Blog: Your resource for learning more about mental health

When we think of loneliness, there is a tendency to think of it as a relatively minor problem. We may think, offhandedly, “Oh, that poor man must be lonely after his wife passed away,” without stopping to think about the real, genuine ramifications of being alone. The fact is that loneliness can be a life-threatening condition, just as much as cancer or other physical illnesses. As one professor put it: “People who have more friends or deeper friendships live longer, health

We are grateful to Nicole Rousseau , President of the Illinois Chapter of the Tourette Association of America , for providing information that informed this article. Not that long ago, an incident took place at the British Academy Film Awards ( BAFTAs). John Davidson, a man who suffers from Tourette syndrome, yelled a racial slur while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award. The result of this was widely varied. The New York Times placed the blame on the

Illnesses and disorders don’t always show on the outside. While not a universal truth, this is a good rule of thumb for almost all mental health related issues. People – especially men – often hide when they are suffering from depression. The dedicated employee might be smiling all day in the office, but secretly the workload is too much and they’re struggling . And then you have domestic violence, a topic so often shrouded in silence that we all know someone affected by i

We have spoken before about the issue of stigma in mental health. Time was that this was the greatest obstacle to individuals getting the support they need. And while stigma can still be an issue – particularly in rural communities – it’s not as much of a problem as it once was. The American Psychological Association still claims that stigma is too high (and they are absolutely right). However, it also claims that 83% of US adults say that “they are generally comfortable t

It came out of the blue. Sure, they had been going through a rough period. But there was no indication that they would take such an extreme step as to end their own life. Or was there? Suicide is an immensely challenging subject to comprehend. The severity and finality of the act often lead us to deny its possibility. Many of us struggle to accept that someone we love could consider this option. This denial contributes to the culture of silence surrounding the topic. Breaking

What will I have for dinner tonight? For many Americans, this question is less about choice than necessity. Food insecurity is...