Yes. The answer is an unequivocal, irrefutable yes. We can see this in anecdotal personal experiences and in research. Let’s start with an anecdote and then we’ll explore some research and what it might mean for you on your own journey. In the past, I struggled with a bunch of different mental illness diagnoses. The […]
I don’t exercise for my mental health. I’m only able to exercise because I take care of my mental health. But I do find that exercising is great for practicing skills I can apply with mental health. Right now at the gym I go to we’re doing an Assault Bike tournament–first to 30 calories, best […]
I saw an article recently criticizing workplace mental health programs as nothing more than attempts to make people work harder and longer. That’s a valid criticism if a workplace or an individual is trying to use “stress relief” as an excuse to ignore the things they’re doing to cause that stress. But for me, that […]
There’s this old Buddhist story about a king that proposes a game to a group of monks. They must compete to identify an animal in a dark room. Whichever monk identifies the animal first will become the head monk at a temple the king is building. Eager to demonstrate their wisdom to the king, to […]
One thing I found key to recovery was preparing to walk away from the illness. After years of fighting, I didn’t know how to live without mental health problems to manage. My existence was just a reaction to controlling anxiety. I only knew how to feel good by first feeling bad and then controlling that […]
Researchers from the University of Buffalo have found that psychiatric drugs and their metabolized remnants are building up in the brains of fish species in the Great Lakes: Selective Uptake and Bioaccumulation of Antidepressants in Fish from Effluent-Impacted Niagara River Waste treatment facilities don’t remove chemicals like those found in psychiatric medications. This may sound harmless […]
A solar eclipse is coming and that can only mean one thing: it’s apocalypse prophecy season! The rationalizing people do with prophesies is a useful way to explore magical thinking. You might not believe the world is about to end but understanding how people arrive at those conclusions can help you spot your own compulsive […]
The US Food and Drug Administration recently asked Endo Pharmaceuticals to take their “uncrushable” opioid painkiller, Opana ER, off the market because of public health concerns about the potential for abuse. “FDA requests removal of Opana ER for risks related to abuse” Not only is this the first time the FDA has recalled a drug […]
Theodore Melfi, director of Hidden Figures, got behind the camera for a FedEx advertisement and it’s a wonderfully accurate–only slightly exaggerated–depiction of how people compulsively engage in compulsions as an attempt to escape stress at work. No amount of salt lamps, acupuncture, inspirational posters, incense, inversion therapy, rock gardens or levitation lessons can help you with […]