In What Way is Depression Painful?

Depression is not normally a condition that is associated with pain. When we think of pain, we might think of the acute pain of stubbing your toe, the more sustained and intense pain of breaking a bone, or the chronic pain of a physical disease or condition. But depression is painful. It’s just a difficult…

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The Social Roots of Mental Illness

With all the new tech, we have evolved into a world with many modern conveniences that help us do everything from work to think. In many cases, this can be a positive thing but there are some things that end up having adverse effects on our mental health. For example, social media hype and smartphone…

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Meta-Depression and Meta-Anxiety: When Mental Illness Turns on Itself

Meta-depression and meta-anxiety are phenomena that are rarely discussed in conversations surrounding mental illness. Yet they are common experiences for depressed and anxious people. These terms refer to the fact that one’s own depression or anxiety can itself become a contributing factor in – or aspect of – the mental health condition in question. In…

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The Role of Self-Discipline in Mental Health

Something that I have learned in my attempts to recover from depressive episodes is the vital importance of self-discipline (the ability to make yourself do things that benefit you even when you don’t want to do them). Indeed, the willingness to create a routine of healthy habits – and to be unwavering in sticking to…

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The Intertwining of the Self and the World: A Phenomenological View

As much as the world can feel separate from our discrete selves, upon closer examination, we will see that our whole experience of reality (and so reality itself) is acutely dependent on our inner world. The self and the world are inextricably intertwined. And this curious relationship between the ‘I’ we imagine sitting behind the…

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