The following is intended for readers 18+ If the thought of sharing the nitty gritty details of your sex life with a stranger is enough to kill your libido, well, I don’t blame you. Trust me, I remember how insanely awkward I felt the first time I bought up something sex related to my therapist! 1. Overcoming Trauma Trauma is hard to overcome and can have long-lasting effects. Hannah,* 27, was sexually abused as a child....

Updated on 7/21/22The emotional stoicism of Black men, and further, the issues surrounding Black men and mental health, are topics our society has historically been hesitant to talk about. Most notable of the few books on the topic, the author Bell Hooks’ work,We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinitydiscusses the lack of love and acceptance that Black men face that’s resulted in an emotional crisis.Arecent surveyconcludes that Black adults are more likely to feel sad, hopeless, and worthless than White adults are....

On January 17, 2010, Joshua R. Beharrystoodon a British Columbia bridge, attempting to end his life. Luckily, his attempt failed, and today Beharry is a mental health advocate and Project Coordinator ofHeadsUpGuys,a British Columbia-based campaign to support men who have depression. He tells his story so that men, and all people with depression, can feel empowered to reach out. “I didn’t really start out trying to reach men more specifically,” Beharry wrote toTalkspacein an email interview....

Keeping a laundry list of tasks and to-dos in order can be a headache for anyone, but for some people, the difficulty goes beyond mere annoyance. Starting work each morning can feel like wrangling a bear — and often, that bear is your mind. No, work won’t always be easy (it’s calledworkfor a reason), but it doesn’t need to be the bane of your day-to-day existence. It’s important to understand what about task management pains you....

We all face hard circumstances from time to time. Sometimes life throws us new responsibilities or burdens, and expects us to just roll with the punches. That can be quite difficult, especially when you’re already managing a mental illness. The good news is that we can have a plan when those unexpected hard times come up. Here are some recommendations for a mental health workout plan when you need help to weather hard times....

My mom had one response to our childhood complaints of schoolyard mean girls: “They’re probably having problems at home. Let it go.” I, of course, wasn’t having any of it. “But they’remeanto me,” I would wail. “Can’t you take my side?” Now that the grade school social scene is firmly behind me, I understand that my mother didn’tliterallymean that every kid who picked on others had a difficult home life. She meant instead that people hurt one another for a reason, and understanding those reasons can help us make sense of hurtful experiences and move on....

The following is intended for readers 18+ Many people who have mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression turn to cannabis as a source of relief from their psychiatric illnesses. Cannabis comes in many forms or strains, and because of the ease of access, people have traditionally smoked marijuana containing the controversial psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This chemical gets you “high,” which helps some find relief from anxiety and depression....

She pulled the wholesingle mom thingoff while working full-time as a teacher, which is a very grueling job to have while caring for kids of your own. She was utterly exhausted after work, and I often begrudged the fact that she wasn’t as full of energy or cheer as other mothers seemed to be. I see now that it made no sense to compare her to other mothers, because no mother is perfect....

Almost everyone has experienced family drama at one time or another. For some people, there is sibling rivalry that continues into adulthood. For others, it is a dramatic parent who expresses their disapproval in very obvious ways. Nobody feels good about family conflict, but, in some families, it is bearable and fairly infrequent. However, in other families, drama becomes a constant source of unhappiness and even toxicity. When “Drama” Becomes Toxic Family drama becomes toxic when it makes you feel anxious, sad, and angry when you think aboutthe prospect of spending time with your family members....

“A friendship between college girls is grander and more dramatic than any romance.” It’s not just college women who have grand and dramatic friendships. While friends tend to be given short shrift to romantic relationships in our culture, our friendships are super important to our mental and emotionl lives. And the joys and traumas of friendship can be just as painful, if not more so, than the ups and downs of a romantic relationship....

This post is part of our#TherapyHelpedMeseries for Mental Health Awareness Month. Talkspace shares stories of how therapy helps people of all backgrounds work through the daily challenges of modern life. When I stop to think about the role of therapy in my life, it is not difficult to realize how essential it was for me to become the person I am today. I met my current therapist five years ago when I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder....

Updated 11/14/2022 It is widely understood that what happens inside your brain influences what happens to your body, and consciously cultivating a positive outlook on life is no different. Although the benefits are striking, looking on the bright side isn’t always easy, but there are some practical ways to adopt an optimistic perspective. Read on to discover 5 easy ways for how to become a more optimistic person. 5 Easy Ways to Become an Optimistic Person 1....

After a breakup, many people desire time and space to heal, and choose not to interact much with their ex-partner. However, more people nowadays continue living with their partner after a breakup. There are multiple reasons, including financial issues, the desire to remain friends, or being joint “parents” to a pet. Other people simply don’t like change, and want to remain in their homes.They assume that if their breakup wasn’t contentious, they will be able to continue to live amicably with their ex....

“One Key Component to Self Care That You’re Probably Overlooking” originally appeared onFairy God Boss, an advice blog that makes it easier for you to take care of yourself. You may have read or been told five times just this year that you’re the combination of the five people you spend the most time around. Motivational Speaker Jim Rohn famously stated this, and the concept has since been popularized throughout the self-help world....

A little bit of jealousy is healthy for a relationship. If you didn’t care at all about your partner leaving you for someone else, this would generally be considered a bad sign for your relationship. In fact, in evolutionary psychology, there is a phenomenon known as “mate guarding,” which is when an animal guards their mate more closely around potential rivals. Humans do the same thing when they become more aware or vigilant about their partner’s behavior around other attractive people....