If your relationship is on the rocks, breaking up isn’t the only option: couples counseling can salvage a struggling marriage — or even improve a good marriage. Just ask rocker P!nk, who has attended couples counseling with her husband, Carey Hart, for most of their 17-year relationship. She told Today host Carson Daly that couples counseling saved her marriage. “It’s the only reason we’re still together,” she said. Continue reading 5 Reasons Couple’s Counseling Is Not Just for Crisis
You’ve accepted that you need to go to therapy — but getting yourself out of the door and into the office feels like an insurmountable challenge. After all, most of us aren’t familiar with therapy. We don’t know what we’re going to say. Should we actually lie on the couch like they do in movies, or is it okay to just sit? (Sitting, by the way, is fine and often preferred.)
Overcoming your fear of therapy is the only way to reap the benefits that it can provide. Here are five common reasons people avoid getting treatment. Do any ring true for you? Continue reading 5 Reasons People Avoid Mental Health Treatment
Mental health isn’t simply about what’s going on inside your head. What’s happening outside your head is important, too — from a cluttered bedroom to a poorly-lit office to the view from a window — it can all impact your well-being.
Physical environments directly impact our psychological health. It’s easy to see why: we spend a lot of time thinking about what’s around us. And all that external stimuli has an effect! Maybe the laundry hasn’t been folded in three days, and it bugs you every time you go to bed. Or your kitchen is dark and gloomy, and so cooking dinner makes you sad. Continue reading What Role Does Physical Environment Play in Your Mental Health?
With Denver recently legalizing psilocybin mushrooms, discussions of microdosing — using a tiny dose of a psychoactive drug that is too small to induce a “trip” — are on the rise. One of the most popular microdosing treatments being studied is using ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, i.e. depression with an inadequate response to two or more antidepressants of adequate dose and duration.
But does it work? Initial studies are mixed, and it must be cautioned that further inquiry is needed. Continue reading Can Ketamine Really Treat Depression?
Some people just know they have anxiety the same way they know they have blonde hair, or blue eyes, or a fondness for chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. But for others, the signs might be more subtle — or, if you grew up in a family or culture that places less emphasis on mental health, you may not even know what signs to search for.
If you’re debating whether you have anxiety, let’s start with the simple truth: You probably are. Most non-anxious people don’t worry about if they do or do not have anxiety!
But if you’re still wondering whether you’re anxious, below are some symptoms to clue you in. Continue reading ‘Am I Anxious?’ 6 Common Signs of Anxiety
When you think of a support system, you might imagine yourself as a character in Friends or How I Met Your Mother. You and your five best buddies, hanging out at your favorite coffee house or bar, ranting about your day. That’s supportive — right?
Yes, friendships are an important element of your support system. But the roots must go deeper, touching both your personal and professional lives and providing a wide range of outlets if one element isn’t working. For example, maybe you need support because your friends are at odds — having multiple resources helps ease your stress.
Science says a strong support system is essential, and can even help improve health outcomes. If your own network struggling, here’s how to beef it up. Continue reading 5 Ways to Strengthen Your Support System
No matter who you are, where you live or what you believe, there’s one thing that unites all of us Earthlings: complaining about relationships. Whether you’re in one, looking for one, or have sworn the whole charade off, you’ve probably heard some terrible advice from well-meaning friends.
Here are our least-favorite snippets of relationship wisdom — from outright lies to misleading half-truths. Continue reading Here Are the 8 Worst Pieces of Relationship Advice
Winning arguments isn’t a personality flaw. There’s nothing wrong with standing up for your beliefs. “Assertive” is an admirable personality trait — just like “good-hearted” and “honest.”
“Stubborn,” though? That’s a name no one wants to be called.
When an assertive personality starts to tip into obstinance, friends and family may drift away and work performance might suffer. No one wants to spend time with you anymore — and that sucks!
How do you know if you’re toeing the line? Here’s how to tell if you’re being assertive or just being a jerk. Continue reading Am I Being Assertive or Stubborn?
No matter how eager you are to change your ways, there will come a point in therapy when you think, “This sucks. Dante forgot to include ‘Therapy’ as the tenth layer of hell.”
It’s hard work. Maybe you had a panic attack during a session, or realized some difficult truths about your personality. Sometimes therapy is boring, or you’re convinced your poor therapist is bored. You talk about the same things week after week, over and over again, and nothing in you is changing. Continue reading Why You Should Stick with Therapy, Even When It’s Tough
Experts often say that exercise helps cure depression — but for many of us, regular exercise is already one of the world’s most difficult challenges. Getting to the gym while depressed? That’s asking a lot.
But the experts aren’t wrong: a regular exercise routine does help with depression. Exercise helps you sleep better, improves your overall health, and gives you confidence. Plus, exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins are part of what make you happy.
Not sure how to stick to an exercise routine when you’re already feeling down? These tips may help. Continue reading 6 Tips for Getting in Shape When You’re Depressed