Mental Health and Addiction Articles, Blogs and Resources

What is Mental Health? How is it determined if one’s mental health is healthy? Learn all about it with our free Mental Health Resources.

Image of the brain and the mental health of a personMental health disorders, or mood disorders, are a disturbance in a person’s ability to cope effectively with daily events, major stressors, traumas, relationships, etc. A mood disorder affects a person’s physical being, emotional health, and social life.

There are multiple types of disorders, and they all can be debilitating. The actual causes of mood disorders are not specifically known, but it is understood that both physiological and behavioral factors play key roles in developing a mood disorder. The pain caused by a mood disorder can be addressed, and medications and behavioral treatment can help you manage the disorder.

Fighting a mood disorder can be dreadfully difficult. Often, a person dealing with a mood disorder is struggling with co-occurring issues as well.

Sadly, mental health disorders frequently co-exist with other mood disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and alcoholism. This is often due to the person suffering trying to self-medicate and trying to escape their pain by any means possible.

Working to help someone with co-occurring issues in addition to addressing a mood disorder is quite difficult. In order to treat one disorder, the other disorders must be addressed as well.

It is important that the primary issue be defined as well as the secondary issues. Then all of the issues have to addressed for true healing.

Unfortunately, one co-occurring issue feeds on the other co-occurring issues. This often builds into a vicious cycle that can eventually destroy your life.

Your mental health is critical in recovery. It is where a lot of focus is concentrated because if your mental and emotional health is not healthy, how can you be healthy?

You can take your life back and find complete recovery by seeking professional help from a mood disorder treatment center. They will be able to teach you how to manage the mood disorder and live life again.

Below are the latest articles on mental health resources and issues and process addictions, many of which often tie into substance abuse. In the “Mental Health Navigation” menu, click on the drop-down arrow to find evergreen, general information, as well as process addictions such as food addiction and sexual addiction.

Featured Addiction Expert Article

Dual Diagnosis: Barriers and Gateways to Effective Addiction Care

Nearly one out of two American adults who struggle with addiction also struggle with a secondary co-occurring disorder. McLean Hospital’s Dr. Kathryn McHugh examines the challenges of treating those with a dual diagnosis and, more importantly, the benefits to a customized integrated approach addressing each of these conditions simultaneously.

Tobacco Addiction and its Role in Depression

Smoking man It is commonly suggested that smoking has antidepressant effects and is known to relieve stress. Yet, smokers are 70 percent more susceptible to anxiety and depression than compared to non-smokers. A survey conducted by the British Heart Foundation found that a third of U.K. smokers claimed they couldn’t quit smoking as they were convinced of [...]
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Nature Hikes For Mental Health: What Are The Benefits?

Mountain Range Nature Hikes For Mental Health - Addiction Hope It's well understood that the culture of our lives has changed at breakneck speed. One of the drawbacks of such a pace might be the sharp increase in mental health and anxiety disorders. Though technology isn’t all to blame, it has changed the way we live our lives to such a degree that time outdoors [...]
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Meditation For Anxiety: How This Practice Can Be The Solution

Meditation For Anxiety On Beach - Addiction Hope Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the United States. They affect more than 40 million adults across the nation. Children and teens suffer from these disorders, too, although it’s hard to determine the exact number. Whether due to fast-paced lifestyles or higher levels of stress, anxiety disorders have sharply increased [...]
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What’s The Link Between Alcohol And Depression?

Link Between Alcohol And Depression - Addiction Hope People around the world use alcohol to escape the trials of life. Drinking can boost one’s mood and confidence. Because it slows the nervous system, alcohol has been used for centuries as a way to unwind and reduce stress levels. These positive effects, however, are only temporary. Just a few hours after consuming alcohol, the [...]
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Dual Diagnosis Explained: Two Conditions To Battle

What Is Dual Diagnosis Explained - Addiction Hope Until as recently as the 1990s, people thought of addiction as a condition separate from mental illness. While this was not necessarily wrong, it meant many addicts did not get the help they needed for preexisting mental conditions. These individuals did not receive complete treatment, and their recovery processes were more difficult. Yet, at the [...]
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