Do you know how to recover from perfectionism or perfectionistic standards? Perfectionistic standards are one of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD), according to schema therapy, which I found tremendously helpful in recovering from BPD. Basically, perfectionistic standards are standards set so high that no human can meet them. When we fail to meet these standards, we begin to think we're failures and bad people, and that triggers our symptoms such as self-injury. But the good news is we can recover. Here are some suggestions on how to recover from perfectionism or unreasonably high standards.

Anxiety caused by mental health stigma requires unique coping skills but overcoming it is possible. Mental health stigma can cause us to question ourselves.  One of the ways this mental health stigma causes anxiety when we question ourselves is when we become aware of many little issues that really mean nothing. Over time, this overthinking can lead to anxiety. In other cases, people may be prone to anxiety, to begin with, perhaps because of simple genetics or a past history of many things from bullying to abuse.  Then, when mental health symptoms occur, anxiety manifests itself.  Anxiety caused by mental health stigma can cause people to stutter, or have hand tremors, pace, or even just feel uncomfortable. In extreme cases, panic attacks can come about when we are under this kind of stress. Anxiety comes in many forms, and it is important to understand how it affects you so you can cope with it and arm yourself against the anxiety mental health stigma can cause. To do this, a good first step is to learn how anxiety treatment can help. It also won't hurt to take a short anxiety test. If your quiz results show anxiety (due to mental health stigma or any anxiety cause), your mental health team, which includes any counselors, psychologists, nurses or psychiatrists you see, should be able to help you address it.

We’re celebrating the inaugural video of our first HealthyPlace YouTube vlogger, Hannah Blum, with a fun giveaway. Hannah has bipolar 2 disorder and she’ll be sharing not only her story but, in the weeks to come, she’ll be talking about many different aspects of living with a mental illness. Her first official video post is this coming Monday morning. You’ll definitely want to check that out.

You can learn to overcome negative thinking patterns and finally feel confident (How Negative Thinking Kills Your Confidence). The more your mind focuses on the negatives in your life, the harder it is to feel happy, and it interferes with developing confidence. Our society obsesses over drama and negative news which makes it hard to think in a positive way. However, you can practice these tools to help you integrate more positive thinking patterns into your life.

As someone who has posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), I am often on the lookout for alternative therapies for my PTSD recovery. I recently started reading up on the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies that are suggested for PTSD (Alternative Approaches to Mental Health Treatment). Even though I will not abandon the conventional PTSD therapies that are currently working for me (psychiatric care and medication), I think that using alternative therapies as additions to my treatment can be beneficial in my PTSD recovery.

I have always said bipolar medications cannot make you less intelligent. Now, I’m not saying they can’t impact how you think or your speed of thought and so on, what I’ve always said is that bipolar medications can’t actually harm your intelligence quotient (IQ). All that being said, a new medication I’m on, sure makes me feel stupid. The question is, what to do when bipolar medications make you seem less intelligent?

So many people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder smoke cigarettes, it seems hard to imagine that they could not only quit smoking but stay smoke-free. But I did it – after several tries – even though I felt hopelessly addicted to cigarettes. So I firmly believe that if I did it, anyone can do it. Here’s how I, one of the many people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who smoked, quit and stay smoke-free.

School can be overwhelming and life with bipolar disorder can present additional challenges. Whether you are dealing with mental illness in high school or college, surviving school and keeping yourself healthy while doing it is possible. Adding some healthy habits to your academic routine can make all the difference. Here are some tips for setting yourself up for success.

The notion that it's possible to spot a person with anxiety is mortifying to the tens of millions of people living with anxiety disorders. With its physical side effects that can affect every system of the body and its strong emotional symptoms, many people experiencing anxiety have an added worry that their discomfort is evident to the world. Surprisingly, this guide for spotting a person with anxiety just might make anxiety sufferers feel a little bit better. 

I’m Ashley Horsfall and I am excited to be writing Getting Through Tough Times. I have been dealing with depression and anxiety since before I was even a teenager, and I’m now in my mid-20s. My conditions were not diagnosed until just three years ago, and today I still struggle. My journey with mental illness has not been easy, and it certainly hasn’t been consistent; however, I am passionate about helping people like me learn how to cope with depression and anxiety of their own.