Blogs
Court Rundell
I recently experienced rapid weight loss from anxiety, and it felt like a vicious cycle that would never end. My anxiety worsened with every meal I missed and every pound I lost. It was completely overwhelming and scary, but I got through it. Read on to learn how I was able to stop the cycle of rapid weight loss and return to a healthy weight.
Jennifer Lear
Shame has been a part of human culture for thousands of years. It is one of the things that makes human relationships and social structures unique, and is arguably a necessary component of every civilized society. However, it is a sad reality that people with mental health issues experience shame at a disproportionately high level, and this can be incredibly detrimental not only to their recovery, but also to their relationships with the people around them.
Elizabeth Caudy
I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my first and only psychotic episode two years ago. That’s right, I said “celebrated.” You see, when I had my episode, it alerted me and my family to the realization that something was wrong, and I started to get treatment. That’s why this was something to celebrate.
Nicola Spendlove
Caregiver burnout is a very real phenomenon when supporting someone with mental illness. In my experience, it arises as a result of putting your own needs to the bottom of your list on a consistent basis. I've experienced caregiver burnout on many occasions when supporting my brother with his mental illness -- and if I'm very honest, I'm experiencing it again right now.
Justin Hughes
One effective method of building self-esteem that worked well for me was to build self-esteem through skills. “I can’t do anything right.” It’s a popular refrain of depressive self-talk. I should know. I used to do it all the time. Today, while I’m still not immune to such thoughts, I don’t have them nearly as often as I used to. When they do pop up, I’m much better at telling them to shut up and go away. It all started with just one thing.
Kim Berkley
Explaining self-harm scars to your boyfriend (or any romantic partner, for that matter) can be a daunting prospect to face. How do you know whether you're ready to disclose your past, and what can you expect when you do?
Mahevash Shaikh
There are many kinds of dysfunctional families; mine is an enmeshed family. In my experience, an enmeshed family is one in which needs are perceived as a common unit. In simple words, individuality is frowned upon, and personal boundaries aren't respected. Such toxicity is common in India, but I'm sure it is a global issue. Enmeshment might seem like a mild to moderate inconvenience, but it can negatively impact work and life in general. With so many of us moving back home and working remotely due to the pandemic, it's crucial to know more about this unsettling phenomenon. Let's take a look.
Tanya J. Peterson, MS, NCC
Gratitude is a concept involving appreciation and a sense of thankfulness for what is good in our lives. Anxiety is an experience involving a great deal of unwelcome thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and behaviors. Anxiety can be all-encompassing; rob us of a sense of wellbeing, centeredness, and joy; or even keep us locked out of the life we'd like to live. Can gratitude really help anxiety? Surprisingly, it can. Here's a look at what gratitude is and how it helps you shift thoughts and feelings away from anxiety and replace them with appreciation and action.
Heidi Green, Psy.D.
This year has been pretty overwhelming for most of us, so we need some self-care hacks to cope. In addition to the general stress of 2020, we are now approaching a season that often brings pain and grief to the forefront. With this in mind, I want to share some of my favorite skills for self-care during challenging times.
Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer
Last week in a counseling session, my therapist issued me an assignment: Write a "dear body" letter to myself. In the past, I have done similar exercises, like the goodbye letter I wrote to my eating disorder in 2018. But this undertaking feels much different.
In between certain times I would be sitting at my place when I would get a vision on my wife and her lover and the next thing I knew I was at the store with my wife saying I was acting childishly and crying the whole time,but I thought I fell asleep,then another time I was eating dinner and I looked at my wife and felt heartache then it happened again when I came to and we where walking down the street arguing and she said that I was being a big her and being mean!
Then I found out about (DID) and it explained alot of how I was feeling,my wife said when crying I sounded like a little boy she never heard me talk like that out of the 16 years we've been together,and when I was being mean she said I had a stronger dominant tone(that she also mentioned sounded attractive) but was intimidating.
So I was wondering (besides following me around on camera) is there anyway to be conscious or aware of what's happening when a switch is triggered?
I was diagnosed with depression and bipolar and social anxiety when I was a teenager but had thought I stabled out in my early twenties when I met my wife but am beginning to feel as if I was an alter ego all these years that was fronted because he was able to handle everyday life,and lost control of switching when the trauma of my wife cheated on me.
Is that even a possibility?
I don't have much recollection of when I was younger but little faint dream like memories but I figured it was so long ago and don't remember much before meeting my wife.
Or does this all sound pretty crazy?
I hope that my suggestions from this post also helps. Building ourselves to better handle these situations can bring a lot of peace of mind; at least that's what I've found and I hope others do as well. Wishing you the best, whatever you decide. Just know that you're not alone.