Grief Archive

The American Psychiatric Association has recently added prolonged grief disorder to its official list of classified mental disorders. Someone may develop this disorder when someone close has died within the past 12 months. The person may experience intense longing for the deceased or preoccupation with thoughts about him or her. These feelings occur most of the day and nearly every day for at least a month. Recognizing the signs and seeking out help with talk therapy are the best approaches to help prevent it from evolving to depression.

For hundreds of years there have been documented instances of groups of people developing similar, medically inexplicable, and sometimes bizarre symptoms, such as paralysis, involuntary tics, or uncontrollable laughter. Known as sociogenic illness, a recent example appears to be fueled by social media postings—meaning physical proximity is no longer a factor.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we question our own abilities, minimize our successes, and overemphasize what we perceive to be our failures. When this happens, it's helpful to try to view the situation more clearly and from a more balanced point of view. This takes practice, but the process starts with awareness.

The holiday season often makes people feel stressed out over choosing gifts. Everyone wants to give a gift that the recipient will be excited about, but expectations and the fear of making the wrong choice undermine the thinking process. Can people get better at making decisions? Yes, but it requires accepting that there is no ideal choice, and approaching the process with the proper focus.

The term neurodiversity conveys the idea that there is no single right way of thinking, learning, or behaving, and is often used in the context of autism spectrum disorder. A growing self-advocacy movement aims to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences.

Insomnia affects approximately 10% of adults in the United States, and it is common with mental illness. Insomnia is unlikely to get better on its own if not actively treated. Many people are interested in treatment options that do not involve prescription medications, and a study from Sweden investigated the effectiveness of a weighted blanket on insomnia symptoms for people with insomnia and mental health problems.