Blog Archive

4 Ways Pooping Regularly Can Ease Anxiety, Depression, Fatigue & Irritability Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC Did you know that regular bowel movements can have a significant impact on your mental health? Anxiety, depression, fatigue, and irritability can all be linked to your digestive system's health. In this blog...

Unlock a Brighter Mood: 5 Nutrients That Banish Depression   Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC Are you feeling the blues more often than usual? Wondering how to boost your mood naturally? Dive into the world of essential nutrients and vitamins crucial in combating depression and promoting a positive state...

Navigating Depression: A Caring Guide to Supporting Loved Ones [With Compassion] Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC    Helping a loved one navigate through depression can be a challenging journey. Depression is more prevalent than you might think, affecting millions of people worldwide. The support and understanding offered by family...

Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC Have you ever felt like your mind is a browser with a hundred tabs open, and suddenly, an anxiety pop-up ad appears? You're not alone. Here at Intrepid Mental Wellness (IMW), we get it. Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, they hit us right in...

Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC   Ever felt like you're on a rollercoaster, except it's not thrilling, and you didn't even buy a ticket? Welcome to the complex world of codependency, a not-so-fun ride that often meshes with the heavyweight champions of mental health: depression and anxiety. Buckle up...

Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC Experiencing anxiety is not just about the mind; it can also profoundly affect the body. For individuals struggling with anxiety, the physical manifestations of this condition, known as anxiety body symptoms, can be overwhelming and debilitating. From persistent muscle tension and trembling to rapid...

Recognizing 9 Signs of Narcissistic Abuse in Intimate Relationships   Do you feel like something is off in your relationship? Do you get the sense that your partner constantly puts you down, manipulates you, or lacks empathy when you open up about your feelings? If so, you might be in...

  9 Tips for Managing Your Anxiety Right Now   Are you feeling overwhelmed with anxiety? Whether recent life changes have caused it or it's something you've been struggling with for a while, it can be challenging to know how to manage your anxiety. These nine tips can help you...

7 Foods You Should Avoid If You Have Depression   You probably already know that diet has a huge impact on your psychological and mental state. It's not surprising then that depression is a mental health disorder often accompanied by poor eating habits.   Adopting a healthy lifestyle can prove...

How to Use Food to Manage Your Mental Health   Moods are not created in the mind alone, but in partnership with the body. Ask anyone who has eaten ice cream to cheer themselves up, and they'll tell you that's true. What we feed the body can have an enormous...

Beyond Depression: Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder   Depression is a complex disorder, a condition triggered by biochemical, environmental, and psychological influences. People living with depression often express persistent feelings of pessimism, loneliness, and isolation. Although patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder often experience bouts of depression, their...

Dietary Changes That Can Have Positive Effects on ADHD Symptoms   When parents suspect their child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a diagnosis has already been made, they may want to learn about strategies to reduce symptoms without medication. Making changes to the child's diet, for example, could...

Gaslighting: Is Someone Meddling with Your Perception?   Does the way someone communicates with you make you question your reality? Then, perhaps they are gaslighting you. Possibly, though, you aren't sure if your self-doubt springs from their attempts to muddle your perception. When you understand what gaslighting is, you can...

Eating for Sleep: The Anti-Insomnia Diet   The food you eat does more than simply sustain you. The nutrients you consume play a vital role in the chemical reactions of each and every bodily function. A healthy and balanced diet is an essential part of maintaining optimal physical and mental...

7 Characteristics of a Narcissist   Narcissism is a buzzword you may have heard lately to refer to people who are so self-centered that they are toxic to the people around them.  It isn't always easy to identify a narcissist, but there are some clues and characteristics that will get...

7 Natural and Easy Ways to Help Yourself Through Depression   A dark cloud hangs over you and refuses to leave no matter how much time has passed or what you do? If so, you may be dealing with depression. Maybe it is because your current living situation isn't stable...

9 Surprisingly Common Anxiety Triggers    In a world of growing mental health awareness, it comes as no surprise that anxiety is one of the leading diagnoses. While it's perfectly normal to have some anxiety on a fleeting basis, it's not normal for it to wreak havoc on your day-to-day...

10 Things You Should Never Say to a Depressed Person   More and more people are struggling with clinical depression. If you have never suffered from mental illness, it may be difficult for you to completely understand what it is like. But instead of blurting out what seems like rational...

Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC 4 Ways That ADHD is More ADvantage Than ADversity Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Cognitive Disability. Word choices used to describe ADHD often sound negative, leading many with the condition to feel that they somehow are broken. Cultural emphasis on the very things that those with...

Five Ways to Build Mental Resilience in a Crisis   Even the calmest, most rational people have experiences that knock them off their feet. They're in an accident, or they're unexpectedly laid off, or they experience a sudden death in the family. It's impossible to prepare for these unexpected situations...

9 Self-Help Solutions for Reducing Symptoms of Depression Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC   Being depressed is painful and debilitating. An estimated 10 percent of adults in the United States suffer from symptoms of depression each year, resulting in family strife, loss of work productivity, and misery for the...

How Diet Can Be a Powerful Ally in the Struggle Against Depression and Anxiety Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC   Everyone has a different reason for their depression or anxiety. For some, there is a chemical imbalance that needs treatment with medication. For others, there are persistent, troubling thought...

Understanding PTSD and Finding an Effective Therapy Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC   Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a painful and debilitating mental health condition suffered by millions of people each year in the United States. Many different types of traumatic situations and events can cause a person to...

10 Ways You Can Help a Friend with Depression Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC   Depression can affect anyone. Yet, it is still an illness that many people don't understand. People talk about mental illness much more than they used to. Even so, there is still a stigma attached...

Seven Ways of Detecting and Dealing with Narcissistic Bosses Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC Do you find yourself feeling anxious, depressed and incompetent at work? Of course, private struggles can lead to these unwanted feelings spilling over to the workplace. However, these turmoils can also be caused by working...

Do You Suffer From Anxiety? Help Yourself with These Coping Strategies By: Dr. Andrew Lakin Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC Have you been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder? Even if not, you may be one of the many people who manage their symptoms without a formal diagnosis. Whatever your...

3 Quick DBT Skills to Help Regulate Anxiety That Anyone Can Use! Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC Though DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) is known predomintately as a treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD), its foundation is pretty simple. The concept of dialectics is used to simultaneously foster change and...

10 Most Common Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC Anxiety and panic disorders can produce a wide range of distressing physical symptoms. Many people are unaware that their symptoms are caused by anxiety, which can make the problem worse, as many people worry that their symptoms...

12 Essential Oils For a Better Night's Sleep As anyone who's ever suffered from insomnia will tell you, there's no substitute for a good night's sleep. With all the pressures of modern day life, though, that sleep can be hard to come by. When things aren't right--whether your blood pressure...

Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC When you meet someone, you want to be able to spot red flags before you get too attached and into a long-term relationship with them. It's natural to want to ignore red flags because you like other qualities the person possesses. But by doing...

6 Signs You're Sabotaging Your Own Life And Happiness Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC   It's easy to blame others and circumstances for why you aren't successful or happy in life, but the truth is it's your actions that determine these things. Here are six ways you might be...

5 Ways to Cope with Anxiety Medically Reviewed by Chelsey Lahr, PMHNP-BC For many people, anxiety is more than just a feeling of uncomfortable worry that hits every once in and awhile. It's a state of mind that keeps people up at night, torturing them endlessly and affecting every part...

10 Tips for Getting Over a Breakup A bad breakup, especially one that is unexpected, can cause all sorts of feelings that interfere with your everyday life. Though it may be tempting to shut the world out and wallow in bed, life will continue around you so it's important to keep...

 5 Simple Ways to Feel Better Faster Today seems like people are busier than ever. Between having a job, taking care of your family and housework, it is easy to get burnt out. Most people tend to put their needs last or neglect them entirely. This perpetuates the problem. If you don't...

8 Ways That Rosemary Can Improve Your Mental, Emotional, and Physical Well-Being  Popularly known for being a culinary herb, rosemary is from the mint family and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Rosemary essential oil has a woodsy fragrance and is considered a mainstay in aromatherapy. However, rosemary...

5 Common Foods that Can Trigger Anxiety SymptomsFood can have a powerful impact on mood, stress levels, and mental health. Some foods have been shown to cause or worsen the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other chronic mental-health conditions. While symptoms and triggers are unique to every individual, research studies...

Although depression is a common problem, each person's case is different and needs dealing with differently. However, there are several typical lifestyle issues which can get in the way of recovery. Here are 12 things it's best to avoid if you're suffering from depression or anxiety.1) Don't ignore your issues....

In my time working as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I have found depression to be a diagnosis that can be catastrophically debilitating if left untreated. It can induce havoc on an individuals entire life, and sadly often treatment is not sought until their world is about to crumble. However, the...