Relationships can provide numerous benefits—support, love, acceptance, belonging, companionship, and understanding, to name a few. However, they don’t come without their hardships. As time passes, people change, and sometimes it can be difficult to adapt to those changes when you see them in your partner or even yourself. If you…
Sexual trauma can occur in many forms and for survivors often results in short- or long-term psychological consequences, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more. In the days and weeks following occurrences of sexual trauma, survivors may grapple with confusion, guilt, social withdrawal, and anger. Despite its potential to cause psychological…
When it comes to pornography usage, mental health professionals are divided. Many believe that pornography may be beneficial for sexual exploration, enjoyment, education, and eliminating feelings of shame surrounding sex—while others deride its consumption, or are ambivalent. Regardless, when pornography usage begins to affect someone’s relationships, self-worth, or daily functioning,…
Transvestic disorder is a paraphilic disorder characterized by emotional distress or functional impairment due to erotic cross-dressing. Is cross-dressing a mental issue? No, it’s not. Cross-dressing is simply the act of dressing as the opposite gender. The behavior is typically practiced by cisgender, heterosexual men who wear traditionally feminine apparel…
Many of us shiver or clam up at the mention of sex (we’ll get into why later) but talking about sex (when and where appropriate) is vital to our health and wellbeing—these conversations allow us to understand safe sex practices, explore our personal feelings about sex, and ultimately maintain a…
