Mental Health Topics

Steroid use could increase the risk of cocaine use and addiction among teens. This, from researchers at the University of Puerto Rico who studied female rats. The team first exposed half of the rats to nandrolone, a performance-enhancing steroid commonly used by teens. After ten days, they split all of…

Every single year, millions of Americans suffer with a mental illness. By definition, a mental illness is a disorder that negatively affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, mood, and/or behavior. Examples include depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each individual has a unique experience, as far as which symptoms they…

Despite the popular notion that humor is inappropriate during difficult times, humor and laughter can actually help us cope with tough losses. Looking for the humor and turning to laughter enables us to put the loss or the moment into perspective. If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one,…

Humor can help us cope during embarrassing or uncomfortable situations, as well as manage stress and anxiety. However, it isn’t always helpful—it can stand in the way of our addressing serious challenges and even cause harm to our relationships. This makes determining the appropriate time and circumstances for humor important….

Most kids and teens aren’t getting enough physical activity. Researchers from the University of Jyvaskyla and LIKES Research Center for Physical Activity and Health analyzed activity levels in different age groups. They discovered that children and adolescents are becoming increasingly less active. The team says that four out of five…

We all cope differently with our struggles, but an effective, lesser-known method is humor. Humor can help us be more resilient when life doesn’t go our way; it enables us to make light of our situation and in the process even moderate the severity of a mental health condition. For…

Humor can help the therapeutic process in more ways than one: first, it can help to solidify that bond between therapist and client. A therapist can also demonstrate humor as a healthy coping mechanism for handling the stresses of life to their client. Additionally, humor can help a client feel…

“How do I achieve my goals?” This is probably the most common inquiry on Google. People are always looking for tools to help them achieve their greatest goals and dreams. Yet, the best tool for this matter lies within ourselves. It’s our curiosity. Psychiatrist Judson Brewer says that you should…

Yoga has been scientifically-proven to reduce stress, improve mood, and alleviate symptoms of anxiety. A new study from Washington State University says it can also boost body positivity. Researchers studied 376 people who attended a yoga exercise class for 16 weeks. Over this 16-week period, the participants answered questionnaires designed…

If you are in recovery from addiction, you know what I’m talking about when I say, “relapse dreams.” This is when you wake up anxious, covered in sweat, because you just had a hyperrealistic dream that you were taking, or about to take, your drug of choice that previously caused…

As the Game of Thrones series nears its conclusion, fans are at risk of suffering from showhole depression. When you suffer from showhole depression, you experience harmful symptoms like general unhappiness and feelings of hopelessness when a favorite show ends. While this might sound ridiculous to some, the reality is…

Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training, or IMST, is exercising the muscles you use to breathe in. And according to researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder, it could improve your physical and mental health. This practice involves breathing in vigorously through a hand-held device. The team found that engaging in…