Though they are rarely found in the chair itself, a certain kind of person can be found in every office, social circle, and therapy waiting room. They take care of things. Every one of them. They don’t ask for assistance—not because they don’t need it, but rather because they’ve never felt comfortable doing so. They sidestep compliments with a half-smile and personal inquiries with a topic shift that is so seamless you hardly notice it. They appear to be the most confident person in the room from the outside. The experience is much more complex from the inside out. When…
Author: Jack Ward
A certain type of restlessness appears in the quiet following a crisis rather than during one. There is nothing in the inbox. The challenging discussion has taken place. The project was completed, the deadline had passed, and the anxiety that had kept you up for three weeks had finally subsided. Then, almost instantly, something else takes over. It’s not a brand-new issue per se, but rather a low hum of discomfort with no way out. The mind continues to scan. Nothing is found. Nevertheless, it continues to scan. This is sometimes referred to by clinicians as “free-floating anxiety,” and it…
Imagine a Sunday afternoon sitting in a cozy apartment. Excellent work, a steady relationship, and no pressing issues. Nevertheless, they are getting up from the couch for the fourth time in an hour, pacing the kitchen, looking at their phone for no apparent reason, and unable to pinpoint the precise issue. There’s nothing wrong. That’s nearly the issue. Even when there isn’t a fire to put out or a problem to solve, the stillness itself feels like pressure, and there’s a hazy sense that something should be happening. In part because it sounds unappreciative, this experience is far more common…
There’s a certain type of tiredness that doesn’t appear on anyone’s face. Even though the apartment is neat, the bills are paid, and the relationship is good—possibly even great—something is still going on behind closed doors. I’m still looking. I’m still waiting for something to go wrong. It’s one of those things that is genuinely difficult to describe to someone who hasn’t experienced it. Everything appears to be in order from the outside. Living next to a generator that never fully shuts off is how it feels from the inside. It turns out that this is a remarkably typical occurrence.…
Typically, a different name is used to schedule the appointment, or a personal email address is used instead of the one that passes through the assistant. A private card is used for the billing. The location is chosen with the same consideration that goes into every other professional decision this person makes, whether it’s a telehealth session conducted from a hotel room or a parked car, or it’s a discreet private practice tucked into a building with multiple tenants. The therapy is genuine. The confidentiality is regarded as non-negotiable. This arrangement is not uncommon. The decision to seek mental health…
Some people stop taking their ADHD medication without telling anyone due to a specific type of reasoning. The adverse effects are now annoying. It seems natural to take a break during the holidays. The refill appointment hasn’t been set, and the prescription has expired. Or, most simply, someone decides they want to see how they fare without it. This is a reasonable impulse, but if it’s handled poorly, it could make the next week much worse than they anticipated. Surprisingly, many people believe that stimulant drugs like Adderall, Ritalin, or Concerta can be stopped without repercussions. It endures in part…
Usually, it begins quite simply. Something throws off the sleep cycle, such as a challenging workweek, a failing relationship, or the arrival of a new baby, and a doctor writes a brief prescription. Lunesta and Ambien. A benzodiazepine, occasionally. It’s a relief during the first few nights. You stop staring at the ceiling. The hours go by. And the issue appears to be resolved for a while. The part that is frequently overlooked during the ten-minute consultation, where the prescription was written comes next. Every year, the sleep medication industry brings in about $70 billion. According to estimates, one in…
After taking an antidepressant for a few weeks, some people experience something. The worst of the darkness may lift around the edges, causing the depression to slightly lessen. However, there’s also something else: a slight dizziness, a word that refuses to come out, a walk into a room that ends with no idea why. Not everyone experiences it. However, it occurs frequently enough that scientists are beginning to seriously consider the possibility that medications meant to benefit the brain may also, in some ways, harm it. In a nutshell, the answer is yes, occasionally, temporarily, for certain individuals. The longer…