We're excited to announce that Mely Sio, a dedicated Registered Provisional Psychologist and Canadian Certified Counsellor based in Calgary, Alberta, is proudly sponsoring Therapist Point's latest contest giveaway. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to making mental health support more accessible and breaking down barriers that prevent people from seeking the help they deserve.

About the Contest

Therapist Point is hosting a free giveaway contest with a $200 prize, running until March 15, 2026. Entering is simple—all participants need to do is provide their name, email, and location through the contest form on the Therapist Point website. No purchase is necessary, making this opportunity truly accessible to everyone who could benefit from mental health support.

The winner will have the chance to share their mental health journey through a brief, anonymous audio recording lasting approximately 10-15 minutes. While the winner's name will remain confidential, their city and state, along with the mental health provider they've worked with, will be shared to inspire others facing similar challenges. This initiative aims to reduce stigma, normalize conversations about mental health, and show that seeking therapy is a courageous step toward healing and growth.

Meet Mely Sio: A Compassionate Guide on Your Mental Health Journey

Mely Sio brings warmth, expertise, and genuine compassion to her counselling practice in Calgary. As a Registered Provisional Psychologist, Canadian Certified Counsellor, and Psychotherapist, Mely holds a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology (MACP) and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). With four years of dedicated experience, she has established herself as a trusted mental health professional who truly understands the complexities of human emotions and relationships.

What sets Mely apart is her collaborative and gently goal-focused approach. She works with individuals, couples, and families navigating relationship challenges, emotional stress, and life transitions. Whether clients feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck, Mely provides a safe, non-judgmental space where they can explore what's happening beneath the surface, strengthen communication skills, and better understand patterns affecting their relationships and overall well-being.

Comprehensive Services for Diverse Needs

At Msio Counselling, Mely offers a wide range of therapeutic services tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, ADHD, relationship issues, parenting challenges, grief, stress management, OCD, and support for women's issues. She also specializes in working with children, adolescents, teens, adults, and elders, making her practice truly inclusive across all life stages.

Mely utilizes evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy, Humanistic Therapy, Art Therapy, and Strength-Based interventions. This diverse toolkit allows her to customize treatment plans that resonate with each client's unique circumstances and preferences.

Accessible Counselling Options

Understanding that accessibility is crucial for effective mental health care, Mely offers both in-person sessions at her Calgary office and online counselling throughout Alberta and across Canada. This flexibility ensures that geographical barriers don't prevent anyone from receiving the support they need. Sessions are competitively priced at $150 for individual, couples, and group therapy, and Mely offers a free initial phone consultation to help potential clients determine if her services are the right fit.

Making an Impact Together

By sponsoring this contest, Mely Sio demonstrates her commitment to community mental health awareness and her belief that everyone deserves access to quality therapeutic support. Her partnership with Therapist Point amplifies the message that seeking help is not a sign of weakness but an act of courage and self-care.

Whether you're struggling with relationship dynamics, navigating life transitions, or simply seeking tools to improve your emotional well-being, Mely Sio and Msio Counselling offer the expertise, compassion, and support you need to move forward feeling more grounded, confident, and connected in your life and relationships.

Enter the contest today at therapistpoint.com/contest and take a step toward prioritizing your mental health journey.

Do you know someone who just can’t admit they’re wrong? Someone who refuses to take responsibility for errors, no matter the size? If you’re like me, you have at least one of these folks in your life. Maybe it is a friend, co-worker, or relative who seems incapable of uttering the words "I made a mistake." They may even double-down on an error and pick the most trivial, petty point to climb and die on. These personalities rarely pick their battles; when it comes to being right, they’ll argue about everything.

Of course, people who think they always right are sometimes wrong, like anyone else. It’s their relentless need to be seen as right that causes problems. Stubbornness is human nature, but the condition we’re talking about is more extreme than usual. When a person’s need to be right becomes part of their self-concept, trouble follows.

It's not just about facts, either. A person who believes they’re always right also views their actions as constantly correct.

Understanding what drives this behavior, how to navigate relationships with these individuals can be a big help for your mental health.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) 

I’m Right Because I’m Me and You’re Not

Not all people who have the need to be always 100 percent correct are diagnosable as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). NPD is a formally recognized condition with several aspects. Needing to be right all the time, every time, is one of the most prominent and distressing parts of NPD. It’s fair to say that every person with NPD I saw as a counselor believed they were always right, about facts, their actions, their beliefs, and was unable to admit to being wrong. 

It’s also accurate that most people who were incapable of admitting to error were not diagnosed with NPD. 
People with NPD construct an identity around superiority and infallibility. Admitting error threatens the flawless self-image they've carefully made up. If forced to admit error, they experience "narcissistic injury."

For someone with NPD, being wrong doesn't just mean making a mistake; it means confronting the possibility that they're not the special, superior person they believe themselves to be. 
This creates a mental crisis that their defense mechanisms won't allow. Instead, they'll engage in elaborate mental gymnastics: rewriting history, blaming others, moving goalposts, or outright denying reality.

The typical signs of

Inability to apologize genuinely

Lack of personal accountability

Turning their failures into someone else's fault

Becoming hostile or vengeful if contradicted

Gaslighting others who remember events differently

Requiring constant admiration

Requiring constant or near constant validation, compliments, praise

Viewing disagreement as personal attack

What makes NPD particularly difficult is that the person often lacks insight into their behavior. Their certainty feels justified to them because their entire mindset and self-concept depend on maintaining it.

