When to take a mental health day and when to seek professional help? In this video, my colleague Lyssandra Guerra and I discuss when to seek professional support, and how to notice signs and symptoms.

For many of us, self-injury can carry significant shame and guilt: the feelings and the scars don’t go away, at least not for good. The act of self-injury can feel like a comfort, even an old friend, and serves a seemingly logical act designed to release pain or distress, or even anger. But this is a short-term (and potentially dangerous) solution.

By bringing mental health, the connection to addiction, and a curiosity about sobriety into the common lexicon, these questions are more openly able to be explored with less shame or judgement by those struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues.