Mental Health

“Unawareness of a mental illness is a symptom brought on by the disease. It is not a choice that an ill person makes.” This is according to Dr. Xavier Amador, an internationally renowned clinical psychologist and leader in his field, in the new edition of his book “I’m not sick. I don’t need help”. If...

Common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and PTSD are linked to sleep deprivation. Insomnia or poor quality sleep also increases the risk of drug and alcohol use which can lead to dependency and ultimately addiction. We look at the connection between sleep and substance abuse disorders and provide insight into how important it is...

Drug and alcohol addiction does not discriminate based on social status, race, gender or education. Addiction can happen to everyone; even successful lawyers, chefs, doctors, pilots and professional athletes. It has everything to do with genetics and environment factors and little to do with whether you are somehow “better or worse off” than others. Substance...

Addiction does not discriminate; it doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, male or female, young or old, black or white. It takes you on a long and harrowing road from experimenting to dependency and then addiction. But there is hope because there are exit ramps along the way; where you can get off,...

You might not know it but your brain is like a muscle. It’s not a true muscle because it doesn’t relax or contract; rather, it’s a complex cellular structure that functions in a very similar way to your body’s muscles. And just like the muscles of our arms, legs and abs; it has the potential...

High-functioning anxiety is a mysterious condition, mainly because those who experience it usually hide it well from the world. On the outside, people with high-functioning anxiety come across as super successful, organised and are often over-achievers. However, on the inside, they are driven by fear and live in turmoil; experiencing debilitating worry, stress and tension...

It’s perfectly natural to feel sad at certain times in your life. Sadness can be brought on by the loss of a loved one, a breakup, moving away from friends and family, struggling financially or working in a job you don’t enjoy. Sadness comes in waves and usually passes with time. However, if it does...

There is a whole range of terms used to describe anxiety disorder. The news and the internet are awash with words related to health anxiety and illness anxiety disorder; some of the content is helpful, others not so much. Other illness anxiety-related terms Depending on who it is you are speaking to -the terms used...

In the 40-something years since its introduction, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been studied extensively and proven to be highly effective in treating a wide range of disorders; ranging from alcohol and drug addiction disorder to psychiatric disorders, psychological problems and medical issues with a psychiatric component. When patients change their underlying beliefs about themselves,...

The simple definition of depression is a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest which stops you from doing your normal activities. However, depression is no simple issue. There are different types of depression ranging from mild to chronic and debilitating. If you are concerned about someone in your life who is battling with...

We have all had to adjust to situations, and things we never imagined were possible this year with Coronavirus the culprit for many of these unforeseen changes.

Think of well-known musicians such as Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison, who died way too young from addiction-related causes. Then there are writers, like Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Edgar Allan Poe, and Earnest Hemingway. The “Master of Horror,” Stephen King, lived through alcoholism but is sober today: King is the author of 65 novels and approximately 200 short stories (and writing!)