Blog
When we are stuck in the middle of a storm, whether it is literal of figurative, it sometimes seems like the rain will never stop and the clouds will never lift. For people with high-functioning depression, this is often the case.
If you are in the middle of riding out a storm, check on this week’s blog and find out why there is always hope, even in the midst of the darkest storms and what you can do to find hope again.
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what depression really looks like that keep many people from seeking the help that could get them feeling better again, or stop others from reaching out and offering much-needed support.
People with high-functioning depression often still go to work and soldier on through their lives, appearing as though things are fine, even though they suffer mightily. In this week’s blog I talk about some of the myths that stop us from reaching out for help before things get too bad.
When life gets us down it’s so easy to give into the negative spiral that leads to the couch, Netflix, chocolate, or our beds. It’s easier to focus on what’s not working and what we can’t do, rather than focusing on what we still CAN do. (You can thank our evolutionary negativity bias for that one).
But when we give in to our tendency to focus on what’s wrong, we miss all of the things that are still working, all of the avenues we still have available for digging out of whatever hole we might be in. In this week’s blog, I talk about how shifting our perspective can have huge benefits. And I’ve included an inspirational video of my wheelchair dog to show the possibilities when we choose not to give up.
There is a misconception floating around our society that people suffering from depression are just lazy or weak, and that if they tried harder, they could will themselves out of depression. This simply isn’t true. That’s not how depression works.
Yes, it is true that many people recover from depression without taking a medication. But that doesn’t mean that willpower alone is what got them there. Clinical depression is a problem with the neurochemistry of our brain not properly regulating our moods, and just willing yourself to feel better isn’t going to cut it.
But all is not lost. There are many things that do help with treating depression. In this week’s blog I discuss what depression is, what it is not, and some effective ways to treat it.
We all have moments in our life when we lose hope, when change seems impossible and we just want to pull the covers over our head and go back to sleep. We ask ourselves if the pain we are in will ever get better.
The truth is…probably not, unless we choose to do something about it. In this week’s blog I talk about some proven strategies to try that will help you heal if you are in a dark place.
We are often hard on ourselves anytime some trait or aspect of our being (either physical or psychological) falls outside of the norm or the societal ideal. Maybe we are not skinny enough (for girls), or muscular enough (for guys), or outgoing enough, or positive/upbeat enough, or mentally tough enough. We label the non-conforming part of us as “bad” or “broken”, and consequently try to fix it. But what if it doesn’t need fixing?
In this week’s blog I discuss how we often mis-label certain traits as “bad” or “broken” and then make ourselves even more miserable when we try to fix something that doesn’t need fixing.
Everyone has an inner critic that sits on our shoulder heckling us like Statler and Waldorf (the two old guys in the balcony from the Muppets). In a strange sort of way, it’s just trying to protect us or perhaps to motivate us to do better. But the critic often turns out to have the opposite effect. If we take that critic too seriously, we can end up feeling down and demotivated.
In this week's vlog I talk about 3 tips for taming your inner critic before it gets out of hand. So, if you have a strong inner critic, try these simple tips to ease the critic’s grip so you can get back to feeling confident and capable again.
There are many factors that contribute to someone's experience of anxiety and/or depression. But sometimes the disconnect between what we think we should do and what we actually want to do can add an unnecessary strain on our systems that results in increased anxiety, and if left unattended, can eventually lead to depression.
Find out how the disconnect between your Authentic Self and your Social Self might be sabotaging your happiness.
Think you know what someone looks like when they have a mental health condition? Think again! There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about mental health conditions and what they really look like. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm going to share some true stories with you to illustrate what struggling with mental health really looks like, what gets in the way of asking for much-needed help, and how treatment can really make a difference.
Discover the 5 myths about mental health that might be getting in the way of your happiness or the happiness of someone you love.
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