Recent Review Measures Rates of Depression and Anxiety in Youth During COVID-19
A review published August 9th in JAMA Pediatrics aimed to measure how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted mental health in children and adolescents[1]. It evaluated the results of 29 studies including a total of 80,879 youth from around the world. This review found that 25.2% of youth worldwide (1 in 4) have experienced elevated depression […]
What Are ACEs?
ACE stands for adverse childhood experience. Taking the ACEs quiz can help people determine how likely they are to be impacted by childhood trauma. The term originated in 1995, based on a study done by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente. The study found that emotional and physical abuse, neglect, family dysfunction and other forms of […]
The Definition of Neurodiversity

The concept of neurodiversity emphasizes brain differences over brain deficiencies. Because brains do not always work the same way does not mean they are “broken” or “wrong.” For example, people with ADHD may struggle to manage time and stay focused, but they often have high levels of creativity and great passion for new ideas. When […]
How an Anxiety Disorder Can Impact Addiction
Most people understand what anxiety is. Everyone experiences situational anxiety, for example, when anticipating something unpleasant like a major test or surgery. But an anxiety disorder is a mental health diagnosis that affects approximately 40 million adults in the US. An anxiety disorder treatment program, where medication and therapy can help manage someone’s symptoms, is […]
How To Support a Loved One With Anxiety
If someone in your life is experiencing anxiety, there are ways you can show support. While some of their fears might seem irrational to you, it’s important to validate their experience. According to Joseph McGuire, PhD, a pediatric psychologist with Johns Hopkins Medicine, “With other medical illnesses, you may be able to see physical symptoms. […]
Maria Bamford
For years, comedian Maria Bamford has been making comedy about her mental health struggles. She has a (very funny) song about her compulsions, which are part of OCD. She has a whole YouTube series about living in her parents’ attic after a nervous breakdown.[1] She’s made comedy about her multiple stays in mental health treatment, […]
Recent Study Measures Effectiveness of Two Types of Treatment for Social Anxiety
A study published last month[1] compared the effects of—and brain changes caused by—cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for adults with social anxiety. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 7.1% of US adults have social anxiety disorder.[2] A person with social anxiety has a phobia of social or performance […]
National Wellness Month
August is National Wellness Month! This is relevant to recovery, because recovery is more than just being sober. It’s about healing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Wellness, too, is about all these dimensions of well-being. We tend to see physical and mental health as separate things, but they are very much connected. If you are in […]
Healing Your Relationship to Yourself in Recovery

In recovery, you can repair relationships that may have been damaged during active addiction. As I’ve found in my own recovery, one of the most important is with yourself. Repairing Damage from Active Addiction Low self-esteem and shame are often factors (of many others) that lead people to drink or use drugs—but addiction exacerbates them. […]
Intermittent Reinforcement and Addiction
Intermittent reinforcement is when a person gets inconsistent rewards for engaging in a certain behavior. This is often discussed in the context of abusive or toxic relationships where there is a lot of back and forth. People can feel “addicted” to a person who is unpredictable or abusive; they get a rush of dopamine when […]