Stigma is often something that we perceive as being out there in society, but, actually, it too is rampant, and a reality, in the lives of many families. When a family member is diagnosed with a mental illness, the fear often sets in and they panic wondering, “How am I going to tell my family?” One may assume that a family is assured to be empathetic, understanding and accepting, but this is not always the case.

In the world of persuasive writing, convincing people that sex makes someone feel good is a pretty simple task. We are wired for it. When we can’t orgasm with someone else, we can do it ourselves. Men, on average, think about sex 19 times per day and women, on average, ten. So even under normal, non-anxious, circumstances, we know healthy sex generally makes us feel better. But what about sex as an anxiety treatment (Anxiety Disorder Treatments Are Effective)? When I am anxious, overwhelmed, or even paranoid, having sex — or more specifically, reaching orgasm — makes me feel good. After I have an orgasm, the anxiety is almost always gone. Whether it is because the act itself distracts me, or the various chemical brain reactions of orgasm squash the anxiety, or some combination of both, what is undeniable is that it works.

Romantic relationships are difficult enough without mental illness entering the equation. But when one or both of the people involved has borderline personality disorder (BPD), relationships can become sheer hell. I live with BPD and was once in a romantic relationship with a man who had BPD and bipolar disorder; it was probably the biggest mistake I ever made. That said, I learned a lot from it.

I've gone through a lot of body changes in the past year as I have worked on recovering from anorexia nervosa. And I’ve definitely done my best to deal with those changes and even accept them, but I’m not looking at myself in the mirror thinking, “Wow! I look great! I’m so glad I’m not sick any more!” At the same time, I’m not constantly analyzing the way my butt looks in this pair of jeans or that skirt or trying on six different outfits a day like I used to. I don’t think I need to lose weight. I know I might look “better” (whatever that means) if I worked out a bit more, but it’s really not that big a deal to me. So why do I still want to skip meals at times?

To Talk or Not To Talk About Self-Injury When it comes to talking about uneasy topics, everyone holds a different opinion. Many people stray away from conversations surrounding religion or politics because it makes them anxious. Maybe you feel uncomfortable when others openly discuss sex or drugs because you’ve never been that way. For some people, discussing difficult topics can be more comfortably done in a personal setting while others would rather talk about it in a large group. When I speak to health classes about my novel, Noon, I find myself more at ease talking about my past relationship with cutting to a larger group.

About two years ago, when I was still living in Boston, I found that love for running people are always talking about. That thing that gets them out of bed and running every day - a runner's "high." I found it and I loved it. Then, I started physical therapy school and lost any time for running to the hours and hours of classroom and out-of-classroom work. About a month ago, my wife and I began the Couch to 5k and it's amazing.

A toxic relationship can be defined in many ways. In essence, it is a form of emotional abuse played out by someone with whom you are in a relationship. As result of being subjected to this behavior, it may trigger fear, uneasiness, unhappiness, depression, or even posttraumatic stress disorder. Being in a toxic relationship is unhealthy, a leech on your spirit and in every way an obstacle to living a blissful life.

A major aspect of the treatment process for mental health disorders at any inpatient psychiatric facility is going to be medication. For some individuals, the use of medication can be a cause for concern, especially if they are unsure as to how they are going to react to certain psychotropic meds. Many individuals may be hesitant to take any type of medication because they fear the potential side effects. Their heads are filled with thoughts of a future where they imagine themselves in a zombie-like state because the doctors have them so hopped up on meds.

A bad day can easily turn into a bad life, where everything sucks. Don't let your mood control your mind, learn skills for happiness.

It's very common to experience apathy and disinterest in the things you once loved when you're suffering from depression. Your depression symptoms, however, don't need to dictate how you spend your time. If you do things you enjoy (or used to enjoy) you can actually reverse some of the damage your hopeless feelings do to your everyday sense of self and well-being.