The Difference Between Confidence and Pathological Certainty 

It's essential to distinguish between healthy confidence and pathological need for correctness. Confident people believe in their abilities and judgment, but they remain open to evidence, feedback, and new facts.

They can say "I was wrong about that" without their sense of self being affected at all. 
Pathological certainty, by contrast, is rigid and defensive. It's not born from genuine self-assurance but from deep insecurity that can't tolerate being exposed. Where confidence says "I believe I'm right, but I'm willing to listen," pathological certainty says, "I'm right, and any suggestion otherwise is an attack I must defeat."
Confident individuals welcome challenging conversations because they're secure enough to risk being wrong. They see mistakes as learning opportunities. Those with pathological certainty avoid genuine dialogue, preferring monologues where they can control the narrative. They see mistakes as existential threats.

The difference often becomes apparent in how people handle being proven wrong. Confident people may feel momentarily embarrassed but recover quickly, integrating new information. Those with pathological certainty escalate: they become angry, blame others, claim they were misunderstood, or insist the new evidence is flawed. The emotional reaction is out of proportion because what's at stake isn't just being right. For people who have to always be right, that ‘correctness’ is their whole identify.

The Psychological Roots of Needing to Be Right 

Understanding why some people develop this pattern requires looking at developmental psychology and early attachment experiences. The pathological need to be right typically emerges from childhood environments where:

Conditional love and approval were tied to performance and perfection. Children who learned that mistakes meant withdrawal of parental affection often develop adult personalities that can't tolerate being wrong.

Shame-based parenting taught that errors reflected fundamental personal deficiency rather than normal learning experiences. Being wrong became associated with being worthless.

Traumatic experiences of humiliation or powerlessness created adult compensatory mechanisms. Being infallibly right becomes a way to ensure they're never vulnerable or humiliated again.

Role modeling from parents who never admitted mistakes taught that admitting error is weakness rather than integrity.

Is It Always Narcissism? Other Personality Types That Struggle With Being Wrong

While NPD is the most recognized personality pattern associated with needing to be right, several other personality types display similar behaviors, often for different underlying reasons.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) Unlike NPD's grandiosity, OCPD-driven certainty stems from anxiety about disorder and incorrectness. These folks believe there's one right way to do things. Failing to do something the ‘right’ way feels deeply wrong and dangerous to them.
• Authoritarian personalities need to be right because they structure their world around hierarchies and clear rules. Admitting error feels like destabilizing the social order they depend on for psychological security. They often appeal to authority, tradition, or "how things have always been done" to avoid acknowledging mistakes.
• High-conflict personalities, a broader category that overlaps with but isn't limited to personality disorders, are characterized by persistent patterns of blame, all-or-nothing thinking, unmanaged emotions, and extreme behaviors. For these people, being wrong gets tangled up with their tendency to see situations in black and white and their difficulty managing their emotional responses to perceived criticism.
• Paranoid traits can also spawn certainty. People with significant paranoid tendencies may resist admitting error because they fear it will be exploited as weakness or because they genuinely believe others are trying to deceive or manipulate them.

Strategies for Dealing with People Who Always Need to Be Right 

Whether it's a boss, coworker, family member, or romantic partner, dealing with someone who can never be wrong requires specific strategies to protect your wellbeing while maintaining necessary relationships.

The Gray Rock Method is really effective with narcissistic people, whether they have full-blown NPD or not. This technique involves making yourself as boring and unreactive as possible, like a gray rock in a field. You provide no emotional engagement, keep responses brief and factual, and avoid sharing any personal information that could be used against you. 

The goal is to become so uninteresting that the person loses interest in you.

Choose your battles. Not every incorrect statement requires correction. Ask yourself: Does this actually matter? Will correcting this improve anything or just trigger conflict? Sometimes letting someone "win" an inconsequential point preserves your energy for issues that truly matter.

Use the "agree and redirect" technique. Instead of direct contradiction, acknowledge their perspective and gently introduce alternatives: "I can see why you'd think that. Another angle might be..." This reduces defensiveness while still offering different viewpoints.

Don't JADE (Justify, Argue, Defend, Explain). People who need to be right will use your explanations as ammunition. State your position or boundary once clearly, then stop engaging with challenges. "I've made my decision" or "That doesn't work for me" without elaboration.

After twenty-three years as an addiction counselor, I've sat across from hundreds of individuals whose lives have been dismantled by gambling. The chairs in my office have held successful businesspeople, college students, retirees, and single parents—all united by the devastating grip of an addiction that society often minimizes. Unlike substance abuse, gambling addiction leaves no physical scars until the damage runs deep. I've watched marriages dissolve, careers crumble, and futures evaporate. What haunts me most is the profound shame and isolation my patients carry, often hiding their addiction for years, believing they could win it all back with just one more bet. These are their stories, shared with permission, in hopes that someone reading might recognize themselves or a loved one and seek help before it's too late.

The Hidden Epidemic: Understanding the Scope

The statistics surrounding gambling addiction reveal how widespread this problem has become:

* Approximately 2 million adults in the United States meet criteria for severe gambling disorder annually, with another 4 to 6 million experiencing mild or moderate problems.

* Problem gamblers face suicide rates up to fifteen times higher than the general population.

* Average gambling debt ranges from $55,000 to $90,000 for men and around $15,000 for women.

* Only about 10 percent of people with gambling disorders ever seek treatment, leaving the vast majority suffering in silence.

