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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:

Whether you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or not, it can creep up in little moments throughout our daily life. Moments where we are suddenly asked to give a speech that we have not prepared for are often enough to send anyone into an anxiety attack. Hearing sudden sad news that was unexpected can easily leave us feeling hopeless, lost, and panicked. The following are some very real anxiety triggers that anyone may experience:

The dictionary defines tough love as “promotion of a person’s welfare, especially that of [a person with an addiction], child, or criminal, by enforcing certain constraints on them or requiring them to take responsibility for their actions”. When it comes to parenting, you may have used some tough love. According to Very Well Family Magazine, tough love can be effective if it doesn’t involve:

We’ve all had moments of built up frustration and anger. When this happens, you may feel the need to immediately get your thoughts – and feelings – out into the open via a friend, family member, coworker, or stranger. Venting means to freely express strong emotions. When this happens, you may feel a sense of relief because you finally got everything off your chest. While this may feel good for the moment, there are some dangers that can arise with this as well. The Huffington Post states that venting can keep us stuck in a negative cycle of anger and can prevent us from coming up with creative solutions to the problem. For example, if you dislike your job you may vent about it to coworkers; if this happens once it may be harmless but doing this often without applying to other jobs and attempting to take actions towards resolving your issues means that more anger will fester – and you may lose patience with your coworkers. All in all, venting can reinforce negative attitudes towards a situation. What can be done about this? There are many healthy ways to manage your anger and frustration without stewing. Here are some excellent examples:

Whether you’ve been together for a few months or a few years, relationship distress can occur at any time. Perhaps you and your significant other have tried talking out your concerns, and you just haven’t come to a resolution. Maybe you have been silently resenting your partner, and so you haven’t spoken with them about what’s causing you pain. No matter the circumstance, your relationship may be in danger if any of the following is happening: