As with most things associated with mental health, many misconceptions and stigmas surround psychotherapy. At some point, we all struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, moodiness, or other forms of emotional distress. Whether due to grief, a breakup, financial issues, illness, or professional setbacks, your mental health is bound to suffer at some point. Typically, we…
Music is all around us in its many forms and is an integral part of most people’s day. While we are unsure why most people report that music impacts their mood, the effects are evident. A particular song can make you feel happy, energetic, sad, nostalgic, relaxed, or angry. Thus, it should come as little…
Perhaps the most well-known form of addiction and mental health treatment is the 12-step program. However, many people struggling with drug or alcohol addiction don’t really understand what 12-step programs are really about before they begin recovery. Often, individuals have or are exposed to many conflicting views and opinions. It may seem that the advice…
MDMA is a designer drug commonly referred to as ecstasy. Since its creation, it has caused controversy. The drug started as a possible therapeutic tool but quickly evolved into a wildly popular and frequently abused party drug. Yet, this drug has been re-approached over the last few years and re-appraised for its therapeutic benefits. Today,…
There are numerous reasons young Americans choose to enlist in the armed services, including a sense of patriotism, a family tradition of service, education opportunities, and financial incentives. Many recruits are high school graduates with limited options, and enlisting seems like an opportunity to learn skills and have a job. The reality often ends up…
Eastern medicine, also called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is a system of medicine that has been used for thousands of years to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. These practices are rooted in the belief that qi, the body’s vital energy, flows through channels in the body, keeping a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health…
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, EMDR, is a therapeutic process that helps people free themselves from the harmful memories, negative thoughts, and upsetting emotions connected to past trauma that hinder their ability to lead healthy, productive lives. EMDR is non-invasive, evidence-based psychotherapy that has been clinically proven to be effective for treating trauma, PTSD,…
Learning that a friend or family member is engaging in self-harm can be deeply upsetting. You may feel frightened for their safety and confused or angry about why they are doing this to themselves. For a long time, self-injurious behavior was wrongly categorized as “attention-seeking” behavior. On the contrary, most self-harm individuals go to great…
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder that usually manifests in early adulthood. People with borderline personality disorder have difficulty managing their behavior and emotions, which often results in significant impairment in their daily functioning. Individuals with BPD also struggle to maintain healthy relationships. As with most mental health disorders, there is no…
Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress, and in normal doses, can be beneficial to our overall well-being. When anxiety is chronic or persistent, though, it is harmful to our mental and physical health. Every year, tens of millions of Americans suffer from some form of anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder…