I was listening to a podcast recently where the host was talking about the state of the world as we enter a new year. At one point, he offhandedly remarked that we seem to be experiencing so many daily sources of alarm and distress that we don’t even have time to process one before we’re… Read more »
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It would be hard to overstate the massive impact of this past year’s pandemic on individuals’ mental health. Last August, the Centers for Disease Control reported results of a survey that showed anxiety disorder symptoms in 2020 to be three times those reported in the same period of 2019, and depressive disorder about four times… Read more »
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10 pounds made the difference between actually living and simply surviving. A year ago, I based my self-worth off the number describing the gravitational pull of my body toward the earth. I felt that my body’s natural hunger cues were signs of weakness. I believed that if I could only run longer, see a gap… Read more »
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Suicide is a tragic ending to life that, in many cases, can be averted. It constitutes a public health problem of considerable magnitude in the United States, occurring at nearly twice the rate as that of homicide. From 1999 to 2016, suicide rates have steadily risen in nearly every state in the union. Understanding this seemingly perverse anti-life behavior… Read more »
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The phrase “self-harming behavior” may call up images of troubled teenagers with cuts on their arms. But self-injury can occur for people of any age, in children, adolescents and adults, whether male or female. People who self-harm or cut are people who are in pain. We have to notice that. The important thing is to… Read more »
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Our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative. If our boss tells us five things we are doing wonderfully at work but mentions one area we need to improve upon, or our partner consistently compliments our appearance but one day comments that a certain outfit is not flattering, we zero in on the negative…. Read more »
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Each day thousands of people are tormented by the thought, I want to die. If you’ve been having thoughts like this, we want to let you know that you are not alone. Many of us have experienced suicidal thoughts at some point in our lives. However, it is also important for you to know that… Read more »
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We are called a narcissistic generation. We are told that technology and social media are giving us an inflated sense of self. But most of us don’t walk around feeling like we are all that great. In fact, there is one underlying emotion that overwhelmingly shapes our self-image and influences our behavior, and that is… Read more »
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Millions of Americans struggle with unhealthy levels of stress. Stress isn’t just destructive to our mental health but to our physical health as well. It weakens our immune systems and contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and other illnesses. These facts are important, but reading about them, or even relaying them, admittedly makes… Read more »
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Fighting depression is a matter of taking real action, but when feeling depressed, forcing ourselves to engage in even enjoyable activities can feel like dragging ourselves through quicksand. Depression is one of the most devious disorders, as the symptoms it induces make it all the more difficult to take the actions that fight it. But… Read more »
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