Mental Health Topics

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…

Spirituality often varies in definition and in practice—however, it’s ultimately about connecting to something greater than ourselves to live a happier life. Doing so can help us cope during difficult times, which means spirituality can prove important to addiction recovery. Those in addiction recovery (and others) can practice spirituality and…

Overindulging in high-calorie foods when you’re stressed can lead to faster weight gain. When stressed, some of us cope by eating fatty, sugary foods. This might satisfy us in the moment, but a new study from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research says doing so can quickly lead to obesity….

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…

Listening to music increases productivity and happiness at work. This, from researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University. The research team analyzed emotional and physiological responses to music, as well as how these responses affect work performance. They found that all music helps productivity and increases happy feelings at work, but certain…

Listening to music and practicing mindfulness can aid stroke recovery. Researchers from the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and East Anglia recruited 72 participants who had suffered from a stroke and divided them into three groups. One group listened to music, another to audiobooks, and the final group to music as…

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…

Online counseling—or maybe you know it as teletherapy, e-counseling, or cyber-counseling—challenges the traditional therapy model, being that sessions are held online via video, phone call, or chat widget. That being said, it isn’t a completely new idea… but it’s certainly picked up speed and increased in popularity. The concept of online…