Our Latest Blogs

As a teenager, have you been irritable and moody lately? Are you in a bad mood or is it something else? While most teens bounce back from a bad mood, others will feel hopeless and miserable for weeks or longer. Teens who suffer from depression are at higher risk for self-injury and suicide. What causes […]

Feelings of depression and anxiety can come seemingly out of nowhere, and they can be debilitating when they do. Knowing how to fight them off is important. There are a number of ways to redirect your mind when these feelings come creeping in and help you to learn how to combat depression and anxiety. Keeping […]

Teens may sometimes seem moody or emotional, but there’s a good reason for this. Their bodies and brains are still developing. During development, teens experience significant hormonal changes. In addition, life – from a teen perspective – is truly stressful. Teens face numerous challenges, such as competitiveness, cyberbullying, shaming, violence and other issues. Sometimes the […]

There is a close relationship between migraines and the mental health issues of anxiety and depression. This relationship is expressed as comorbidity, and there is a definite increase in the development of anxiety and depression by migraineurs when compared to the general population. This article provides an overview of both mental health conditions and migraines, […]

When you reach a certain age, you expect that your health may not be what it once was. Your bones may become brittle, you are more susceptible to accidents and injury, and it can take longer to recover from everyday illnesses, such as the flu or a cold, that never kept you down before. However, […]

I dislike freeways. Unless it’s an Interstate freeway with no other vehicles around, with the windows rolled down, the music blasting, and me singing along in a very off-key voice at the top of my lungs, I’d be perfectly happy to never see another freeway again as long as I live. Believe it or not, […]

Today’s guest blog post is by a young writer from Pakistan, Saim Cheeda, who lives with anxiety and depression. Saim may be writing from halfway around the world, but his guest post shows that these disorders and other peoples’ reactions to them are universal across cultures. He brings a positive message to people everywhere living […]

A panic attack can be a terrifying experience, often causing the sufferer to believe he or she is  having a heart attack and about to die. The distressing nature of the attack can compound the person’s anxiety and make the attack even more intense and long lasting. Worrying about when the unpleasant symptoms of the […]

Doctors regularly prescribe marijuana. It is legal in many states, widely available at neighborhood dispensaries and has become part of mainstream culture. But does that mean it’s safe and beneficial? The answer depends on who you ask. Certainly, there is plenty of evidence about the reported harmful effects of cannabis, including lowering a user’s IQ […]

Business executives don’t necessarily fit the prototypical model of someone with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, but many of the triggers that impact someone who doesn’t work in the corporate sector are clearly present among business professionals. Stress, family pressures, and the overarching worry about falling short of expectations can all combine to push […]

Despite the fact there is evidence that gender dysphoria has existed since early human civilizations, many people have not heard of this concept until recently. Gender dysphoria is defined by the National Health Service (UK) as “a condition where a person experiences discomfort or distress because there’s a mismatch between their biological sex and gender […]

Many people have experienced traumatic events during childhood or later. Some may not even have considered them to be traumatic. These traumas might include being the victim of or exposure to violence; physical, sexual or emotional abuse; severe neglect; bullying; a serious accident or illness; domestic violence; death of a parent or other close relative; […]

When dealing with an anxiety disorder, one of the biggest obstacles you will face is trying to prevent your condition from disrupting your life. This is especially true in the workplace, where it is quite likely that symptoms of your anxiety disorder will crop up rather often. If this describes your work situation, you should […]

Alongside the extreme highs and lows that are part of having bipolar disorder, sleep issues also pop up. Unfortunately, these problems don’t make the disorder any easier to manage. In fact, they can complicate the illness and even trigger episodes in people who are, otherwise, following their doctor’s orders. Sleep and Mania One of the […]

If you or someone you love has a mental health impairment, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers disability benefits to people of all ages who are unable to work due to a serious illness. While it can be challenging to qualify with a mental health disorder, […]

Depression is a silent killer when ignored. Many people suffering from depression never seek medical attention during their entire lives. They choose to absorb the burden of depression into their different body systems. This can lead to physical symptoms and various diseases at a later stage. This is a more serious issue than you might […]

When I began doing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), I had already been going to traditional therapy for several years off and on with no result. I found the conversation wandered when there wasn’t something of substance to focus on, and eventually I felt like I was wasting my money. EMDR was different, though. […]

You try to approach someone in a social setting. Your hands shake, and you feel sweaty. Your brain feels like it won’t work. It’s the same kind of adrenalized fear you get when a strange noise wakes you up in the middle of the night and you think there might be a stranger in the […]

13 Reasons Why swept through culture like a flash when it first aired last year. Now that Season Two is on everyone’s “Netflix recommends” prompts—once again it is important to tackle heavy issues. Many who are affected by the show’s topic may be asking, “Where do I get real help?” For those of us who […]

