Mania is a common symptom of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, one of several conditions classified as mood disorders, can cause you to experience episodes of extreme emotional lows alternating with extreme emotional highs. These altered mood states are known as mania and depression. There are varying types of bipolar disorder, and therefore, the severity and […]
Millions of Americans, some as young as age 12, struggle with at least one . The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicated nearly 165 million people over the age of 12 used substances in the past month. The report further […]
It is likely you have come into contact with someone in your life you believed to be a narcissist. Perhaps a boss, co-worker, friend or significant other whose overall attitude and personality screamed narcissism. But, while this word or term is used to describe people who display a certain high opinion of themselves and a […]
Many people are familiar with anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is a form of disordered eating that, at any given time, affects between one and four percent of women. Approximately one percent of women and .5 percent of men will experience anorexia in their lifetime. Unfortunately, the number of adolescents and teens struggling with disordered eating […]
Everyone has heard the phrase “you need to love yourself before anyone else will be able to love you”. However, how do you go about loving yourself? What does loving yourself really mean? The essence of loving yourself really comes down to trying to stress less and to take the time to show yourself that […]
You might remember the movie Soul Surfer about the professional surfer Bethany Hamilton. In 2003, when Bethany was a teenager, a 14-foot tiger shark bit off her left arm. Bethany’s story is exemplary not only for her bravery but also for her use of healthy coping mechanisms to deal with the trauma she experienced. Following […]
Stress feels different for everyone. Some people are overtaxed by stress, collapsing on their bed at the end of the night in exhaustion. Others run on espresso, ignoring their body’s signs that it is stressed. They continue to go, go, go, and may not even realize that they are overwhelmed until they have already burned […]
Depression is an isolating and lonely illness, but getting some support from other people can help to keep sufferers going. The numbers of sufferers are increasing year on year. In Los Angeles County alone, reports of depression have gone up since 1999 by 50%. Yet, it’s often difficult to know when to get help, and […]
Most people think that the richer they are, the happier they become. However, evidence shows that this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, recent studies have shown that the more money you have, the more likely you are to suffer from depression and other mental health problems. A recent study pointed out that once a […]
One of the biggest questions people have after being diagnosed with a mental illness is “can you truly recover from mental illness?” This question has divided the mental health community for years. Some people believe full recovery from mental illness is possible, while others believe that mental illnesses simply wax and wane — and that […]