Dr. Jen Smith

01/15/2022

New findings highlight the importance of focusing on the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders to reduce excess mortality in patients with eating disorders.

12/22/2020

The holidays can present difficult challenges for people in recovery from drug or alcohol use disorder. Here are some tips that can help

12/22/2020

Alcohol sales are high and Americans are drinking more during the pandemic. If you're thinking of cutting back or even taking a break, you're not alone. Life Kit talked to the experts about how to do that.

09/29/2020

Clinically diagnosed anxiety is not just being a bit worried, you can't just "chill out a bit" or "get over it". It eats into your well being, your confidence, your health and your life and it is 24/7. When someone cancels, or ducks out, or makes a pathetic excuse please understand that it isn't personal, it isn't laziness, it isn't being rude. It's because they can't physically do it. When someone needs supporting/encouraging/ hand holding it isn't pathetic, it isn't attention seeking, it isn't childish - it's because they are desperate to beat it but can't do it alone.
Anxiety is awful, being isolated and believing your friends don't care sucks even more 😢😢
How many of you have had a night out planned, or arranged coffee or a beer with friends and suddenly the 4 walls you inhabit seem the only safe haven because it's the only place you don't have to pretend you are ok, so you cancel.
Or when you are invited out you tell them how terribly sorry you are, but you're already booked up that weekend, when you are actually just really busy holding it together in your safe box.
So the first problem starts, all by itself.
People stop asking you and the isolation that at first wasn't true becomes your only truth.
Please don't give up on your friends. Ring them if they don't reply to a message. They really do want to talk, they just don't know how to say it some days.
And in work every passing comment is a negative, you constantly do more to get over the feeling you are not good enough. The exhaustion from not sleeping because you panic all night over what you cannot influence means you make mistakes, you live in a fog and it is a vicious circle.

Take the time to put this on your wall to help raise awareness of and for those who have mental health difficulties.

06/02/2020