Mental Health and Addiction + Original Articles

Mental Health by the Numbers

Mental health conditions are very common and affect millions of Americans. Here's a look at some of the most common disorders and how they are treated. Do you know someone who's suffering from a mental health condition? Probably: They're very common, affecting millions of Americans. Some disorders cause chronic mild discomfort while others can have devastating, even fatal consequences. The good news is that there are effective treatments available for each and every problem.

5 Tips for Controlling Your Anger

Three mental health experts offer tips on keeping your cool when life gets frustrating. Whether you've been on hold with customer service for 20 minutes or just got cut off by another driver, daily life can throw a lot of frustrations at you. Coping with them without losing your temper can be a challenge. "Anger is an emotion that everyone has to deal with, and lots of people have trouble controlling their anger," says Scott Wetzler, Ph.

6 Tips to Detox From Social Media

Common-sense tips for cutting back or breaking away from overusing social media. Do you find yourself obsessively checking Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram throughout the day and night? If social media plays an outsize role in your life—and is beginning to interfere with your mood, work, sleep, or relationships—it may be time to take a break.

How to Help a Loved One Recover from Addiction

Three experts offer their advice for persuading a loved one to get help. If a close friend or a family member is an addict, you’ve probably tried to help. But the road to recovery is bumpy, with unexpected twists and turns, and "It’s not simple or easy," says Mark Willenbring, MD, DLFAPA, director of the Alltyr Clinic in St.

How to Cope When Your Loved One Is an Addict

Five ways to reduce the stress and anxiety that comes with caring for someone with a dependence on drugs, alcohol, or gambling. When someone you love is an addict, it's common to experience a whole host of negative emotions: sadness, denial, disbelief, relief when she seems better, and anger when she relapses. It can feel like you’re all alone, and a sense of hopelessness and loneliness can be pervasive.

The Dangers of Holding in Your Emotions

How bottled up stress can damage your physical and mental health, with five strategies to cope. If you’ve spent years trying to repress painful emotions, you’re not doing your health any favors. Emotions, however uncomfortable, "are an important part of the human experience and they facilitate communication to others and sometimes ourselves about our needs and wishes," says Mayer Bellehsen, Ph.

The Biology of Addiction and Compulsive Behavior

What happens in an addict’s brain and body. Addiction is a devastating disease both for addicts and their loved ones. And unfortunately, it's not uncommon: 23.5 million people in the U.S. (9.3 percent) needed treatment for a drug or alcohol abuse problem in 2009. Addiction doesn't just refer to substance abuse: Pathological gambling, which is often regarded as a behavioral addiction that has many similarities with substance abuse disorders, affects between .

10 Ways Your Smartphone Could Be Ruining Your Health

With technology playing an increasingly important role today, the allure of the smartphone can be quite strong. Yet it also comes with some serious consequences. Do you ever feel like you spend too much time looking at your smartphone? Constantly scrolling through social media, checking email, playing games, or mindlessly clicking around? Before you glance at that screen yet again, consider these 10 negative smartphone effects: 1.

What is Alcohol Use Disorder?

The updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has a new way of defining problematic alcohol use. The term Alcohol Use Disorder is a relatively new one, explains Lewis Nelson, MD, of NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. Listed in the recently updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (known as the DSM-V), published in May, 2013 by the American Psychiatric Association, the term brings together several forms of problematic alcohol use.

The Benefits of Pet Therapy

Relationships between animals and humans offer countless benefits to both species. But some animals can also provide unique forms of therapy to children and adults suffering from mental health conditions. Studies suggest that people who have pets are likely to be healthier and happier than people who don’t live with animals. Furry friends provide companionship and a sense of purpose, and can even motivate their owners to get more exercise. Dogs, cats, horses, and even bunnies offer unconditional love, a calm and quiet presence, and a willingness to accept us as we are.
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