Category: Mental Health Matters

BY REGINA BATTLE, LMFTContributing Writer While most people are looking during the holidays to connect with family and friends, others are bracing themselves for the waves of sadness that grieving a loved one during the holidays...

On Dec. 1, Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services will launch a new pathway to deliver mental health and substance use disorder services to the most severely impaired Californians who too often suffer from...

The holiday season is often portrayed as a time for joy, celebration and togetherness. However, for many, it can also be a time of increased stress, loneliness and emotional strain. To enjoy this season, it is important to keep...

During this time of year, many people look forward to watching scary movies or going to Halloween attractions to be scared by others. What some may not realize is that fear serves the purpose of keeping us safe. Fear is an...

People often use these labels interchangeably, but the reality is that these are two distinct conditions. Neither psychopathy nor sociopathy is a true mental health diagnosis. In the world of psychiatry, both fall under the...

In keeping with the theme of suicide, in honor of September being Suicide Prevention Month, it is important to learn to become comfortable with addressing the subject, especially if it is impacting someone you know or love....

September is Suicide Prevention Month — a time to raise awareness of this stigmatized, and often taboo topic. According to NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness), “We use this month to shift public perception, spread hope...

Are you familiar with the term imposter syndrome? Imposter syndrome is the psychological experience of feeling like a “fake” or a “phony” despite any genuine success that you have achieved. It can show up in the context of work,...

When someone hurts us, it can be difficult to move past the pain and forgive them. But what is forgiveness? Forgiveness means different things to different people. But in general, it involves an intentional decision to let go of...

Survivors’ guilt is a particular kind of guilt that develops in people who have survived a life-threatening situation. Some survivors feel guilty that they survived when others died. Others believe they could have done more to...

Even with the various mental health treatment modalities available, there is a disproportionate difference between the number of males experiencing mental health disorders and those seeking treatment. The stereotype that men...

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) was once known as multiple personality disorder and is a rare and extremely controversial diagnosis. DID is characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring...