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…
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…
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…
Ed Cole, Environment of Care Director at The Ranch Pennsylvania, carries 13 years of mental health and substance abuse therapy experience. To Ed, empowering and supporting his clients through their recovery journey is the most meaningful aspect of his role. In 2018, he joined The Ranch Pennsylvania team as a primary therapist before transitioning…
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost While it is safe to assume that Robert Frost was not speaking of overcoming addiction when he wrote this, recovery is more like walking through the woods on a…
You or a loved one are faced with the decision to seek help for a mental health diagnosis, mental health disorder or uncertainty in knowing that something does not feel right. Accepting that you or a loved one needs help is a step in the right direction in changing your current trajectory. Finding the right…