When traditional treatments fail to help patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an implant that zaps the brain with electrical pulses just might, a new research review shows. It found…
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“Coming out” can be a complex event in an LGBTQIA+ person’s life. It can be fraught with tension, a source of stress, or, on the flip side, a time of…
If you live with OCD, your symptoms may begin to affect your identity — including your gender, sexual orientation, moral beliefs, and more. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex mental…
When Justine Larson’s son came out as transgender at age 11, she didn’t know how to react. Despite being supportive of LGBTQ communities, Larson struggled to accept that her child, assigned female…
Living with the effects of anxiety can cause depression as a result of avoidant behaviors, self-esteem changes, and hypervigilance. If you live with an anxiety disorder, you may have experienced…
A column in Psychiatric Services in Advance discussed strategies to improve digital mental health content for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus (LGBTQ+) youth. In recent years, psychiatric treatment for LGBTQ+ youth…
Psychotherapy is one type of treatment available for psychological conditions. It is helpful for several mental health conditions and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, can help individuals with a…
OCD is an anxiety disorder that causes upsetting, intrusive thoughts. For example, a person may have frequent intrusive thoughts about an intruder breaking into their house. This is the “obsessive” part…
Psychoanalytic therapy is a form of psychotherapy rooted in the idea that all people are motivated by unconscious desires, thoughts, emotions, and memories. Also known as psychodynamic psychotherapy, psychoanalytic therapy is based on…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of an accelerating mental health crisis among adolescents, with more than 4 in 10 teens reporting that they feel “persistently sad…
Everyone gets nervous in some social situations — perhaps a first date, an important meeting, or giving a presentation. But when the fear extends to avoiding or being too quiet…
The relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression is deep and complex. Understanding why these two conditions often co-occur — and perhaps more important, how to think about treatment when…
While some welcome the changing leaves of fall and fresh snow of winter, others find themselves having difficulty waking in the morning, experiencing daytime fatigue, eating more carbohydrates, and feeling…
Here we are in this recurring nightmare: Schools open and close with little hope for normalcy. Students, educators, parents, and politicians agonize. No clear path, no clear directives. Record staff absences…
As we enter a new year laden with uncertainty, our mental health and sense of well-being are being tested again. It’s OK (and normal) to fail these tests once in…
I avoided proper treatment my whole life, but I had no excuse when the world came to a halt. When I was first diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in…
Despite conversations around gender and sexuality becoming more common and society’s attitudes becoming more accepting, it is still undeniable that LGBTQIA+ youth face a unique set of challenges growing up….
Depression isn’t always obvious. In fact, some people go to great lengths to hide the symptoms of depression from the people around them — concealing the problem so well that…
Some people may find relaxation methods helpful when managing anxiety symptoms. But for me, one of them specifically became anxiety-inducing. Breathe in for 4 seconds. Hold it for 7 seconds….
Coming to terms with feelings of loss and making sense of it can be a painful process. Grief is a common emotional and sometimes physical response that you feel when…
