Mental Health Stories and Tips From Patients

Recently, I approached my doctor about taking some stress leave from my job. I was given 12 weeks of stress leave and used the time to clean, exercise, work on projects, and try new things.

What it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), and why it matters to understand as much as possible about this trait.

An in-depth insight into anorexia nervosa—a life-threatening eating disorder that attacks the body mentally, physically, and spiritually. Written by someone who struggles with the disease.

A short guide on how to run away with your problems.

These are the strategies I use to cope with lack of motivation when I am experiencing a major depressive episode.

Prosopagnosia is a disorder that makes one unable to recognize faces. I have this condition. This article is based on my research to understand it better.

My life with OCD, and the tips and tricks I use to control it.

It is very difficult watching a loved one struggle with an addiction, especially an eating disorder. While they first need to want to help themselves, there are ways you can help a friend with anorexia or bulimia, regardless of where they are in recovery.

As the daughter of an emotionally absent mother, I've struggled with sadness and anxiety most of my life. After taking anti-depressants for 7 years, I was ready to get off the medication and take control of my own well-being. By embracing my inner child, I finally found peace and joy.

Learn how to stop drinking alcohol for a month, regain control of your consumption, and improve your well-being.

I will discuss why disappointment throughout our lives, especially when we are young, is essential in shaping us into capable, strong adults.

Why does my face turn red at the most inopportune times? Is there any way I can stop, or am I doomed to spend the rest of my life hearing, "Oh, she's blushing?" Written by a fellow frequent-blusher.

This article discusses the causes signs, and symptoms of eating disorders and how to prevent them. Written by a health professional who has recovered from an eating disorder.

Anxiety is more than fear. Oftentimes, it's an irrational reaction to a common situation. To help people understand how debilitating this "invisible disability" can be, an agoraphobic adult takes the time to describe how it feels to them.

This is my story of how I narrowly escaped death after attempting suicide. Life has a way of slapping the very breath out of you—painting the picture of suicide as a reversible option, when in actuality, once accomplished, there is no coming back. Once you're dead, you're dead.

Nicotine gum and lozenges can be useful when you're trying to quit smoking, but they can create a new, hard-to-kick addiction themselves. Are you addicted?

350 million people worldwide suffer from depression—that equates to roughly 7% in the United States. Chances are you have loved and even lived with someone who's had experience with depression.

If you are a highly sensitive person (HSP), you may have faced a variety of struggles with work. This article examines some of the challenges and difficulties HSPs face at work and why they exist.

Stuck in anger, shame or guilt? Stuck in a negative emotion? This book might help. Learn to process negative emotions.

I never believed I could quit smoking. I was wrong.

I am a shy person and have improved a lot with the simple techniques discussed here. If you are shy and aren't sure what to do, please read on...

Prior to 1995, I thought I would be hooked on cigarettes until the end of my life. This article is the story of how I miraculously quit smoking.

We all experience disappointments in life, but not all of us have an extreme reaction to it. This is my story of a devastating reaction to a life experience and how I dealt with it.

There are numerous ways to cope with anxiety. What works really depends on the individual. Here are a few outside-the-box techniques that actually worked for me.

I suffered from social anxiety since puberty. As an adult, I took an anti-anxiety drug for seven years. I now regret taking it for so long, and I want to promote ways to overcome anxiety without drugs.

I was invincible! I was determined, unstoppable, and with energy to spare. Then, it all came crashing down around me. In this article, I discuss my experience with cyclothymia, including my symptoms and treatment.

Read about my experience with dissociation, including an explanation of what dissociation is, how I diagnosed myself, and my road to recovery.

Noise can be a source of great distress and frustration for an HSP. This article explores some of the ways we can manage the noise input around us.

Do you still dwell on a comment someone made to you years ago? Are you still wondering whether you were in the wrong by acting as you did, even years later? Well, I can tell you why, and how to stop.

A skinny woman's battle with stereotypes. How American culture makes being thin synonymous with anorexia. "Skinny girls have no right to complain."

Having a bipolar dad can feel like a total rollercoaster of emotion as you fare the mania and depression of your parent. Here's how I handled living with my own bipolar dad until my mid-twenties.

Moving across country, leaving my friends, home, and everything familiar behind caused me to suffer from relocation depression. Here is how I coped with it.

What does it mean to be mentally ill? How many people suffer from this ailment? It’s more common than you think.

