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Violence is a main cause of stigma toward people with mental illness, but lack of knowledge and education are also part of the problem. People with mental illness are no more likely to commit violent acts than anyone else, but when mental illness is present with substance abuse and a history of violence, that risk does increase. As a society, we must better understand and effectively address all causes of violence. [More]

Pain usually is our body’s way of telling us something is wrong and needs to be handled. Not only a physical experience, pain also has a significant emotional component. And the two, pain and emotions, sometimes work together in a negative way to make each one more noticeable. Pain is something everyone experiences at some time in their lives. And some people live daily with pain from chronic conditions or some other physical health problem. [More]

The possibility of developing significant chronic physical illness in adulthood increases in the presence of childhood trauma and its lasting effects. Genetic changes that come with childhood trauma lead to adults being more susceptible to stress and more likely to react negatively to stressful situations. This makes continuing stress greater than an adult’s ability to deal with it more possible. [More]

Can we really become addicted to something we need to survive? First, we must understand what addiction is, and what it isn’t, to determine if eating behaviors and food can become addictions, with the symptoms and consequences associated with other types of addictions, like drug or alcohol addiction. Only then can we understand why many professionals believe that we can, indeed, become addicted to food. [More]

A recent article in Huffington Post outlined the devastating statistic that may shock a large amount of Americans: over half of America’s school-aged children live below the poverty line in the United States today, utilizing whether or not a family qualifies for free or reduced lunch as the standard measurement for poverty. [More]

Unexpected life events are disruptive and can throw your whole life into chaos. People are creatures of habit and thrive in an environment where they feel safe and free from harm. But life just isn’t usually like this. Events that are out of our control are inevitable in everyone’s life, and are a major source of stress. [More]

Sleep shouldn’t be a luxury that we only grant ourselves on Saturday mornings. It’s a necessity if we want to have a healthy mind and body. Sleep gives us a chance to recharge, heal, and process our experiences. Lack of enough good quality sleep not only makes us grumpy, but it can also negatively impact our memory, our mood, and our overall health and well-being. [More]

Not only are body functions affected by aging. Cognitive and emotional functions also fall prey to the aging process. The later years often bring on mental health problems for the first time in older people. According to Rollins (2008), Baby Boomers will largely ignore the past stigma associated with seeking help for emotional problems and will seek the therapy services they need to deal with the emotional aspects of aging. [More]

There are some eastern philosophies and treatments that aren’t as well known here in the west, but which may offer alternatives and help for those struggling with conditions like anxiety and depression. Two such approaches are Morita Therapy and Naikan Therapy, which both have their origins in Japan. With a little investigation, we can see that Japanese therapies like Morita and Naikan have different philosophies about why people suffer and develop symptoms of mental illness and how they can recover and feel better. [More]

Everyone is a potential target of terror. People who have been touched by terror know this and this truth creates specific reactions, which are significantly affected by gender. Banding together en masse is a socio-emotional focused strategy that helps people to cope with the loneliness and fear inherent in the thoughts of being a potential victim. [More]