Luther: The Trusted Comptroller Who Lost Everything

Luther came to me at fifty-four, referred by his attorney after embezzling $340,000 from the construction company where he'd worked as a comptroller for eighteen years. He'd been the trusted right hand of the owner, a childhood friend who'd given him the job when Luther's previous employer downsized. What started as occasional weekend trips to the casino became nightly online poker sessions, then sports betting throughout every game, every season, every league he could find. Luther described the progression with chilling precision: first he borrowed from his 401k, then maxed out credit cards, then took a second mortgage without telling his wife. When those dried up, he started "borrowing" from company accounts, always planning to replace it before anyone noticed. He'd win sometimes—once even $40,000 in a single night—but it all went back into betting, chasing the high of that win. By the time I met Luther, he'd lost everything: his job, his marriage, his relationship with his adult children who couldn't comprehend how their reliable dad had become a felon. He faced prison time, but what destroyed him more was his fifteen-year-old grandson's question at their last family gathering: "Grandpa, why did you steal?" Luther sat in my office, this gray-haired man in a suit that no longer fit his stress-thinned frame, and wept like I've rarely seen anyone weep.

Maria: From Caregiver to Casino Captive

Maria's story began differently but ended in similar ruin. At thirty-two, she was a ICU nurse, the person her family called when they needed help, the aunt who remembered every birthday, the daughter who visited her aging parents twice weekly. Bingo nights at the local church seemed harmless enough—social, fun, supporting a good cause. But when a friend introduced her to the slot machines at a nearby casino, something clicked in Maria's brain. The lights, the sounds, the near-misses that felt like almosts—she couldn't stop thinking about them during shifts at the hospital. Within months, she was calling in sick to spend entire days at the casino. She'd arrive when they opened and leave only when her money ran out, sometimes eighteen hours later, barely remembering to eat. Maria lost her nursing license after showing up to work sleep-deprived and making a medication error that, thankfully, didn't harm the patient. Her parents discovered she'd drained their savings account—they'd given her access to help them pay bills online. The worst part, she told me, was that even after losing her career and betraying her parents' trust, she still dreamed about the slots. The shame of stealing from her elderly parents, who'd immigrated and worked minimum wage jobs their whole lives to give her opportunities, was suffocating her.

James: When a Windfall Becomes a Curse

Then there was James, twenty-seven, who'd received a $200,000 settlement after a car accident left him with chronic pain. Fresh out of college with loans to pay and no clear career direction, he saw the settlement as breathing room. A roommate took him to a casino to celebrate, and James discovered he loved blackjack. He learned strategies, read books, convinced himself he had a system. For a while, he won consistently—enough to believe he could make this his income. He rented a luxury apartment, bought a sports car, picked up tabs for friends at expensive restaurants. When the losses started mounting, he increased his bets to recover faster. The $200,000 disappeared in fourteen months. James borrowed from everyone who'd lend to him, always promising it was temporary, that he had a sure thing coming. He stopped answering calls, avoided places he might run into friends he owed. By the time his parents insisted he get help, James was sleeping in his car, the luxury apartment and sports car long repossessed, and he'd attempted suicide twice. The pain from his accident remained, but now he carried additional weight: the knowledge that he'd squandered what could have been a fresh start.

Rebecca: Gambling Away Grief and Loneliness

Rebecca was sixty-eight when her husband of forty-two years died suddenly. They'd been comfortable—not wealthy, but secure. Retirement accounts, the house paid off, modest pensions. Without children, Rebecca found herself adrift in grief and loneliness. A seniors' bus trip to a casino seemed like innocent entertainment, a chance to be around people. The video poker machines became her companion, a place where she didn't have to think about going home to an empty house. Rebecca established a routine: arriving at the casino at ten a.m., playing until evening, eating the complimentary buffet, accepting the free drinks. The casino staff knew her name, treated her like family. It felt good to be somewhere she belonged. Over three years, she systematically gambled away her savings, her husband's life insurance, eventually putting a lien on the house. She'd wake up determined not to go, but by mid-morning, the isolation became unbearable and she'd find herself in the car, driving the familiar route. When the bank finally moved to foreclose, Rebecca's nephew intervened and brought her to treatment. She described gambling not as chasing money but as numbing unbearable loneliness—the machine's lights and sounds filling the void her husband left.

David: The Professor Who Didn't Think It Was Gambling

David's addiction manifested differently than most cases I've treated. At forty-one, he was a high-functioning professional, a university professor with tenure, happily married with three kids. He'd never set foot in a casino, but fantasy sports leagues consumed him. What began as a casual March Madness bracket became daily fantasy football, basketball, baseball—anything he could bet on. He'd spend hours researching statistics, convinced his knowledge gave him an edge. His wife noticed him staying up until three a.m. on his laptop, becoming irritable when interrupted, neglecting family activities. David insisted it wasn't gambling, it was skill-based gaming. He lost $80,000 in two years—much of it their children's college funds—before his wife discovered the extent during tax preparation. What struck me about David's case was his genuine shock that he fit the profile of a gambling addict. He'd convinced himself that because he never visited casinos, because he was wagering on skill-based outcomes, because he was educated and analytical, he was different. His intelligence had actually enabled deeper denial.

