educational articles

Let’s Get Started. Anxiety affects everyone on planet Earth, everywhere from San Jose, California to San Jose, Costa Rica. It’s a part of being alive. It’s part of the human experience. But, it doesn't have to be. At least, not to the extent it plagues most...

Extensive research has revealed that one in eight women develop depression at some point in their lives, which is twice the rate of cases compared to men. (1) But why is that? What makes women more vulnerable to this condition? Before explaining the significance of...

Many Asian Americans, especially Filipino Americans, struggle with mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and suicide. In fact, young Filipina women experience greater suicide ideation (45.6%) compared to other minorities (Javier et. al 2018). However, despite...

  Scrupulosity, informally known as religious OCD, is a unique representation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that affects individuals from various religious communities. By definition, it is a variation of OCD where individuals are plagued with intrusive...

A Word on Pill Shaming             There are a number of reasons that prevent people from seeking, and ultimately receiving mental healthcare. Clearly, structural barriers contribute to these cases (i.e. some tangible lack of access to medicine). More subtle but no...

Note: This article discusses mental health parity within the context of the U.S. healthcare system; globally, healthcare systems vary and have distinct challenges and strengths.  When someone experiences a mental health challenge or a challenge with using drugs or...

What is Depression?  One of the world’s leading causes of disability, depression is a mental illness that is frequently experienced with symptoms of dejected moods, disinterest, excessive self-criticism, and many others. Given the pervasiveness of depression as an...

As of October 2021, there are 241 million COVID-19 cases worldwide with 4.91 million COVID-related deaths (Source: Google real-time data). In some countries, people have been required to stay at home for months on end, devoid of any kind of human interactions. Under...

Suicide, or the act of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally, has become increasingly more prevalent, especially in the United States (U.S). Every year, many U.S. war veterans die by suicide in comparison to the general civilian public. It’s interesting...

Pregnancy and parenthood are life-changing events that can be filled with joy and wonder. Before I became a mother at 37, I admit did not really consider how these experiences also present challenging physical, emotional, and cognitive changes. Unfortunately, though...

Sam has always stood out among his colleagues as the brightest and most resourceful. Rather effortlessly, he has scored his company yet another hefty contract and been showered in praises from his boss. Yet, deep inside, he feels like he is putting on a mask that is...

The music was loud enough to mute my thoughts, the air reeked of sweat and apart from the occasional blinding light beams from the disco ball, the room was pitch dark. Everyone around me had successfully numbed out their senses but I was hyper-aware of my...