Such feelings are often a common symptom of depression, but can also arise due to things such as low self-esteem, neglect, abuse, trauma, or difficult situations that pose a threat to a person’s sense of self. Feeling worthless can create significant distress and make it difficult to function normally in daily life. You might find it difficult to feel motivated to pursue your goals when you feel that nothing you do is right or that none of your efforts will make a difference....

Treatment Refusal Teenagers often refuse to go for assessment and treatment for OCD. This is often related to the stigma of being diagnosed with a mental illness. They may also worry about falling behind in school or have concerns about the side effects of OCD medications. In addition, like many people with OCD, your teen may have poor insight into the nature and severity of their symptoms and may not see the need to seek treatment....

In response to the growing substance abuse problems facing the country, in 2016 the former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy issued a historic report, “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health,” in hopes of ending the public health crisis of addiction. Throughout the exhaustive 428-page report, which takes a comprehensive look at all facets of the substance abuse problem, featured sections are dedicated to explaining factors involved that may be little known, misunderstood or misconceptions about substance abuse issues....

Develop Emotional Intelligence Accept your emotions and let go of the feelings. Accept your emotions and let go of the feelings. Research shows that initially accepting your raw emotions after divorce helps you positively move forward and it reduces negative emotions later on. Join a Support Group It’s so important to talk about what happened in your marriage. You’ll feel less isolated if you make friends with people who can relate to and understand how difficult it is for you now that things have changed....

Additionally, rates of recidivism—the recurrence of imprisonment due to an additional charge or offense—are also higher among the Black population. A study out of Florida Atlantic University and published in the Journal of Prison Education and Re-entry sought to better understand this unfortunate reality and investigate some approaches that could help reverse the situation. Racial Disparities Recidivism Data show that Black men are arrested and charged at higher rates and given longer sentences than their White counterparts....

What Is Homeostasis? Homeostasis is your body’s natural state of balance. The brain oversees the body’s homeostasis, making adjustments to maintain a healthy, functioning system. In homeostasis, your brain is able to respond and adapt to its environment smoothly and constructively. What Is Allostasis? Allostasis (/ˌaləˈstāsis/) is the state your body enters as it seeks to restore balance. In the brain, this means that important chemicals are out of balance, and its normal functions are disrupted....

If you say things like, “This is awful! You’re going to be traumatized because you missed out on your childhood!” your kids might not fare so well. If, however, you send a message that says, “This is tough, but you’re a tough kid. Let’s work on how to best get through this together,” they’re more likely to survive relatively unscathed. Help Your Kids Cope Use empowering language. Instead of saying things like, “We’re stuck at home,” and “You can’t go to school,” send a positive message....

It’s a condition that affects both children and adults. However, the symptoms vary from individual to individual. Symptoms of ASD also range in severity. Some people might only experience mild symptoms throughout the course of their lives, while some people might experience much more severe conditions. If left untreated, ASD could worsen in severity. In autistic children, the symptoms could begin very early on and persist into adulthood. In severe cases, symptoms might interfere with daily functioning....

Aggression lies at the root of many social ills ranging from interpersonal violence to war. It is little wonder, then, that the subject is one of the most studied topics within psychology. This article covers what the Bobo doll experiment is, its findings on childhood aggression, as well as its impact on psychology. The Bobo Doll Experiment The participants for the experiment were 36 boys and 36 girls enrolled at the Stanford University Nursery School....

The National Council for Behavioral Health states that though 20% of Black Americans are more likely to report psychological distress than Whites, they are less likely to seek treatment and stick to it. Mindset coach Jennifer Henderson highly recommends speaking with a therapist. “I called mine my professional friend. I loved talking to her, gaining a deeper perspective on topics, and it felt good knowing that I was taking care of me,” she says....

Whether you are a heavy or occasional drinker, alcohol can undermine your therapy and increase your risk of drug toxicity, side effects, and even suicide. Bipolar Disorder and Alcohol Use Bipolar disorder and substance use disorders often go hand in hand. According to a 2014 survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), substance use disorders occur more frequently in people with mental health disorders than the general population....

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), major depression is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions in the United States. Depression may be common, but many people are not able to access treatment. According to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA)’s, only 63% of adults identified as having had at least one major depressive episode reported receiving any kind of treatment....

Can Bipolar Disorder Show Up in a Brain Scan? While brain scans aren’t used to diagnose bipolar disorder, they are used to learn more about how this condition impacts the brain and body. Grey Matter Can Be Detected in a Brain Scan Those who experience bipolar disorder have a decreased amount of grey matter in their brain. Grey matter is the exterior layer of brain tissue that constitutes the cerebral cortex....

Although having a fear of angry people is a common characteristic of adult children of alcoholics, it’s also a possible outcome in several developmental contexts, including children who grew up with a toxic (but not alcoholic) parent (such as those with cluster B personality disorders like narcissistic personality disorder) and faced physical, psychological, or sexual abuse. How does exposure to angry and abusive behavior as a child affect an adult child’s relationships when exposed to anger in the future?...

Additionally, according to information found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5), both conditions are classified as “anxiety disorders.” But panic disorder and phobias are considered separate conditions, each with a distinct set of diagnostic criteria. What Is a Phobia? A phobia is defined as a relentless fear of a certain object or situation. The fear associated with a phobia goes beyond just feelings of dislike or discomfort....

Psychologist Aaron T. Beck originally came up with the theory of cognitive distortions in the 1960s, and many therapists since then have helped clients live more positive lives by hunting down their cognitive distortions and correcting them. (It’s one of the tenets of a very successful and fast-working mode of therapy called cognitive therapy.) When you know what to be on the lookout for, it becomes rather easy to spot the cognitive distortions in others....

A rebound effect, a crash, and a comedown are all drug after-effects that cause different symptoms. It is important to understand each condition and how each set of symptoms plays a role in addiction. The Rebound Effect Understanding the rebound effect explains why certain drugs, particularly those that have a quick and intense effect on the nervous system, are very addictive. One of the ironies of addiction is that the rebound effect causes the person taking the drug to experience the very same effects they were hoping to escape through drug use....

From lack of control to chronic Zoom fatigue, the causes of these changes in mental health have been documented. But what about the mental and neurological health of those actually infected with the disease? This is where the broader psychological implications of COVID get a little bit trickier. Shaheen E. Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN, a neurologist and senior vice president of research and development at Click Therapeutics, explains: “COVID-19 wreaks havoc on our bodies, including our brain....