Christina Stiehl

Mental • 4th January 2024

A Sober Curious Guide to Mindful Drinking

You don’t need to have alcohol use disorder for booze to batter your wellbeing. There’s an often-overlooked connection between alc, anxiety, and panic attacks—which our writer discovered first-hand as she replaced weekend bingeing with mindful drinking.

Mental • 27th July 2023

Is ADHD Causing Issues in Your Relationships?

There’s no lack of chatter around ADHD, so much so that stereotypes abound: We get distracted easily by squirrels. We veer off into a dozen tangents when trying to tell a single story. We can’t seem to ever find our damn keys. Yada. Yada. Yada. But among all the noise, there’s one topic that’s rarely discussed yet is one of the most challenging parts of this diagnosis: the toll ADHD can take on relationships.

Mental • 27th April 2023

Is it ADHD? Or Bipolar? Could It Be Both?

They’re two of a kind…but not really. They share symptoms…yet manifest differently. If you’re dealing with mood swings, focus probs, and impulsivity, this is the story you need to read. Turns out, I am crazy—I have bipolar 2 and ADHD.

Wondermind • 19th April 2023

Have You Heard of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Yet?

No one loves rejection, but we generally accept that it’s a necessary part of living life and taking risks. For some people though, especially those with ADHD, being rejected can lead to such an intense negative emotional response that it can seriously mess with their lives. We’re talking about rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), a term that’s trending on social media and in mental health circles lately.

SELF • 29th June 2021

10 Things ADHD Is—and 3 It Isn't

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is one of those mental health conditions that has become cultural shorthand in a pretty inappropriate way. Ignoring the fact that “I’m so ADHD” isn’t even grammatically correct, throwing this acronym around to flippantly explain distraction or disinterest waters down the true meaning of this extremely nuanced disorder.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 6th April 2020

11 Signs You May Have Alcohol Use Disorder, and When You Should Seek Help

Enjoying a glass of wine at dinner or a few drinks on the weekend is usually no cause for concern; many people can drink in moderation and continue to live happy, successful lives. Some people, however, can't just stop with one or two drinks; they find that alcohol interferes with their everyday life and often leads them into dangerous situations. If you fall in the latter group, you may be one of the 16 million US adults who have alcohol use disorder (AUD).

POPSUGAR Fitness • 7th October 2019

Borderline Personality Disorder Is Often Misunderstood — What It Means to Have BPD

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has made its way into the lexicon, thanks in part to the brave openness of comedian Pete Davidson, who revealed on SNL's Weekend Update a couple years ago that he had been diagnosed with the disorder. But while more and more people are becoming aware of BPD, it's still widely misunderstood.

Vice • 31st May 2017

Stop Confusing Your Nerves With Having Anxiety

As much as I encourage people to be as open as they want to be regarding their mental health, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. As more and more people come forward to reveal their struggles, it seems others are jumping on the bandwagon, borrowing jargon from the DSM-5 and co-opting the pain. Nothing is more fashionable right now than anxiety disorders.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 3rd June 2018

Ever Wonder What Bipolar Disorder Really Is? Here's Your Answer, Straight From a Doctor

Mental illness is much more complicated than physical illness; after all, when the disorder is in your brain, there aren't any physical symptoms or blood tests you can run to reach a proper diagnosis. And while the conversation surrounding mental illness is growing, slowly etching away the negative stigma, mental disorders are still widely misunderstood — chief among them being bipolar disorder.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 27th May 2021

This Therapist Is Changing How Asian Americans Seek Therapy

We've all heard horror stories about therapy gone wrong. Maybe your therapist can't understand where you're coming from or you just didn't connect with a mental health professional. But licensed marriage and family therapist Yin J. Li, MA, LMFT, is flipping the script on what it means to find a culturally informed therapist with her project Asians Do Therapy, which is a website destination and also a podcast.

Self • 13th February 2018

How to Avoid Perpetuating Stigma In the Wake of Suicide

When someone dies by suicide, people tend to respond with similar emotions: sadness, disappointment, confusion, despair. If that person is a criminal or has a history of morally questionable behavior, the response could be a little more conflicted.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 29th May 2019

Want to Start Therapy but Not Sure Where to Turn? Let This Article Be Your Guide

I saw my first psychologist when I was 14. She asked me to call her by her first name, Kris, and she specialized in treating adolescents. We spent an hour every couple weeks talking about everything: which classes were stressing me out, what my parents did to piss me off, my boyfriend (and eventual ex-boyfriend) who cheated on me with one of my best friends, and what my suicidal thoughts looked and sounded like (totally unrelated to the ex-boyfriend/ex-friend drama).

Vice • 16th May 2017

I Thought I Was Depressed But It Turns Out I'm Bipolar

"Maybe you're just feeling better," my psychiatrist said, "because something good has happened in your life." He was the only psychiatrist who was open on a Saturday and covered by my insurance plan, provided by a job I couldn't stand.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 29th April 2019

It's More Than Just Your Brain — These Are the Physical Symptoms of Depression

People may be familiar with the mental symptoms of depression: feeling sad, helpless, hopeless, and worthless, among others. Often, these symptoms last for weeks or months (or longer), and can be debilitating. People tend to isolate themselves and have a tough time leaving the house, let alone performing basic hygiene like brushing their teeth or taking a shower.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 17th March 2021

These Mental Health Resources Were Created For the AAPI Community, and They're Available If You Need Help

With the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes — the Stop AAPI Hate National Report covered 3,795 incidents from March 19, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021, which only represent a fraction of the hate incidents against the AAPI community each year — it is more important than ever for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) folks to take care of their mental health.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 12th February 2021

How the Media Treated Britney Spears in 2007 Made Me Scared to Come to Terms With My Own Mental Health

By now, it's pretty clear that the tabloid and news media from the early-mid 2000s owes Britney Spears an apology. If you didn't feel cringey looking at old headlines — "Inside Britney's Breakdown," "Babies in Danger," "Who'll Be Forced Into Rehab Next?" — then it certainly came to light if you watched the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 1st May 2019

Looking For the Right Mental Health Professional For You? Here's What You Need to Know

If you're trying to seek treatment for your mental health, it may be overwhelming to figure out where to begin. Not sure which professional you should seek out? We broke down the main mental health professions and what distinguishes them from each other.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 12th June 2020

Real to the People Launches Free Mental Health Services For Black Women, People of Color, and Allies

Real, a membership-based organization for therapy and mental health services, launched Real to the People in March 2020 to offer free therapy services to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in the aftermath of the killings of Black Americans George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Nina Pop, among others, Real to the People is offering free group support sessions via large digital events that hold up to 400 people.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 22nd April 2021

Allyson Felix Met the Challenge of a Postponed Olympics by Learning to Prioritize Mental Health

The sprinter, whose main events are the 400-meter and the 4x400 relay, has competed in four Games total since her Olympic debut in 2004. So when it came time to train for her fifth Games in Tokyo, the accomplished athlete was mentally prepared to compete in July 2020. But, as we all know, a global pandemic had other plans.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 1st May 2019

Michael Phelps Reveals How Therapy Impacted His Life: "I'm Still Here"

Mental health wasn't something Michael Phelps grew up talking about. In fact, as a pro athlete who had pressure to maintain a macho persona, he didn't initially want to get help.