though you have an important meeting in the morning. You feel responsible for keeping everyone around you happy, and when they’re not, you’re convinced it’s your fault. What feels…

Your mind won’t stop racing. Maybe it’s replaying that awkward thing you said three hours ago, or spiraling into worst-case scenarios about tomorrow’s presentation. You’ve tried telling yourself to “just stop thinking about it,” but somehow that makes the thoughts louder. If this sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone. Research…

At some point, you may have heard someone talk about ADD and wondered, “Is that the same thing as ADHD or is it something else?” The difference between ADD and ADHD confuses many people—largely because there really isn’t a difference. Attention-deficit disorder (ADD) refers to people who have a specific…

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the current diagnosis for what may also be called chronic alcoholism, alcohol addiction, alcohol abuse, dipsomania, and alcohol dependence. This comprehensive look at alcohol use disorder will provide an in-depth explanation of the disorder, its causes, diagnostic criteria, symptoms, and treatments. 

Although it’s less commonly used in contemporary mental health settings than in the 20th century, the concept of neurotic behavior is still relevant, especially in relation to anxiety-related traits. While neurotic behaviors may seem intuitive at first thought, recognizing the nuances of neurotic behavior is crucial for effectively addressing its…

Separation anxiety is a set of symptoms characterized by intense anxiety when separated from a support system or loved one. If symptoms are intense enough and begin to interfere with one’s daily life, it can be a sign of a deeper issue called separation anxiety disorder — a disorder with…

Depression is a common mental health condition that has affected at least 29% of Americans at some point in their lives. As a result, mental health treatments for depression have become an essential part of coping with different types of depressive disorders.  Learn more about depression symptoms, risk factors, and…