Think Well Live Well Counseling and Telepsychiatry

01/17/2026

Mixing alcohol with your antidepressants isn’t just a bad idea it’s a chemical war. ⚠️🧠

You’re asking one pill to fix your brain while pouring in a liquid that’s designed to break it down.

I’m Becky VanDenburgh, a licensed clinical social worker. If you feel like your meds aren’t working, we need to look at what you’re drinking on the side.

Think of it this way:
Your medication is trying to build up your serotonin to keep you stable. Alcohol is a depressant that comes in and flushes that serotonin out. When you mix the two, you’re not just getting drunk faster you’re triggering a chemical crash that can leave you spiraling for days after the buzz wears off.

You can’t heal a brain you’re actively dehydrating and depressing.

Stop fighting your own progress. Start giving your medication and yourself a real chance to heal.

Ready to end the internal tug-of-war and actually start feeling better? Let’s talk.

Click the link in my bio to book a free consultation.

01/16/2026

Gaslighting doesn’t start with you hating yourself.
It starts with a tiny “Wait… that felt off.”

Stage 1: Disbelief
They say or do something messed up. Your body goes “ouch,” but your brain jumps in with...
They’re stressed. I’m sensitive. It’s not a big deal.
You start doubting your own read of the situation.

Stage 2: Defense
Now you’re explaining yourself nonstop.
Screenshots. Timelines. Long paragraphs.
You’re trying to prove a reality that should be obvious.
Somehow you end up apologizing… again.

Stage 3: Depression
You stop arguing because it never goes anywhere.
You go quiet. You feel heavy. Numb.
You start thinking, “Maybe I really am the problem.”
That’s not you being broken. That’s your nervous system burning out.

If you see yourself in any of these stages,
you are not crazy, dramatic, or overreacting.
You’re being conditioned to distrust yourself.

Read that again.

Then save this, send it to the version of you who still thinks
“It’s probably just me.”

01/15/2026

Ever feel like the "January blues" aren’t about the cold but about realizing January 1st didn’t magically change your life? ❄️📉

That feeling has a name: the arrival fallacy. We spend December chasing the holiday high, and then the calendar empties, the dopamine crashes, and suddenly there’s no event to look forward to.

You’re not depressed you’re lacking a system that gives you a reason to get out of bed when the excitement fades. And that’s exactly where resolutions go to die.

But here’s the truth: January isn’t a dead month. It’s your foundational month. The distractions are gone. It’s just you vs. your habits the perfect time to build momentum, not pressure.

If you’re feeling stuck in the slump and don’t know how to start the engine, let’s fix that. Click the link in my bio to book a free consultation. Together, we’ll build a roadmap you’re actually excited to follow not because a date changed, but because you did.

01/13/2026

What if I told you you don’t need to feel motivated to hit your goals? 🎯

In fact, waiting to “feel like it” is exactly what’s holding you back. Motivation is great for starting but it’s terrible for finishing. It disappears the moment things get difficult, boring, or tiring.

That’s where discipline takes over.

Discipline is simply keeping the promise you made to yourself, long after the excitement fades. It’s not about being hard on yourself it’s about being consistent with yourself.

If you want your 2026 goals to actually stick, stop checking your mood and start checking your calendar. Don’t wait for the spark. Be the engine.

Are you choosing motivation or discipline this year? 👇

Type DISCIPLINE in the comments if you’re staying committed. 💪

01/10/2026

We call it "holiday cheer," but for so many, December is 31 days of socially sanctioned binge drinking. 🍾

I’m Becky VanDenburgh, and I want to name what often goes unseen: the holidays provide the perfect camouflage for high functioning alcoholism because “everyone else is doing it too.”

Now it’s January. Dry January posts are everywhere, and maybe you're white-knuckling your way through 30 days... but if you're just counting down to February 1st so you can drink again, you’re not finding sobriety. You’re just practicing waiting.

Real discipline isn’t about surviving a month of abstinence. It’s about having the courage to look at why you’re numbing yourself in the first place.

