How many times have you quietly chuckled to yourself while watching a movie or typed out “hahaha” into a text message in response to a friend? We hardly think about laughing before we do it, though it happens constantly through the day; and yet, it’s helpful to us socially, physiologically, and emotionally. What is it […]
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Positive Vibes Only? What is Toxic Positivity?
While it’s true a positive mindset can bring about positive change, the nature of life is that it simply isn’t possible to always apply “don’t worry, be happy.” Humans experience a full range of emotions. While we may wish to only experience happiness, excitement, and enlightenment, emotions such as sadness, anger, and fear all exist […]
How Do I Navigate the World as a Highly Sensitive Person?
There is a certain negative or critical tone that used to exist in referring to someone as sensitive. Perhaps it was and still can be an inherent belief that sensitivity is the opposite of being tough, resilient, or strong. The truth is, being a sensitive person takes tremendous strength to navigate the world and the […]
Substance Use and The Fight with Intimacy
Those with substance use disorders often struggle with personal relationships. One study concluded that for a number of reasons, those with substance use disorder avoid intimacy out of fear due to negative experiences of attachment to others. It is often said that the opposite of addiction is connection, and those struggling with substance use disorder […]
Trauma and Surviving Chaos: Is it Okay to Feel Okay During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike any situation most people have faced. A vast majority of people are overwhelmed by the experience and are having to quickly learn ways to cope with feelings of anxiety and panic. If you are a person that has experienced trauma, however, you may find that you do not share these […]
A Closer Look at Freeze, The Third Stress Response
While fight-or-flight was conceptualized as a way humans respond to certain stressful stimuli in the 1920s, the additional and perhaps less noted third response, freeze, was not widely considered until around 50 years later, and still had not been studied as widely as a response. Freezing as a response to a threat might seem effective, […]