They say there’s nothing like the pain of losing a child. The grief can be debilitating, and, when a child dies from addiction or overdose, there can be added guilt. Why didn’t we know? Could we have prevented this? Jonathan Morelli’s mom Rochelle is turning her grief over her son’s death into something positive. Jon […]
The high-profile Jodi Arias trial has mental health and treatment professionals taking notice. As the proceedings wrap up, there has been much discussion about the DSM. Its formal name is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The latest version of this “mental health bible,” the DSM-IV-TR (fourth edition, text revision), is used by […]
It is a natural response to look for something to ease feelings of emotional pain, but many people fall prey to addiction, as they seek a way to dull unwanted feelings or emotions. Emotional pain can be related to memories of physical, sexual or emotional abuse by a loved one or family member. It can […]
History is filled with wonderfully creative individuals who came to tragic ends. It’s so common to hear of artists struggling with alcohol, drugs or mental illness the link between the two seems almost undeniable. But does creativity really correlate with addiction or mental health issues like depression and bipolar disorder? Is there a scientific connection? […]
We are born with a natural instinct to survive. If someone tries to hurt us, we fight back. So why do so many who go through traumatic events feel guilt for surviving? And why do some have a harder time coping with the aftermath than others? Tragedies like the Sandy Hook school shooting, the recent […]
Since the 1999 school shooting in Littleton, Colorado that left 15 Columbine High School students dead and 21 injured, there have been more than 20 mass school shootings across the United States.1 The most recent, in Florida at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, saw 17 killed and 14 wounded at the hands of a […]
Being diagnosed with an illness or disorder can be life-changing, and determining who to share that information with is a personal decision. There may be fears that disclosure will negatively affect career opportunities or cause others to view you differently. This same thinking and reluctance to speak openly leads to the stigmatization of certain health […]
In addition to President Obama’s win on election night there were some smaller but noteworthy victories in the field of mental health. One came after seasoned reporter Tom Brokaw used the term “schizophrenic” to refer to some American voting patterns that seemed to be all over the place. “I am amazed by the schizophrenia of […]
When it comes to healthcare, we often focus on physical ailments, but there are many psychological issues that affect millions in the US. These mental health concerns impact work and home life and cost our country billions of dollars. OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) is a psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 2.2 million American adults each year […]
The Army’s suicide rate is at the highest level in history, with more American soldiers taking their own lives than being killed by the Taliban. The Pentagon reported in June that suicides among soldiers averaged one per day so far in 2012, surpassing the rate of combat fatalities. The Army lost 38 soldiers to suspected […]