Mood swings are some of the least-understood aspects of menopause—and the most misrepresented. While pop culture representations of menopause tend to center specifically on mood, they typically treat menopausal women as a caricature of irrationality and hysteria rather than capturing the variability and complexity of menopause-related mood disturbances. Not only does this trivialize the very…
Most people know that testosterone is a critical part of physical wellbeing. However, a growing body of research suggests that this multifaceted hormone can also play a role in mental health in men. For example, a 2016 study on older men found that “low serum testosterone was associated with an 86% increased hazard of depression.”…
Although anxiety hits everyone now and then, most people are able to deal with its effects and effectively move through those moments when anxiety strikes. But not everyone is that lucky. In fact, an estimated 40 million adults experience anxiety disorder and/or panic attacks in the United States. It is the most common mental health…
Most of us occasionally experience some sort of anxiety. It’s a normal emotion and, typically, we can reason with our anxiety and not allow it to affect our health or take control of our interactions with the people around us. In this case, anxiety is just a signal that we need to deal with a…
Jenny had always struggled with difficult periods. She was used to bloating, breast tenderness, cramps, and the constant feeling of irritability that seemed to make her physical pain even worse. But later, as a passionate and dedicated college athlete, Jenny experienced a shocking change. Two weeks out of every month, she lost all desire to…
Anxiety is considered a normal reaction to the causes of stress, such as the demands of work or home life, juggling expenses, driving in traffic, or being confronted by an unexpected change to your day-to-day routine. Anxiety is characterized by an apprehensive mood accompanied by increased arousal and vigilance. This heightened state is stimulated by cortisol, the stress hormone.
Depressive disorder is frequently referred to simply as depression—but let’s not just assume it’s only about feeling down or going through a passing phase. Depression is a serious mental health condition that requires patience from loved ones and professional medical and mental health care.
Following depression and alcoholism, social anxiety disorder is the third most common mental disorder in the United States. It is an exhausting condition that affects the lives of millions of people and their loved ones.
