LifeStance Insights

Every February, tens of millions of Americans crowd into living rooms, sports bars, and stadium watch parties for the Super Bowl. And for a few hours, complete strangers hug, shout, and groan in unison over the same play. The same thing happens during March Madness, the NBA Finals, and the World Series, when a city or a whole country briefly turns into one giant party. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup arriving on home soil this summer, that collective roar is about to get even louder. It raises a question worth taking seriously: Can rooting for a team actually be good for you? A growing body of research suggests the answer is often yes, and that the mental health benefits of being a sports fan may run deeper than a fun night out. Watching sports can light up the brain’s reward system, ease loneliness, and build social connection. So before the next big match, it might be worth considering what fandom is doing for your mind (results not guaranteed if they lose). Can Watching Sports Make You Happier?...

Losing hours to a single activity, forgetting to eat, finding it genuinely difficult to stop, these are not signs of enthusiasm. For many people with neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD or autism, they are the hallmarks of hyperfixation, a distinctive pattern of attention that is as misunderstood as it is common. What Is Hyperfixation? Hyperfixation refers to a state of intense, sustained, and often involuntary focus on a specific interest, activity, or subject. It goes well beyond ordinary enthusiasm or even deep concentration. Where most people can engage fully with a task and still disengage when circumstances require it, hyperfixation is characterized by an absorption that resists interruption, sometimes regardless of the individual’s own intention to stop. The term appears across several overlapping contexts and is sometimes used interchangeably with related concepts, each capturing a slightly different dime...

This content has been updated from the previous article published on June 24, 2025. Finding a therapist can feel overwhelming. There are so many factors to consider, from location and insurance to therapeutic approaches and specializations. It’s an important decision that can significantly impact your mental health journey, and when you’re part of the LGBTQIA+ community, finding the right therapist can be even more complex. LGBTQIA+ individuals face unique mental health challenges, including: Minority stress from discrimination Identity development concerns Family rejection or acceptance issues Workplace discrimination Healthcare access barriers Higher rates of anxiety and depression This brings up a question many LGBTQIA+ individuals face: Should your therapist also be LGBTQIA+? Or can a straight, cisgender therapist who’s knowledgeable and affirming provide equally effective support? It’s a personal decision that depends on your comfort level, specific needs, and what feels right for your healing journey. Benefits to Choos...

This content has been updated from the previous article published on January 4, 2024. Interest in the term “emotional blunting” has surged in recent years, with more people expressing curiosity about its meaning and significance. Many still wonder what emotional blunting is, why it matters, and what is fueling this growing awareness. Emotional blunting is a condition that can mute your feelings, both positive and negative, which can take a toll on your relationships, hinder personal growth, and even impact your physical well-being. A somewhat controversial association exists between antidepressants and emotional blunting, as several scientific studies show that certain antidepressants contribute to the condition. Recent studies and surveys conducted by medical professionals have found that people who suffer from Major Depressive Disorders (MDD) and were treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) experienced some degree of emotional blunting, which led to discontinuation of antidepressant medication for more than a third of respondents....

HBO’s Euphoria didn’t just end with a fictional overdose. It ended carrying the weight of a real one. For those unfamiliar with the series, Euphoria follows a group of teenagers navigating addiction, trauma, and identity. It centers on Rue Bennett, a 17-year-old recovering from a near-fatal overdose following the death of her father. In 2023, Angus Cloud, the actor who played the show’s warm-hearted drug dealer Fezco, died at 25 years old from an accidental drug overdose involving fentanyl. He had just returned home after attending his father’s funeral. After his death, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson went back to the script and rethought Rue’s ending. His reasoning was simple. Telling an honest story about addiction means showing what it actually costs: not everyone gets a second chance. In the series finale, Rue’s character dies after taking a fentanyl-laced pill. The Role Grief Plays In Addiction Eupho...

This content has been updated from the previous article published on June 17, 2022. June is National LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. Across the nation, communities are finding special ways to support and celebrate the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and other communities. One way to show our support for these communities is through allyship. Allies are people who listen to, believe in, and amplify LGBTQIA+ voices. They aspire to support their friends and family members and help them in their journey of feeling more understood and living in a way that makes them feel proud of who they are. Anyone can be an ally. All it takes is compassion and an interest in helping others. Here are some tips on how to be a great LGBTQIA+ ally. Why Allyship Matters for LGBTQIA+ Mental Health Allyship is not just about gestures of support. It can have a significant influence on the mental health of people within the LGBT...

Caffeine is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances in the world. It is found not only in coffee, but also in tea, sodas, energy drinks, pre-workout supplements, and some over-the-counter medications. For people taking antidepressant medications, caffeine can interfere with how those medications work in the body. The concern is not that caffeine must always be avoided, but that caffeine can change how psychiatric medications are absorbed, metabolized, and tolerated. In some cases, it can reduce how well a medication works. In others, it may increase side effects or raise medication levels higher than intended. Understanding how caffeine interacts with antidepressant medication is a practical and often overlooked part of managing mental health. How Caffeine Interacts With Psychiatric Medications Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system by blocking adenosine, a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation a...