Quitting smoking is just the beginning. Staying quit is much harder. Here are the tips and tricks that helped me stay off cigarettes and quit smoking permanently. I hope they will help you, too.

I have tried several different treatments for my life-long depression. Here are some of the things that worked and didn't work for me.

Smokeless tobacco is a tough habit to give up, but it can be done!

Coming out to loved ones about your mental illness can be hard. Here's some things to remember as you come out of the mental illness closet.

I have been taking the antidepressant Fluoxetine for 1 year now. Here is my experience with the medication and how it has affected my depression symptoms.

Are you scared of social situations? You can change it! Read this article and learn how.

A travel phobia can limit a person's life to a great degree. Are you scared to use public transportation?

Electronic cigarette, e-cig, and vapor cigarette are common names for a personal vaporizer that allows one to smoke without the health hazards of regular cigarettes.

Have you been fighting your panic disorder for years without success? Learn how I overcame it and you can too.

These are the steps I took to finally quit smoking for good—after eight failed attempts.

What a lot of people don't want to talk about, and what your doctor won't tell you. Xanax addiction is serious, and so are the withdrawal symptoms. Here I share my experience.

Trying to understand an alcoholic is an impossible task for most non-alcoholics. I used to be an alcoholic, and in this article I will attempt to take you inside the mind of someone who is dependent.

Do you have a loved one who is an alcoholic? Understand the nature of alcoholism, as well as your codependent role. I write from personal experience, having lived both sides of the equation.

Highly Sensitive Persons (or HSPs) make up 15% of the population. Learn about the joys and challenges of living with this trait.

This is a perspective on how my PTSD affects some of my daily life and some of my relationships. I am explaining this not only to share the story of the episodes and trials I deal with, but to help others relate a little better with their friends and relatives that may also suffer with this.

Everyone daydreams. But some of us daydream excessively—to the point where it interferes with our daily, real lives.

From the time I was a small child, I experienced bouts of depression, or "the plague," as I always thought of it. When I was a child, those dark days were worse than any boogey-man.

Wondering if online therapy is an effective way to seek counseling? Here's my experience talking to a therapist using BetterHelp.

A true story based on my experience living with a bipolar mother. Contains graphic content.

The journey to face and overcome an irrational fear of the avian wing movement

How alcoholism damaged my family and marriage.

In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), an individual must tackle thought and behavior patterns. To address behavioral avoidance, a fear and avoidance hierarchy must be constructed.

Highly sensitive people make up 15-20% of the population, which translates to millions of people. Why then are they so widely misunderstood? Here are 25 gifts HSPs share with the world.

Are you feeling scared about going to work because you're anxious there? You're not alone! Here's some quick tips for dealing with anxiety before and during work.

Support groups can be a helpful tool for people experiencing a difficult life struggle. Here are some things to look for in a good support group.

Sometimes a Highly Sensitive Person gets overstimulated by even simple and small things. Here are a few examples—as well as some tips to deal with this challenge.

Bipolar disorder is more than difficult for the person diagnosed with the disorder, but it is often not discussed that it may be even harder on their family and friends. There are ways to cope with someone who is bipolar.

As a highly sensitive person, I regularly scour the Internet and bookshops for more material that may shed light on this wonderful gift we highly sensitive people know as the HSP trait.

Highly sensitive people often struggle with friendships and relationships. This article explores where the difficulties arise and offers thoughts on how an HSP can form more lasting friendships.

Voluntarily committing yourself can be a very scary experience if you're unfamiliar with it. This article will explain my experience of voluntarily committing myself in the state of Illinois.

Do you have a friend with misophonia, or a sensitivity to certain sounds? Here are some tips to be a good, supportive friend to them, from a misophonia-sufferer.

Panic attacks are much more than just feeling stressed or afraid. They also affect each person differently. This is an account of what panic attacks were like for me, and how I managed to overcome them.

Many twins suffer from separation anxiety. Written by a twin, this article provides tips for how to cope with this anxiety.

Are drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes ruling your life? Have you tried quitting only to pick back up again -- even though you really, really want to stop? Stop beating yourself up. You are not a failure. You're an addict.

I finally did it. I gave up cigarettes after years of smoking, and I feel incredible. In this article I discuss what happens to your body after you quit smoking.

Anxiety can make us insomniac. If you can't sleep because of anxiety, read on for a few simple tips on how to get some zzz's. These are the techniques that work for me.

