Kindling Theory: Can You Turn Off a Potentially Fatal Mental Illness? Mental HealthBy PromisesApril 17, 2013First, a Story Kassia is 16. She’s a smart girl, makes mostly As and Bs with an occasional C thrown in when she isn’t showing her best effort. She’s enrolled in AP English. She belongs to a group of girls who visit the mall regularly, attend football and basketball games, and take turns sleeping at…
Tips for Overcoming Hopelessness in Depression DepressionBy PromisesMarch 28, 2013“Things will never get better.” “I’m worthless.” “I’ll never be happy.” If these statements sound familiar, you may be struggling with depression. One of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, depression afflicts nearly 7 million Americans annually. Almost one-third of these cases are classified as severe, and they are the ones in which feelings of hopelessness…
Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified BipolarBy PromisesMarch 6, 2013Bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (BP-NOS) is the diagnostic category that mental health professionals use when describing bipolar symptoms that don’t fit the criteria for an official form of bipolar illness. As such, the category acts as a generalized depository for bipolar-related characteristics. Despite its catchall nature, a BP-NOS diagnosis is medically serious. In many…
Dealing with the Stigma of Mental Illness – Do’s and Don’ts Mental HealthBy PromisesDecember 31, 2012Living with a psychiatric disorder is challenging enough; interacting with people who are fearful or hold negative views of mental illness can make life even more difficult. If you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health condition, you may find that it impacts the way others interact with you due to the stigma often associated with…