The hottest Mental health Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

Well Being: Selective Serotonin‑ReUptake Inhibitors (SSRI)

Who is Robert Malone • 14 implied HN points • 22 Nov 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. SSRIs are widely prescribed for mental health issues, but they can cause serious side effects like sexual dysfunction that aren't always discussed with patients.
  2. Many women, especially those who are single, take SSRIs, and there's a growing concern about how this affects their children, including higher rates of depression in kids exposed to SSRIs during pregnancy.
  3. Instead of relying on pills, we should focus on social connections, community support, and traditional values to help improve mental health.

Meditation as Wakeful Relaxation: Unclenching Smooth Muscle (26/30)

psychotechnology • 12 implied HN points • 27 Nov 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Relaxation and wakefulness can coexist: training “wakeful relaxation” means coordinating mind and body to release tension, which makes you less reactive and reduces anxious mental looping.
  2. Patterns of muscle tension—especially in vascular smooth muscle—act as bodily “stances” that stabilize certain feelings and thoughts, and persistent smooth‑muscle latches can shape experience with relatively low energy cost.
  3. You can work to unclench these latches through targeted practices like ultra‑slow body scans, deliberate clench‑release cycles, and heat/cold exposure, using attention to track and loosen latched tissues.

Is the Future Analog?

The Analog Family • 179 implied HN points • 03 May 23
🎭️ Culture Mental health
  1. After the pandemic, many people realized they prefer face-to-face interactions over digital ones. It showed us how important real-world connections are in our lives.
  2. There is a growing need to value 'analog' activities, like going outside and spending time with family, instead of relying on screens. Simple joys can bring happiness, especially after being stuck on devices for so long.
  3. Parents play a key role in guiding children away from screens. It's important to encourage kids to enjoy outdoor activities and connect with others without devices, helping them learn to live without relying on technology.

Raising humanity's psychological ceiling

Building the Builders • 10 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Ambitious founders and creators face distinct, intense psychological challenges that typical mental health services don't address.
  2. Their goals demand higher-order psychological skills—like fresh unfettered thinking, emotional self-management, earned self-trust, and disciplined focus—that go beyond standard therapy and self-help tools.
  3. Building better, scalable psychological support for these people is both fair and high-impact, because healthier, wiser builders can create more beneficial technologies and raise the overall human ceiling.
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Progress Not Perfection: Leveraging Resolutions to Change Your Life

Perspectives • 6 implied HN points • 01 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Resolutions work when you turn them into small, consistent habits that pile up over time to create big change.
  2. Make goals doable: pick tiny, anchored actions, track them, seek accountability, and shape your environment so the right choice is the easy choice.
  3. Aim for progress, not perfection — stick with new actions long enough (roughly a couple months) and iterate year to year to build lasting change.

All self-help advice ever, distilled into ten sentences

andrewglynch • 6 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Your time is limited, so decide what matters and ruthlessly prioritize those things because you can’t do everything.
  2. You are the only person who can change your life, so take responsibility and start doing the things you already know you should. Begin with the basics: regular exercise, good sleep, and a decent diet.
  3. Change your environment and who you spend time with to make big changes faster, and drop self-limiting beliefs. Success is not a single event but a steady process of doing the boring fundamentals well, over and over.

Friday Q&A: binge eating; probiotics; talking to teen boys about food; & the Mediterranean diet

Are You Okay? • 99 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Identify triggers for binge or restrict urges, practice mindfulness, distract yourself, practice self-compassion, seek professional help if needed
  2. Consider consuming more probiotics like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, feed your microbes with prebiotics, avoid antibiotics, reduce processed foods and sugar intake
  3. Approach conversations with teens about food and body image with sensitivity and empathy, focus on health not weight, choose the right time and place to discuss, lead with curiosity, offer support and resources

Rediscovery Of The Obvious

Weekly Wisdom • 99 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. The breakdown and recovery of human connection is a complex process involving biological, psychological, and social factors.
  2. Connection can be categorized into three main areas: self, other, and world, each presenting unique challenges and opportunities for growth.
  3. Connecting with oneself involves lovingly witnessing and accepting one's thoughts, feelings, body, and behavior, which can be facilitated by practices like mindfulness, meditation, journaling, and artistic pursuits.

4-quarters mind hack 🕑

10x your mind • 99 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. The 4 Quarters Method suggests dividing your day into four parts, allowing you a fresh start every quarter.
  2. Assign key tasks and activities to each quarter based on your energy levels and priorities for better time management.
  3. By structuring your day into quarters, you can efficiently tackle obstacles and turn each quarter into a success.

When In Doubt...

