How Anxiety Affects the LGBTQ Community
How Anxiety Affects the LGBTQ Community Although attitudes toward the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community have shifted dramatically in recent years, people with these identities continue to face discrimination and harassment throughout the country. As such, the rates of mental illness are higher among the LGBTQ community than the general public. In addition to other mental illnesses, people in the LGBTQ…
Understanding Social Anxiety
Understanding Social Anxiety The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that 15 million adults in the country live with a mental health condition called social anxiety, or social phobia. People with social anxiety feel so afraid of what others think that they avoid social contact as much as possible. This life-altering condition is one of the most diagnosed anxiety disorders in the country,…
Coping with Health Anxiety
Coping with Health Anxiety Whether you’re waiting for important blood test results or coping with challenging physical symptoms, it can be easy to get anxious about your health. Long nights looking up symptoms on the internet and obsessing over every physical sensation may be a sign of health anxiety disorder. Such patients may feel a strange pain and immediately assume they have a serious…
Understanding OCD and Comorbid Disorders
Understanding OCD and Comorbid Disorders Sometimes, people with OCD also get diagnosed with other mental health conditions, called comorbid disorders. In fact, a reported 90 percent of people with OCD have comorbid disorders such as: Depression and other mood disorders Anxiety disorders Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Eating disorders These are just some examples of common OCD comorbid disorders that…
How to Know If Your Child Has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
How to Know If Your Child Has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder While popular media would have people believe that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) exclusively affects adults, children can develop the condition. In fact, as much as one in 100 kids live with OCD. Parents who know about this disorder’s symptoms, causes and treatment options can look out for signs of OCD in children and help their kids…
What Everyone Should Know About Seasonal Depression
What Everyone Should Know About Seasonal Depression As the days start to get shorter and a chill fills the air, many people sing about yuletide joy and the most wonderful time of the year. However, millions of people dread the winter season because it brings them depressed mood, low energy, and other symptoms of depression. These people are not simply missing the summer sun,…
Is Being a “Neat Freak” the Same as Having OCD?
Is Being a “Neat Freak” the Same as Having OCD? In both popular media and everyday speech, the term “OCD” *meaning Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is synonymous with being unusually clean and organized. Characters with OCD on television obsess over germs and people say they feel “OCD” when they organize their homes. Not only are these uses of the term inaccurate, but they also serve to…
Preparing for Your First Anger Management Session
Preparing for Your First Anger Management Session In many cases, anger is a justified, healthy, and normal emotion. However, anger can also be a difficult emotion to manage. As such, many people have difficulty controlling and coping with their anger in healthy ways. If you struggle with anger, you may have noticed that your reactions cause problems in your relationships. You may even hurt…
What Parents Should Know About Schizophrenia and Teens
What Parents Should Know About Schizophrenia and Teens Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that people can develop at any age. Some studies show that not only can teenagers start showing signs of the disorder, but males who develop schizophrenia most often do so in the teen years and early 20s. Females tend to develop it in their 20s and 30s, but it’s possible…
What Can Happen if Schizophrenia Goes Untreated
What Can Happen if Schizophrenia Goes Untreated Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that affects about 3.5 million Americans. This illness can cause severe symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, strange behaviors, and suicidal thoughts. It is a lifelong illness and one of the top reasons people are on disability. Despite the serious and life-threatening symptoms, about half of the people who receive this diagnosis…