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Addiction can affect anyone, including the children of celebrities. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, has recently addressed a topic that she hadn’t really discussed in the past: her sobriety. The model and artist explained that her decision to achieve and maintain sobriety was a good one, and that she wanted to clear up any confusion or misunderstandings by the public. She stated, “Self-destruction and toxic consumption and deliverance from pain is a lot easier to adhere to. Undeniably, for myself and those around me becoming present is the best decision I have ever made. How we treat our bodies directly correlates to how we treat our souls. It’s all interconnected. It has to be”. The Rolling Stone notes that both of Cobain’s parents struggled with addiction – Kurt Cobain died in 1994 with drugs in his system, and, at the age of 27, Courtney Love was ordered to rehab by a judge in 2005. Frances, now 25, decided to become public about her sobriety as she recognized the importance of being a role model to many people. She went public via an announcement on her Instagram, as she stated that February 13th, 2018 was the mark of her second birthday of sobriety. While Frances didn’t go into depth about her struggle with addiction, she focused more positively on the present and her sobriety. She stated, “…I’m gonna take today to celebrate my vibrant health and the abundance of happiness, gratitude, awareness, compassion, strength, fear, loss, wisdom, and the myriad of other messy, complicated, raw emotions I feel constantly.” Frances Bean Cobain serves as an excellent example for embracing the present and moving forward from the past. Despite the struggles she and her family have faced, she is making the decision to be happy with where she’s currently at in her journey to recovery. She further stated that life can get better if we want it to be. With many tools, resources, and people available, recovery is certainly possible. If you haven’t yet, seek help today. A happier, healthier life is waiting for you just around the corner.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), borderline personality disorder (BPD) is “a condition characterized by difficulties regulating emotion”. Individuals with this disorder feel emotions intensely and may experience impulsivity, poor self-image, stormy relationships and intense responses to stressors. Unfortunately, due to misunderstanding, stigma surrounding people with BPD further perpetuate negativity towards the disorder. NAMI states that even some mental health professionals hold stereotypes, imposing a “limit” on the number of patients they are “willing” to see or even refusing to see someone with BPD altogether. Societal stereotypes on BPD can make it difficult for those with the disorder to feel included, and many may struggle with self-image and self-love because of these negative views. The following are common stereotypes of BPD:

Rap and hip-hop music has had a huge influence on American society, and began in the 1970’s, according to Stanford University. Marshall Mathers, otherwise known as Eminem, has had a prominent place in the rap and hip-hop world as he has won 11 Grammys and an Academy Award. As a celebrity and artist, Eminem has helped fans all over the world connect to his messages and stories of abuse, addiction, violence, and more. His experiences are real, and he’s had ups and downs in terms of recovery. In 2010, the rapper explained in an interview with Guy Raz, the host of Weekend All Things Considered that he struggled with addiction throughout his career and ultimately had an overdose in December of 2007. Eminem stated, “I don’t think I realized the totality of what happened, so I after I got out of the hospital…when I got home, I went right back to using again”. Eminem has gone through a lot – from his father leaving him when he was 6 months old, to his mother with Munchausen syndrome struggling with addiction, and then later to his unhealthy marriage with Kim. Eminem released a song titled “Not Afraid” in which he eluded to the struggles he’s gone through and the recovery he’d been working towards: It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me Admittedly, I probably did it subliminally for you So I could come back a brand new me You helped see me through And don’t even realize what you did, believe me you Since 2010, Eminem has worked hard to overcome addiction and has found exercise as a motivational tool. In 2015, Eminem explained to Men’s Journal that he was running 8.5 miles each morning and 8.5 miles each night. This ultimately led to him injuring himself, but he lost a lot of weight and he began working out at home. Eminem has mentioned several times in his songs his love for his daughters and how he wants to be better for them. Eminem’s recovery has been a long time making, but nobody can truly put a time stamp on recovery because life has so many ups and downs. If you’re struggling with an addiction, begin your journey to recovery today.

