Anxiety is one way our body responds to potential risks or dangers. Most often, we associate that with a physical attack, a natural disaster, or some other crisis in that realm. In reality, each of us can experience profound anxiety when we feel attacked in a more ideological way. Our beliefs and values ...

The sudden easy access to internet pornography has shifted so much of our cultural and emotional landscape. Research varies, but it’s estimated that anywhere from 86 to 96 percent of men are regular porn consumers. One popular porn site logs about 40 billion visits per year. That comes out to over 100 million ...

Anxiety has become the most common mental health disorder, appearing in various forms. Understandably, for people of color, systemic racism, microaggression, and overt racism can fuel anxiety. The potential dangers that come with racism range from job discrimination to physical violence. Racial profiling, the experience of it, and the fear of it, can ...

If you know someone who has OCD, you understand how challenging it is for them. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) is a type of mental health disorder that controls a person’s life. While it might seem like a rare disorder, it actually impacts a lot more people than you might initially believe. When we have a loved ...

Millions of people throughout the world deal with bipolar disorder. For many people, that might seem surprising, as it seems like such a rare disorder. Worsening that misconception is that the phrase, “Oh, they are so bipolar!” is thrown around carelessly to describe anyone who has these mood shifts. In reality, bipolar disorder ...

Have you ever felt like you’ve gone through one too many failed relationships? Maybe you’ve lost a lot of hope when it comes to finding the “right” person, or maybe you’re ready to get back out there and start dating, but you don’t want to continue in a negative pattern.  It takes two to ...

When people talk about separation anxiety, they are often talking about children being anxious to leave their caregivers. But the truth is both children and adults can experience separation anxiety. Separation anxiety that starts in children can stay well into adulthood, and some people develop it as adults. Some mental health conditions look different ...

Have you ever experienced your eye twitching after staring at your email inbox for too long? Maybe you started picking your cuticles or biting your nails when you were in a conversation with your boss. Think about the last time you had to give a presentation. It may have felt like there were butterflies ...

Whether you dreamt of being a parent or had to ease into it, the love, chaos, highs, and lows of having children in the house is a tender, sweet time. As the saying goes, the days are long, and the years are short, and you find yourself facing the inevitable; your fledglings leaving ...

Every healthy relationship is built on boundaries. Even family, work relationships, and friendships have their own sets of boundaries. In a relationship, having a set of guidelines will help you and your partner maintain your own identities while growing together as a team. Here’s how to start setting clear, healthy boundaries and keep ...

Some people are more sensitive than others. We know that. We all grow up in the same world that tells us that being sensitive is a bad thing. Being sensitive won’t allow us to grow to our full potential. We’ll let ourselves be trampled by the people around us who aren’t as sensitive ...

As with so many other diseases, addiction impacts far more than the individual with the diagnosis. Sure, on the surface, it appears as if one person is causing the problems and carrying the burden. But if that person is part of any kind of family unit, the problems and burdens multiply. When addiction ...

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is becoming a more commonly diagnosed neurodiverse disorder. Living with ADHD can be very daunting in itself. It impacts your ability to focus and maintain attention on a particular task compared to the average person. Trying to focus on studying and schoolwork can be even more difficult, especially ...

There isn’t one single cause for it. Although a majority of the signs and symptoms look the same across the board, the specific cause of it can vary from person to person. Depression—many people know of it. They’re familiar with the term and the definition. They may even know or can call out some ...

Intimacy comes easily for some people. They want to be as close as possible to their partner, and they have a relationship that fosters such intimacy. While you might want to be more intimate, maybe it hasn’t always been so easy for you. Maybe you’ve struggled to give yourself permission to be intimate in ...

Postpartum psychosis can be a very frightening condition for whoever develops it. Wouldn’t you find it terrifying if you couldn’t tell what’s real and what isn’t? Especially when it develops so quickly, within the first few weeks after giving birth. It’s not a well-known condition. It has a bad reputation, too. This can also ...

Society teaches women that they should fear aging. This fear is promoted in many forms. It can include advertising for anti-aging skincare, warnings from well-meaning older relatives who want you to get married by a certain age, or movies starring older men with younger female co-stars as their love interests. Sometimes the messaging ...

