Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that affects how a person thinks, feels and behaves. It’s a combination of hallucinations, delusions and disorganized thinking and behavior. When you get diagnosed, the symptoms have to be persisting for at least 6 months. When someone is having a hallucination, they are seeing and/or hearing something that isn’t present to anyone else. They feel like it’s right in the room with them. Delusions: Fixed false beliefs held, despite cl

Even though they share a name, they are completely different. With bipolar 1, you are diagnosed when you experience a manic episode. When that happens, you will experience an extreme increase in energy and mood swings, including feeling extremely happy or uncomfortably irritable. With bipolar 2, someone will experience hypomanic episodes. They will still have out of character behavior, but it’s not as extreme as bipolar 1. Keep in mind that bipolar 2 is not a milder form of

Matthew, it’s been one year since you passed away and there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t thought about you. Life wasn’t easy for you. There were things that you were struggling with that I don’t wish on my worst enemy. You dealt with not only addiction, but severe health issues that almost cost you your life. You tried for so long to conquer your demons and to be able to live a life without addiction. You fought for so many years. Addiction is a struggle that not many of

Kids are smart to understand that if they are struggling with mental health and anxiety, but they just don’t know how to express it. They don’t have the words to tell you that they are having a hard time. If you have a child in your life, telling them that it’s okay for them to be feeling the way they do. It’s okay to go to an adult and tell them that they are having a hard time. Everyone has dealt with some sort of anxiety. Kids should know that there are ways to take contro

Growing up in a house with people who don’t give you what you need in life can leave an impact on you. It can last a lifetime and in most cases, an adult will do anything to erase that part of their life. They will hide behind drugs and alcohol to cover up the lasting effects of their childhood, but there are also people who will learn from their past and break the cycle. They promise themselves that if they were to have kids, they won’t treat them the same way. Having relati

ADHD means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and it can look a lot like Autism. When someone has one or the other, they can have difficulty focusing, they can also be impulsive and have a hard time communicating. Both ADHD and Autism are two different conditions. Autism is related to developmental disorders. Language skills, behavior, socializing and the ability to learn are affected. People with autism have a hard time connecting with people and making friends, wherea

There’s a lot that goes into playing sports, even if it’s just a hobby or if you’re a professional. Some people take the game seriously to the point where it becomes their whole life. One of the downsides of professional sports is the injuries that come along with playing. Depending on the sport, there’s a lot of physical contact. Football has a lot of head injuries due to tackling. Hockey as body checking. Baseball as arm injuries due to the constant throwing and hitting. Ov

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD in the military is very common. Originally, it was called Shell Shock. It was called that because soldiers were seen as a reaction to the explosion of artillery. Originally, shell shock was thought to be the result of hidden damage to the brain that was caused by the impact of the big guns. Treatment back then was giving the soldiers just a few days of rest. When you are in combat, you see and do things that a civilian never gets to witn

School should be a safe space for kids. They should be able to go to school and know that they are supported and cared for, but for some kids, being at school is worse than being at home. Kids who struggle at home will bring that to school. Going to school is sometimes a child’s escape. Teachers should be aware of how a child is acting. They see the same kids every day and if there’s a shift in their personality then the teacher should be able to step in and be the person tha

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD can come in many forms, and it can go on for years without you knowing that you have it. Sometimes it can interfere with your daily lives and your relationships, but the good news is that OCD can be treated. Family and friends will notice a change and will step in and help you the support you need. You may not be aware that you have OCD until someone mentions it. What is OCD? It’s a disorder that involves unwanted instructive thoughts th