By Dr David Laing Dawson Unexpectedly, in some parts of North America, we seem to have reverted to a time of book burning, or at least book banning, from school libraries. Ironically, this is being promoted by people who came away with all the wrong messages from reading Ayn Rand, Orwell, Bradbury, and Huxley. Or…
Mental health conditions have long been stigmatized in our society. Individuals have been unfairly blamed for their symptoms, belittled, demeaned, and discriminated against. Ignorant and uneducated people have wrongly assumed that symptoms of mental health could be controlled better if the person only tried. Symptoms have been minimized and erroneously assumed to be insignificant or part…
The teenage years are a tumultuous developmental period when adolescents are making that big push toward independence. Hormones are raging, and they’re at that awkward place between childhood and adulthood. The physical and psychological shifts result in mood swings and changes in behavior, and often involve conflicts with others as they struggle to find their…
In the context of psychology, regression refers to an unconscious, emotional defense mechanism where an individual’s personality reverts to an earlier point of development. An example would be if a person were to display behaviors from childhood when confronted with threatening or objectionable situations. Individuals engaging in such behavior can be said to be regressing to previous…
Crying is a universal reaction that we experience when dealing with strong emotions. Whether you’re crying because you feel mistreated, abandoned, humiliated, or joyful, this reaction can hold different meanings depending on the circumstances. In the case of anger, crying may signal a state of emotional turmoil that results from a profound sense of injustice….
Contrary to the beliefs of some, crying is an important component of mental health and wellness. The benefits of crying are often unrecognized, overlooked, and under-appreciated, as it can be good for us both psychologically and physiologically. Those who consider it a sign of weakness may want to challenge this assumption and belief pattern. Both…
Globally, the prevalence of mental health disorders is increasing, accompanied by a greater need for accessible treatment. To inform policy responses, it is essential to understand both the scale of individuals with mental health disorders and the accessibility and quality of existing treatment. The coverage cascade is a framework to measure the process of an…
We all want to feel needed, appreciated, and connected. But when your sense of worth hinges on how much you do for others; when saying no feels dangerous or caring for yourself brings guilt; you might be caught in an over-accommodating loop. Caring deeply and showing up for others isn’t the problem. The trouble begins…
A new YouGov survey commissioned by suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) has highlighted the reasons people experiencing suicidal thoughts made the decision to stay in one of the first studies into survival of its kind2. The research coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day, as the charity is working to raise awareness of…
Following a media feeding frenzy in the wake of an FDA Panel on SSRIs in Pregnancy – see Unsafe Safety Systems – another feeding frenzy erupted with an HHS (Health and Human Services ) statement that it was reviewing the use of Tylenol in Pregnancy and possible links to Autism. This post engages with both…