We are thinking all the time but how often do we take time out to really think about and reflect on our thoughts? How they are affecting our moods, our behaviours and our relationships? Cognitive distortions refer to irrational and illogical thought processes that our mind uses to reinforce negative thinking. So what are they?

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a narcissist? Perhaps someone manipulative, selfish, unfeeling or vain. We may picture these people as those who may be more likely to commit crimes or atrocities, cheat on their partners or use people for their own selfish motives. We often despise these people, we avoid them, and we certainly don’t want to be anything like them … or do we?

At first glance, depression and anxiety may appear to be at total opposite ends of the spectrum. When we think of depression we envision somebody who doesn’t have the motivation to do anything, who feels hopeless, flat or is completely withdrawn from society. On the other hand when we think of anxiety we often envision somebody who is constantly on edge, agitated and worried about everything … so how could these two possibly be connected?

When we hear of particularly violent or disturbing crimes such as that of mass murder or rape we often label these people as ‘psychopaths’ or ‘sociopaths’. We tend to use these words interchangeably, but what do they really mean?

Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic and often debilitating mental illness, which can produce a number of difficulties in a number of life domains. Adding to this complexity is the stigma and misconceptions surrounding it, often leading these people to be discriminated against. So let’s take a look at six common myths about schizophrenia and the facts behind them.

When we’ve got a cold we will rest up, we’ll make ourselves a cup of tea and maybe take some cold and flu tablets. When we sprain an ankle we’ll ice it and prop it up with a pillow. But what do we do when we are feeling lonely? When there is no one in our lives … friends or family … who really understand us or the way that we feel.

Imagine sitting at your desk at work, it’s just another day at your 9-5 job. You’ve checked your emails and you’re about to move on to your first project of the day when out of the blue your heart begins racing, you start hyperventilating, you feel dizzy and your entire body begins to tremble. You somehow manage to make your way to the bathroom because you feel as if you might throw up but by the time you get there the sensations have ceased. This scenario is not uncommon by any stretch of the imagination and for people who have panic disorder it can be a regular occurrence.

What is histrionic personality disorder? Despite its long history, many people have never even heard of histrionic personality disorder (HPD) before, let alone have an understanding about it. So what is HPD and what does it really look like?

“I knew I should have felt happy or sad or surprised or angry but I didn’t. I simply felt empty, numb, completely detached… I didn’t even feel like me”. We often talk about the pain associated with depression, the feelings of sadness, hopelessness or guilt. We speak of the overwhelming emotions, we speak of their intensity and their persistency, which begs the question, … is it better to feel nothing at all?

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide in Australia. On average 1 in 5 women and 1 in 8 men will experience some level of depression in their lifetime. Unfortunately, it is estimated that only 35% of Australians with anxiety and depression access treatment … many of these people may never even open up to others about their struggles. It is valuable for friends and/or loved ones to be aware of some of the warning signs of depression so that they can offer help as early as soon as possible.

While many of us have heard of schizophrenia before it is still a highly misunderstood mental illness and one that carries a heavy and dogmatic stigma with it. So what really is schizophrenia and how does it come about?

Every now and again we might notice that our clothes aren’t quite fitting into our wardrobe anymore, or perhaps that pile of junk mail on the bench is getting just a little too high … and so we decide to get rid of a few things. You might find yourself wanting to hold onto a pair of jeans you haven’t worn in years, or an old assignment you’d written years ago that might come in handy one day. We are all guilty of this from time to time however for people with Hoarding Disorder (HD) these difficulties are excessive and may cause safety concerns, significant distress and have an impact on all other aspects of life too.