Finding the Path to Recovery

If you recognize yourself or someone you love in these stories, please know that help exists and recovery is possible. Gambling addiction is a recognized disorder with effective treatments including cognitive behavioral therapy, support groups like Gamblers Anonymous, and sometimes medication for co-occurring conditions. The National Council on Problem Gambling operates a twenty-four-hour helpline (1-800-522-4700) offering confidential support and referrals. Many treatment centers specialize in gambling addiction, and numerous therapists have specific training in this area. Financial counseling can help address the practical aftermath while therapy addresses the underlying issues. Every person I've described eventually found their way to recovery, though the path wasn't easy and the consequences of their addiction remained. What made the difference was asking for help, accepting the reality of their addiction, and committing to the difficult work of healing. The shame that keeps people suffering in silence is the addiction's greatest ally—breaking that silence is the first step toward freedom.

Gabapentin, originally developed as an anti-seizure medication, has become one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. Marketed under brand names like Neurontin and Gralise, this medication belongs to a class of drugs called anticonvulsants or antiepileptics. While initially designed to treat epilepsy, gabapentin has found widespread use in managing neuropathic pain, restless leg syndrome, and as an adjunct treatment for anxiety disorders.

A few facts
- Up to 68% of gabapentin misusers combine it with opioids to boost euphoric effects.
- Over 40 million gabapentin prescriptions were dispensed in 2022 up from 18 million in 2004
- Nearly 90% of gabapentin-detected overdose deaths also involved opioids, particularly fentanyl

Standard Use and Consumption

Under normal medical supervision, gabapentin is taken orally in capsule, tablet, or liquid form. The medication works by affecting calcium channels in the nervous system, which helps reduce abnormal electrical activity in the brain and alters pain signal transmission. Typical dosages range from 300mg to 3,600mg daily, divided into multiple doses throughout the day. The drug has a relatively good safety profile when used as prescribed, with common side effects including dizziness, drowsiness, and coordination problems.

Healthcare providers often prescribe gabapentin for off-label uses, including managing chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy, and post-herpetic neuralgia. Its calming effects have also made it popular for treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms and certain psychiatric conditions, though these applications remain controversial in some medical circles.

The Reality of Snorting Gabapentin

The question of whether gabapentin can be snorted reflects a concerning trend in prescription drug misuse. Technically, yes, gabapentin can be crushed and insufflated, but this method of administration comes with significant risks and little benefit. Unlike some medications that produce rapid, intense effects when snorted, gabapentin's bioavailability actually decreases when taken this way.

When gabapentin is consumed orally, it's absorbed through a specific transport system in the intestines that becomes saturated at higher doses. This saturation effect means that snorting the drug doesn't produce the enhanced or accelerated effects that users might expect. Instead, it often results in nasal irritation, potential damage to nasal passages, and unpredictable absorption rates.

The powder form of crushed gabapentin can cause severe irritation to mucous membranes, leading to nosebleeds, chronic congestion, and in some cases, permanent damage to nasal structures. Additionally, the inactive ingredients in gabapentin tablets, such as fillers and binding agents, are not designed for nasal administration and can cause further complications.

Real-World Experiences and Consequences

Emergency departments across the country have reported cases involving gabapentin misuse. Dr. Sarah Martinez, an emergency physician at a major metropolitan hospital, recalls treating a 28-year-old construction worker who had been snorting gabapentin for several months. "He came in with severe nasal congestion, frequent nosebleeds, and complained that the medication wasn't working for his chronic back pain anymore," she explained. The patient had progressively increased his dosage and changed his method of administration, leading to both physical complications and reduced therapeutic effectiveness.

Another case involved a 34-year-old woman who had been prescribed gabapentin for anxiety. After reading online forums suggesting that snorting the medication would provide faster relief, she began crushing her pills. Within weeks, she developed chronic sinusitis and had to be treated with antibiotics. Her anxiety symptoms actually worsened due to the inconsistent absorption and reduced effectiveness of the medication.

Addiction treatment centers have also noted an increase in gabapentin-related admissions. Michael Thompson, a counselor at a rehabilitation facility in Ohio, reports seeing patients who began misusing gabapentin after developing tolerance to their prescribed dosage. "Many don't realize that gabapentin can be habit-forming, especially at higher doses," Thompson notes. "We've seen people escalate from standard oral use to crushing and snorting, often in combination with other substances."

Research and Medical Evidence

Academic research has consistently shown that alternative routes of gabapentin administration offer no therapeutic advantage. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology by researchers at the University of Alabama examined the pharmacokinetics of gabapentin across different administration methods. The research demonstrated that intranasal administration resulted in lower peak plasma concentrations and reduced overall bioavailability compared to oral administration.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has identified gabapentin as an increasingly misused prescription medication, particularly in combination with opioids. Research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that gabapentin misuse was associated with higher rates of emergency department visits and overdose incidents when combined with other central nervous system depressants.

A comprehensive review conducted by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine analyzed emergency department data from 2013 to 2017 and found a 119% increase in gabapentin-related visits. The study noted that alternative administration methods, including insufflation, were associated with more severe adverse outcomes.

Medical Recommendations

Healthcare professionals universally advise against snorting gabapentin or any other prescription medication not specifically designed for nasal administration. The risks far outweigh any perceived benefits, and patients experiencing inadequate symptom control should consult their healthcare providers about appropriate dosage adjustments or alternative treatments.

For individuals struggling with gabapentin misuse, medical supervision during discontinuation is essential, as stopping suddenly can lead to withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, and in rare cases, seizures. Treatment programs specifically addressing prescription drug misuse are available and can provide comprehensive support for recovery.

