How did COVID impact your life? As we’ve begun to explore the world again (or even the grocery store) without a mask, how is your mental health? There’s a lot of talk right now about collective stress and collective trauma. It’s important, however, to understand the difference between trauma and stress before we diagnose the…
Codependency and PTSD have a sordid relationship, usually trailing back to childhood trauma. There are plenty of stereotypes when it comes to childhood trauma. When you hear a child suffered trauma, what comes to mind? Terrible unsanitary conditions and horrific physical abuse? The truth is, sometimes trauma is the result of a family unable to…
Guilt in sobriety threatens to derail recovery when mishandled. Often, it’s shame, guilt’s evil twin, which takes recovering folks down. And guilt can morph into shame if you aren’t careful. According to Brené Brown, a renowned shame and vulnerability researcher, the difference between guilt and shame is simple in theory. “Shame is a focus on…
Over 625,000 people died due to COVID-19 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Even if you didn’t lose a loved one, there’s collective grief we’ve all experienced because of the devastating and mind-boggling loss of life. The loss of life, however, doesn’t begin to factor in other…
Treatment Helps Inspire Recovery Living with a substance use or a mental health disorder often undermines confidence. Addiction or mental health challenges can seem to define you entirely. After all, it seems to touch every area of your life, and you may feel the effects of stigmatization from other people. Perhaps that stigma has made…
Anxiety in the workplace can interfere with your career advancement, financial security and self-esteem. How can someone with an anxiety disorder navigate the work world and self-care? Financial, professional and personal fulfillment is still an achievable goal for everyone. An anxiety disorder can coexist with all three. However, it would help to get crystal clear…
Knowing how to comfort a depressed friend is a mystery to many. Managing a depressive episode can be difficult and isolating, not only for the depressed person but also for those who care. Many people around you may not understand what to do or say, even when sincerely wanting to help. Whatever you do, take…
Understanding Bipolar Disorder Often misunderstood, bipolar disorder can carry a stigma like many other mental health disorders. People who do not understand bipolar disorder can make negative assumptions about it, and these misconceptions can do real damage. They undermine self-esteem. They can discourage someone from coming to terms with their mental health and asking for…
In terms of breaking stigmas in mental health care and how we think about mental health, does what we say matter? Do we actually perpetuate stigmas by participating in conversations where the misinformed or stigmatized language is used? Imagine Joe, who has privately managed bipolar disorder for the past 12 years, having a conversation with…
Mindfulness practice is an excellent tool for someone in addiction treatment. Let go of any new-age preconceptions you may have about mindfulness practice. Instead, imagine for a minute you are faced with one of life’s many stresses. Not hard to do, right? Or, maybe you have a day when you feel like all of life’s…