Healthy relationships are built on love, respect, and support. They need strong boundaries and good communication to thrive. Unfortunately, not all relationships follow this pattern. Unhealthy relationship cycles might be challenging for you to identify, especially when you’re emotionally invested. You might even feel stuck in a cycle of perpetual bad relationships. However, recognizing ...

Do you have a hard time sleeping at night? No matter how many times you toss and turn in your bed, you just can’t fall asleep. Instead, you’re wide awake, mind racing with fears and worries about the past, the present, and the future. If you struggle with nighttime anxiety, falling asleep may seem ...

The teen years are difficult, make no mistake about it. They aren’t really a child anymore but they are definitely not an adult, either. It’s like being stuck in a transition phase or in limbo for years. There are hormones that cause them to act sweet one day and lash out in anger the ...

It’s hard to imagine that children could feel anxious. As adults, we associate anxiety as being caused by “grown-up” issues such as finances, jobs, or household responsibilities. With that said, though, it isn’t uncommon for children to become stressed or anxious over different areas of their life. One area that can definitely cause anxiety ...

Knowing someone you care for struggles with their mental health is hard to deal with. You want to help them, but you don’t know how. It seems as if no words are appropriate to say to them and nothing you can do would actually help them. While it’s understandable to think that way, ...

Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health concerns. It impacts millions because it involves a broad spectrum of subsets. Some of the most common anxiety disorders are: Generalized anxiety disorder Panic disorder Phobias Social anxiety Separation anxiety Living with any type of anxiety disorder can pose problems for many people. We can think of anxiety, in ...

Most people think they have a basic idea of what ADHD is and what it looks like. Unfortunately, as a society, we’ve created so many false narratives, stereotypes, and myths about the disorder that it can be hard to know what’s real and what isn’t based in fact.  Having a strong understanding of ADHD ...

So, your child was diagnosed with ADHD. Ever since you found out your family was expecting a child, you’ve just wanted the best for them. You’ve always wanted them to be healthy and happy. Still, to this day, you want that. But now you’re faced with this diagnosis: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Ever since ...

Whether you just recently decided to go to therapy or you’ve been attending a few sessions, you’re probably wondering how long it will actually take to heal. It’s a common question, but it isn’t exactly an easy question to answer. There are several factors that can come into play. Each individual’s reason for attending ...

Couples go to therapy for many reasons. Some use it as a way to maintain their relationship and to ensure that they are regularly on the same page. Others will need to attend therapy together if there has been an affair. Or maybe the couple is regularly arguing or in conflict with one ...

Even though it seems rare, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is pretty common in both adults and children. Like many other mental health concerns, it can sometimes feel taboo to talk about, making it seem as if not many people suffer from it. It might be surprising to hear that children can also develop OCD. ...

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) is most commonly associated with children or adolescents. With ADHD, there is a common misconception that once a child grows up, their symptoms will just automatically go away. To add to that misconception is the idea that only these age groups are impacted by ADHD. In actuality, adults can also deal with ...

Sexual intimacy is an important part of many of our lives. In a very real sense, it is the engine for how we bond with our partners. Sexual intimacy helps maintain the chemical balance of our bodies. During pleasurable sex, endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin rush through our system, bringing us pleasure, satisfaction, and ...

You spent years balancing your own needs and interests with those of your children. We get so wrapped up in their lives that parents often stop making time to live on their own. Then you blink and suddenly they are off to create a life for themselves, hopefully remembering to stop by for a ...

When dealing with depression it can feel an awful lot like going out to your car in the morning to find it won’t start. Sometimes there’s a mechanical failure that requires repairs, but often it’s as simple as needing to give your battery a jump. Treating depression is the same way. Depression correlates ...

Mental health has become a topic that is more common to talk about it. Since the start of the pandemic, awareness about one’s mental well-being is starting to be taken more seriously. The last few years have been challenging and hard for everyone. It’s unfortunate, but this means many people suffer mentally because ...

