Mental Health and Addiction Articles, Blogs and Resources

What is Mental Health? How is it determined if one’s mental health is healthy? Learn all about it with our free Mental Health Resources.

Image of the brain and the mental health of a personMental health disorders, or mood disorders, are a disturbance in a person’s ability to cope effectively with daily events, major stressors, traumas, relationships, etc. A mood disorder affects a person’s physical being, emotional health, and social life.

There are multiple types of disorders, and they all can be debilitating. The actual causes of mood disorders are not specifically known, but it is understood that both physiological and behavioral factors play key roles in developing a mood disorder. The pain caused by a mood disorder can be addressed, and medications and behavioral treatment can help you manage the disorder.

Fighting a mood disorder can be dreadfully difficult. Often, a person dealing with a mood disorder is struggling with co-occurring issues as well.

Sadly, mental health disorders frequently co-exist with other mood disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and alcoholism. This is often due to the person suffering trying to self-medicate and trying to escape their pain by any means possible.

Working to help someone with co-occurring issues in addition to addressing a mood disorder is quite difficult. In order to treat one disorder, the other disorders must be addressed as well.

It is important that the primary issue be defined as well as the secondary issues. Then all of the issues have to addressed for true healing.

Unfortunately, one co-occurring issue feeds on the other co-occurring issues. This often builds into a vicious cycle that can eventually destroy your life.

Your mental health is critical in recovery. It is where a lot of focus is concentrated because if your mental and emotional health is not healthy, how can you be healthy?

You can take your life back and find complete recovery by seeking professional help from a mood disorder treatment center. They will be able to teach you how to manage the mood disorder and live life again.

Below are the latest articles on mental health resources and issues and process addictions, many of which often tie into substance abuse. In the “Mental Health Navigation” menu, click on the drop-down arrow to find evergreen, general information, as well as process addictions such as food addiction and sexual addiction.

Featured Addiction Expert Article

Dual Diagnosis: Barriers and Gateways to Effective Addiction Care

Nearly one out of two American adults who struggle with addiction also struggle with a secondary co-occurring disorder. McLean Hospital’s Dr. Kathryn McHugh examines the challenges of treating those with a dual diagnosis and, more importantly, the benefits to a customized integrated approach addressing each of these conditions simultaneously.

Depression & Self-Medication: A Dangerous Attempt at Self Care

picture of guy in midst of Depression & Self-Medication with head in hands and the picture is shattered Depression is a mood disorder that is technically referred to as Major Depressive Disorder. It is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States. Sadly, depression and self-medication are far too often intertwined. The sadness and pain are frequently too much to handle and sufferers resort to self-medicating with recreational drugs and alcohol [...]
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Acute Stress Management in Our Sad Era of Terrorism

Woman in hat struggling with Mixing Cold Medications with Prescription Drugs Everyone experiences pain, whether it be physical or mental. When pain becomes too intense to handle, as humans, we attempt to find a solution to cope. Some examples of coping with physical or mental pain can be consuming large amounts of alcohol or other drugs, engaging in bingeing and/or purging, or inflicting harm to oneself. [...]
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Opioid Addiction: Managing Depression During Long-Term Recovery

Man struggling with Opioid Addiction Depression and opioid abuse are common among all age groups. Through recent research, new findings have emerged about the connection between depression and opioid addictions. Learning to manage your long-term recovery from both addiction and depression is a difficult process that can be managed with a mix of therapies, treatment, and aftercare support. Opioids Role [...]
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Panic Attacks and Addiction to Valium

Man looking at the water Around six million adult Americans experience panic disorder annually. Panic disorders are usually found to develop in early adulthood, exposing women to twice a greater likelihood as men of having panic disorder. [1] What makes matters even worse is the excessive use of depressants to cure panic attacks. One such popular benzodiazepine is Valium, a [...]
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Serial Marital Affairs – What is My End Game?

Marriage There is a strangely high incidence of suicide within the comedian population. Just in recent years, there were the high profile suicides of Andrew Koenig and Robin Williams. These happy, sarcastic, satyr and gifted artists often struggle with depression and self-reproach. What is happening? A strong theory held by many is that these characters have [...]
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