Mental Health Topics

As the belief that one should remain positive even in the worst of situations, toxic positivity has secretly pervaded most people’s attitudes at work—revealing a lot about the lengths to which we’ll go to avoid addressing negative emotional states. The rise and recent fall of toxic positivity in the workplace…

One thing that we’ve all learned from romantic comedies is that significant others can live in harmony even when their lifestyles are radically different. For example, one SO might prefer reading on the couch to running triathlons. One SO might spring out of bed at 5am to get a headstart…

Platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and even FaceTime have streamlined our ability to communicate both personally and professionally. However, the best virtual meetings always seem to be short, sweet, and efficient. In these dream scenarios, everyone wins: There are no awkward pauses, people talking over one another or trying to…

As the name implies, micro-cheating occurs when partners use small gestures or actions to engage with someone outside of their relationship in a flirtatious manner. Micro-cheating can happen when we cross the line with coworkers or friends, spend too much time secretly scrolling through our ex’s social media, or even…

Every fall, college and professional football games command center stage in living rooms across the country. Sitting down to watch sports can be relaxing, entertaining, and may even increase our self-confidence (unless our team loses). The benefits of watching sports have been apparent to psychologists for some time; but for…

First, let’s clear up one thing: There’s nothing inherently spooky or dangerous about mental health conditions like dissociative identity disorder (split personality) and schizophrenia. But that hasn’t stopped filmmakers from exploiting these conditions again and again in their horror movies. Cinematic depictions of people with mental health disorders can range…

Shame: There is something wrong with me as a person. Guilt: I’m a person who may have done something wrong. What is the thing that causes you to lay awake at night; the thing that causes you shame? I promise that you’re not damaged beyond repair. You’re not unlovable. You’re…

It’s like a bad nightmare: Imagine having a supervisor that’s hellbent on making your life miserable, playing with your emotions and your sanity. Perhaps this is already a tempting fantasy to believe on our worst workdays, when we’re rushing to meet deadlines or sitting through tedious meetings. Despite the frustration…

Even scientific literature has described infertility as “the most upsetting experience” of a person’s life. This seems to be more true for women than men, since their minds and bodies usually bear the greater burden of infertility treatment. It’s pretty clear how culture, biology, and identity can all align to…

For many undergraduate college students (as well as those who’ve since graduated), drinking alcohol seems synonymous with the university experience. It can be a way to celebrate getting through final exams or winning a home football game. Most notoriously, a drink in hand can also loosen our social inhibitions, to…

What if our partner’s financial status had been remarkably different, right from the beginning of our relationship. Would that have changed our decision about dating them? What if they’d been even poorer—or what if they’d been richer? As shallow as it sounds, money does make the world go round; and…

What’s the next best thing to being a multi-millionaire? Feeling like a multi-millionaire. We’ve all fantasized about that moment when we scratch our lotto ticket and see the winning numbers. What do we do first with all our bags of money?  The exercise reminds me of the “miracle question” that…