The bottom line remains clear: gabapentin should only be used as prescribed, through oral administration, under proper medical supervision.

Stats Sources
- U.S. FDA & CDC
- Gabapentin prescriptions number U.S. 2004-2022 | Statista
- CDC

 Key Statistics on Porn Consumption and Addiction

• Prevalence of Porn Addiction: Approximately 3–6% of U.S. adults—equating to 7.7 to 15 million people—are estimated to struggle with pornography addiction. Maze of Love
• Regular Porn Usage: Over 40 million adults in the United States regularly engage with pornographic websites. Increditools
• Digital Footprint: Pornographic content constitutes approximately 35% of all internet downloads, indicating the vast amount of such material being stored and potentially hoarded. Increditools
• Daily Consumption Rates: Surveys indicate that 5–11% of individuals watch pornography daily, suggesting habitual usage patterns. Ballard Brief+1Wikipedia+1

The 5 Stages of Porn Hoarding

While hoarding is commonly associated with physical clutter, digital hoarding—especially of adult content—is a growing and often overlooked behavior. Here's a breakdown of how porn hoarding can evolve over time, based on the classic 5 stages of hoarding behavior: 

Stage 1: Casual Collection

"Just saving a few favorites..."

 

At this stage, behavior is socially typical. You might download or bookmark videos or images for offline access or easy retrieval. There’s a sense of control, no stress around the behavior, and your digital stash is neatly organized—maybe even curated like a playlist.

🔹 Sign to watch for: You find yourself thinking, “Why not save it? I might want it later.”

Stage 2: Growing Attachment

"This one’s too good to delete."

The collection grows. You begin saving more frequently—often downloading content “just in case.” You might not revisit most of it, but deleting anything feels like a loss. You may even start categorizing folders obsessively or backing them up to avoid losing them.

🔹 Sign to watch for: A reluctance to delete or even re-watch material you’ve saved months ago.

Stage 3: Compulsive Accumulation

"I need to keep this... and this... and this..."

Now the behavior becomes habitual. You’re downloading daily or hoarding from multiple sources, often duplicating similar content. You may start to notice it’s eating up hard drive space or cloud storage—but rationalize it as harmless. You rarely use most of what you’ve stored.

🔹 Sign to watch for: You spend more time collecting than actually viewing. Your collection grows faster than you can manage.

Stage 4: Disorganization and Distress

"I can’t find anything anymore..."

You’re overwhelmed. The folders are chaotic, and you can’t even locate specific content. There’s guilt or embarrassment, and you may hide your drives or files. You start to feel a loss of control, and the behavior begins interfering with your time, focus, or relationships.

🔹 Sign to watch for: Feelings of anxiety, shame, or frustration tied to your stash—and continuing to hoard anyway.

Stage 5: Digital Dependence

"I don’t know how to stop."

At this point, porn hoarding is compulsive and possibly addictive. You feel unable to stop despite negative consequences—wasting time, harming relationships, or damaging mental health. Attempts to clean up are abandoned, or you secretly start over. It may serve as a coping mechanism for stress, loneliness, or boredom.

🔹 Sign to watch for: You've tried to stop or reduce the behavior multiple times, but it always returns.

How to Stop Porn Hoarding

 

Stopping porn hoarding begins with acknowledging the behavior and understanding why it started in the first place. Start by setting clear boundaries for yourself—limit the amount of content you save and make a conscious effort to avoid downloading or bookmarking anything unnecessary. Consider seeking professional help if the urge to hoard feels compulsive or tied to deeper emotional or psychological issues, like loneliness or stress. Engaging in activities that build self-control—such as meditation, exercise, or hobbies—can help shift your focus away from the need to accumulate. Most importantly, go through your existing collection, evaluate what no longer serves you, and commit to deleting unnecessary content. Creating a healthy relationship with your digital consumption, just like with any habit, involves replacing unhealthy patterns with healthier, more fulfilling ones.

When was the last time you had a really good daydream? As a former therapist, it's a question I wish more therapists and counselors would ask clients. It turns out that daydreaming frequency may be a good barometer of mental health. In fact, daydreaming and creativity have similar cognitive and neural processes. Unfortunately, the lost art of daydreaming was lost precisely because society vilified it as an idle, lazy habit for far too long. 

If you're like me, you grew up with adults telling you to stop daydreaming. As a result, I have a reflexive habit of catching myself whenever I'm letting my mind trail off without being "productive." As texting and screens became a bigger part of my life, I would reach for my phone to check email or go over my calendar whenever I needed a break from a tough cognitive task. Meanwhile, I wondered why I constantly suffered from brain fog and decision fatigue. I was choosing distraction over daydreaming because I thought it made me a better person. I've learned since then.

What Is Daydreaming?

While often thought of as whimsical or childish, daydreaming is simply a mental process that involves our minds drifting toward internal thoughts and feelings. While some daydreams involve intricate imagined scenarios or fantasies, others are little pops of wistful or wishful thinking. The fun part about daydreams is that they can bring us to the past, the present, or a future that has not yet arrived! 

Unlike nighttime dreams that are dictated by subconscious and involuntary imagery, daydreaming keeps up in the driver's seat to craft and steer scenarios. That's why daydreams are generally pleasant, optimistic, and aspirational. Daydreams are also different from rumination and worry in this way. Let me go on a quick detour before circling back to more of the reasons why I'm pro daydream.