Relationships are one of the most important aspects of life because they bring us love, joy, and meaning. Whether you’ve been with someone special for a few months or a few years, the way you and your partner manage your relationship sets the stage for how your life will play out. The Huffington Post states that while most people have the belief that “the one” is out there for them, the reality is that any relationship is hard work and we can’t depend on another person for our happiness. Even then, two people must work hard to make a relationship flourish. The following are some key principles of a successful relationship:

Self-awareness is defined as a “conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires”. People have a choice of whether or not they want to be self-aware, and addiction has the ability to take away our self-awareness as well. For example, a 2014 study conducted by researchers in New York found that drug addiction compromised self-awareness, causing people to exhibit drug-biased attention, disregard for negative outcomes, dissociation with the self, and behaving in ways that are socially unacceptable. The study concluded that treatment interventions that facilitate self-awareness building could serve as an effective foundation throughout recovery. Recovery programs often incorporate activities through individual or group therapy and other methods to help individuals build their self-awareness. These activities may include:

You may think that uploading a simple picture on Instagram or posting a quote on Facebook is harmless, and sometimes it is. What you post on social media says a lot about who you are and how you want the world to view you. Phone and social media addiction has been a hot topic lately, and a 2014 study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking confirms that prolonged social media use could be linked with depression. Researchers are starting to piece together an algorithm designed to track users who could be struggling with depression and anxiety. Computer programmer and internet entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg stated recently, “…there have been terribly tragic events – like suicides, some live streamed – that perhaps could have been prevented if someone had realized what was happening and reported them sooner”.   According to BBC, studies have found that if you have depression, you are more likely to have pictures that are featured bluer, greyer, darker, and with fewer faces on Instagram. Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Vermont employed these techniques while analyzing almost 44,000 Instagram posts. The results of their study correctly identified 70% of all users with depression, meaning a new pathway towards providing support. A tool called “AnalyzeWords” allows you type in your Twitter handle to assess emotional and thinking styles. While this is a more basic function, researchers are looking into this more to see how tools can be used to help people get support when they need it. The study conducted by Harvard and Vermont researchers also examined almost 280,000 tweets and found that signals of depression include increased use of “negative” words such as “no”, “never”, “prison”, or “murder”, and a decrease in use of “positive” words such as “happy”, “beach”, and “photo”. With these levels of technology analysis, researchers are looking to branch out into areas such as motherhood to determine if prenatal anxiety and/or depression. Many do consider these tactics to be invasive – if someone posts information on social media, should their information be automatically available for analysis? The key concern should be to provide support to those who need it. If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction, etc., reach out for help today. There are many people who can give you the resources you need to lead a happier life.

Researchers are always continuing to explore new findings that could change the way we treat, understand, and discuss mental disorders. A UCLA-led study published this year in the journal Science found that autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder share some physical, molecular characteristics – this is a huge step forward as we learn more about the brain tissue and what details it can provide us. After analyzing the RNA in 700 brain tissue samples from the brains of deceased subjects who had autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder or alcohol abuse disorder, researchers compared them to find some key differences and similarities. Senior author Daniel Geschwind, distinguished professor in neurology, psychiatry and human genetics and director of the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment stated for the university’s newspaper, “We show that these molecular changes in the brain are connected to underlying genetic causes, but we don’t yet understand the mechanisms by which these genetic factors would lead to these changes…this new work shows the consequences, we now have to understand the mechanisms by which this comes about, so as to develop the ability to change these outcomes”. Scientists have been familiar with the fact that genes play a crucial role in the susceptibility of someone developing a mental disorder, but this new study has provided yet another puzzle piece to fill the gaps. By identifying which genes are more or less active in the brains of individuals with various mental health conditions, we can learn more about genetic variations and causations. Overall, it seems that targeted molecular therapy is the next step – researchers are continuing to explore what may be a huge factor in these mental disorders and what we can do to prevent them from developing and/or how we can continue to better treat them. If you have a mental disorder that is significantly affecting your quality of life, seek out a treatment center today. In doing this, you can attend therapies and develop tools to help reduce distressing symptoms and ways to better manage your disorder. Help is available, and recovery is possible.

