Why Are We Still Making A Mockery Of Mental Illness? By Rachel Brehm With the emergence of fall comes the promise of Halloween and all things pumpkin spice, festive, and spooky. It’s no surprise that the people behind the scenes of Knott’s Berry Farm carefully curated a new attraction to cater to this season; an … Continue reading Why Are We Still Making A Mockery Of Mental Illness? →

  Call it bipolar disorder. Call it manic depression. It's the same thing, and it's a serious mental illness that can lead to substance abuse, violence, and suicide if not treated. Bipolar disorder is caused by imbalances in brain chemicals and affects more than 2 million Americans. Though each case is different, the disorder usually … Continue reading Carrie Fisher: There is No Other Option Than to Meet those Challenges →

DECONSTRUCTING STIGMA The Campaign Deconstructing Stigma: A Change in Thought Can Change a Life is a series of larger-than-life photographs and interviews with people from across the United States who have been affected by mental illness. Its initial physical installation opened in December 2016 at Boston’s Logan International Airport. The installation, this website, and the … Continue reading DECONSTRUCTING STIGMA →

Do You Ever Feel Like Everything Is Going Up In Flames? Fire fighters, police officers, military, EMS providers, and all first responders are under immense pressure and stress, day in and day out. This can lead to incredible challenges both at work and at home. My mission is to put a spotlight on these problems … Continue reading Rescue the Rescuer: Mental Wellness Podcast for First Responders →

Definition Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, and an individual's sense of identity. People with BPD, originally thought to be at the "border" of psychosis and neurosis, suffer from difficulties with … Continue reading Life with Borderline Personality Disorder →

"The total number of Americans with schizophrenia could replace every resident in Boston, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and then some. Contrary to their portrayal in some media, individuals with schizophrenia are able to live relatively normal lives. For many people, this fact can be surprising. Aren’t people with schizophrenia, they might ask, supposed to be locked … Continue reading Individuals with Schizophrenia are able to Live Relatively Normal Lives →

Every Secondary & Post-Secondary School Should Have One of These "The slender display, trimmed in teal paint, features a large, electronic touch-screen, which guides students through a series of questions about their feelings and habits. Students can use the results to better understand their symptoms and find resources for treatment Our goal is to destigmatize … Continue reading Every Secondary & Post-Secondary School Should Have One of These →

The way the media portrays mental illnesses like hoarding and OCD maintain harmful stereotypes “With TLC, you almost expect with the narration, the tone of the narration, the clips and how they frame it that there is this carnival barker feel like, ‘Look at these crazy people!’” Jennifer L. Pozner, author of “Reality Bites Back: … Continue reading Media Portrayals of Hoarding and OCD Maintain Harmful Stereotypes →

A good walk can do wonders for your mental well-being. But it's not just about the occasional one-off feel good factor. Being active has a whole range of benefits when it comes to mental wellbeing. It improves self-perception and self-esteem, mood and sleep quality, and it reduces stress, anxiety and fatigue. Physically active people have … Continue reading Walking Can Do Wonders for Your Mental Health →

Fascinating Read about How AI Could Help Us Develop a Deeper Understanding of Mental Illness: "If these ideas are on the right track, susceptibility to depression is one of the costs of the ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Today’s AIs are learning machines, but highly specialised ones with no autonomy. As we take … Continue reading How AI Could Help Us Develop a Deeper Understanding of Mental Illness →