If you're curious about the impact of daydreaming on mental health because you feel plagued by excessive daydreaming, you may actually be dealing with something called maladaptive daydreaming. Also known as excessive daydreaming, maladaptive daydreaming happens when a person experiences excessive daydreaming that interferes with daily life.

Daydreams can be intense, disruptive, and unwanted. It can even feel like your mind is slipping into vivid, detailed daydreams that you get lost in with no sense of control. This is not the type of beneficial, therapeutic daydreaming I'm discussing. Maladaptive daydreaming is often a coping response to stress that needs to be worked through with a therapist. You may be more likely to experience maladaptive daydreaming if you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety disorder, depression, or a dissociative disorder.

One big reason why I believe we need to restore the art of daydreaming is that our busy, digitally driven lifestyles have contributed to a decline in daydreaming. One of the benefits of boredom historically is that it boosted human creativity.

While most of us can grasp what dreaming looks and feels like, we may not be aware of what's actually happening in the brain when this type of mental wandering takes place. Daydreaming is part of the brain's default network that includes regions more active during passive tasks compared to tasks that demand focused external attention. Daydreaming may provide much-needed mental breaks from boring, difficult, or tedious tasks. Daydreams can be like little brain "refreshers."

One study that looked at mental wandering's impact on creative incubation found that people who allow their minds to wander experience boosts in creative problem-solving. In addition, a 2015 study on mind wandering's role in forming alternative creative solutions found that participants who mind-wandered performed better on a creative task. Interestingly, this study found that mind-wanderers were able to access answers in a flash instead of needing to participate in methodical testing of different solutions.

More recently, researchers have been able to map brain activity during daydreaming spells. As part of a study published in 2023, researchers tracked activity of neurons in the visual cortex of the brains of mice while in a quiet waking state. What they found was that the neurons fired in patterns similar to the ones created when mice looked at actual images. Assuming that mice were thinking (daydreaming) about the image, researchers could then use those activity patterns to predict how the brain's response to the image would evolve over time. What this shows is that daydreams have the potential to shape the brain's future response to things it sees. For humans, this could mean that daydreaming has enormous implications for brain plasticity and the brain's ability to remodel itself in response to new experiences.

Daydreaming and Mental Health Benefits

Imagine any kind of spiritual or meditative practice that was shown to reduce stress and anxiety, boost problem-solving skills, and enhance creativity. Doctors, gurus, and all of your favorite celebrity influencers would surely be screaming about its benefits from the rooftops. Meanwhile, studies show that daydreaming actually does all of these things!

While research on exactly which parts of the brain come alive during daydreaming is still emerging, one thing we do know is that daydreaming utilizes diverse parts of the brain. Think of it like a workout that has your brain's executive problem-solving network and creativity network simultaneously pumping iron. In addition to strengthening individual areas of the brain, daydreaming can also help to strengthen communication and connection between different parts of the brain.

The Decline of Daydreaming

Why don't we daydream any longer? If you thought that daydreaming was simply something that fades away in adulthood, you may be a victim of the era you're living in. Unfortunately, many of us are in the habit of reaching for a screen during the times when generations before us would have simply allowed their minds to wander naturally. Just think of the scenario I'm about to share with you.

You're struggling to solve a problem at work. You rub your eyes, take a deep yawn, and look away from the computer screen you've been staring at for hours. Your mind is just about to "check out" for a moment when you're suddenly pulled back in by the "ding" of an email arriving in your inbox, a text alert on your phone, or a Facebook notification. Rather than following your mind to where it was about to lead you, you're now tapped into a long message or video. I call this daydream, interrupted.

So many of us don't have time to daydream because screens and technology are directing our streams of consciousness instead of allowing our brains to follow their own paths. In fact, it's so common nowadays for us to instinctively reach for our screens whenever there is a lull of any kind in our workflow. 

We are simply too distracted to daydream. What's more, digital distractions can act like a type of counterfeit daydream. We get the feeling that we "escaped" or "drifted off" from our task for a bit. However, we don't actually get the creativity boost or mind "refreshment" that we'd get if the parts of our brains associated with daydreaming were actually activated. We actually come back more fatigued.

How to Reclaim the Art of Daydreaming for Mental Health

Therapeutic daydreaming starts with giving our minds permission to wander. If you're struggling to daydream, chances are high you're not giving yourself the space to do it. Consider these questions: 

●     Were you chastised for daydreaming or "not paying attention" by teachers or parents as a child? You may be so convinced that "good" kids don't waste time daydreaming that you instantly distract yourself with something that feels more productive whenever you begin to feel your mind wander.

●     Do you logistically have opportunities to daydream? Let's think about turning off alerts on your phone or logging off from email when we decide it's time for a brain break.

●     Do you feel fundamentally uncreative or unimaginative because you're not letting play into your life? When was the last time you read a book just for fun or did a puzzle? By bringing more play into our lives, we can activate creative areas of the brain that can make daydreams more vivid and useful.

If daydreaming isn't happening organically, consider using some prompts. For example, push away from your work desk for just a minute to picture where you'd travel if you could anywhere in the world, think of what it would be like to suddenly pop into a scene from a movie you recently saw, or simply picture a painting you love to see where your mind takes you. Don't be surprised if you suddenly have answers to problems or creative strategies for work that have nothing to do with your actual daydream scenario when you pop back into reality.

