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According to USA Today, singer Mariah Carey recently disclosed to the public that she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a disorder which causes shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out daily functions. The disorder typically consists of symptoms stemming from mania or depression; mania is characterized as having feelings of being “on top of the world” and having a lot of energy without the need for much sleep, while depressive episodes involve much fatigue and feelings of hopelessness. While celebrities have become more open about their mental health, Mariah Carey is one that hopes to pave a path for more openness and understanding. In 2001, it was told by People Magazine that Mariah Carey first received her diagnosis in 2001 after being hospitalized for having a physical and mental breakdown. The superstar stated that she didn’t want to believe it at first, and that she had a hard couple of years leading up to the diagnosis. She explained, “Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me. It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore.” Mariah Carey explained that she has been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, which means that she often experiences depressive phases as well as hypomania, which is less severe than manic episodes but may still involve irritability, restlessness, and hyperactivity. She expressed that her medication is helping her find balance, but that her periods of mania before she was diagnosed were considered by her to be a sleeping disorder. She stated, “…It wasn’t normal insomnia and I wasn’t lying awake counting sheep. I was working and working and working…Eventually I would just hit a wall.” Carey’s ex-husband, Nick Cannon, has expressed his pride in how far she has come as she continues to find strength despite her struggles. He explained that Mariah has found dignity and grace even amongst paparazzi and being a focal point to the public eye. It’s clear to see that celebrities experience mental illness, too – what other celebrities have been diagnosed with BPD? Demi Lovato, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Carrie Fisher are just a few who have also sought recovery after being diagnosed.

According to a study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 30%-40% of men and 27%-34% of women who have perpetrated violence against their partners were drinking at the time of the event. The World Health Organization (WHO) refers to intimate partner violence (IPV) as, “any behavior in an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological, or sexual harm to those in that relationship.” Physical aggression may involve slapping, hitting, kicking, and beating. Psychological harm may involve intimidation, humiliation, isolation, and more, and sexual harm includes forced sexual intercourse or other controlling behaviors. When alcohol is involved to intimate partner violence, the risks of physical, mental, and emotional issues become even more elevated. Excessive alcohol consumption serves as a major contributor to IPV, as alcohol directly affects cognitive and physical functioning, reduces self-control, and makes individuals less capable of settling disputes with others in a safe and reasonable way. There are many indirect consequences of alcoholism as well, including financial hardships, marital problems, job performance issues, family concerns, health issues and more. Children who witness alcoholism and IPV are prone to experience more depression, anxiety, aggression, and higher risk of substance abuse problems later than children who do not. There are a variety of factors that can influence alcohol-IPV situations:

One of the most challenging aspects of mental disorders is the official diagnosis; a healthcare professional can easily mistake one disorder for another and for a variety of reasons. As emphasized by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), bipolar disorder (BPD) is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed mental health conditions. An estimated 2-6% of the population has BPD, but there are many reasons why it gets misdiagnosed:

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) involves an over-inflated sense of self, a lack of empathy for other people, and a general sense of self-importance. There are two branches that have been accepted with NPD: grandiose and vulnerable. Grandiose NPD is the most commonly known type and involves having a very high sense of self-esteem with a demand for respect and adoration. Many people with NPD are viewed as being “cold”, with a barrier placed around them from others. One less known type of NPD, vulnerable NPD, is a little less known, but is still as important. Vulnerable NPD often goes undiscussed because it is the more “quiet” of the two; people with this disorder are unlike their grandiose counterparts as they may come off as shyer or more reserved. Individuals with vulnerable NPD are often highly sensitive to others’ criticisms and emotional reactions but may be burdened by persistent feelings of loneliness. If you have vulnerable NPD, you may tend to act disinterested, bored, condescending, or judgmental around others to get them to engage with you without you having to speak with them directly. While you may have an inflated sense of self-importance, this high self-esteem can easily come crashing down in moments where you experience the loss of a job, a poor performance evaluation at work, etc. Social media is often a big platform for those with this type of disorder, as they display their lives through tools such as Facebook or Instagram. Those with vulnerable NPD often behave as though they’re underappreciated or underrated, despite their achievements and recognition. In addition, passive aggressiveness is common in those with vulnerable NPD, as they may ignore a person as a form of punishment for not doing what they wanted that person to do. If you’ve been diagnosed with vulnerable NPD, you may blame others’ shortcomings, justify your actions even if others view them as disconcerting, and distance yourself from others based on the belief that they are not good enough. Treatment for vulnerable NPD is available, and may include medication and psychotherapy, also known as “talk therapy”. If you relate to the above symptoms, speak with a licensed professional today to potentially obtain a diagnosis.

