This is the happiest time of year, right? Family, friends, fun and food are what life is about. Except you don’t feel excited, you actually feel a bit depressed. Maybe you have the holiday blues. What do you do if this is the case? What do you do?
Everybody wants to find a workplace that values its employees and provides a healthy working environment. However, 93% of Americans suffer from work-related stress and millions more live in constant financial anxiety due to inadequate access to disability coverage. If this combination of stress and inadequate support sounds familiar, then you should know that you’re…
The holidays are here. The season of giving, spending, celebration, and for many, the season of high calorie overeating. According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the average American gains about a pound between Thanksgiving and the beginning of January. Even though the weight gain isn’t as high as…
In a couple days, it’ll be Thanksgiving. And in my house, that means we sit down for… a home screening of legendary director John Hughes‘ 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I love to keep track of the classic comedy tropes on offer, and ever since I heard that the original script was for a…
By Dr. Jonathan Torres, Medical Director, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits Like many other people, I was going through life busy raising children, working and making time for hobbies and travel when possible. I had completed medical school, residency training and served as a physician in the U.S. Air Force. During those more than 27 years as…
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is any pet that is legally certified to offer support for emotional of psychological conditions. They help people by providing support during difficult times and are mostly commonly utilized by people suffering from conditions such as anxiety or depression. Usually dogs are trained for this task. However, diversity of ESAs…
By Holly Devine Editor’s Note: Holly Devine grew up knowing how to advocate for herself and what she needed – as it related to being a person with a physical disability. But it wasn’t until she was working at her first job after college that she learned how to ask for support with a mental…
By Nigel Robert Editor’s Note: The prevalence of mental health conditions (most commonly anxiety and depression) accelerated during the COVID pandemic and has been on the rise in many places. Some people may find that letting a reptile into their life can help combat some of the effects of their condition – and this…
At 26 years old and newly married, I was excited when the two pink lines on a pregnancy test indicated that I was expecting. From the start, I did all of the “right” things. I confirmed a viable pregnancy with my OB, waited until it felt “safe” to tell friends and family, scheduled all of…
Editor’s note: This piece was originally published in May 2020. In this second installment of a three-post series about mental health during a pandemic, Fred Schott of The Council for Disability Awareness picks up from where he left off in part 1, and shares four additional things he learned about life during a pandemic. …