Consider This Your Permission to Daydream

If you're in a creative, mental, or problem-solving rut, consider this your permission to take a mind break to dive into a daydream. In my experience as a therapist, daydreaming provides many of the mental health and neuroplasticity benefits of play that we enjoyed as kids. It all adds up to daydreaming being much better for your mental health than the digital distractions we've all come to rely on instead. 

Before we discuss whether ketamine therapy gets your "high," it's worth noting that around 2% of U.S. adults have tried ketamine at least once in their lifetime (ABC News, 2023).

Over the recent years, Ketamine therapy has emerged as a promising treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain; especially for those who haven't had signs of success to conventional treatments. However, prior to it being given by licensed prossionals, its origins began as a recreational drug (often referred to as "Special K"), it was illegal and usually purchased from someone who had a connection to a vet as it was easier back then to get it since they didn't account for it as they do today.

What Is Ketamine?

Ketamine was developed in the 1960s as a fast-acting anesthetic. In medical settings, it has been widely used in operating rooms, emergency departments, and battlefield medicine because of its safety profile. In recent decades, research has uncovered its profound impact on neuroplasticity and mood regulation, leading to its use in mental health therapy.

Ketamine Case Study

We spoke with a recent Ketamine Therapy patient that also used it as a recreational drug in the early 2000's to ask his experiences on the difference between recreational and therapy.  He shared that his two favorite drugs back then were Ecstasy and Special K, often used in party settings for their euphoric and dissociative effects. He used to pop Ecstacy pills and snort the Ketamine. Ecstasy was much stronger on the body, creating intense physical sensations and emotional highs, but also came with harsh comedowns and lingering exhaustion.

In contrast, Ketamine felt more introspective and surreal, with less physical toll but a deeper psychological impact. Regardless, he said that snorting Ketamine alone got your really high; almost a floating numbing sensation, but also as if you were in a cartoon setting that had feelings of euphoria & hallucinations.  If you snorted too much, you would go into what they call the black hole where everything around you turns black and you can't see. This effect usually last several minutes give or take. He's heard of some cases of friends that took way too much where parts of their body such half their face become permanently numb or partially numb. 

It's now been 20 years later and he started taking Ketamine treatment from a licensed physician which is not given in form of powered to snort, but it's now administered via IV Infusion, IM Injection, Lozenges/Troches (oral), or Nasal Spray (esketamine/Spravato).   This is now done in a much more controlled environment from how it's administered to the amount you get.

Doses are lower-to-moderate, carefully titrated to induce a state where the brain becomes more plastic and open to therapy; not to “trip". 

After being on this treatment for two months, he has confirmed significant improvements in his mood, clarity, and ability to process long-held emotional trauma without the crazy highs and down effects of recreational use.

What Do the Stats Say?

- According to a 2022 systematic review in The American Journal of Psychiatry, up to 70% of treatment-resistant depression patients showed significant improvement after just one ketamine infusion.

- The FDA-approved esketamine (Spravato) nasal spray has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression within hours, with 68% of patients responding positively in trials.

- A 2021 survey of 1,247 patients in ketamine-assisted therapy found that less than 5% reported euphoric or "high-like" feelings as their main experience; most described it as "introspective," "emotionally intense," or "mystical."

How Is Safety Maintained?

Medical ketamine therapy is performed under strict supervision:
- Medical screening before treatment
- Monitoring of blood pressure and heart rate
- Post-session integration therapy to help process the experience

Final Thoughts

So, does ketamine therapy get you high? Not in the way you might think. While some of the dissociative effects may resemble a "high," the therapeutic setting, dosage, and intent are vastly different. Ketamine therapy isn't about escapism—it's about healing.

As with any treatment, it's important to consult a qualified provider and consider your medical history. Ketamine therapy isn't right for everyone, but for many, it's a transformative step toward better mental health.

While reading this, I wonder—has part of you already been tempted to pick up your phone, even just for a second? Maybe you glanced at it, thought about checking a notification, or felt that familiar itch to scroll. If so, you’re not alone.

Navigating Sensory Overload in a Constantly Connected World

We live in a world of sensory overload. The TV is on in the background, you’ve read the news on your phone 14 times today, and by the time you’ve taken your first sip of coffee, you’ve already checked Instagram at least eight times. Sound familiar?

This isn’t about shaming anyone—this is simply how most people function in today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world. But what does this constant mental stimulation do to us in the long run?

The Cost of Constant Stimulation

It’s no surprise that studies keep showing how we are more anxious than ever. Our brains are in overdrive, constantly processing new information without a break. Every notification, every quick dopamine hit from social media, wires our brains to crave more stimulation. We’re always plugged in, always consuming, always “on.”
None of this is shocking, I’m sure. But here’s the real question: Have you ever actively tried to combat this? We prioritize learning, growth, and productivity, but what happened to simply being? When was the last time you sat in silence, without a screen, without background noise, without feeling the need to “do” something?
The Power of Boredom

I get it—you’re busy. You have responsibilities, deadlines, and goals. The idea of doing nothing might feel lazy, impractical, or even anxiety-inducing. But here’s the reality:
Our brains need boredom.

Allowing ourselves to be bored—even just for a little while—has powerful benefits:
• Boosts creativity – Ever notice how your best ideas come when you’re in the shower or on a walk? That’s boredom at work.
• Reduces overwhelm – Constant stimulation keeps our stress levels high. Quiet moments allow us to reset.
• Increases self-awareness – When we stop distracting ourselves, we create space for reflection and deeper connection with our thoughts and emotions.