Weekly Wisdom • 99 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Doubting ourselves can be beneficial as it helps us be more cautious, avoid mistakes, and blend in social situations.
  2. Self-doubt can serve as a protective mechanism to conserve energy and maintain a positive self-identity.
  3. Many people may have creative aspirations but are held back by their own doubts, contributing to a majority of individuals consuming content rather than creating it.

Spring Cleaning Season

Mindset Mastery • 98 implied HN points • 01 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. The author is going through a big life and career change, experimenting with adding people to their business, and transitioning from a solo-preneurial venture to running their business more like an agency
  2. Financially, the experiment is successful, but emotionally, the author is navigating complex feelings about safety, support, scarcity, control, and mistakes
  3. The author's older, wiser self advises to stay the course, emphasizing that this transition is significant for growth and emotional well-being, even if it feels uncomfortable

The Speed of Thought

The Good Life • 98 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. When communicating, make space for deep thinkers to share their thoughts
  2. Don't let fast thoughts dominate your mind - make room for deep, slow thoughts too
  3. Engage in activities like walking or writing to slow down and allow deep thoughts to surface

Burned.

Finding Joy • 98 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Burnout is a serious issue that has negative consequences for individuals, businesses, and the public.
  2. Burnout manifests through emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished sense of personal accomplishment.
  3. To address burnout, individuals can set boundaries, prioritize sleep, pause, say no, make friends outside of work, delegate, and disconnect; while organizations can engage with empathy, set an example, connect people to purpose, provide autonomy, avoid recreating pain, support employee wellbeing practically, and invest in good leadership.

What happened to the kids told 'not to kill Granny'?

CIEO • 98 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Lockdowns had significant negative effects on children, including impacts on education, mental health, and social wellbeing.
  2. The pandemic led to a rise in mental health problems among children, such as eating disorders and self-harm.
  3. Children were burdened with sacrifices during lockdown to protect vulnerable adults, with little consideration for their own needs and well-being.

Let's Talk About Not Talking

Iterare • 98 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Silence is powerful and can have positive impacts on our health and cognitive abilities.
  2. Silence plays a critical role in communication, conveying respect and agreement.
  3. Reframing boredom and embracing silence as moments of possibility and inspiration can help us appreciate its benefits.

16. Refine Your Conscientiousness with Expanded Awareness

Insight Axis • 98 implied HN points • 09 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Conscientiousness is one of the Big Five personality traits, describing traits like carefulness and diligence.
  2. Expanded Awareness can boost positive traits of conscientiousness, like diligence, and diminish negative traits, like perfectionism.
  3. By expanding awareness, you give yourself the option to consciously choose actions, directing your diligence with finer aim.

15. How can Expanding Awareness Boost Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Insight Axis • 98 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and emotions, choosing valued directions, and taking meaningful actions, different from traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
  2. ACT aims to improve psychological flexibility through de-fusion, acceptance, presence, observing the self, values, and committed action.
  3. Incorporating Alexander Technique (Expanded Awareness) with ACT involves modifying acronyms like FENCE and PEACE to enhance awareness, acknowledge emotions, and engage in activities mindfully.

The Self-Destruct Button

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 7 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Mental health
  1. Everyone has a self-destruct button and can self-sabotage, so avoid putting yourself in tempting or risky situations that make it easy to act on impulses.
  2. Reputation and conscience matter more than money because secrets are exhausting and guilt lasts longer than any short thrill, so protect your reputation by living honestly and openly.
  3. Build unassailable character by refusing short-term pleasures that carry big costs and following basic ethical principles in both personal and professional life.

Social media and kids' mental health- An update

Your Local Epidemiologist • 385 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Strong bipartisan statements on harms of social media use among children and teens were made during a recent congressional hearing.
  2. Parents of children impacted by social media showed up in large numbers at the congressional hearing, highlighting the severity of the issue.
  3. The public health data presented at the congressional hearing will hopefully lead to meaningful and necessary changes regarding social media use among kids and teens.

My journey from ADHD skeptic to Adderall enthusiast

Building the Builders • 38 implied HN points • 16 Aug 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. ADHD is often misunderstood and can lead to feelings of shame about one's abilities. Understanding it as a real condition can help people realize they are not lazy or weak-willed.
  2. Adderall can significantly improve focus and executive function for those who need it, helping them achieve their goals and maintain their attention over time.
  3. It's important to think of ADHD not just as a diagnosis, but as a way to understand your brain's functioning. This perspective can empower individuals to take control of their lives and use tools like medication effectively.

