Mistakes People Make When Trying to Treat Their Insomnia
Sleepless nights lead to an uncomfortable next day. Without enough sleep, our bodies and minds begin to shut down. Our productivity decreases, causing potential problems with work, school, and spending time with friends and family. A lack of alertness can lead to dangerous situations and poor decisions. When you are not able to sleep the […]
Why Do We Need a Diagnosis in Psychiatry?
If you’ve followed the mental health world for a while, you may have noticed that many therapists and counselors are actually moving away from the idea of diagnoses. There is a push for less emphasis on labels like “anxiety” and “depression,” and instead the opinion that a mental health practitioner’s role is to help someone, […]
How “Reclaiming Your Time” Can Contribute to Depression and Anxiety
There is something different about the world now than the world 20 or 30 years ago. Not only are we typically much busier now than at any time in the past – with work, school activities, etc. – but the activities we do to cope with that stress have changed as well. We used to […]
Why Do People “Cut” and What Alternatives to Cutting Behaviors Can Provide a Similar Outlet?
Those struggling with depression can have overwhelming emotions that often do not have an outlet. Those emotions can lead to behaviors that are damaging to a person’s body or mental health, and yet – without an alternate outlet – they are the only method that the person feels like they have to provide them which […]
What Is a “Safety Plan” for People with Severe Depression?
When someone has a mental health crisis, particularly when suffering from depression, medical professionals will typically try to initiate something called a “safety plan” before sending the person home. A safety plan is a personalized, structured plan designed to help individuals with severe depression manage crises and reduce the risk of self-harm or suicide. Created […]
What Makes Depression “Severe?”
There is no right or wrong way to experience depression. It is important for anyone that is or suspects they may be struggling with depression to seek help. Depression can get worse over time, especially if left untreated, and once a person struggles with depression for a long time, the treatment process can become more […]
How the Hopelessness of Depression Can Become Self-Sustaining
One of the most challenging aspects of depression is the sense of hopelessness it brings. Depression doesn’t just affect how you feel—it changes the way you think, making it hard to see any way out of your current emotional state. What’s more, this hopelessness often feeds into itself, creating a cycle that becomes increasingly difficult to break. […]
The Effects of Sleep on Bipolar Disorder
When a person is managing bipolar disorder, it is important to be careful around behaviors that can affect or trigger symptoms. One example is sleep. Sleep plays a crucial role in the management and progression of bipolar disorder. As a condition characterized by extreme mood fluctuations – ranging from depressive lows to manic highs – bipolar disorder […]
Has TMS Been Studied on Bipolar Disorder? Does It Work?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive, FDA-approved treatment for certain mental health conditions, particularly major depressive disorder. It is considered one of the few effective, non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical treatments for major depression – potentially effective at addressing even difficult to treat depression. Bipolar disorder is also a form of depression and, while it can be treated, […]
How Might Mild to Moderate Anxiety Lead to Depression?
Many people “manage” their anxiety, especially when that anxiety is considered mild to moderate. They may feel like they can go on living their lives despite their struggles, finding themselves with symptoms that are upsetting, but do not prevent them from work or some type of social life. But the issue is that anxiety can […]