We can conceptualize post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a tug-of-war between intrusions and avoidance. Intrusions are things like nightmares, flashbacks and thoughts that arise in relation to past trauma(s). AVOIDING TRAUMA There is also a component of avoidance. This can be avoidance of talking about trauma, thinking about it or simply avoiding anything that […]
CPT FOR TRAUMA TREATMENT Read More »
At The Mental Health Collective, we seem to be seeing an upswing in complex clinical presentations, with somatic issues accompanying them. The million dollar question is, WHY? It is near impossible to say with 100% certainty what the causal factors are. Having said that, many sources of reliable research data are showing that not only
Pandemic Era Increases Diagnosable Mental Illness Rates | Dr. Anna McCarthy Read More »
As 2020 comes to an end, it’s hard not to think of the impact the last year has had on the mental health of people nationally and globally. The volatility and uncertainty of the current times seem mostly to blame as they’ve contributed to numerous compound stressors. By naming the rise of mental health challenges,
Mental Health in 2020 // A Year in Review Read More »
The 1946 Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life, ironically, is a tale of a man contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve, until his “guardian angel” shows him how much he would be missed by people in his life, were he to end his life. If only every human being struggling right now could have such a
Will We Get Through This? By: Dr. Anna McCarthy Read More »
Covid-19 has increased depression and anxiety over the last several months. Besides the physical damage that it does to the body, this tiny virus has induced insomnia, fear, sadness, motivation, and a multitude of other symptoms that are severely affecting the mental health of people around the world. While fear is understandable, we don’t have
Five Pandemic Hacks for Mental Health Read More »
What is Borderline Personality Disorder? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a condition characterized by difficulties regulating emotion. This means that people who experience BPD feel emotions intensely and for extended periods of time, and it is harder for them to return to a stable baseline after an
Coping With Borderline Personality Disorder During COVID Read More »
Diagnosing Anxiety 2020 has been a challenging year for mental health, filled with unknowns and anxiety-inducing events. From COVID-19 and its inherent health risks to the isolation imposed by quarantine and social distancing, we can all agree that a certain amount of anxiety is appropriate. That said, with the reopening of the country and thus
Be Well Orange County invited The Collective’s Dr. Anna McCarthy to share her clinical perspective on how to prioritize mental and physical health through the current pandemic. Dr. McCarthy THE COLLECTIVE CONTACT
BE WELL OC /// COVID-19 CARE PLAN Read More »
Under the best of circumstances, being a mother means being a chef, driver, teacher, therapist, friend, housekeeper, and more, somehow all at once. But being a mother during a pandemic? All bets are off. In this unprecedented time, mothering means holding our fears and anxieties, while trying to maintain some semblance of consistency for our
Pandemic Parenting + Mental Health Read More »
Whether you’re working from home, leading the front lines of wellness, supporting a loved one through critical work, navigating unemployment, adjusting to the obstacles of shelter in place, most households are struggling with the new reality of COVID-19. For those feeling lost or paralyzed in the societal shock that comes with an impact of this
Mental Health Tips to Manage Covid-19 Read More »