A One-Minute ADHD Test (23/30)

psychotechnology • 12 implied HN points • 24 Nov 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. There’s a six-question ADHD screener you can do in about a minute, and scoring 4 out of 6 is a strong reason to seek a full clinical assessment because the test has very high specificity but misses about a third of true cases.
  2. With adult ADHD prevalence around 5%, a 4/6 score translates to roughly an 87.5% chance you actually have ADHD, so a positive result is meaningful rather than likely a false alarm.
  3. ADHD is often highly treatable; stimulant medications help 70–90% of people and can greatly improve quality of life, and there are non‑stimulant options if stimulants aren’t suitable, so getting assessed can be life‑changing.

True Security and the Lie of Never Enough

Risk Musings • 515 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Society often makes us feel like we never have enough, pushing us to seek more in the name of security.
  2. True security comes from forging and nourishing real connections with others, not just accumulating resources.
  3. Accepting uncertainty, embracing connections, and enjoying the journey are key to finding true security in life.

Hey, Aren't We Supposed to Be Hibernating Right Now?

OK Doomer • 136 implied HN points • 02 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Motivational marketing is coming, trying to get us to work harder and spend money. Be ready for advertisements about fitness, side hustles, and investments.
  2. Many people experience seasonal affective disorder during winter, making them crave comfort food and feel less motivated. This is just a natural response to the cold months.
  3. Hibernation is a survival tool that has helped some mammals endure tough conditions. It's not a disorder but an evolutionary advantage for some species.

Understanding Human Personality

Mind & Mythos • 319 implied HN points • 17 Aug 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Personality describes who people are and can change over time or in different situations. It's not just about traits, but also about how people can act differently under various circumstances.
  2. The Five Factor Model (FFM) outlines five major traits—Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness—which help us understand how personality affects our actions and relationships.
  3. Cybernetic Big Five Theory explains how our personality traits drive our goals and behaviors. It shows how feedback from our environment helps us adapt and achieve what we need.

Invisible Duels

Working Theorys • 152 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Mental health
  1. Invisible duels happen when we compare ourselves to others, even if we never agreed to compete. We end up feeling threatened by their success, which harms our self-worth.
  2. These duels are often fueled by social media, where we constantly see others' achievements and feel pressured to measure up. This can lead to anxiety and distraction from our own goals.
  3. To escape these invisible duels, we need to focus on ourselves and what we truly want. Making others less significant and finding our own direction is key to breaking free.

Wonder...

Notes in the Margins • 19 implied HN points • 13 May 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Don't let buzzkills steal your wonder and awe; it can combat anxiety and stress.
  2. Engage in activities like Wonder Walks to awaken feelings of wonder and awe.
  3. Choose to ignore negative people and continue sharing moments of wonder to combat tough times.

Family Curses Are Real

Atlas of Wonders and Monsters • 508 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Family curses may not be supernatural, but can persist through generations via genetics and culture.
  2. Breaking hereditary curses can be challenging, as they involve genetic diversity and avoiding inbreeding.
  3. Diversity, both genetic and cultural, can help mitigate the impact of family curses and prevent their perpetuation.

My meditation teacher, Roger Thisdell (21/30)

psychotechnology • 12 implied HN points • 22 Nov 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. A pragmatic, technical coach teaches Vipassana and frames enlightenment as a non-mystical psychological and phenomenological phase shift.
  2. This approach suits independent, non-religious practitioners who want skill-focused guidance rather than a spiritual master or a community, and it's not a substitute for professional mental-health treatment.
  3. He is open to discussing drugs and cognitive enhancers as tools to accelerate insight while emphasizing meditation's specificity, and he offers income-adjusted sliding-scale pricing for sessions.

Confessing I've Become a Cliché

DruGroup • 159 implied HN points • 04 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Mid-life crises can feel pretty cliché, like making random life changes or picking up new, quirky hobbies. It's common to feel like your life has become predictable or typical as you get older.
  2. Health challenges can drastically change how we view life and our priorities. Going through pain can lead to a deeper appreciation for health and a renewed sense of purpose.
  3. Finding your identity can be a journey, especially after facing tough times. It’s important to explore what drives you and what passions still resonate, even in the second half of life.

Friday Q&A: On Ozempic; Alcohol; Hormones & Breast Cancer; & How to Ask for Help

Are You Okay? • 119 implied HN points • 10 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health
  1. Ozempic is a useful tool for managing weight, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. Other treatment modalities should be considered alongside medication.
  2. The discussion around health effects of alcohol can be nuanced - not all recommendations apply universally to everyone.
  3. It's important to approach weight loss and health in a holistic way, considering various factors like societal, genetic, hormonal, behavioral, nutritional, and psychological influences.