LifeStance Insights

This content has been updated from the previous article published on November 27, 2023. Group therapy and support groups are two common ways people address mental health concerns in a communal setting, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. The difference matters more than many realize: one is a form of clinical treatment designed to help individuals change, while the other is a peer-driven space designed to help individuals cope. Research spanning more than two decades suggests that group therapy can be as effective as individual therapy for many conditions, which makes choosing the right format a meaningful decision rather than a fallback. Understanding how each option works, what sessions involve, and what the evidence shows can help individuals find the setting that best fits their needs and goals. What Is Group Therapy? Group therapy is a form of psychological treatment in which a group of people meets to...

I struggled with postpartum depression after the birth of my first son, and looking back, recovering from a C-section played a role in that experience. The physical limitations, loss of independence, and feeling disconnected from my normal life took a toll on me emotionally. While postpartum depression is a complex condition with many contributing factors, recovering from a C-section can add an additional layer of stress during an already vulnerable time. So when I learned I would need another C-section with my second baby, I tried my best to prepare myself, not just for the physical recovery, but for the emotional challenges that could come with it. What I wasn't prepared for was how difficult it would be to slow down when mentally I felt ready to jump back into life. How C-Section Recovery Affected My Mental Health After nine months of pregnancy, I was eager to have my body back and settle into life as a family of four....

You know that feeling when you’ve been “on” all day? Back-to-back meetings at work, a friend’s birthday party, small talk with a neighbor that stretched ten minutes longer than expected? By the time you finally close the door behind you, you have absolutely nothing left. And the thought of having to interact with another human being is… daunting. That’s not just tiredness. It’s a drained social battery. The idea of a “social battery” is a useful and increasingly popular one. On social media, you may have come across the charming social battery pin trend: small buttons that people wear to signal their current social energy level. The pin serves as a conversation opener and a low-key way of communicating that your capacity for interaction is limited right now. I love that we’re normalizing the idea that we don’t always have the same energy to give, and that it’s okay. I myself identify as an introvert, and understanding my social battery has been super supportive for my own well-being. Not because I found some life-changing solutions, but because having the language has both helped me become more aware of my own internal experience and legitimize it. Because your social battery isn’t a problem. It’s something worth paying attention to and taking care of....

Bipolar disorder affects an estimated 4.4% of U.S. adults at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, yet it remains one of the most frequently missed psychiatric diagnoses in clinical practice. Research published in The Lancet Psychiatry shows that only 20% of people with bipolar disorder who present in a depressive episode are correctly diagnosed within the first year of seeking care, and the average delay between symptom onset and diagnosis is five to ten years. That gap has pushed millions of people online in search of answers. Free quizzes, self-tests, and questionnaires now promise to flag the condition in a few minutes. Some of those tools are based on validated clinical instruments, but others are not. Knowing the difference is important, because what happens after a positive quiz result can shape years of treatment. What Is a Bipolar Disorder Quiz? A bipolar disorder quiz i...

For decades, depression treatment has centered on brain chemistry, with medications built to adjust chemical messengers like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. A new clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry in May 2026 points somewhere unexpected: the immune system. Researchers gave a single dose of an arthritis drug to people whose depression had not improved with standard antidepressants. Within four weeks, more than half of those who received the active medication met remission criteria. The study was small, and the approach strictly experimental. Even so, the results raise questions about whether a blood test could eventually help match people with the care most likely to work for their unique biology. That possibility carries enormous weight for the millions of people living with treatment-resistant depression, a group that has historically had the fewest options and the longest waits for relief. What Is Immunotherapy for Depression?...

Eating disorders are still widely assumed to be a teenager's condition, not something that surfaces in a 52-year-old woman who may be juggling a career, children, volunteer work, aging parents, and then on top of that, the physical whiplash of menopause. That blind spot is exactly why a quieter wave of illness has gone unnamed for so long. Online, people have begun calling it “menorexia”: disordered eating that surfaces, or comes roaring back, during the menopausal transition. It’s not a formal diagnosis, but the experience behind the word is increasingly recognized and too often mistaken for a harmless midlife diet. What Is Menorexia? Menorexia is a colloquial term, a blend of “menopause” and “anorexia,” used to describe an eating disorder that either develops, intensifies, or relapses during midlife, particularly across perimenopause and menopause. It’s not an official clinical diagnosis, and it’s not limited to anorexi...

Financial stress is one of the most consistent triggers of both anxiety and depressive symptoms in adults, and the research backs it up at scale. The American Psychological Association's 2024 Stress in America survey of more than 3,300 U.S. adults found that 73% rated the economy as a significant source of stress, making it the second most common stressor in the country. A separate national survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults found that 83% of Americans report financial stress driven by inflation, rising living costs, and recession fears, with millennials and Gen Z carrying the heaviest psychological load. Researchers have started calling this convergence of economic pressure and mental health strain “stressflation.” The cruel paradox is that the same financial pressure fueling the distress is also keeping people out of care: 60% have avoided mental health support specifically because of cost. Money worries can affect mental health, with measurable effects on sleep, mood, relationships, and physical health, and they can persist even in people whose bank balances look stable on paper....