Research

We’ve all felt excluded at least once or twice in our lives—I don’t care if you were the most popular person in school or if you pride yourself on being the glue that keeps your friends together. Think back to that one time you weren’t picked for a team in…

Max is 8 years old with a heavy interest in bugs and photography. He rarely makes eye contact when he talks to others—including his closest family members—and prefers to keep the conversation short…especially when something’s bothering him, like the bullies at school or a smashed lens on his camera. And…

Depression: a crippling illness characterized by fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, and a depressed state that affects 350 million people worldwide. This overwhelming statistic reminds us that any one of us could develop the condition—but not a single one of us hopes to. So we do what we can to prevent…

Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness characterized by a range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dysfunctions. Individuals who suffer with this disease often experience delusions, hallucinations, incoherence, and dysfunction in major areas of life, such as at work or in their personal relationships. And while much has been discovered about…

As we get older, we try to forget about and deny our age. We take off a few years on forms at the doctor’s office and when a friend asks which birthday this one is we definitely don’t tell the truth (despite their suspicious looks). But words can only go…

There is a plethora of misconceptions and myths when it comes to the topic of mental illness. For example, some people believe that disorders like depression and anxiety are dramatic diagnoses for difficult feelings like sadness or mere nerves. But this is certainly not the case—these conditions and those of…

Our primary form of communication is verbal communication. However, we speak just as often through nonverbal communication or body language. The way we sink into our chairs, cross our arms, and look down at the ground all communicate negative feelings—those of deflation, unease, and discomfort. Now, we can also communicate…

In order to achieve some personal goals of mine, I decided to embark on a new health and fitness journey this past summer. It was nothing crazy, I just pledged to eat better and work out 5 days a week. Simple. Well, a few days into it, my good friend—who…

Imagine: You’re on your way home from work after a long, stressful day. Your hand is on the wheel and your foot on the petal, but your mind’s still back at the office. Stacks of paperwork, loads of emails, frustrated coworkers, angry boss. The next thing you know, you’re just…

Cursed were the days that I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to get ready for school, which persisted for 13 years. Ok, it wasn’t so bad when I was a kid because I was tired by 9 or 10 p.m. and went to bed without any…

“When you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, you don’t really get quiet moments,” says poet Neil Hilborn in his renowned poem “OCD”. What he means is you don’t really get a break from your obsessions and your compulsions, characteristic of the disorder. You experience repetitive thoughts and urges and feel compelled…

I’ve always been called ‘too nice’ by those who know me best. I give everybody the benefit of the doubt, I feel inclined to help whoever I can, and I exhaust my emotions worrying about others. And while this may be considered a weakness to some, I look at it…