Mental Health Topics

What is my purpose? Is this what I want? What about what I need? Who am I? Do you ever find yourself pondering these questions or ones of the like? Many of us do and will throughout our lifetimes—it’s natural. We wonder about our purpose, what exactly we’re meant to…

According to studies, the old adage that “it’s better to give than receive” appears to be correct. Spending money on others or giving to charities puts a bigger smile on the “giver’s” face than buying things for themselves. There is no better time to put this into action than on…

You’re angry. You feel as if your head could explode and your heart may just beat out of your chest. You’re at a loss for what to do but need to calm down before it gets any worse. We’ve all been there—whether it was something small and trivial that caused…

You just found out that your best friends made plans to go to the beach without you. Why wasn’t I invited? Do they not want me there? Instead of confronting them and the problem head on, you ignore their phone calls and their texts. You don’t invite them to your…

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), pyromania is typically diagnosed after multiple episodes of deliberate and purposeful fire setting. People with this disorder are extremely fascinated by fire and are often regular “watchers” at fires, may set off false fire alarms, and receive…

“I’m Cool for the Summer” What does your summer consist of? More traveling? Family trips? Seeing friends more often? Time off of work to simply relax? I don’t know about you, but that is a pretty good snapshot of what my summer tends to look like, and because of it,…

Tourette’s Disorder is a continuous, hereditary neuropsychiatric (attributed to the nervous system) disorder that involves bodily and vocal spasms/tics that first started in childhood. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)* has made a distinction between the incessant/chronic tics and those tics that have existed for…

What is it about some people that just seems to appeal to others? They’re instantly likeable from the first time you meet them and hear them speak. They exude self confidence in the way they hold themselves and make you want to listen to what they say. President Bill Clinton…

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)*, Inhalant Use Disorder is diagnosed when people use inhalants (aerosols, gases, nitrites and solvents) for a psychoactive effect. (The chemicals that are misused as inhalants are contained in a variety of household products.) People inhale the chemicals…

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…

Gambling continuously and repeatedly to the point where it causes problems in a person’s life and anxiousness is deemed a Gambling Disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)*. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), it is estimated that two million—or one…

There are five stages of grief, and people across the globe experience them. It doesn’t matter what race, religion, country or the economic status of an individual—we all grieve for a person and the relationship shared with them. Sometimes a person feels grief over the loss of a dearly beloved…