Mental Health

Healthy connections with others can be something you desire just as much as you resist. This is usually the case with all things that are desired most because it is common to experience fear surrounding that which you most want. Experiences such as substance use and mental illness can often lead you away from yourself, others, and life as a whole. The antidote to suffering is creating space for connection and allowing it to help you reach your goals for recovery and healing.

A complex can influence the way you think about yourself and others. The God complex leads you to believe your power is on par with God. This condition is closely related to narcissistic personality disorder, a mental health problem that requires proper diagnosis and treatment.

The way you communicate and express your needs and emotions to other people can either strengthen the connection in that relationship or take away from it. You convey your experience to other people through your body language and tone of voice as well as your word choice. Nonviolent communication is an important skill for everyone to learn.

Healing journeys can be lonely. Whether you are healing from addiction, mental illness, or something else, it can feel as if nobody understands what you are going through and how exhausting the process is. As lonely as healing journeys can be, it can help to remember you are not alone, even when it feels like you are. Being alone can be a powerful space where you can get to know yourself on a deeper level that leads to growth, authenticity, and the freedom to be who you are.

Spring is here, and many are looking forward to the warm, sunny weather. It is time to get outside, breathe in the fresh air, and enjoy all the greenery. While some may find significant relief soaking up the pleasantries of spring, others may become burdened with despair. This paradox shows that individuals are unique in their mental health experiences. It is important to learn more about the positive and negative reactions individuals with mental health disorders can have during this time of year.

Hope is a feeling of trust and desire for something to happen, such as healing, as you begin to experience recovery and feel your innate wholeness. It is also what gets you through the hard times in recovery from substance use and mental illness. When times are tough and you struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel, there are ways to access hope during your recovery journey.

Have you ever wondered why you are experiencing a season of depression or anxiety? Mental health conditions like these tend to come and go throughout people's lives, although they may always be lingering in the background. Some days the volume is turned up higher than others.

Navigating relationships in recovery can be challenging, especially as you learn which ones to let go of and which ones to hang onto. It is an integral piece of recovery and moving forward from your past.

People who struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may feel like they cannot control the thoughts, obsessions, and impulses that flood their minds. OCD can be a debilitating experience and make people feel as if their brain is not their own.

Anxiety can get in the way of being able to feel calm and at peace in everyday life, even when there is not anything “wrong.” Many symptoms of anxiety are emotional and psychological, but they can also manifest as somatic (physical) symptoms, which can exacerbate feelings. The somatic symptoms of anxiety can often worsen anxiousness, as it is confusing to not know why you are experiencing physical symptoms in the absence of a physical illness.

Part of recovering from mental illness and substance use includes getting to know who you are outside of those things. Experiences such as addiction, anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses can cloud your sense of self and block you from knowing your true self. You may use these conditions as protective layers that distract you from your power, purpose, and truth. You may have lived with a mental health condition or substance use disorder for so long that the symptoms have become familiar to you. Finding yourself without them can be a disorienting experience. It can be liberating to get to know yourself outside of mental illness through reconnecting with your inner voice, doing what brings you joy, and experiencing life outside the box of your diagnosis.

Delusions are unusual ideas about the world that a person sticks to despite solid evidence that they are misled. Several mental health conditions share delusion as a symptom, including psychotic and mood disorders. Finding treatment for delusions is essential because they can be harmful to the person experiencing them and those they interact with.