Does your panic disorder prevent you from travelling? Read on for tips and encouragement.

Overusing nasal decongestant sprays may actually cause more congestion rather than relieving it. This is how I developed an addiction to Afrin and how I was able to stop using it.

Living with and being supportive of a person with PTSD can be one of the most difficult things you will ever experience. My ex-girlfriend can attest to that.

With people becoming more accepting of mental illness', a lot of confusion has followed. This article aims to inform people on the grey area that is mental health medications.

Afraid of roller coasters? Always left behind holding everyone's stuff as they have the time of their lives? End your fear with these steps, and soon someone else will be holding your stuff.

Is social media making us less social, more narcissistic, less empathetic, more self-involved, and less happy? Learn how social media can affect our psychology and emotions.

Podophobia, or the fear of bare feet, affects many people. Learn about the symptoms of and treatment for this phobia.

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a medical condition involving unpredictable, uncontrollable episodes of laughter, tears, or both. It involves a mismatch between feelings and outward emotional displays.

I am most often a watcher not a participant but alike a tiny computer I digest images and vocal tones. I am intuitive, empathetic, an introvert, and highly analytical. These are qualities that are often present in shy individuals. There are detrimental aspects of shyness but there are also benefits

After 2 years of taking Citalopram for depression, it was time to stop. But the side effects that no doctor talked to me about were serious, including the dreaded brain zaps.

This is a true story about my young friend who died from methamphetamine use. Hopefully, this story will save someone else's life. I've provided a helpful list of the signs and symptoms of someone using meth and how to get help.

Revenge is a powerful drive, possibly second only to success—and success is the best revenge, so they say. Here are some therapeutic (and safe) ways to work through revenge.

A look at the latest research on the effects of childhood bullying that can last into adulthood, as well as my own story as a bullying survivor.

Living with someone who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder can be frustrating, especially when you don't understand what they are going through. Hopefully, by explaining my own struggles with PTSD, you can get a better picture of what your loved one is going through.

Social anxiety can affect all aspects of your life—but it can be overcome. Many sufferers turn to anxiety medication, although this isn't the only option to consider.

As a trichotillomania sufferer, I will talk about my struggle with this relatively unknown, "odd" disorder and explain symptoms so you can see what it's like to live with the disorder.

Studies show that it may take several attempts to successfully kick the smoking habit. For one person it may take only 5 quits to succeed; for another, it may take 10. For me, it was more than that.

When Al-Anon members do their Ninth Step amends, they often have to apologize and change their behavior towards the alcoholics in their life, as well as towards friends and family members. It is not as hard as you may have feared. Find out how to get started.

Not all drugs or treatments effect people the same way. In this case, taking dexamethasone as part of my chemo treatment led to symptoms of depression.

Emetophobia, the fear of throwing up, is the fifth most common phobia in the world. A mother shares her daughter's journey through this paralyzing fear and how, eventually through exposure therapy, her daughter finds relief and hope to pursue her dreams.

My father was a compulsive gambler. This article is about how loved ones can protect themselves from the ravages of a gambling addiction.

The seven deadly sins and gambling go together perfectly. Learn how gambling addiction progresses through each of the seven stages of sin.

Many assumptions are made about therapy, which can cause people who could benefit from the service to distrust it. This article will attempt to dissuade the negative mindset surrounding how therapy fits into the mental health industry.

As highly sensitive people, we sense everything—though we might not always want to. At those times when we need to retreat but can't, are we at risk of developing social anxiety?

There are many ways to understand depression. The allegory of Plato's cave can illustrate depression's devastating impact, as well as a pathway toward recovery. For me, this is a personal story.

I want to share my experience with Trichotillomania to show myself and my fellow trichsters that we are not alone. Most importantly, I want to start a discussion based on experience that can help all of us trichsters find solutions together!

Have you ever had a panic attack? Do you think you could be having one now? Panic attacks are characterized by dysphoria and can happen anywhere and at any time. There is usually an underlying cause or trigger. It's important that you figure out what is causing your stress in order to treat it.

The love affair between bipolar and fatigue is overwhelming to the person living with this condition, as well as to everyone around him or her.

A good belly laugh can lighten a heavy emotional load. Hear about an organization which provides people with mental health issues an opportunity to make people laugh by teaching them stand-up comedy.

I was finally motivated to quit smoking not because of health concerns but because of sheer vanity and self-interest. Here are five good reasons to quit that you may not have considered.