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A personality disorder is defined as a type of mental disorder in which a person has a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning, and behaving. Personality disorders can affect nearly every aspect of a person’s life – including their relationships. Dating someone with a personality disorder can be challenging, particularly those with dependent personality disorder (DPD). Common symptoms of DPD include low self-esteem, being “clingy,” difficulty making decisions on their own, a sincere hatred of being alone, a pattern of jumping from one relationship to the next, and the general instability that often comes with fear of abandonment. If you are in a relationship with someone who has DPD, it’s important to recognize the symptoms they may be experiencing and to learn how you can work with them through challenging situations.

Most of us know of someone with an addiction. Some of us have incredibly close relationships with these individuals, and it’s hard to see them struggle with substance abuse. Perhaps you’ve tried to confront your loved one many times, only to hear fake promises of treatment – and it hurts. As a family member, you want to do everything you can to help your loved one get to where they need to be. But if you’re not careful, you may end up depleting all of your own time, energy, and money, while having your heart broken in the process.

One of the best feelings in recovery is one of strength, gratitude, and stability. Of course, this always takes time. Whether you are seeking treatment for addiction or mental illness, it’s important to get yourself into a state of calm and clarity to start off your journey to recovery.

When we feel anxious about something, our body activates its stress response to help deal with the threat. This stress response is a natural reaction that causes the body to secrete stress hormones that travel to targeted areas and bring about physiological, psychological, and emotional changes. It is these changes that ultimately lead us to “fight or flight” mode. Even if there’s nothing immediately happening to us, the mind and body can feel like it is – and that’s when anxiety can worsen.

When someone goes through a traumatic event, no two people will experience it in the same way. Their coping mechanisms will likely vary because they’re trying to do whatever it takes to move forward from being utterly shocked and terrified. Healing from trauma is incredibly challenging because it can affect nearly every aspect of our lives – but if we work hard to recover from it, we may find that we’re stronger and more resilient than we realized. It’s not uncommon for people in addiction recovery to have some sort of childhood trauma in their past. Just because it happened doesn’t mean that healing isn’t possible. By learning more about what trauma is and how it can affect your life, you’ll be empowered to make healthier choices when it comes to treatment.

Do you rest peacefully in “deep sleep” through the night? Or do you find yourself tossing and turning all night long? While it isn’t often as talked about, the quality and length of your sleeping cycles can possibly provide insight into whether or not you’re battling with a mood disorder. For example, those who find themselves barely sleeping may potentially have bipolar disorder or depression. Of course, there are many other factors that could be playing a part, too. Consider your current sleeping habits. If you have difficulty sleeping at night and you’re noticing symptoms of mood issues throughout the day as well, it’s likely time to speak with a licensed healthcare professional.

Can you recall a moment today, yesterday, or a time from the past where you felt pretty satisfied one minute and then suddenly, before you knew it, you started feeling very agitated? Sometimes it happens in the blink of an eye. This change in feelings can happen for many reasons – an adjustment in the chemical balance of your brain, the fact that you were tired or hungry, or maybe even a situation or memory that triggered it. When it happens, these changes are called mood swings – often defined as rapid and extreme fluctuations in mood, alternating between feelings of happiness and feelings of anger, agitation, or depression. Everyone experiences mood swings, but people with bipolar disorder may experience them a bit more frequently and more intensely than others.

Imagine you are at a New Year’s Eve party. Your friend finishes off an entire bottle of champagne, stays up all night dancing, and still feels great the next morning. You have a few glasses of wine and wake up exhausted with a pounding headache. Why does this happen? It’s a well-known fact that different types of alcohol can have a variety of effects on us, based on our age, sex, race, size, the amount consumed and many factors. The body also metabolizes alcohol differently than food and other drinks - and the rate at which your own body metabolizes it can have a major impact on how we feel soon after drinking and the next morning as well.

In some cases, the signs of mental illness appear subtly and over time. We may not even realize we have a mental illness until it’s front and center in our lives. From the day we are born to the present day in our life, there are a number of different factors that can influence the way a mental illness develops, as well as how we manage it over the years. By understanding these factors, you’ll be a step ahead in recovery.

Millions of people across the world are diagnosed with schizophrenia, yet so many people still do not know much about this disorder. Individuals with schizophrenia often experience delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and negative symptoms such as feeling detached from oneself, general discontentment, anger, anxiety, and more. Unfortunately, movies and media often depict this disorder as dangerous – but the more we understand how it really affects those we love, the less fear we may feel about it.

“I’m too old for yoga.”

Have you ever noticed that you’re very particular about certain things, or that you like to be in control? Do things have to be a “certain way” for you to feel at ease? If so, you may have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Millions of Americans struggle with OCD every year – and if it’s not treated early on, other problems could arise. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that involves an unhealthy cycle of obsessions (unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (repeated actions). For example, a person with OCD could find themselves needing to knock on the door a certain number of times before they wait for a person to answer it. They may also like things organized in a certain way and feel extreme anxiety if they’re not able to organize the way they need to.