Recovery

Losing someone we love can be a profoundly painful experience. The loss of a loved one can create countless feelings and emotions that most people are ill-prepared to manage. Intense sorrow There are many types of grief, from normal grief, ambiguous loss (non-death losses) to anticipatory grief; it is clear there is no 'one size...

Deciding to start having therapy can be a huge life choice. The journey to understand yourself better and begin the healing process from trauma or any other challenging experiences signifies that you are ready to confront your past and put your mental health first. Emotional energy However, it can take a while for some people...

Self-sabotage is a bizarre concept and one that gets written about often, particularly by those in the emotional wellness space.  For example, it's almost impossible nowadays to scroll through social media and not find a Psychology Today article on self-sabotaging. But what exactly is the strange phenomenon, and why do people self-sabotage? Self-sabotaging behavior There...

There are thousands of well-written articles on the internet about toxic people and how to recognize the traits of a toxic person. However, what tends to go under the radar is why some get subconsciously drawn to a toxic individual. Toxic relationship Toxic relationships often get based on one-way transactions between the toxic person and...

Adolescence is a critical time for brain development, and drug misuse and abuse can have a devastating impact on teenagers' lives if it is allowed to continue in this vulnerable growth phase. If you are worried about your teenager's use of drugs, it is essential to intervene sooner rather than later before permanent brain changes occur...

People binge drink for various reasons. It's payday; you've had a hectic month, and you deserve to let your hair down. You drink with mates who drink to get drunk, and you try to keep up with them. You’re sad, anxious or lonely, and drink to numb your feelings. Whatever the reason, binge drinking is...

Unfortunately, many people with depression often find that despite adhering to medications and therapy designed to treat depression, their depression symptoms do not improve.  In this case, an individual may get diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, which is more common than most people think. Treatment-resistant depression Attending counselling or psychotherapy and taking a course of antidepressants...

A mood disorder is a mental health condition that affects a person’s state of mind or feelings, also referred to as affective disorder. Symptoms can be mild to severe and are characterised by manic or depressive episodes or a combination of the two. There are several mood disorders, but the condition is broadly grouped into...

What does anxiety feel like? For some, it is a state of fear, unease or worry that makes your heart beat a little faster, your palms sweaty, or butterflies are flapping in your tummy. For others, it feels like you are disconnected from yourself, there's a dark cloud hanging over you, something is sitting heavily...

There's been much talk in recent years' about positive psychology within the mental health field, a subject that often gets viewed as refreshing within the psychology space!  But, what exactly is meant by the term ''positive psychology''? Positive psychology people Essentially, positive psychology refers to positive thinking, a term that frequently gets assigned to people...

Guilt often gets thought to be a helpful emotion, particularly in the dynamics of creating healthy, sustainable relationships with others since the feeling of guilt allows us to recognize any wrongdoing and seek ways to rectify it. But what does it mean when acceptable guilt levels turn to excessive guilt? What is guilt? Emotions such...

Asking for help is the first step in recovery, but often, it’s the hardest one to take. Giving something up that has had a stranglehold on your life means starting over. If that feels overwhelming, having a caring support team on your side is what you need as you take the first tentative steps on...