Just picture this: You’re in the middle of a fantastic first date. After a great evening at dinner, you’ve both found yourselves lost in conversation, discovering more about each other, and enjoying the evening as time flies by. Diving deeper, you feel brave enough to share a close personal experience…
As with any other mental health condition, comprehending what causes depression is crucial to managing and treating depressive symptoms. This starts with understanding that depressive disorders have no singular cause but a set of factors that are all involved in the development of depressive symptoms. With this in mind, the…
Depression is one of the most well-known and studied mental health conditions. It’s characterized by feelings of sadness or emptiness, low energy, lack of concentration, and chronic nerve pain, among a myriad of other symptoms. Depressive episodes may even last for months or even years. The different forms of depression…
Have you ever wondered what your dreams mean? The contents of our dreams can be quite perplexing — especially when they’re violent and scary. Take, for example, a recurring dream I used to have when I was a kid: It’s my birthday, and I’m wandering around my backyard. My friends…
Your abuser does not get to define the rest of your life. You can know this intellectually, but it’s a whole different beast to know it in your body. People who experience sexual assault might internalize their fear and trauma so they continue to feel unsafe in their skin. They…
As toddlers and young children, we quickly and naturally form strong emotional bonds with our parents or caretakers. As a result, being apart from them at an early age is often accompanied by separation anxiety. These feelings of distress are a normal stage of childhood development—but sometimes, our recurring fear…
When a child is scared, it’s natural for a parent to feel helpless. Childhood fears and specific phobias aren’t always rational, so you can’t just reason them away by saying, for example, “Only seven Americans die from spider bites every year,” or “Sweetie, there are zero monsters under your bed.”…
It’s estimated that more than 50 million adults in America will experience some form of mental health condition in their lifetimes. That’s around 20% of the entire adult population of the United States. In addition, a recent Pew Research study found that, though self-reported religious affiliation rates have declined in…
We all have distinct personalities — a combination of characteristics that make us, us. Funny, empathetic, agreeable, adventurous, charismatic, curious, dramatic, innovative, etc. Some of us, though, have personality disorders, which mean our thoughts and behaviors don’t align with what’s considered “normal.” This comprehensive guide answers the most frequently asked…
It’s easy to want your children to thrive; it’s harder to know exactly how to help them achieve their full potential. Parents, grandparents, and other caregivers aren’t always given the resources to identify and find treatment for mental health issues in kids. The Covid-19 pandemic shone a much-needed spotlight on…
The experience of being pregnant can be transformative for your body, mind, and spirit. Physically, you might feel different as you deal with morning sickness, tender breasts, and fatigue. Emotionally, you may start to see your surroundings through the eyes of your future child. Your relationship with your partner might…
According to a 2022 report from the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, nearly 10 million people over the age of 18 in the United States have substance use disorder (SUD). That’s almost 4% of the entire population. Yet, despite the prevalence of addiction, a profound stigma surrounding addiction persists,…