Do you need a mask or not? Are vaccines or boosters mandated? What economic help is still available? Can you go to school or work in person? From state to state and city to city, it seems everyone is at odds these days. Behind all these official pronouncements, you have a simmering volcano of opinions and emotions. The conflict is real and, for … [Read more...]

Any September, in any year, you will find new college students feeling anxiety about the big transition. Even under “normal” circumstances, the pressure can get to you. Up to 32 percent of new college students report feeling stressed and anxious. Two out of three feel lonely. And 17 percent experience full-blown depression. Post-pandemic, … [Read more...]

From our parents, we inherit an incredibly wide range of characteristics. There are plenty of conversations to be had about eye color or the timbre of one’s laugh. But this process also means that emotional baggage can be passed down. Women carry with them the same eggs that are formed when they are in the womb. This means we each grow in a … [Read more...]

There are so many things that can cause you to feel stress. You might be anxious about a job interview. Then again, you might be in the midst of a global pandemic. To your brain, it’s all “stress.” That’s the catch. Regardless of the source (real or imagined), your brain will initiate the stress response. Such communication between your … [Read more...]

Anxiety at night is very similar to anxiety during the day. But there’s one big difference. Throughout the day, you’re usually preoccupied with tasks, interests, and responsibilities. By the time you prepare for bed, however, you typically have more space for fixation and worry. Add to this the likelihood that night anxiety will impact your sleep, … [Read more...]

The "fake news" phenomenon is not limited to just news. Inaccuracies run rampant all across all forms of media. From pop culture to social media, we are falling victim to artificial intelligence algorithms. The deceptions are convincing. The fallout can be bad news. Let’s take, for example, media depictions as they relate to mental health. The … [Read more...]

How quickly things change. A little more than a year ago, you may have been stressing over what we now distinguish as an "in-person" work meeting. What should I wear? Will I be asked to speak? Am I prepared? Today, you can have all the same questions — and more — when attending a Zoom meeting. You now have to factor in the reality of what’s … [Read more...]

It’s not over yet. Layers of stress and fear have been laid down for more than a year. Regardless of the specifics (case count, vaccines, masks/no masks, etc.), few people will be able to flip the positive switch. The next year (at least) is shaping up to be a process. If nothing else, it will be a slow transition. All of this adds up to an ongoing … [Read more...]

If you’re unsure about a product, at least you can read the label before you buy it. However, there are times when certain ingredients are invisible. They play a major role but you may not even know they are present. Case in point: racial bias in healthcare. The world of medical professionals strives to give equal care — in theory. … [Read more...]

We live in an age when words like "traumatized", "anxious", and "depressed" have become common descriptors for far too many of us. And the phrase "global pandemic", on its own, aptly describes how we got here. However, the past year or so has also provided a seemingly endless succession of life-altering events. For example, the patchwork of … [Read more...]