The holiday season is supposed to be full of happiness and joy. It’s a time for family, love, and giving, but sometimes these things just aren’t fulfilling enough. The holiday season also brings out stress and even depression. Seasonal depression is more common than you might think. What are some causes of seasonal depression? Seasonal […]
Despite the cheerful twinkle lights going up on every house and the happy Christmas music on the radio, do you ever feel like the holiday spirit just isn’t sinking in for you? If you have depression, coping around the holidays can be extra challenging. Why is this? Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain, […]
In part 1, we talked about 10 general ways to maintain mental health in college. If you already struggle with mental health challenges, college life can have a negative effect on your mental health. It becomes significantly more challenging to manage your mental health on top of work, school, and extracurricular activities. But, never fear, […]
College has a reputation of being a place where everyone parties too hard, gets too little sleep, and makes unhealthy choices. Depictions in movies and TV shows make it seem like one unending party with a couple classes thrown in. This is obviously not true; college is a new stage in a person’s life where […]
Postpartum depression seems overlooked in discussions about mental health, despite how dangerous it can be for moms and for families. But what is postpartum depression? The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines it as “a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth.” Feelings of extreme sadness, exhaustion, and anxiety can make it difficult […]
“It’s all in your head.” We’ve heard that before. People say this to invalidating someone else’s mental health challenges. Problems in the brain cause mental illnesses, but that doesn’t make them any less real. It would be like saying that lung cancer is “all in your lungs” and therefore nothing to be concerned about. This […]
Increasing Rates of Depression and Anxiety in Kids A recent article from NPR discussed rising rates of anxiety and depression in kids and teens. According to one study, 1 in 3 adolescents (ages 13 to 18) meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder. The CDC recently found that 32% of teens reported persistent feelings […]
In a post for The Mighty, Marisa Lancione told the story of a time she sought help for her depression. When she went to counseling services, a counselor told her “Well, you’re dressed nicely today. You don’t look like you’re struggling.” Marisa was wearing a lace pink cardigan with long sleeves to cover up the cuts […]
Depression and other mental health challenges are never one size fits all. Everyone has different brain chemistry, different life challenges, and different experiences of depression. This means that people will often have very different treatment methods that work for them. Some treatment options may work great for you, but don’t help someone else. Others options […]