Reclaiming Mental Space

We’ve become so used to constant stimulation that silence can feel uncomfortable—even unsettling. But in reality, boredom isn’t the enemy; it’s an opportunity. Think of our ancestors, for example.
Back in the caveman days, survival was the priority—finding food, securing shelter, and ensuring safety. But once those basic needs were met, they likely rested, sat by the fire, or simply existed. Sure, they had their own worries, but they weren’t caught in an endless cycle of doing.
Compare that to today: we eat one meal while already thinking about the next, scrolling through three different recipes we might never make. We’re always planning, consuming, and moving onto the next thing, rarely allowing ourselves a moment to just be.

Instead of filling every free moment with screens, noise, or distractions, try creating space for stillness:
•Leave your phone behind on a short walk and let your mind wander.
•Sit in silence for a few minutes without music, TV, or podcasts playing in the background.
•Resist the urge to check your phone the next time you’re waiting in line or have a quiet moment.

At first, it might feel strange. But over time, you’ll notice a shift—more clarity, more creativity, and a sense of calm that comes from simply being. Boredom isn’t a void to fill; it’s a space for our minds to breathe—just as they’re meant to. Maybe it’s time we give ourselves that gift back and let go of that urge to constantly be doing.

If you’ve been feeling increasing uncertainty over the last few months or so, you’re not alone. The US is on the verge of a national panic attack. Anxiety is raging in the country because of many situations, not the least of which includes the political furor following the re-election of Donald Trump. Increasing costs of living, an unusual upturn in natural disasters, and fears of international conflict are all throwing gasoline on the fires of worry and stress.

It’s reasonable for all of us to be concerned, but for many of us, natural levels of concern are shading into a fixation on bad news. Bad social media habits aren’t helping.

Doomscrolling, endlessly scrolling through negative news online, has become the norm instead of the exception. Even if you haven’t heard of doomscrolling, you may be doing it.

How Does Doomscrolling Start?

Flipping through your news feeds on social media and being exposed to upsetting information isn’t quite the same thing as doomscrolling. A person who’s doomscrolling pays significantly more attention to negative news and comes to seek it out compulsively. Before long, a doomscroller considers only distressing information to be important.

None of this disaster-focused behavior is deliberate. No one sets out to turn themselves into a doomscroller. It happens for a variety of reasons which all people may be vulnerable to.

For instance, there’s the perception that facing our fears makes us stronger, and that’s true. However, the point of confronting what scares us is to diminish its power over us. Doomscrolling does the opposite. People feel less and less capable of coping the more they sift the news for the worst possible information.

Another contributor to focusing on scary events and situations is the idea that forewarned is forearmed. By knowing more about what’s going on, we may feel like we can exert some control over the situation, and that’s often true; the more you know about high-impact situations that may affect you, the more you can do to avoid or soften any blow that might be coming your way.
However, this only works if you really can control a situation. Much of what we see in our social media feeds is not within our ability to control, at least not completely.

Again, the point of making yourself aware of situations that might affect you is to empower yourself to survive and thrive, not scare yourself into passivity.

Finally, fear of missing out—the dreaded FOMO—compels many of us to soak up nightmare fuel from social media simply because everyone we know is likewise acting compulsively.

Doomscrolling and US Politics

National interest in politics has steadily increased since 2016, which would be great…except for all the doomscrolling. The general election of 2024 had a bigger turnout than any other in over a century, and the 2024 election was not far behind. Obviously, the rise of Donald Trump’s star in national politics has roiled the news and continues to do so. Every day there’s a new and potentially life-affecting change or changes coming from the White House and the new  disruptor-in-chief.

Naturally, social media latches onto these electric topics and spins them—and never positively. You’ve probably heard “If it bleeds it leads,” and social media is no different. Bad news makes a splash and gets clicks and these days, it’s not just political junkies who take the doomscrolling hit.

Breaking the Doomscrolling Cycle

Doomscrolling can be changed or eliminated, like any other bad habit. These are just a few ways to stop looking for the worst:

●     Set and observe boundaries with technology: Don’t try to eliminate all your social media use—going “cold turkey” is a sure way to fail. Instead, moderate your time spent on social media and news. Also, set a few guidelines for yourself—no news media or any other source of doomscrolling within an hour of bedtime, for example.

●     Challenge yourself by asking questions: When you doomscroll, ask yourself how the information you’re taking in will help you. Can you change the situation? Can you take action that will reduce your risk of harm from whatever it is? If the information doesn’t empower you or fuel your contentment, ask yourself if not knowing it would affect your life.

●     Be mindful of your media consumption: Doomscrolling is like eating snacks—once you start, it’s easy to keep on consuming; thinking is not required. When you’re using your media feeds, pause when you move from story to story and wait a few seconds before moving to the next. These pauses can help you pay attention to why you’re scrolling.

Conclusion

Doomscrolling is the compulsive consumption of the most disturbing parts of social media while scrolling through one’s feeds. It aggravates depression and anxiety while increasing feelings of helplessness. Doomscrolling can be eliminated by behavior modification while making and following healthy boundaries for media consumption.

Works Cited

Blades, R. (2021, March 22). Protecting the brain against bad news. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal, 193(12), E428–E429. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.1095928

Carr, D. (2020, June 29). What is doomscrolling? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-doomscrolling-5088882

Cleveland Clinic. (2024, July 17). Everything you need to know about doomscrolling (and how to avoid it). Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/everything-you-need-to-know-about-doomscrolling-and-how-to-avoid-it