Monthly Archives: December 2021

I used to think about suicide every day, so I know how scary that can be.  Over the course of several months, I went from feeling more stressed than usual to becoming more depressed than I knew was possible. I felt like no one understood how painful every hour, every minute, and every moment was.  Suicide slowlyContinue reading “Moving Past Suicidal Thoughts”

Right now we are experiencing a new norm. Something we have never experienced before which has left us in a place of confusion, uncertainty, and in a state of anxiety. We do not know what our world has in store for us and that is alarming.  Fortunately, we do know that if you are notContinue reading “Finding Hope”

I know it’s predictable at this time of year, but I think it’s worth talking about some coping strategies for surviving Christmas with depression. Here are some ideas for how you can help minimise stress and prevent depression relapse over Christmas. Don’t Worry about Making Christmas Perfect When you look at television ads at this time of year, youContinue reading “Surviving This Christmas Season With Depression”

It’s so easy to tell someone “Love yourself” and much more difficult to describe how to do it. Learn and practice these six steps to gradually start loving yourself more every day: Step 1: Be willing to feel pain and take responsibility for your feelings. Step 1 is mindfully following your breath to become present in yourContinue reading “Love Yourself”

Sadness isn’t the same as depression. Constantly feeling sad for more than 2 weeks can be a symptom of depression. But not everyone with depression experiences sadness, and it’s just one potential symptom.  Sadness, as an emotion, will generally pass on its own after a few minutes, hours, or days. Depression, on the other hand, isContinue reading “Is Being Sad the Same Thing as Being Depressed?”

We all experience sadness from time to time. Some people may describe it as feeling “down” or feeling “blue.” People can feel sad for many reasons, but sadness happens most often after a loss like a breakup or losing your job.  Sometimes people who feel sad may wonder if they have depression. Sadness can feelContinue reading “Why Am I So Sad All the Time?”

The holidays can be stressful for almost every age group, and each age group experiences holiday stressors differently. Children feel anxious about stressed-out parents. Older students worry about exams. Young professionals juggle overbooked work, social, and family calendars. Parents may fret about finances, gift lists, in-laws, logistical arrangements, and more. Although they often have fewerContinue reading “Mental Health & the Holidays for Seniors”

The holidays are often thought of as joyful times of the year, filled with sights and sounds of seasonal cheer. Yet for people struggling with the death of a family member or other loved one, the holidays can be a difficult time. The season may be full of reminders of the loss in our lives.Continue reading “Grief During the Holidays”

You can’t fix your friend’s problems, but there are other things you can do You’ve noticed some changes in your friend that concern you. You’re not sure if it’s depression or just a bad few days, but you want to help. So where do you start? Clinical psychologist Adam Borland, PsyD, gives some strategies that canContinue reading “6 Do’s and Don’ts for Supporting Someone Who Has Depression”

Anger is a normal emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. However, if a person feels unable to control their anger, it can cause problems in relationships and at work. It might also affect their quality of life. Anger is an integral part of the body’s “fight, flight, or freeze” system, which helps protectContinue reading “Why Am I So Angry?”