Many people look for solutions to their anxiety that don’t involve medication. In some cases, medication hasn’t worked for them and they’re looking for another way to address their problems. In others, it isn’t an option for reasons of health, finance, or personal belief. While anxiety is closely linked to the chemistry and balance ...

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions in men, women, and children. In ancient times, our ancestors developed anxiety as a means to keep them alive. Now known as the flight-or-fight response, they could either choose to stay and fight through the danger. Or, they could flee from it. It was ...

You finally were able to do it. For whatever reason, your old job just wasn’t working out anymore. You applied to a new job, interviewed well, and your first day is approaching quickly. It’s been an exciting whirlwind. Suddenly, your feelings of excitement turn into dread. “Am I making the right choice?” “What if ...

Relationships can sometimes feel like a rollercoaster. You tend to have just as many good moments together as you do bad. They aren’t easy and require effort from both people to make things work. Most people have heard that communication is important in a relationship. However, this knowledge does not always equate to knowing ...

It’s common for people to feel anxious about getting older. After all, we are human and often do not embrace change. Life transitions around any event can feel very daunting to try and go through. One of these major life events is when you officially become an adult. Anxiety around “adulting” most commonly occurs ...

The goal has nothing to do with eliminating conflict. Disagreement is normal and often helpful. Just because a couple has some fights doesn’t mean anyone needs to hit the panic button. Misunderstandings are inevitable. The key is knowing what healthy conflict looks and feels like. From there, there must be a mutual commitment ...

Even the most confident people in the world have moments of shyness or feeling awkward. It’s part of the human experience. Social Anxiety Disorder, however, is much more than these normal moments.  Everyday interactions become a source of dread. Someone with social anxiety can feel blocked by their fear of being watched, judged, ...

You use communication each and every day. When talking to coworkers. Speaking to strangers in a store. And when chatting with your partner about the ins and outs of each other’s lives. Communication is key in any type of relationship, no matter if it’s new and fresh or has a lot of years and ...

It’s almost as if you have an invisible string attached to you and this person. No matter how far you try to get away, they find you or you seem to find your way back to them. You feel a magnetic pull drawing you in, even when you try to resist it. You know ...

Over 90 percent of people with a mental/behavioral condition have a co-existing health disorder. Sometimes called a “dual diagnosis,” comorbid conditions happen to the same person at the same time. For example, more than half of those with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a comorbid condition that needs separate treatment. Things get tricky when ...

After a long day, you’re eager to jump into bed, get under the covers, and fall asleep. You kick off your slippers, plug in your phone, set your alarms, and crawl into bed. The temperature in your room is perfect, your sheets and pillowcase feel cool against your skin, and you can feel the ...

Anxiety is one of the most common challenges facing people today. Some studies suggest that at least one in ten adults suffer from anxiety—so you’re hardly alone if it’s something you’re struggling with. In some ways, it’s a byproduct of our modern world. Social media companies and corporations leverage primal emotions like anger ...

Deciding to seek help for an eating disorder is almost never an easy task. People suffering from eating disorders often feel deep shame and try to hide them from those that know them best. If you suspect someone you care about is struggling with an eating disorder, it’s important to have the hard ...

Perhaps you’re a therapist who works with diverse clients, and you worry that you’ve let some of your clients down because you still have blind spots when it comes to racism and cultural prejudices. Or maybe you lead group therapy for people from very different backgrounds, and you want to become a better ...

Our minds are like a vast library, with our memories collected—stored neatly on the shelves, although not always in order. Some memories live close to the entrance, in the brightest areas of the library. A quick glance tells us where we are and what we need. As we move deeper into the library, ...

We are still working every day to understand the complexities of the human brain. It’s like a vast, uncharted landscape that spreads before us. Hidden in that landscape in its unexplored depths and shadowy crevices are the traumas and fears that shape our lives. Those traumas are wounds with deep roots that spread ...

Most people have an incredible life story that is profound and meaningful. We are all made up of so many different experiences and viewpoints that you can almost view life as a book. It’s filled with tragedies, dramas, and small victories that often go unrecognized. Many of these stories revolve around the pain of ...