Mental illness is a serious topic that, while more open for discussion now, is still negatively perceived by many due to perpetuated stigmas. With stigma comes a sense of distance, a sense of separation – labels of “the other” emerge and it becomes easy to feel hatred, disgust, or hostility towards those with mental illness because terrifyingly, people no longer feel connected as a human race. Storytelling has been shown to be a direct link to connection, as the expression of stories are something that everyone can connect with. The emotions underlying stories – sadness, happiness, sense of loss, hopelessness, joy, and more – serve as a thread that binds through each human being. If you’re considering sharing your own story of mental illness with others, there are many benefits to doing this:

Bipolar disorder (BD) is often recognized by intense mood swings of either mania or depression; approximately 5.7 million Americans experience BD each year. Although mania and depression can be a part of BD, the disorder is much more complex than that, and can involve a variety of other symptoms that may not easily be recognized. If symptoms of the disorder go missed, treatment may not be sought – which can cause further distress in a person’s life. BD can affect nearly every aspect of daily living, including work, school, family, and social functions. By noticing some subtle signs of BD, you or a loved one can get diagnosed early, making symptoms much more manageable. See if you can recognize the following signs:

Painting. Singing. Drawing. Writing. Decorating. Composing. Playing. Dancing. Designing. No matter which form of creativity you’re interested in, all of these activities and more can have a profound, positive influence on your mental illness recovery. How so? Being creative means that you get to express yourself in a whole new dimension – there are no right or wrongs, no criticisms, no limits, and no audiences (if you don’t want there to be). Even if you don’t consider yourself a creativity person, engaging in creativity can help you spark more ideas, thus leading you to further insights and solutions to issues you may not even have considered. If creative activities (such as acting) are done in a group setting, this could also be a great way for you to connect with others and build your social support network. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health emphasized a few (but not all) benefits of various creative activities:

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental illness categorized as having difficulty regulating emotions, difficulty controlling behaviors, and holding an unstable sense of self. People with BPD often experience emotions intensely and for extended periods of time, making it rather difficult for them to return to a foundational baseline after a particularly upsetting event. If you have BPD, you may experience symptoms of insecurity, impulsivity, feelings of worthlessness, and more, which can greatly affect your daily life. Unfortunately, there is much stigma associated with BPD, and between these and the symptoms experienced with the disorder, individuals with BPD are prone to self-injury and suicidal behaviors. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which has been used to help treat those with BPD. The primary goal of DBT is to transform negative thinking and destructive thought patterns into more positive outcomes, such as building skills to better regulate emotions, reduce stress and anxiety, build self-management skills, control destructive habits, and more. Despite all of these wonderful outcomes, how does DBT address suicidal thoughts and behaviors specifically? One study sought to explore this very question. A 2015 study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry analyzed the results of 99 women who were diagnosed with BPD and had previously had 2 suicide attempts and/or acts of self-injury within the past 5 years, attempts within the past 8 weeks before the study was conducted, and a suicide attempt within the past year. Participants were placed in either a standard DBT treatment program, a DBT skills training program, or a DBT individual therapy program. Results from the study indicated that while DBT is an effective form of support for those with BPD who are struggling with self-injury and/or suicidal behaviors, DBT skills training may lend itself the most to outcomes related to this area of concern. What skills are taught in DBT skills training? The following are just a few:

Many people who begin their journey to recovery have preconceived ideas of their “identity”. Most often, these identities are centralized around their addiction, as people label may themselves as “an addict” or “an alcoholic”. The truth is that these labels do not adequately capture a person’s essence of who they truly are; addiction is something that a person has but is not destined to have forever, and it does not define them as a human being. The way we perceive ourselves says a lot about our self-esteem and the goal is that through recovery, you’ll change your perception to identify yourself as a whole – a wonderful person with dreams, talents, skills, wishes, hopes, fears, and much more. All in all, you are more than your addiction. A 2015 study published in Clinical and Health Psychology sought to understand social identities and how they take place in addiction recovery. Researchers conducted interviews with 21 participants in a drug and alcohol therapeutic community; 2 themes emerged that described the process of social identity both leading into and out of addiction. The first one was the fact that many participants held positive social identities before their substance use occurred – they described the positive aspects of their identity to become lost after they engaged further in their use, labeled a “spoiled identity”. Secondly, many participants described negative early events that occurred in childhood that led them to social isolation due to a lack of positive social connections and identities. With this, participants found that substance use gave them a positive social identity – one that came with a sense of belonging and acceptance within the substance use social network. Identity plays a significant role in both addiction and recovery, because substance use masks our true self as it alters the chemicals and structures in the brain. When this occurs, our true “self” is actually submerged beneath symptoms perpetuated by a substance; in this instance, it can be difficult to tell if the current social networks we uphold truly love and value us for who we really are. Recovery brings our true self to light and makes us comfortable enough to embrace who we really are and find others who appreciate this as well. You are not your addiction. You are a human being who is working on uncovering your true identity so that you may live happier and healthier.

