It used to be easier to determine how much hand washing was excessive — but the COVID pandemic changed that. So what makes sense now? In the early months of COVID in the United States, health authorities constantly reminded the public to wash their hands often, and well. Indeed, the CDC still reminds us that……
Intrusive thoughts about violence, one’s sexual orientation, gender, and other topics can lead to severe anxiety. Learn about common myths that can actually make intrusive thoughts worse. “Intrusive thoughts” are thoughts or images that a person experiences as unwanted. Intrusive thoughts are normal and unproblematic for most people. However, when experienced frequently, these thoughts can……
Life is full of changes — many of them hard to deal with. How can we understand and cope with the stress of life’s transitions? What Is a Life Transition? A life transition is any change or adjustment that impacts your life in a significant way. We all experience transitions throughout our lives — big……
Many people use these two terms interchangeably, but there are important differences in what it means to be assertive vs. aggressive. See below for examples of assertive communication and some helpful tips. What Is Assertiveness? Assertiveness is a helpful way of communicating that is clear, direct, and constructive. It’s built on the understanding that your……
Not every relationship is worth preserving. For those relationships you want to maintain or improve, The ‘GIVE’ skills from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) help you do just that. G — (Be) Gentle. One part of being gentle is to avoid being attacking or threatening in your communication. These types of actions are likely to put……
How can you tell if your sleep troubles are insomnia? It can be complicated, but Justin Arocho, Ph.D., explains how you can tell if you have insomnia or not. Insomnia is the term used for not being able to sleep enough, or well enough, despite having the chance to get a full night’s sleep. According……
Lots of people have difficulty with change — but it always comes. Change is inevitable. So how can we improve our emotional and mental health to be better at coping with it? Being Unprepared for Change Is a Problem Life is full of changes. So why do they throw us for a loop so often?……
Adults, teens, and even children can suffer from anxiety disorders. One type of anxiety characterized by panic attacks and the fear of more panic attacks is known as panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia). Panic Disorder and Its Symptoms Panic disorder is a potentially debilitating condition that affects between 2-3% of adults in the United……
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can be demoralizing. It can even be disabling. But is PTSD permanent? Not if you’re willing to address it. What Is PTSD? PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a syndrome that sometimes affects people who experience very stressful events. What causes PTSD?…
Integrative therapies are an intuitively appealing approach. Learn about what they are and whether they make sense for you. What Is Integrative Therapy? The term “integrative” or “integrated” therapy is used in two ways….
Sometimes we all skip out on things we don’t like. How is that relevant to anxiety? Very! Learn why avoidance may be the most important thing you’re overlooking to improve your anxiety. Why Is Avoidance So Important? We all try to get more of the things we like and less of the things we don’t.……