A man does research on his computer about 5 tips to find a job after treatment

5 Tips for Finding a Job After Treatment

Finding a job after treatment can be challenging. In addition to the normal challenges of job hunting, people recovering from addiction may have to explain employment gaps, job loss, and possibly jail time. What’s more, since addiction typically begins at a young age, many people will have lost educational opportunities, perhaps dropping out of high… Continue Reading 5 Tips for Finding a Job After Treatment

A man talks to his therapist about 3 mental health issues that are frequently misdiagnosed

3 Mental Health Issues that Are Frequently Misdiagnosed

Although we’re learning more about mental illness all the time, brains are extremely complex and there is still much we don’t understand about how they work and what can go wrong. What’s more, everyone is different and symptoms often present differently in different people. These differences can be related to age, sex, culture, background, and… Continue Reading 3 Mental Health Issues that Are Frequently Misdiagnosed

A patient tries to convince her patient that depression isn't all in her head

Depression Isn’t All in Your Head, Part 3: Changing Our Approach to Treatment

This is the third of three posts based on the work of writer Johann Hari, whose search for answers about his own depression led to his book Lost Causes: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression–and the Unexpected Solution. In the first part of this series, we looked at the problems with the serotonin model of… Continue Reading Depression Isn’t All in Your Head, Part 3: Changing Our Approach to Treatment

An image of the brain reminds the viewer about how psychotherapy affects the brain

How Does Psychotherapy Affect the Brain?

Depression is the number one cause of disability worldwide, affecting more than 300 million people, according to the World Health Organization. Symptoms include prolonged sadness, irritability, sleep disturbance, anxiety, aches, pessimism, lack of motivation, and thoughts of death or suicide. Depression is typically treated with some combination of medication and psychotherapy. Studies have already found… Continue Reading How Does Psychotherapy Affect the Brain?

A man leans against a windowsill and wonders how he can meet his psychological needs

Depression Isn’t All in Your Head, Part 2: Meeting Psychological Needs

This is the second of three posts based on the work of writer Johann Hari, whose search for answers about his own depression led to his book Lost Causes: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression–and the Unexpected Solution. In the first post in this series, we looked at some problems with the idea that depression… Continue Reading Depression Isn’t All in Your Head, Part 2: Meeting Psychological Needs

A woman tosses her head back as she tries to remember the 4 ways to overcome perfectionism

4 Ways to Overcome Perfectionism

Perfectionism and substance use often go together. Perfectionists often have unrealistically high expectations for themselves and then are extremely hard on themselves when they don’t meet those expectations. Perfectionists are often harshly self-critical. Their unyielding attitude can lead to anxiety, depression, and addiction. Perfectionism can also make recovery much harder, since as with other things,… Continue Reading 4 Ways to Overcome Perfectionism