A little while back I was reading a blog post that talked about Dr. Elaine Aron’s book The Highly Sensitive Person (affiliate link). I thought huh, sounds like I’m probably one of those. So I picked up the book from the library and had a read. It got me thinking about trait, illness, and all […]
Emotionally Sensitive, But Not-So-Highly Sensitive Person Read More »
We work so hard on our mental health, but sometimes we can get knocked down by an unexpected source—prescription medication. Sure, we all know that some street drugs can adversely affect mental health, but there are also a number of prescription medications for conditions totally unrelated to mental health that can trigger psychiatric side effects,
Medications That Can Cause Psychiatric Side Effects Read More »
We’re regularly bombarded with news of the latest scientific research findings, and sometimes it seems like you can find a study to tell you just about anything. My concern with news reporting of research findings is that many people (including members of the media) have relatively limited research literacy. Research literacy refers to the ability
Research Literacy: Understanding Results of Clinical Trials Read More »
I have always been a big fan of the documentary program The Passionate Eye on CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster. Until now. On January 6, 2018, they aired “A Prescription for Murder?“, which was originally shown on the BBC. The program focused on James Holmes, the young man who shot and killed 12 people and injured 70
A Prescription For Murder? Read More »
Despite what the title might suggest, this post isn’t about me being self-critical. I’ve been struggling for months with cognitive symptoms of depression, and on a daily basis I notice that it impairs my overall functioning. But it’s not something I’ve ever had much of an objective sense of, until I tried the THINC-it test.
The THINC-it Test for Cognitive Symptoms of Depression Read More »
The Psych Meds 101 series on my perspective as a mental health nurse, former pharmacist, and person with depression. This final post in the series focuses on sleep meds. While some of these meds are primarily for sleep, many have other uses as well. The choice of medication for any given person will be based
Psych Meds 101: Medications for Sleep Read More »
I never would have thought that I would feel like a stranger in my own family. Depression changed everything, though. The present story I spent Christmas with my family this year. It was a small gathering – just my parents, my brother, his fiancee, and me. Except it didn’t feel small; it seemed like there
Feeling Like a Stranger in My Own Family Read More »
Sometimes it’s nice to have a visual reminder of our own strength and resilience
Rising from the Ashes of Depression Read More »
Birth of a New Brain chronicles author Dyane Harwood’s journey with postpartum onset bipolar disorder. The story’s rich, vivid descriptions draw the reader along on the intense roller coaster ride of the author’s illness experience. Many elements of her story will be hauntingly familiar to those whose lives have been touched in some way by bipolar
Book Review: Birth of a New Brain Read More »
Part 4 in a series of posts on how psych meds work
Psych Meds 101: Anti-Anxiety Meds Read More »