Bulimia is not a fad, nor a phase. It is a serious mental health disorder, which affects both men and women of all ages. On the surface, it can appear to be associated solely with food or body image. But bulimia is beyond that. It is a double-edged sword. The disorder is characterized by a […]

It is very common to feel helpless and anxious after an accident. These symptoms can speak to the development of post-traumatic depression. Depression occurs when one feels powerless over upsetting surges of negative emotions. While this involves different emotions for different people, most of those entering rehabilitation services while suffering from post-accident depression report a […]

Being sober can be a scary prospect. Much of our social behaviors involve the use of substances in one form or another. Even if you’re not an addict, living a sober lifestyle can seem like a difficult feat. However, once you give up drinking or drugs, your life will change for the better in a […]

Anxiety disorders are some of the most prevalent psychological conditions to affect the worldwide population. There are numerous conditions classified within this category, and the symptoms experienced by individuals affected by one of these disorders can range from mild to more severe, life-altering complications. At least 19.1% of all adults in the United States are […]

Mental health is bigger than just a diagnosis and the labels associated with it. Recently, a number of prominent athletes and celebrities bravely admitted their struggles with mental health. NBA Star Kevin Love in his recent article about his mental illness states that, “Mental health isn’t just an athlete thing. What you do for a […]

Just about everyone has experienced a chapter in his or her life when things just looked bleak.  An occasional bout with the blues is a normal aspect of the human condition and our physiological and psychological response to hitting a patch of difficult challenges.  For most people, the depression symptoms will resolve in a timely […]

Charlie Brown’s comic creator, Charles Schulz, maintained that “happiness is a warm blanket.” Sadness, though, is a wet blanket. It envelops you—making it difficult to breathe, to see the sunlight, to function on an everyday basis. It need not be debilitating, though. There are ways to come out from under.  Here are seven realities for you to think […]

So often, we are consumed by the negative factors that revolve around bipolar disorder. We are overwhelmed with the depression, the mania, and the anxiety. We are absorbed with our struggles and ability to maintain balance. We forget there is a bright side to our mental disorder. The creativity gene is festering inside of all […]

Trichotillomania is a recurrent, chronic compulsion to pull hair. It usually starts in early adolescence and can last a lifetime. The behavior causes significant distress physically and emotionally often causing people to withdraw socially for fear of judgment. There is no cure for this disorder, but it can be successfully managed. Therapy by a qualified […]

We all experience crises in our day-to-day life. Sometimes these crises are big, like a death, and sometimes they are small, like traffic. DBT distress tolerance skills help you get to a more manageable emotional place for crisis survival. Skill 1: TIPP When to use it: When you’re at your emotional breaking point. How to […]

What is the significance of truancy? When students are repeatedly absent from school, the potential consequences are endless. Lower achievement, higher risk of dropout, legal troubles, and suffering relationships are a few on the individual level. On the national level, truancy means a less-educated and less-prepared workforce. Less education has implications for our communities when […]

There are many great songs from the musical West Side Story, but my favorite has always been the brilliantly satirical “Gee, Officer Krupke.”  In this number, the Jets’ leader Riff plays a troubled youth who is passed between experts eager to judge what is wrong with him.  In the hand-off between psychiatrist and social worker […]

When my psychiatrist first diagnosed me with depression, I put some real thought and preparation into how to tell my closest friends and family.  It’s not something one can easily bring up in casual conversation, (i.e.: “Hey, did you catch the ball game last night?  By the way, I’m depressed.”) It was not an easy […]

Most people look forward to the wonderful colors of fall and exciting holiday season after that. It is the time to enjoy being indoors with family and friends. However, for patients suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the shortening of days and lack of sunshine is not something to look forward to. For these patients, […]

Nearly 45 million American adults struggle with mental illness each day. To complicate matters, individuals who have mental health disorders are much more likely to struggle with substance abuse than the general population. Approximately 20 million American adults have a diagnosed substance use disorder, and over eight million Americans struggle with both a diagnosed substance […]

All people have some form of obsession in their lives, it is what drives the human condition. For most people, they can simply rate these things on the standard scale of wants to needs. And with those wants and needs come compulsions to quell these wants and needs in their heads by doing something. Every […]

Depression is a mood disorder that can wreak havoc on your life. It comes with feelings of sadness, hopelessness, numbness, and isolation. It is this numbness, the inability to feel anything at all, that drives many people to substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol provide a shock to the brain so that suddenly, after months of […]

In addition to his duties as Editor in Chief of www.rtor.org, Jay Boll has been an avid birder ever since he lived in the southern African nation of Zimbabwe, with its beautiful birds and wildlife. In a recent guest blog for Esperanza – Hope to Cope with Anxiety and Depression, Jay wrote about his pastime […]

rtor.org Celebrates ‘May is Mental Health Awareness Month’ Last year for Mental Health Awareness Month our Associate Editor Veronique and I posted an article on a different mental health topic each day in the month of May.  This year we add some new voices and perspectives to the conversation, with 5 guest bloggers joining us on […]