How to Be Resilient in an Overwhelming World

When we optimize our efforts to develop ourselves personally and in our relationships with others, we can feel a sense of being whole. When we are let down by people we trust, we may consider our feelings of anxiety, disappointment, and sadness as signs that we are broken. The artist...

Complex relational trauma experiences closely resemble PTSD but are different in other ways, too. Complex relational trauma happens in the context of close attachment relationships, usually when there is an imbalance of power. Although the effects of these experiences can be significant, they can also be overcome. What is complex...

Self-pity is a universal emotion, resulting from the fact that life is inevitably full of heartache and disappointment. "Feeling sorry for ourselves" is socially frowned upon and leads to feeling bad about ourselves, our lives, and the people around us. When self-pity strikes, the most common way we react is...

Self-soothing means knowing how to take extra-special care of yourself during particularly challenging times. Strategies to keep calm and self-soothe include maintaining perspective, reminding yourself of your strengths, and limiting obligations. When a storm dropped a 120-foot tree on my friend Hannah’s house—the dream home she had owned for just...

The lives of seniors with cognitive impairment are often characterized by social isolation. Recommended methods for reducing social isolation are limited. Examining the borders of isolation and inclusion may offer insights that could improve the social health of seniors with dementia. In the recent book Dementia and Place (2021), authors...

Walking at a brisk pace for just 75 minutes every week could cut your risk of depression, a new study finds. The World Health Organization recommends everyone should exercise for at least two-and-a-half hours every seven days. But researchers at Cambridge University, England, found adults who got half as much...

Charita Cole Brown addresses the stigma of mental health in people of color communities. Cole Brown stated that African-Americans and people of color have to know that it’s okay to seek mental health help. Cole Brown advocates that we have to be in communities that allow people to see...

When I have a thought, I may be unsure whether the thought is true or not, but there seems to be at least one thing I can be sure of: it is my thought, and not someone else's. Our ownership of our thoughts was taken to be indubitable by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, who held that uncertainty about this was "nonsensical." What sense could there be, Wittgenstein wondered, in even asking whether a thought that I have is thought by me?

New research suggests depression may increase the likelihood of expecting social rejection. Social rejection also appears to increase the probability of experiencing symptoms of depression. Assessing and modifying social rejection expectations may help prevent the development or progression of depression. Think back to a time when you were ostracized by...

Some of the therapeutic benefit of psychedelics is connected to increasing psychological flexibility. Brain flexibility can be measured by the degree of entropy. Interventions such as breathwork, VR, meditation, and vibroacoustics can also increase entropy. With additional research, we may be able to use a wide range of altered states...

It's currently mental health awareness month. Every year during this time (and in fact all year), the dominant reminders and solutions seem to focus on:. If these solutions aren't fixing your mental health, then you might feel like you're doing something wrong. Or, you might feel angry because they seem inadequate (and you're right)

Achieving fame, fortune, or popularity won't make us immune to mental health disorders. Biased attitudes still exist that can delay seeking help, such as the idea physical health diseases are more valid than mental health disorders. Mental health struggles interrupt life, health, social relationships, and more–just like physical illnesses.

The word "hate" conveys meanings with different emotions and varying emotional intensities. It is firmly rooted in shame, fear, and humiliation. "Splitting" is often the major defense associated with hate and involves idealization and demonization. Strategies to move past hate include identifying positive aspects of an individual and clarifying your...

Children, adolescents, and young adults face increasing rates of depression and anxiety. Research shows that cost, not knowing where to go, and fear of being committed are among the top reasons for not seeking mental health care. Measures focused on addressing young people’s concerns and barriers to care are urgently...

Researchers studying a common form of epilepsy have made an important discovery about a process within the brain's hippocampus that appears to modulate seizure activity and suggests a possible new target for future therapies. In epilepsy, according to the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the normal...

Social anxiety is one of the most common anxiety disorders. While your anxious brain tells you the only way to not feel anxious is to do things perfectly or not at all, it's important to take risks. It's OK to take baby steps, to take breaks to regroup, and to...

Most research on stress was done on animal models or on humans in the lab using controlled randomized experiments. In the real world, researchers often look at stress in the workplace or study burnout. To have an updated and modern understanding of stress, we need to look at stress in...

A new study found that a nature-based work intervention reduced workers’ stress levels and improved their cognitive performance. Research has also shown that nature experiences improve depression and anxiety. Feeling stressed at work? Perhaps you’ve returned to work after a pandemic-based break or remote work situation and now you...

Patients with long COVID have persistent or new symptoms for more than four weeks after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. There are no tests for long COVID, which has made it a challenge for healthcare professionals to identify it. In a new study, AI (artificial intelligence) learning has accurately identified long COVID...

It can be draining when others push their expectations on you. Boundaries are those proverbial fences we put around our lives, minds and choices that allow us to say "you've come too far." Boundaries can keep you focused on what is important to you and your family. I was having...