Why Your Mental Health Matters

Throughout six articles, we dug into the broad subject of how your mental health matters. Mental health is vital to everyone’s overall well-being, but too often it’s misunderstood, which means it is ignored, minimized, or suppressed. Whether it causes a few sleepless nights, waves of anxiety, or a feeling of quiet desperation, these struggles touch […]

The Power of Community for Mental Health and Wellbeing

As an expat living thousands of miles from my family, I’ve learned how important it is to build a sense of community. Being away from loved ones can feel isolating, and if you’re navigating any kind of mental health issue, that isolation can feel even heavier. That’s why creating connections with others can make a […]

New Hope for Lowering the Risk of Dementia

Just this week, I was asked by a colleague to comment on a fairly technical article, and I was struck by the exact wording used in its opening question: Are cardioprotective glucose-lowering agents associated with reduced risk of dementia? I spend a fair bit of time reviewing and replying to questions and requests from our […]

What I Wish People Knew About Mental Health Conditions

This May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s time to take action, raise awareness, and change how we talk about mental health. Since 1949, this month has been dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by millions living with mental health conditions while working to break the stigma surrounding them. The theme, “In Every […]

Safer Alternatives to Klonopin for Sleep and Anxiety

Clonazepam, commonly known by its brand name Klonopin, is a benzodiazepine prescribed for conditions such as anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and certain seizure disorders. While clonazepam is effective for these and other conditions, the fact that it is a controlled substance highlights its potential for dependence and withdrawal symptoms. For many people, this makes it […]

Can Drugs and Alcohol Change The Teenage Brain?

People naturally want to keep doing things that deliver a reward. For example, when a hungry person eats, the brain’s reward system reacts positively with a flood of dopamine, the pleasure hormone. In the same way, a game of Candy Crush on a smartphone helps people relax after a long day. However, the brain’s reward […]

Digging into Prescribed Antidepressant Options

A friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with depression. His doctor has suggested that alongside therapy sessions, he consider medication as well. Unfortunately, the stigma around taking prescribed antidepressants has caused him to resist this course of treatment out of fear of some of the common side effects of antidepressants. He thinks that feeling […]

Bipolar Disorder: Highs, Lows, And In Between

“Bipolar disorder” is a term that people can often misunderstand. You might hear someone casually say, “I’m so bipolar today,” just because they experienced some highs and lows in their moods. But bipolar disorder is far more complex than feeling happy one moment and sad the next. It’s a lifelong mental health condition that involves […]

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Breaking Free From Intrusive Thoughts

Imagine getting ready to leave the house in the morning when a thought suddenly pops into your mind – “Did I leave the stove on?” It’s a familiar, fleeting worry that most people experience from time to time. But for someone living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), that thought isn’t just an occasional inconvenience. It’s persistent, […]

Teenage Mental Heath is now a Global Issue

Teenage mental health in the United States is in crisis. Over the last ten years, mental health among teenagers in the United States has gotten worse, with the COVID-19 pandemic making things even harder. Poor mental health during the teenage years can have long-lasting effects, leading to serious challenges later in life if no action […]