You don’t need a break from the bottle. You need a life you don’t feel you need to escape from.

If you’re ready to stop the cycle and build a real, sustainable strategy for change, I’m here. Click the link in my bio to book a free consultation with me today. Healing starts when we stop pretending.

01/09/2026

If you are used to leading, managing, and "holding it all together," the pressure to perform happiness during the holidays when you are grieving can feel suffocating. We often confuse discipline with "pushing through." But real discipline during grief isn't about forcing a smile for everyone else's comfort; it’s about having the courage to honor your own boundaries.

Grief is biological, not a choice. When the world gets louder, your nervous system might need to retreat. That is not failure; that is self-preservation.

You don't owe the world a version of yourself that doesn't exist right now. It is okay to change the tradition. It is okay to skip the party.

If you are struggling to navigate the weight of this season without burning out, you don't have to do it alone.

👇 Click the link in bio to schedule your free consultation. Let’s get you through this season with your peace intact.

01/07/2026

This book puts language to what so many people feel but cannot explain.
Trauma lives in the body. Healing starts with safety.

Save this. Share it. Come back to it.

01/06/2026

Why Does My Therapy Bill Say Anxiety? Decoding Superbills

Confused by F41.1? Don't panic. Learn why "Anxiety" is on your superbill and how this code unlocks your insurance benefits without defining your story.

Why Does My Therapy Bill Say Anxiety? Decoding Superbills and ICD-10 Codes

01/06/2026

Think gaslighters are always loud or aggressive? Think again.

Some of the most dangerous ones are charming, calm—even helpful. Here are the 3 types you need to know:

Type 1: The Glamour Gaslighter
Charismatic, magnetic, everyone loves them. They weaponize charm so skillfully that you end up apologizing when they hurt you. Their likability becomes your self-doubt.

Type 2: The “Good Guy” Gaslighter
The sneakiest. Calm voice, logical tone. “I’m just trying to help.” But every conversation leaves you confused, guilty, or second-guessing your own needs. Their niceness erodes your reality.

Type 3: The Intimidator
The obvious one. Uses anger, tone, threats, or intense expressions to overwhelm you. You stay quiet because conflict feels dangerous. Their power feeds on your fear.

Different styles. Same outcome: you doubt yourself instead of questioning their behavior.

The moment you name the type, you take back your clarity.

Which one have you encountered most? Let me know in the comments. 👇

01/03/2026

It wasn’t an act of abandonment. It was an act of survival. ❤️‍🩹

No child grows up hoping to one day cut off the people who raised them. That decision doesn’t happen overnight. It happens after years—sometimes decades—of pain, invalidation, and survival mode.

As we grow, heal, and build our own lives, we realize that peace isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity. Sometimes, the healthiest choice is the hardest one: walking away.

If you’ve had to make this choice, know this: You didn't leave to hurt them. You left to save yourself. And that is valid.

Drop a "🤍" if you are prioritizing your peace this year.

12/30/2025

If the “New Year, New You” pressure leaves you feeling exhausted, not excited—this is for you. ❄️

We’re trying to force a massive rebirth in the middle of winter, while nature is hibernating and resting. No wonder we feel resistance—it’s not laziness, it’s being out of sync with the season.

What if January wasn’t for doing, but for dreaming?
You don’t have to launch a business or run a marathon on day one. You just have to plant the seed.

Give yourself permission to slow down. The year is long—you don’t have to win it in the first week.

If you want to approach 2026 with more grace and less pressure, I’m here to support you. 🌱

12/23/2025

Feeling the pressure to perform joy during the holidays?

We often mask our true emotions under the weight of expectations. After the festivities, that hollow feeling can set in. Discover more about managing holiday stress and being authentic in our latest blog post. Read it here: https://wix.to/EbI8f2Q

There is a specific moment I hear about constantly in my practice during December.It’s the moment you get back to your car after the family dinner, or the moment the last guest leaves your house. The door closes. The silence hits. And you don’t just feel tired.You feel hollow.You spent the last ...