If you’ve been researching self-care practices, you may have come across something known as journaling. But what is journaling, exactly, and what can it do to improve your mental, emotional, and even physical health?Journaling, at its core, is the regular practice of writing down experiences, thoughts, and feelings. However, it can be adapted to whatever your specific needs or goals...[ read more ]

Stress is a reaction that occurs when someone feels pressured or threatened, and while some amount of stress can energize you and motivate you to complete tasks, too much of it can negatively your mental and physical health. Even if you regularly experience stress, you may be unaware of the numerous ways in which it can manifest itself. Here are...[ read more ]

Oftentimes, when we think about what could harm our mental health, our minds go to major life events—the loss of a job, the end of a relationship, or the death of a loved one. But small habits that often go unnoticed can also play a major role. Below are three common habits that could be negatively affecting your mental health:1....[ read more ]

Addiction can take many forms—for example, people can become addicted to smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, using drugs, gambling, and shopping. But regardless of the type of addiction in question, many members of the mental health community use the “four Cs” to determine whether someone is an addict: compulsion, craving, control, and consequences.1. CompulsionAs someone becomes addicted to something—whether it be...[ read more ]

Have you ever wondered whether you could possibly be autistic? Autism spectrum disorder (often referred to as “autism”) is a neurological and developmental disorder that can impact how someone learns, communicates, behaves, and interacts with others. Autism symptoms can vary from one person to another and change over time, and only a trained professional can accurately diagnose you with this...[ read more ]

National Childhood Obesity Week takes place in July. This week is to help shed light on an increasing problem in this country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity affects roughly 14 million children and adolescents.While some look to the government to enact legislation to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic in this country, there is much we...[ read more ]

Many people use the terms “psychology” and “psychiatry” interchangeably, but they actually refer to two different areas of practice. Psychologists and psychiatrists are both trained to identify and treat mental health issues, and both regularly treat patients using psychotherapy (talk therapy). However, because psychiatrists are medical doctors who completed medical school and a residency, they can also prescribe medication and...[ read more ]

If your child regularly misbehaves, you may have wondered whether they’re simply acting out or suffering from conduct disorder. But what is conduct disorder, exactly, and how can you tell whether your child has it?Conduct disorder is a mental health condition that can cause various behavioral and emotional problems involving a disregard for others. Individuals with conduct disorder often find...[ read more ]

Anxiety can greatly impact a person’s overall health and well-being, and if you struggle with this condition, you may be willing to do almost anything to relieve your symptoms. There are numerous lifestyle changes you can make to help manage your anxiety—for example, you could try meditating, exercising, sleeping more, and reducing your caffeine and alcohol consumption—but did you know...[ read more ]

The brain has three main executive functions: working memory (which helps you remember what you’re doing at the present moment), cognitive flexibility (which helps you shift your thinking from one topic to another), and inhibition control (which helps you focus and stop yourself from saying and doing certain things). Executive dysfunction disrupts these functions, making it difficult for someone to...[ read more ]