Friday Fix: Episode 225 It’s been a great year hosting The Verywell Mind Podcast. We’ve talked to so many mentally strong people who’ve been brave enough and kind enough to share their strategies for staying mentally strong. One of the best parts of being the host of a podcast is hearing from the audience. I’ve heard from many listeners who have shared the steps they’re taking to build mental strength. In fact, your input shapes a lot of the show in terms of what we talk about and who our guests are in each episode....

Previously, pathological gambling was classified as an “impulse control disorder.” In the DSM-5, pathological gambling was renamed to gambling disorder and moved to a new category, “addiction and related disorders.” Not all people who gamble have a problem, and in fact, there are several types of gamblers, including professional and social gamblers. However, there are certain key characteristics that people with gambling addictions tend to share. Knowing the signs can help ensure that you or someone you love gets help and gets on the road to recovery....

Genetics or Environmental Causes Studies of BPD in families show that first-degree relatives—meaning siblings, children, or parents—of people treated for BPD are ten times more likely to have been treated for BPD themselves than the relatives of people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However, while this suggests that BPD runs in families, studies of this type do not tell us exactly how much of BPD is due to genetics. That’s because first-degree relatives share not just genes, but also environments in most situations....

Regardless, if you do choose to use cocaine, a few harm reduction strategies will help reduce your risks. Keep in mind, however, that harm reduction will only better your chances of coming through cocaine use unscathed, it will not make it safe to keep using. You can reduce the severity of the crash you will get afterward by not repeatedly dosing in the same session. For the best chance at a painless recovery, and to reduce the risk of addiction, let the drug wear off, get some rest, and don’t use again the next day....

While these jobs are in high demand and can pay very well, it is also important to be aware of some of the potential drawbacks as well. These jobs can also involve a lot of stress. Burnout is a risk. And the educational and training requirements can be costly and time-consuming. Before you decide on a healthcare career, consider whether these types of jobs are a good fit for your temperament and experiences....

Overview of Exposure Therapy for PTSD Exposure therapy is considered a behavioral treatment for PTSD. This is because exposure therapy targets learned behaviors that people engage in (most often the avoidance) in response to situations or thoughts and memories that are viewed as frightening or anxiety-provoking. For example, a rape survivor may begin to avoid relationships or going out on dates for fear that she will be attacked again. It is important to recognize that this learned avoidance serves a purpose....

The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides disability benefits to millions of people every year to help cover medical bills, living expenses, and other financial obligations. The benefits are paid on a monthly basis in an effort to alleviate financial strain. Unfortunately, the disability benefits application process can be painstakingly difficult and many first-time applications are denied. To be eligible for mental health disability pay from the SSA, your mental health disability must fall under one of the following categories: Neurocognitive disorders Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders Intellectual developmental disorder Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders Somatic symptom and related disorders Personality and impulse-control disorders Autism spectrum disorder Neurodevelopmental disorders Eating disorders Trauma- and stressor-related disorders...

Chances are good that you have taken a self-report inventory at some time in the past. Such questionnaires are often seen in doctors’ offices, in online personality tests, and in market research surveys. Even the fun quizzes you often see shared on Facebook are examples of self-report inventories. While this is an example of these inventories being used in an informal and entertaining way, such surveys can and do serve much more serious goals in collecting data and helping to identify potential problems....

Why Do People Fear the Unknown? Human beings are naturally wired to fear change for several reasons. However, a fear of change may be more intense when the change is not within a person’s control. Verywell reached out to clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly, PhD, to discuss why change is so scary. In instances of metathesiophobia, that disempowerment leads to strong resistance and a refusal to change solely out of the uncertainty that comes along with fearing the unknown....

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. If you have depression, whether it has been diagnosed by a healthcare provider or not, there is a very real risk that at some point in the course of the illness, you may experience thoughts of suicide. While the emotional pain that triggers these thoughts may feel overwhelming, it does not mean that you will lose control or act on your thoughts....

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to find a culturally sensitive therapist. But first, it’s important to understand why doing so is worth the effort. A Healthy Therapeutic Alliance It’s important for a therapist and a client to have a therapeutic alliance. That means that the client feels heard and understood by the therapist and that they trust the therapist has their best interest in mind. Research shows that a healthy therapeutic alliance is the most important factor in determining how effective treatment is....

Health Benefits Holding onto old hurts, disappointments, petty annoyances, betrayals, insensitivity, and anger wastes both your time and your energy. Nursing your hurt (whether real or perceived) for too long can eventually turn it into hate and bitterness. Being unforgiving takes a physical and mental toll. Resentment gains momentum and chips away at the foundation of your well-being and relationship. Instead, share your feelings. Health experts at Johns Hopkins report that the act of forgiveness can reduce the risk of heart attack, lower cholesterol levels, improve sleep, reduce pain, lower your blood pressure, decrease levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, and provide other benefits....

One of the benefits of going live on Instagram is that it allows you to reach a larger audience and provide them with better-quality video compared to using your phone camera. We will walk you through the steps of going live on Instagram on a computer, from setting up your computer and connecting it to Instagram to customizing your live stream and engaging with your audience. You will have all the knowledge you need to start your successful live stream on Instagram....

While having a difficult marriage talk probably isn’t something you look forward to, avoiding these conversations can cause problems to worsen later on. You and/or your partner might become bitter or angry when things go unresolved, so it’s best to address any issues with honest and direct communication. This article covers reasons why couples should have difficult talks and how to have those hard conversations. It also provides tips and strategies for starting discussions....

Let’s explore the official feature of WhatsApp for seeing who has viewed your profile or status, as well as third-party apps and alternative methods that claim to offer this functionality. Can you see who has viewed your WhatsApp profile or status? As mentioned earlier, the official WhatsApp app does not currently offer a feature that allows users to see whо has viewed their profile or status. Unfortunately, this means that if you are using the official WhatsApp app, you will not be able to see a list of people who have viewed your profile or status....

Now on the come up is a similar trend with older women. Accepting that any romantic limits relying on age are groundless, mature women are venturing out to find love, companionship, and sexual satisfaction with younger men. Likewise, younger men are looking beyond partners within their age group to find fulfillment in relationships with mature lovers. For anyone considering making a move towards a younger man or older crush, we’ll be examining the benefits of exploring this relationship....

One feature that many users may not know about is the ability to mute topic channels within the Explore Tab. We will explain why someone may want to mute topic channels on Instagram Explore Tab and provide some instructions on how to do so. We will also cover hоw to unmute topic channels if you change your mind. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to customize your Instagram experience and make the Explore Tab a more enjoyable place to discover content....

Sharing these videos on Facebook can be a great way to reach a wider audience. When you share an IGTV video to Facebook, it appears as a native video on your page, meaning that it will be discoverable to anyone who comes across your page and appears in the Facebook newsfeed. This makes it a powerful tool for creators and businesses looking to expand their reach, engage with their audience, and drive conversions....

If you find yourself crying more than usual, you may feel embarrassed, which may even prompt more tears. While crying can be a healthy emotional outlet, how you feel about crying may impact your experience of that. For instance, if you associate the act of crying with weakness, you are less likely to be comfortable with tears. In this way, if crying makes you feel such discomfort, then you are more inclined to attempt to stop crying than if you viewed this act more positively....