Wellness

by Dr. Amir Ahuja, Board-Certified Psychiatrist and Director of Psychiatry at the Los Angeles LGBT Center Dr. Ahuja is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist and a leading voice for the LGBTQ community. As the Director of Psychiatry at the LA LGBT Center, the largest LGBT Center in the world, he leads a team that sees over 2,500…

by Kristen Abell, Director of Website and Digital Projects at Mental Health America “He’s just a picky eater,” I found myself telling just about everyone we dined with when my son was younger. “I’m sure he’ll grow out of it.” “He just is very sensitive to textures,” I explained when people were surprised he didn’t…

Public health keeps communities healthy by preventing disease, promoting well-being, and ensuring everyone has access to essential care. While many people link public health to vaccination campaigns or clean water, mental health is equally crucial. My research sits at the intersection of mental health, neuroimaging, and genetics. By studying how the brain functions, and how…

Let’s face it: no one likes vomiting. But if your fear of vomit takes over your thoughts, shapes your decisions, or limits your life, you might be dealing with emetophobia—a specific phobia of vomiting that goes far beyond the everyday “ugh, gross.” How do you know if your dislike of vomit has crossed into phobia…

This blog was originally written in 2017 About the Santa Rosa Wildfires 2 am Monday morning. I am awakened by the sound of my husband’s cell phone ringing. He doesn’t answer it and I reach for the light. The electricity is off. My throat feels raw and the air is thick with smoke. I leap…

What is ADHD? Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that is estimated to impact 7 million children between the ages of 3 and 17.   Since ADHD symptoms differ from person to person, it’s important to understand common signs. At the most basic level, ADHD symptoms fall into three content themes or subtypes:…

Panic attacks, particularly when you don’t know what they are or where they are coming from, can be incredibly frightening. Having recurring panic attacks and continually fearing having another one, clinically categorized as panic disorder, can be terrifying, debilitating, and interfere with daily functioning. ADAA member Simon Rego, PsyD, ABPP, A-CBT understands how scary it…

As we welcome a new year, it’s common for us to set resolutions and goals for the months ahead. While looking towards the future is important, it’s equally important to take a moment to reflect on the past year and appreciate our accomplishments. Often, we are so focused on what we want to achieve next…

Life affords many opportunities to feel dread. It’s an emotion that is highly unpleasant, feels uncontrollable, and comes from getting stuck in your head. You become preoccupied with some experience you’re about to face and all you can think about is how bad it will be. You try to think optimistically that it won’t be…

Changing The Way You Date Most of us have some anxiety when meeting someone new. But when it comes to dating, the stakes seem extra high — especially for folks with social anxiety. People who are socially anxious worry excessively about how they are perceived by others. They feel pressure to be liked by everyone….