Mental Health Topics

Whether you’re concerned about a friend, a family member, or even yourself, it can sometimes be difficult to tell if someone is self-absorbed or rightfully confident. On the outside, these character traits can look very much the same: successful, bold, and charismatic. Beneath the surface, though, the self-absorption that comes…

Many of us think we know what a narcissist is. It’s the self-absorbed, too-talkative friend; the devious step-parent; the manager breathing down my neck. While these can certainly illustrate narcissistic behavior, it’s important we distinguish the difference between someone who has narcissistic traits and someone who has a narcissistic personality…

Narcissists make everything about themselves. They’re self-obsessed, they brag every chance they get, and they truly think they rank superior to others. These qualities make narcissists extremely hard to deal with—still, we encounter them at work, we find friends in them, and sometimes we even end up dating or marrying…

Spiritual Purposes in Relationships: Life Blessings and Life Lessons What is a spiritual love? As with many questions about our spirituality, there isn’t one definition or example of a spiritual love. That said, spiritual love can refer to a love that is rooted in or supported by a deep spiritual…

Our mental wellbeing is affected by many different factors, but what role does spirituality play in mental health? Spirituality can serve as a guiding force: it provides us with a purpose, whether our spiritual practices are rooted in religion, nature, art, or something else. This guiding light benefits our mental…

Research supports that spirituality can help improve symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions. Engaging in spiritual practices changes the prefrontal region of the brain; additionally, it serves as a shield against stress. When we turn to our spiritual nature, or focus on a higher power, we become more…

While religion and spirituality are often viewed as synonymous, they involve different beliefs and practices. Religion involves subscribing oneself to a specific set of beliefs and often praising a higher power, while spirituality is connecting to something bigger than oneself. You can find greater meaning and fulfillment in religion by…

Alcohol use disorder or AUD diminishes men’s ability to process their emotions. This effect isn’t as significant in women. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine used MRIs to analyze brain activity in individuals with AUD. They found that the experiences and mechanisms of AUD are different for the two…

Watching Spiderman and Antman might help you overcome your fear of bugs. Researchers from Ariel University and Bar-Ilan University say that doing so can act as exposure therapy for people who are afraid of bugs. Exposure therapy is exposing oneself to their phobia until they’re no longer afraid. With this…

Spirituality varies from person to person; however, it is essentially the practice of finding peace and purpose in life. It also involves evaluating and creating one’s identity—their purpose, experiences, and connections. Many benefits come with tapping into your spiritual self; first, it can help you to cope during stressful times,…

Here’s an undeniable truth a lot of us don’t like to talk about: we all have problems. We suffer from emotional turmoil—post-breakup, mid-job change, as a consequence of depression… you get the idea. And often, to cope with these unfavorable circumstances and difficult feelings, we need to reach outside of…

You’ve probably come across an online mental health forum before. It’s a site for talking about all things mental health, from depression to breakups, stress, anxiety, family issues, and so on. But now there’s this new thing (which isn’t really a new thing) everyone’s talking about: online counseling. And you’re…