Mental Health Topics

Life can get stressful and overwhelming, and sometimes our methods of dealing with it are helpful in the short term but become more problematic over time. These unhelpful behaviors are referred to as “maladaptive behaviors” or, more specifically, actions or responses that are not suitable or effective in a given…

Humans subscribe to patterns of behavior that are influenced by their thoughts, and their thoughts are influenced by their patterns of behavior. For instance, we might wash our hands (an action) because we want to cleanse them of germs (a desire). Or we might start thinking of ourselves negatively (a…

Artificial intelligence has become a focal point of conversation in many fields, each looking to discern whether technology like chatbots or digital assistants will—or should—play a larger role.  Now this question is being posed in the field of mental health. Though having access to therapy services via ChatGPT and other…

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) will affect nearly seven million adults in the U.S. each year. Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder often have difficulties controlling even the most mundane of daily worries. They may worry more than is realistically necessary about actual events or expect the worst outcome when there seems…

Antisocial personality disorder can be a problematic mental health condition, both in its presenting symptoms and in how it’s discussed. In regard to matters of right and wrong, those with antisocial personality disorder may often choose to serve their best interests first, and the manipulative and antagonistic behavior they display…

Are you used to picking up a large, steaming cup of coffee every morning prior to getting to the office? Do you continue to drink coffee as you pore over paperwork and attend meetings throughout the day? You may have joined the many Americans who consume so much caffeine every…

The word “narcissism” comes from a Greek myth where an attractive man named Narcissus looked at his reflection in a pool of water—and fell in love with it. You may know somebody like Narcissus. They might think about the world of themself and all of the great things they accomplish…

Picture this: You’re on the perfect first date. The charming stranger sitting across from you orders you both another glass of wine with a wry grin, and as the waiter walks toward the bar, he starts weaving together a dreamlike description of the life you both might have together. You’re…

Fear is built into our biology. In fact, it keeps us safe — alerting us to danger and saying, “Hey, you need to be careful.” A phobia, on the other hand, is an excessive or irrational fear.  If you experience intense fear and anxiety in public, open, or enclosed spaces—such…

Stress can do many different things to a person, from causing their mind to become forgetful and unfocused to nausea and stomach pain. But did you know it can also, in rarer cases, cause vertigo? Stress has strong effects on our minds and bodies, and without proper stress management, it…

Whether it’s because of work, school, big changes, or other life issues, stress can be hard to shake—especially if you don’t really know it’s there. Stress is pervasive, and can build slowly from a small kernel to a huge weight on your shoulders. If you don’t regularly employ stress management…

As toddlers and young children, we quickly and naturally form strong emotional bonds with our parents or caretakers. As a result, being apart from them at an early age is often accompanied by a level of anxiety. These feelings of distress are a normal stage of childhood development—but sometimes, our…