Understanding Your Mental Health | The Basics

A man stands at the top of a ladder leading into a sculpture of a human head with a pill dropping into it.

Tom Xia, M.D., explains what it means to focus on mental, emotional and behavioral disorders.

Mental health issues can make intimacy challenging, but you can still have an amazing sex life.

The issue may be cultural and the problems societal, but individual consequences can be serious.

A human brain sits between a prescription form and a sofa against a yellow and blue background.

Britney Blair, Psy.D., explains what it means to diagnose the way you think, feel and behave.

You can't undo the past, but you can learn to make peace with it.

For couples, a mental health challenge can feel like an unwelcome third party.

After being sexually assaulted, I struggled to focus. But treatment options are available.

A pink brain sits against a yellow background with the word sex written over it in blue.

Your brain is your largest sex organ. Don't ignore it when preparing for sexual activity.

Unchecked, conditions such as anxiety or depression can put you on the path to burnout.

If you crave tension, you risk significant impacts on your health, career and relationships.

Females are often diagnosed with ASD much later in life. That's a problem.

Two-plus years of isolation and fear create the perfect storm for an eating disorder relapse.

Where should we draw the line between 'taking the edge off' and prescribing our own medication?

Openly communicating about your psychological health can protect your relationship.

From self-care to sexual health, there's a lot to learn from your own inner dialogue.

Experts share advice on dating someone with body dysmorphia disorder.

These medications can cause ED, decreased desire and ejaculation complications.

If you're an HSP, it can change how you experience external stimuli, especially during sex.

Need a mood boost? Psychology experts suggest trying these five things to make yourself smile.

Learning how to identify overlooked signals can reduce suffering and loss of life.

Are you demoralized and stalled in your career? Devise a plan for change or find a way to cope.

When society keeps piling on dietary rules and restrictions, a mind can cave to the pressure.

The U.S. economy takes a $210 billion annual hit in lost productivity due to stress and burnout.

ADHD can show up in the bedroom in unexpected ways.

Your loved one may not be as cognitively present, but they still know what they want.

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Taking simple daily actions will improve your relationship with body image and eating.

What do people who dedicate themselves to helping others do to help themselves?

Weight stigma can interfere with eating disorder diagnoses, letting a serious issue run rampant.

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Putting some TLC into your self-esteem can have positive effects on your overall mental health.

You may think you know this disease, but even the experts are changing their minds.

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They're long term, have inter-related symptoms and imperfect diagnoses—but treatments can work.

The physiological and psychological effects can have major effects on intimacy.

The impact on your emotional and cognitive health can be profound in the short- and long-term.

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When you or a loved one are coping with mental health issues, communication and support are key.

It's all good when celebs support a cause, but it shouldn't be all about them.

Disordered eating is more than just a social sickness, the author writes.

It's the little things that mean the most to help with this common, yet devastating, illness.

Hormonal contraceptives can help ease mood disorders. Sadly, the opposite can also be true.

One mental illness can invite another, but why, and what can you do about it?

Emotional highs and lows don't solely affect the patient.

It’s not just a hot topic: It’s a real practice that often hurts those it claims to serve.

With reflection and communication, your sex life can transform into a validating experience.

This disorder can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself and the world around you.

Synthetic hormones gave me my periods until I chose to fight to get them back naturally.

They sound similar, and both deal with self-image, but don't get these two words confused.

There’s still hope, even if you feel like you’ve tried everything.

From addiction to dementia, the range of conditions addressed by DBS is growing.

Is the desire to look and feel like a superhero causing men to go too far in their workouts?

While Tourette syndrome can present challenges, it's possible to effectively manage symptoms.

The instability brought on by BPD can encourage promiscuity and risky sexuality.

Dealing with the root cause of an unhealthy relationship with food can help in the bedroom, too.

OCD is a serious mental disorder that can cause stress and interfere with daily activities.

Panic symptoms are more common in smokers, and smoking generally makes panic worse.

If the disorder's sensory impacts lead to low libido, we have tips to manage it.

Supporting a loved one is important, but practicing self-care is essential to your well-being.

A clinical diagnosis of panic disorder opens the doors to treatment and recovery.

Meditation is a risk-free way to improve many conditions, and it may be easier than you think.

Few conditions are as stigmatized as mental illness, but that's because misinformation abounds.

Understanding what lies behind mental health issues is just the first step in the battle.

Feeling stressed? You're not alone. Know the facts, so you can live a better life.

There are ways to adapt and thrive in a relationship impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.

The best sex isn’t just physical—it also comes from the mind.