According to Psychology Today, our choice of careers reflects our personality – vocational theorist John Holland believes that our career reflects highs and lows of 6 different personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. They state that if we are able to find a career that matches well with our personality, we have reached “congruence”. Several sources are questioning the personality traits of those in the entertainment industry. What is it about them that makes actors so successful? A study co-authored by actor Mark Davidson and led by psychologist Adrian Furnham from the University College of London found that “both male and female actors scored significantly higher than non-actors on antisocial, narcissism, histrionic, borderline and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders”. The research study involved 214 actors and compared their personality traits to non-actors. Traits such as being attention-seeking, unstable, self-loving and impulsive arose from the findings. Furthermore, male actors were found to have more dependent and avoidant personality traits as well. Does this mean actors have “bad” personalities? Not hardly. The study further noted that qualities found in actors benefit them for their career – for example, narcissistic traits give actors the confidence to get followers on social media and gain traction in the public eye. Obsessive-compulsive traits may help them reach deadlines and memorize scripts. Impulsivity means that a person may risk a lot for a role or opportunity, but they could also gain a lot because of those risks. It’s a common stereotype that narcissism is negative, but narcissism runs on a spectrum and it only because harmful if it’s involving apathy regarding other’s safety, health, happiness, etc. A healthy form of narcissism is what helps us succeed in job interviews, dress well for social occasions, etc. One shortcoming of the study could be due to the fact that the actors self-reported their emotions for analysis. Actors are in the realm of expression and interpretation, which could mean they may have connected deeper with what is considered more “negative” traits than “positive” ones. There are a number of reasons why actors may experience more traits related to personality disorders than others. What’s most important, however, is that no matter who you are, you seek help if it’s needed. There are many resources available to ensure you develop the tools you need to lead a happy life.

Binge eating is the most common eating disorder in the United States and is associated with eating large amounts of food at a time and then experiencing feelings of shame, guilt, or distress afterwards. Healthline notes that binge eating disorder (BED) affects nearly 2.8 million people in the United States each year. Whether you have experience with BED or not, there are likely some facts that you do not know:

Racing heart. Feeling weak. A deep sense of terror, and you’re having breathing difficulties. These are just a few clear symptoms of have a panic attack -  they’re not fun by any means, but they are manageable. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness, with panic attacks being a likely scenario for many. If you’ve never had a panic attack before, or you think you may have had one, here is a short excerpt from an experience someone shared on Buzzfeed: “It feels as if the world is rushing at me. Noises become very pronounced and it makes my head swim. Sometimes I can find it difficult to focus, sometimes I feel disoriented. My heart rate soars and I become very aware of my breathing”. Panic attacks may vary slightly from person to person, but the underlying feelings of fear are there. You may have experienced racing thoughts while you’re hyperventilating, and while it may seem like the end of the world, it’s not. In reality, panic attacks do not last as long as people think they do. Some individuals have random panic attacks but can continue to live their lives normally afterwards – if you’ve had at least 2 panic attacks and you’ve made changes to your lifestyle in attempts to avoid experiencing them again, you may have panic disorder. If you’re in the midst of a panic attack, there are several steps you take to find some relief. Everyday Health states that recognizing moments where we are allowing ourselves to spiral due to catastrophic thinking is a great first step to taking control over the situation. Once we’ve recognized where we’re at with this, we can practice a few simple things:

Although America is struggling with opioids, those aren’t the only drugs of concern. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications that can be easily bought in gas stations and grocery stores are more popular than ever – drugs like Tylenol and Advil are becoming a go-to for many. It makes sense – OTC drugs are saving Americans an average of $77 billion in clinical cost savings and $25 billion in drug costs savings, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. While these medications are beneficial in that way, there are other risks associated with their use. For example, a new study conducted by researchers from the Boston University School of Health found that nearly one in five users exceed the recommended daily dose for over-the-counter drugs during a one-week period. Many consumers aren’t as concerned about this issue because they aren’t addictive like opioids, but this is a dangerous perception to hold. NBC News reports that taking too much over-the-counter drugs can cause health complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding and heart attacks. Furthermore, lack of research into OTC drugs means that many people are taking drugs that aren’t even meant to help reduce the symptoms they are experiencing. Dr. Liffert Vogt of the Academic Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands wrote in an email to Reuters, “…Many people use [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs] for indications other than pain, such as the flu, allergies, fever – and there is no medical base that indicates that [these] or acetaminophen are of any use under these circumstances.” The biggest concern is that while efforts to reduce the opioid epidemic are influencing doctor’s prescribing decisions, consumers aren’t necessarily encouraged to change their ways – leading them to abusing other drugs that are available. Overall, our culture has centered around poor management of chronic pain, and opioids are not the only problematic response we are experiencing to this. If you’re struggling with addiction, seek help today. There are many resources available, and healthy ways to cope with pain.

Yoga is becoming more mainstream than ever before – a new study estimates that over 36 million Americans are utilizing yoga now, compared to 20.4 million people engaging in it in 2012. Harvard Medical School notes the various benefits that yoga can bring: improved cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, balance, improved overall quality of life, reduction in stress, anxiety, and pain, and much more. With the rise of yoga, more techniques are being used than ever before. See if you can recognize any of these: