The prevalence of mental health might not be a common topic of discussion, but we only need to look at the big screen to understand how intertwined mental illness is in our society. BPD Movies about Borderline Personality Disorder are excellent examples of mental health issues portrayed in film. Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness that can lead to serious and intense bouts of depression, anxiety, or anger that may last from a few hours to a several days. People living with the disorder very often find it difficult to regulate their emotions or quickly recover from the intense ..read more

It can be extremely difficult to help a person you care about who has a drug or alcohol dependence without becoming an enabler of their addiction. Most of us would do anything in our power to support a friend or family member in need, and that usually involves giving them food, a place to live, and financial assistance. Unfortunately, we don’t always recognize bad behavior or understand the severity of the problem until it’s too late. We also don’t realize that our help may be enabling the unhealthy behavior to continue or become worse. Despite good intentions, most enablers either don’t know ..read more

Greening Out is a slang term that is becoming popular with marijuana users to describe the effects of consuming too much weed or very strong strains. When a person smokes or eats high potency cannabis, they may experience a “green out” that can last for a few minutes to several hours depending on the circumstances and nature of use. Now that marijuana is legal medically or recreationally in most states across the country, the number of people who are using it has grown significantly. The potency has also increased substantially in recent years. This increases the chance of getting too high an ..read more

EMDR Therapy is a unique alternative to traditional psychotherapy treatment for PTSD, trauma, and other mental health conditions related to traumatic memories. Formally known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, it is an evidence-based treatment method that is distinctly different from other therapies. It is effective for healing and recovery when other therapies have failed to offer relief from the stuck memories of past traumatic events. EMDR Therapy focuses on reprocessing stressful memories to overcome negative emotional states so patients move forward with a positive outlook ..read more

When medication effectiveness is reduced or stops working altogether, it’s common to think it may be caused by a drug tolerance, when in fact, it might be caused by Tachyphylaxis. This condition can occur with a wide range of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including antidepressants, decongestants, eye drops, nitrates, and local anesthetics. Even though Tachyphylaxis shares many similarities with drug tolerance, they have unique differences so it’s important to understand the causes and symptoms for each one. What is Tachyphylaxis? Tachyphylaxis is a term that describes a sudden decr ..read more

Secondary Trauma, also known as Secondary Traumatic Stress, is a mental health issue that affects individuals who are indirectly impacted by traumatic events. It is a unique condition because those who experience it did not directly encounter the trauma causing the symptoms they struggle with. Even though they didn’t live through the stress and anxiety of a traumatic event, the symptoms are the same as those encountered with post-traumatic stress and other types of trauma disorders. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options is necessary for those living with secondary trauma a ..read more

Learned helplessness is a condition that occurs when an individual feels helpless and unable to control or change a difficult situation even when a solution is available. It often arises after experiencing a traumatic event or a series of repeated events, like being abused as a child. This causes a person to believe that no matter what they do to overcome the issue, nothing will change, and they become stuck in a state of helplessness. When an individual feels powerless, they instinctively learn to shut down as a coping mechanism. It’s necessary to understand the causes and symptoms of learne ..read more

Learning how to how to increase serotonin is beneficial because it’s a natural mood booster that makes us feel happier and improves our mental health and bodily functions. It’s actually quite easy to do, especially when incorporating serotonin foods and exercise into regular lifestyle habits. Every day, people are taking more and more responsibility for their personal health and wellbeing. Staying healthy is more than simply avoiding illness, and overall health is about both the mind and body. This is why it’s important to find ways to naturally increase serotonin, a happy hormone in the body ..read more

Many people want to learn how to lower cortisol levels to reduce stress and improve mental health. Often referred to as the “stress hormone,” cortisol is an important part of our chemical makeup. Healthy cortisol levels regulate many bodily functions, such as helping us get out of bed in the morning. Too much cortisol, however, is associated with high levels of stress, and too little of it may be tied to adrenal insufficiency, sometimes referred to as adrenal fatigue. Fortunately, there are many ways to lower cortisol levels naturally. What is Cortisol? The body’s adrenal glands are responsib ..read more

Psychological dependence on drugs or alcohol is sometimes called emotional or mental dependence because it refers to the emotional attachment people develop with addictive substances or behaviors. While “physical dependence” involves changes in the body and brain due to chronic substance use, psychological dependence refers to the mental and emotional aspects of addiction. Gaining a better understanding of the psychology of dependence can help those with substance use issues find the most appropriate treatment for recovery. Psychological Dependence Definition OpenMD.com cites psychological de ..read more