Many people use food to cope with their emotions. We often refer to this as Stress Eating or Emotional Eating. For example, a person who has a stressful day at work may binge on cookies or chips to get some “relief” when they get home. Of course, this relief is...
Depression
12 Ways To Improve Your Mental Health
In the United States alone, it is reported that more than 25% of people over the legal adult age have some type of mental health disorder. That’s one out of every four individuals who have a diagnosed condition-- and perhaps even more individuals suffering without a...
What Causes Depression?
While we do not know the exact cause of depression in each individual, we do know that there are a number of factors that contribute to the presence of depression. Some of the most common issues related to depression are: Genetics Individuals with parents that have...
What is a Mental Breakdown?
A Mental Breakdown is a common way of describing an episode where a person has difficulty functioning mentally and/or emotionally. This “mental breakdown” is often a combination of severe depression and anxiety. Some of the common symptoms are: Hopelessness...
Alternative to Psychiatric Hospital
While everyone’s situation is unique, we have listed below a few general guidelines that can help you determine where to start your search for counseling services. Psychiatric Hospital There are times when admission into a psychiatric hospital can be...
Am I Depressed?
Take the brief Depression Test below to help determine if you have symptoms of depression: Do you have thoughts of suicide? Do you ever wish that you wouldn’t wake up? Do you have a down mood that doesn’t seem to go away? Have you lost interest in activities that you...
Major Depressive Disorder and Dysthymic Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mood disorder that is marked by a depressed mood, loss of interest in things that previously interested the person (including sex), and low self-esteem. A person experiencing depression often feels...
Signs of Depression
Everyone has good days and bad days in their life. While we obviously would prefer to have only good days, the realities of life dictate that we will have ups and downs. For example, a death of a close friend may bring a period of grief and sadness, while a wedding...
Depression Treatment
Depression is one of the most common mental health issues in the United States. In any given year, about 6.7% of the population experiences a major depressive episode. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mood disorder that is marked by a depressed mood, loss of...
Depression Symptoms
Some people think that you should be able to just “snap out of it” when you become depressed. While this strategy may work if you are “in a funk” or having a bad day, it doesn’t work for depression. Depression can be debilitating and if left untreated can be...