Problem drinking is an unfortunate yet common occurrence in U.S. families today. Previous research has shown that parental problem drinking can cause problems in their marriage, home life, work productivity, social life, and more. However, it’s more than just the parent who is affected by this; problem drinking can significantly impact children in the family as well as the significant other. If you have a loved one who is struggling with alcohol, it’s important for them to seek treatment for both their safety and their families’ Research has shown that parents who engage in problem drinking are at higher risk for abusing their children due to lowered inhibitions, sharpened aggressive feelings, decreased frontal lobe functioning (which is responsible for helping a person deal with unexpected situation), and more. Children are also at risk for developing depression, anxiety, problems with cognitive and verbal skills, and developing substance abuse problems later on in life. A 2016 study titled “Parental Problem Drinking and Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Family Functioning” involved the analysis of surveys completed by both parents and adolescents from across the country. Problem drinking, adolescent-parent communication, binge drinking, drug use, rule breaking and aggression were all measured in the survey responses. The study’s results showed the maternal (mother’s) problem drinking was related to increased drug use of adolescent girls in the family and increased alcohol use of adolescent boys. Paternal (father’s) problem drinking was shown to decreased family cohesion as well as decreased adolescent-parent communication. The study also found that decreased adolescent-mother communication was correlated to high aggressive behavior for adolescent boys. As one could predict, results from the study indicated that parental problem drinking led to adolescent rule breaking and aggressive behavior. Thus, parental problem drinking can disrupt an entire family’s balance. If you are a parent who has been struggling with alcoholism. Seek the help you need today. Recovery is possible, and it could significantly change your family’s health and well-being for the better. Addiction has the propensity to destroy families; don’t let this happen to yours.

Recovery is a time to focus on your self-care and well-being, but that doesn’t mean that you must neglect your significant other and/or family. While it’s best for people to take some much-needed time to focus on themselves, the health of your romantic relationship depends on whether your partner is supportive of your recovery, if they are focused on their health and well-being too, if they are a great partner to you, and more. Some people find that their romantic partner isn’t the best fit for them when they’re in recovery, mainly because they aren’t supportive or because they pose a risk to the person’s mental and/or physical health. If you want to maintain a healthy relationship with your significant other while you’re focused on your recovery, there are a several things that will need to take place:

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have been clinically shown to have four major overlapping symptoms: restlessness, loss of energy or feeling fatigued much of the day, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances of insomnia. Rumination can be another experience associated with either disorder and has been defined in previous studies as “a negative, repetitive style of thinking about present and past symptoms, loss, and failure.” When we ruminate, we tend to dwell not only on events that we can’t change, but also on the “negative” aspects of our lives. While rumination is dangerous for anyone, it can be especially dangerous for those with MDD and/or GAD due to the other symptoms experienced. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology sought to the effects of rumination on those with either or both disorders. The research study involved 145 participants, 38 of whom were diagnosed with MDD but not GAD, 36 of whom were diagnosed with GAD but not MDD, a dual-diagnosis group which consists of 38 individuals whom were diagnosed with both MDD and GAD, and 33 individuals with no diagnosis to serve as a controlled group. Participants completed interviews and also wore an electronic device that would produce signals throughout the day; individuals were asked to record their thoughts and whether they were “positive” or “negative” each time the device signaled them to. Results from the study showed the greater rumination predicted more symptoms of those experienced with MDD or GAD; it also predicted greater levels of social withdrawal, inactivity, and behavioral avoidance. This makes sense, because during those times that we engage in rumination, we’re so hyper-focused on what our lives our lacking – why would we want to participate in life more? Participants with either MDD or GAD experienced difficulty in engaging in motivated activity when they were ruminating. Overall, the study’s results show that rumination can cause a lot of damage. Why? Because it can take us away from the present moment, it can exacerbate the symptoms of a mental illness, and it can cause us to hold back on what is supposed to make life more enjoyable. Speak with your therapist about ruminating if it’s something that you struggle with. Identify tools to overcome it. It is possible to change your thinking patterns – cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common therapy tool for this.