Blogs

I am passionate about Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I use it in my own life and it has made all the difference. I cope with...

“I don’t want to feel numbed out. I don’t feel like me when I’m on meds.” Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder with really low lows...

“I found myself curled up into the fetal position, crying. I don’t understand where this came from. Am I crazy?” “I’m falling apart at...

Depression affects 10% of people in America and about half of all college students report feeling so depressed at some point that they have trouble functioning. It’s becoming the “acceptable” mental health diagnosis but there are still many misconceptions about depression and what can be done about it. Myth # 01: Depression and sadness are the same thing Sadness is not the same thing as depression though they are often confused for one another. Sadness is a normal human emoti

Diagnosing mental illness is an imperfect science. The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) describes bipolar, borderline personality disorder (BPD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as distinct problems, but they share a lot of the same symptoms and can be very hard to distinguish. They also can occur together, which makes it even tougher to sort out. Some common symptoms of these illnesses are trouble sleeping, thoughts of suicide, not being able to maintain rel

Note: This is a composite, not an actual person "Dear Diary, Sometimes I feel so good, like when I saw D. today. Immediately, I felt...

60% of adults report experiencing trauma in their childhood (National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention,...

"Anything that is “wrong” with you began as a survival mechanism in childhood." ~ Dr. Gabor Maté Being sexually abused as a child,...

Today I am grateful for so many things in life. I am grateful for my husband and my parents, for my children and my kitties. I am...

You are not alone. Healing from sexual abuse and rape requires working with every part of the trauma experience – instinct, emotion, images, and thoughts. When faced with a life threatening experience, primitive instincts kick in – fight, flight, freeze, submit (see part 1 and part 2 of this blog). These instincts help you survive the encounter, but leave evidence behind in the form of body memories. The cortisol response that was triggered by the original trauma, can be re-t

You aren’t broken. Trauma and complex PTSD caused by sexual abuse and rape are underdiagnosed and often misdiagnosed as something else....

“Just get over it.” It’s one of the worst things someone can say to a survivor of sexual abuse or rape. And yet how many times have you...

We’ve all been there. Something happens and your emotions take over. You can no longer think clearly and logic is not an option. You are...

Childhood abuse happened in the past. Unfortunately the effects of abuse don’t stay tucked in the past but rather invade your daily life...

Diagnosing mental illness is an imperfect science. The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) describes bipolar, borderline personality...

Low self esteem seems to be almost an epidemic in our society, yet we play the part of feeling strong and acting confident by what I call...

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” — Deepak Chopra Anxiety shows up in a lot of different ways and can have a severe impact on daily life. The sensations and thoughts experienced during an anxiety attack can be indescribable, and the helplessness of friends and loved ones asking 1001 questions does little to help. Therefore, you may ask yourself what tools are available and helpfu