Welcome to the Blog

Hello There!

If you are reading this, then that means you were able to find my small site in in the middle of vast Internet hay stack - hurray!

Perhaps you clicked on this site because you happen to be passionately interested in psychology and are dying to learn everything there is to know about mental health. Or maybe you are seeking answers on a different kind of quest, such as attempting to solve the riddles of your own mind or the minds of those around you. Or it could be as simple as you just roaming the web aimlessly in the hopes of some random gem to cure your current boredom. Well, look no further.

Whatever reason you came to end up here, it's great to have you. This is a safe space for open-minded people to learn about mental health and get answers to some of their deepest, darkest questions. Sounds a bit scary, I know, but don't worry: I will be here to help translate the meaning of complicated research and guide you away from the many myths and misconceptions out there.

So, go ahead and sit back, relax - maybe even sip on an iced coffee or something - and let your curiosity roam free. 😊

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Healthy Approaches to Relieve Stress: Distraction, Relaxation, & Self Expression

There are thousands of articles on the internet about ways to relieve stress, and most of them boast about the same three or four boring strategies. But the truth is that there are many ways to help alleviate your stress and anxiety, and many of these coping mechanisms fall under one of the following three strategies: distraction, self-expression, and relaxation. Each category is special because each one has a unique underlying goal for you to achieve, and all of them have the potential to help you maintain a good mental state. In the following article, I'll provide both the pros and cons of each strategy and a short list of related example activities. My hope is that you find at least one approach that is a Cinderella-shoe type fit for you! DISTRACTION METHODS While it may initially sound like an unhealthy self-care goal, activities related to distraction are effective because they buy an individual time to take a step back, cool down and regroup. By taking a temporary break from ...

Mental Illness is NOT Caused by a Chemical Imbalance in Your Brain

You heard me right: this theory is actually a myth! If you believed the chemical imbalance theory, don't feel foolish; this is an incredibly common misconception. I mean, doesn't it just sound so logical? When you have a general understanding of biology and you hear talk about "happy chemicals" in the brain, it's easy to believe. Too bad things aren't quite that simple. The truth is that no chemical imbalance has been proven to exist in relation to any kind of mental health disorder. Additionally, there is also no way to test for the presence or absence of a chemical imbalance; no blood test, no urine sample, no brain scan... nada. Researchers have been working for the past 40 years to find any sliver of supporting evidence for this theory - literally thousands of studies - and haven't found anything. And even if we did know what a chemical imbalance looks like, the likelihood that "mood" is controlled by one specific neurotransmitter is slim. Li...

The Magical & Mysterious Placebo Effect

What does it mean to "believe" in something, and what does this have to do with something actually happening? According to one of my mom's cheesy Hallmark movies, simply believing in the spirit of Christmas will get you a soulmate, a job promotion, and will help you save some small quaint town from greedy city businesspeople. Now, I wouldn't say this is the most realistic example of how believing can manifest results, but there is a small kernel of truth in the absurdity. This real-life magic trick has the fitting name of "the placebo effect," and lucky for you, I am a magician who keeps no secrets. Let me explain to you how it works. PLACEBO POWER A placebo is anything that seems like a real treatment or solution, but is actually useless and should (theoretically) have zero impact on you. Placebos can take many forms, such as a fake pill, shot, or any other type of "treatment." Despite the lack of any active substance or impactful component in a ...

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