Los Angeles Times For Your Mind

10/06/2024

"I used to live in a house, but now we live in a tent... Just like our home, my life is now a heap of black ashes.”

A year after the Oct. 7 attack that spurred the Gaza war, Israelis and Palestinians reflect. In their voices, they chronicle a devastating day, tragic year.

01/20/2024

He fought to protect food street vendors and became a powerful community activist in L.A. Now he's on trial. Did he go too far? The inside story of Edin Alex Enamorado.

Edin Alex Enamorado wages campaigns against people who mess with mobile food sellers hawking their goods on the streets of Los Angeles and elsewhere.

02/23/2023

Mood disorders are fairly common. An estimated 21.4% of adults in the U.S. have experienced depression, bipolar disorder or other similar conditions, according to a Harvard Medical School survey.

But frequency hasn’t translated into acceptance in the workplace, and finding sustainable employment can be challenging for those with mood disorders and other serious mental illnesses.

Read more at the link in bio.
🎨: Hanna Barczyk / For The Times

02/14/2023

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love. And no one deserves love more than you.

Self-care can look like indulging or pampering. If you want to celebrate yourself with a bubble bath or a massage, go for it. But self-care can also look like taking care of your mental health.

Read more at the link in bio.

12/15/2022

CAPTION:
We asked grievers: What do you wish people understood about grief, and specifically your grief, during the holidays? For people who lost loved ones, the holidays are full of complex feelings.

We Americans have very strange, and hurtful, societal “rules” around talking about grief, especially around the holidays. In short, the rule is: Don’t.

“I think part of what hurts so much in having our grief ignored is, we feel so isolated in that pain, all the while existing in a cruel ironic hellscape of jingle bells and avoidance where everyone around us is also hurting, missing that person too,” writes Jaclyn Cosgrove, assistant editor of mental health at The Times.

***If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, call 988. The hotline will connect callers with trained mental health counselors. Text “HOME” to 741741 in the U.S. and Canada to reach the Crisis Text Line.***

Read more at link in bio.
📸: Patrick Hruby / Los Angeles Times

#988

11/30/2022

The term “self-care” suggests the pursuit of physical and psychological health — a worthy endeavor in a society running full speed ahead, with burnout ever on the horizon. But over the last several years, the term has become more synonymous with shopping.

Since the pandemic has waned, more people have reassessed their self-care rituals, especially since many of their mainstays — the manicures, spa treatments, retreats — were inaccessible during lockdowns. A growing focus on mental health also inspired Americans to analyze whether Sephora shopping sprees are as helpful as advertised.

Read more at link in bio.
📸: Melanie Lambrick / For The Times

#988

10/05/2022

What place comes to your mind when you think about screaming into a void?

At a time when turning on your phone releases a fire hose of frustrations, screaming into a void may be a necessary act of self-care.

“As human beings, we have the power to find meaning anywhere, even in the emptiness, or especially in the emptiness,” says Rabbi Joey Rosenfeld, a licensed social worker and psychotherapist who has advised patients on how to work through their emotions by screaming (in appropriate settings).

What makes a good void for screaming? There are countless incredible vistas in Los Angeles, but we like a void to have an extra special ambiance, in addition to a dramatic view (and readily available parking). See the list of best places to scream at the link in bio.
📸: Kaylynn Kim / For The Times; Rachel Kraus; FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images; ;

#988 # traffic

09/27/2022

Mindfulness reduces stress and improves brain function. Practicing it in the car while stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic can help relieve that road rage.

“Getting in touch with our senses brings us into the present moment when we feel like we’re spiraling,” says Pauline Peck, a psychologist and yoga teacher.

Rather than ruminate on the past (the driver who cut you off five miles ago) or worry about the future (the appointment you might miss if traffic doesn’t clear up soon), mindfulness encourages you to focus on the present. And it pays off.

Read more at link in bio.
🎨: Illustration by Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times, photo via Getty Images

#988

09/27/2022

(8/9) Inspiration and mental health could mean many things to different people. What does inspiration and mental health mean to you?

At the very least, we hope our account and coverage help you on your mental health journey.

#988

09/16/2022

09/16/2022