About mental illness and addiction
Howard Stern is known for his outspoken personality, provocative humor, and decades-long radio career. Behind the confident public persona, however, Stern has spoken openly about anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, emotional struggles, and his long-term experience with psychotherapy. His story illustrates an important mental-health lesson: outward confidence and professional success do not necessarily mean that someone feels … Read more
Support groups can be a game changer when it comes to feeling seen and understood. When you join, you’re probably hoping you’ll find real connection and shared experience. But sometimes, even with regular meetings and a packed roster, a support group can feel strangely empty. I know I’ve sat in a circle (in person or … Read more
Sobriety changes much more than whether a person uses alcohol or drugs. Recovery often means learning how to experience difficult emotions without escaping, numbing, or reacting impulsively. One emotion that can become surprisingly intense during recovery is jealousy. Jealousy may arise in romantic relationships, friendships, families, workplaces, or even within the recovery community. Someone may … Read more
In a culture filled with weight-loss advertisements, edited social-media images, diet trends, and pressure to achieve a certain body type, some people may believe that severely restricting food is the fastest way to become thin. But starving yourself is not a safe or sustainable weight-management strategy. Severe food restriction can deprive the brain, heart, muscles, … Read more
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is widely recognized for physical strength, professional wrestling, blockbuster movies, and an energetic public personality. Behind that image, however, Johnson has spoken openly about experiencing depression at several points in his life. His story illustrates an important mental-health lesson: outward success, confidence, and physical strength do not make someone immune to … Read more
Mickey Rooney was one of Hollywood’s most recognizable entertainers, with a career spanning more than eight decades. Yet late in his life, Rooney became known for something beyond acting: speaking publicly about his experience with alleged elder abuse and financial exploitation. His story showed an important reality: age, fame, professional success, and wealth do not … Read more
Recovery from alcohol addiction can feel overwhelming, especially during the early stages of sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) provides a peer-based recovery community built around shared experience and the Twelve Steps. Within this fellowship, one relationship can become particularly important: the relationship between a sponsor and a person seeking recovery. An AA sponsor is not a … Read more
The foods we enjoyed as children often become connected to memories, emotions, and comfort. An after-school cookie, candy for good behavior, chips during television time, or ice cream after a difficult day may seem like simple childhood experiences. Yet repeated patterns can teach the developing brain to associate certain foods with pleasure, reward, comfort, and … Read more
John Madden was one of the most recognizable figures in American football. He achieved extraordinary success as an NFL coach, broadcaster, and the namesake of the Madden NFL video-game franchise. Behind his energetic public personality, however, Madden openly discussed a significant struggle with claustrophobia that affected his ability to fly and required him to restructure … Read more
Paris Hilton is widely recognized as an entrepreneur, media personality, and entertainer, but behind her highly publicized image is a history of significant childhood and adolescent trauma. Hilton has publicly described living with severe post-traumatic stress symptoms following experiences at residential youth programs, particularly Provo Canyon School in Utah. She has described years of nightmares, … Read more