Mental Health

There is a scientific reason why we often freeze during a traumatic experience. It's the brain's way of protecting us in the moment. But what happens when this becomes a way of life?

By Alison Kim Perry

Secrets are powerful. Revealing them can end years of guilt, destroy lives -- or both. If it's time to spill the beans, take some time to plan for the fallout.

By Kevin P. Allen

There are times when a friendship is put to the ultimate test. If you suspect your friend, relative or peer is being abused, there are steps you can take to help.

By Kevin P. Allen

Confident people aren't born, they're made, and we've got the tips to get you on your way to building your own self-confidence.

By Sara Elliott

What you don't know can't hurt you, right? Maybe not. Studies show secrets may actually be harmful to both those keeping them -- and those they're keeping them from.

By Terri Briseno

We can't always avoid traumatic events in our lives, but we can heal from them. That's the idea behind crisis intervention.

By Robynne Boyd

Discovering that you're pregnant while battling addiction is scary, but you're not alone. Find out how to get the help that you and your baby need.

By Laurie L. Dove

Research shows that when we've had too little sleep, our brain activity makes us overly optimistic, so we make some bad choices.

By Tom Scheve

Despite a pathological attachment to things they can't stop collecting or discard, hoarders are stressed by their clutter and its effect on their lives.

By Alia Hoyt

The statistics are alarming: According to the World Association of Sleep Medicine, about 45 percent of the world's population isn't getting enough sleep.

By Tom Scheve

My brother and I were watching a television show and a character got bonked really hard on the head. All of a sudden the guy couldn't remember a thing -- not his name, where he lived or even the lady he was married to. What happened? Is this amnesia?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Cerebral edema is a condition where the brain's water content increases, causing the pressure inside the skull to rise. Learn more about cerebral edema from this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

From the Bouvier Beales to the Collyer brothers -- some hoarding cases are so notorious, they're remembered decades after the fact. What were five of the most famous?

By Jessika Toothman

Helping a hoarder doesn't mean spending a long weekend with a box of trash bags and gloves. Instead, being part of the solution takes a light, nonjudgmental touch.

By Julia Layton

Can you inherit compulsive hoarding disorder from a parent? The answer is, you guessed it, complicated, and it starts with an understanding of genetics.

By Julia Layton

Keeping up with the Joneses may be easier if you follow their tweets, but what if your boring life pales in comparison? Some experts warn against trying to match the exploits of your seemingly perfect online pals. But can it really be depressing?

By Marianne Spoon

When most people think about addictions, they think about alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. Some addictions, though, are common behaviors that people just can't control. Did you know you could have an addiction and not even realize it?

By Caitlin Uttley

While some celebrity meltdowns are the result of ego or eccentricity, others are the result of something deeper. Here, we've pulled together a list of famous meltdowns that may have had roots in mental illness or drug and alcohol addiction.

By Maria Trimarchi

Clinical data suggests that food allergies can cause ADHD. Learn whether food allergies can cause ADHD in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

In the home of a hoarder, piles of trash might reach the ceiling, and stacks of newspapers so crowd the kitchen that cooking is impossible. Sleeping, eating and bathing may take place in such clutter that health suffers. How can hoarders get help?

By Julia Layton

If you've seen Stephen King's "It" and developed a fear of clowns, you're not alone. With 9 percent of Americans suffering from phobias, your clown avoidance is just the tip of the iceberg. So what else has 20 million of us shaking in our boots?

By Maria Trimarchi

If you suffer from clinical depression, it probably feels as though it will never go away. But for some people, this debilitating psychological illness does have a cure. Just don't expect a miracle drug.

By Jessika Toothman

Although unpleasant, nightmares are essential to our dreams. They aren't as straightforward as they seem, but there are several common nightmares most of us experience.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd. & Victoria Plummer

We all know that a sleepless night can make us cranky in the morning. But did you know the other effects of sleep deprivation are far more serious than dark circles under your eyes and a short temper?

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd. & Victoria Plummer

From infancy until our last days, our minds constantly produce dreams while our bodies are at rest. But, what exactly are dreams, and why do we have them?

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd. & Victoria Plummer