Mental Health Topics

I prefer the comfort of my bed and Netflix to a loud night out on the town. Give me a good book or two, light a candle, and I’m set for hours. Very rarely do I make plans with friends during the week, and I’ve gotten really good at scurrying…

You go to sleep on time expecting to sleep through the night only to wake up in the wee hours unable to fall back to sleep again. We’ve all been there and it’s frustrating to say the least. Worst of all, it robs you of the essential rest you need…

In this day and age, a majority of men and women are exceedingly concerned with how they look: how big their legs are, how thin their arms aren’t, how messy or unruly their hair is on any given day. And it’s often difficult to focus on anything positive. So, what…

I like to think I’m good at reading people and picking up on certain energies. I can walk into a room and sense if the majority of people are stressed, happy, excited, content. I can talk to someone for a few minutes and determine if they’re more or less a…

Oftentimes, we get so caught up in the busyness, the constant hustle and bustle of life, that we forget to check in with ourselves. Am I feeling okay? Am I happy? Am I making healthy decisions? These are questions we should be asking ourselves on a daily basis. Instead, we…

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is hard at any age—but it can be especially confusing and difficult for kids. They’re still growing, developing, and learning about the world around them, and being confronted with a traumatic event like this can be particularly challenging. Therefore, it’s important you…

When I was in high school, I befriended a girl named Anna in the grade above me. We met in a journalism class, which was comprised of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors—an unusual dynamic for sure. We were all grateful for the opportunity to branch outside of our grades and…

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Canada, discovered that men and women with major depressive disorder (MDD) experience opposite genetic transformations. This study “Opposite Molecular Signatures of Depression in Men and Women,” which is published in Biological Psychiatry, suggests…

A counselor’s job is to offer guidance and help his or her clients live their very best lives. They appear to be the wisest of the wise, all-knowing, and at times pretty perfect—but the truth is that they struggle just like us. And they have to work at this crazy…

Earlier today, I was on a counseling community site where people go to ask for or to give advice. The questions ranged in subject matter, from surviving difficult breakups to managing anxiety, seeking treatment for depression, and so on, but a large majority dealt with a lack of self-worth. Several…

When my ex and I broke up, I immediately unfollowed him on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. Not because I was resentful or petty—but because I knew I needed a clean break. Seeing his photos and status updates would only upset me and prevent me from moving forward. So, much to…

An estimated 350 million people around the world suffer from depression, making this illness a leading cause of disability. Some of these individuals experience depressive thoughts or feelings after a loved one has passed; some after going through a bad breakup; and others for no apparent reason at all. The…