The decision to go to therapy can be a difficult one, but starting therapy with the right mental health professional is one of the best ways to improve your mental health. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, trauma, borderline personality disorder, feeling overwhelmed, or are unsure of what…
We all experience days when we’re just not in the mood to mince words; which means some conversations may get a little heated under the right circumstances. And often, we tend to snap at the people who are closest to us; the friends and family we care about. Those arguments…
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the current diagnosis for what may also be called chronic alcoholism, alcohol addiction, alcohol abuse, dipsomania, and alcohol dependence. We can define unhealthy drinking behaviors in a variety of ways, but problems are the common denominator. That is, our friend/enemy/frenemy alcohol (technically ethanol) is a…
It’s the little things about our appearance that often get to us—some crooked teeth, a few extra pounds, or maybe more gray in our hair than we’d like to see. The idea of perfect, the one our imagination creates, is unrealistic. However, recognizing when our self-judgment transforms into an unhealthy…
Adult ADHD does not have its own section in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which clinicians often use for classifying mental health conditions. According to that manual, ADHD in adults and ADHD in children is the same neurodevelopmental disorder. And yet attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can…
Experts estimate that less than 2% of the general U.S. population has borderline personality disorder (BPD), but roughly 25% of people claim to have experienced a symptom or two of the condition. For example, most of us have felt emotionally volatile at one point or another. We may have become…
Mental disorders (aka mental illnesses) are health conditions that involve changes in thinking, emotion, or behavior—or some combination of the three. Mental disorders are connected with distress and/or impairment in functioning, whether that be socially, occupationally, or in some other dimension of life. According to the National Institute of Mental…
While there isn’t a cure for personality disorders, there are effective treatment methods out there for those who struggle with these conditions, such as therapy. These clients can often be described as “change-resistant” as they have a particularly difficult time making changes, even when those changes will benefit them. That…
Personality disorders are characterized by unhealthy thoughts and behaviors that make everyday functioning significantly difficult. The 10 personality disorders have each been analyzed and defined; however, there is still much to understand, such as how and why these disorders develop. Many experts agree that both genetic and environmental factors are…
Pessimists and optimists are polar opposites; the former focus on the downside, while the latter tend to look on the bright side. While neither of these mentalities are classified as mental illnesses, they each can have some seriously negative effects on our mental health. First, optimism isn’t always the way…
When one is hurt by the world—initially by our parents or caretaking environment—it is a natural human reaction to try to control our external environment. Having a controlling personality is not considered to be a personality disorder; however, contemporary psychodynamic theory and practice see DMS-V personality disorders as being environmental…
What Is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)? The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a psychological test that evaluates and determines personality characteristics. It measures people’s mental health and provides evidence of mental disorders. Who Should Take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)? The MMPI test is mainly geared…