Brittany Ferri

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, or OCPD, is a personality disorder marked by a significant focus on work or productivity, neatness, order, and perfectionism. Individuals with OCPD may experience distress, impaired relationships, and difficulty fulfilling their responsibilities as a result of rigid thinking and impulsivity. OCPD responds best to therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy that help target lasting changes in thinking and behavior. The prognosis for OCPD is dependent on how willing the individual is to attend therapy and make positive changes in their life.

Most people have become used to describing their personality and social tendencies as either ‘introverted’ or ‘extraverted. In 2025, a well-known psychiatrist wrote a book called The Gift of Not Belonging where he presented a third personality type called otroverts. According to Dr. Kaminski, otroverts display some extraverted and introverted qualities, but are non-conformists who don’t belong to either group.

Around 12% of Americans have been diagnosed with insomnia, though many more struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or simply getting good quality sleep. [1] In an effort to help them get more rest, many people turn to cannabis or alcohol. While they may cause short-term improvements, these substances majorly impact sleep quality and can lead to dependence, substance use disorders, and health complications. A recent study found this trend is growing, especially among youth, making it essential to understand and properly manage substance use disorders and co-occurring sleep problems.

With the new year upon us, many people are setting resolutions and making a commitment to live healthier. January is a time for new beginnings, which is why it has been named Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month. This not only spreads awareness of the importance of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment, but also encourages people to consider whether addiction treatment is right for them or someone they know.

Occupational therapists are client-centered providers and have strong backgrounds in human development, health management, chronic disease maintenance, mental health, and more. This places our profession in an ideal spot to serve as consultants in primary care settings such as doctors’ offices, community health centers, and urgent care clinics. OTs can also support physicians who make house calls for homebound patients and potentially even primary care doctors who visit their institutionalized patients in need of oversight.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is defined as heavy or frequent consumption of alcohol that negatively interferes with functioning in school, work, social, and interpersonal activities. Someone with AUD may engage in binge drinking, which is defined as having 4-5 or more drinks on one occasion. Heavy drinking is characterized by consuming 8-15 drinks in one week.

With AI platforms gaining popularity, some individuals are developing AI dependence. Just as with many behavioral addictions, AI dependence can pose health risks (including emotional dependence, decreased cognitive processing, and difficulty with problem-solving) and also has the potential to impact relationships and work or school performance. This makes it essential to know the warning signs and how to manage AI dependence if it arises.

Unlike some other primitive reflexes, the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) involves movement of both the head and the body. For this reason, it assists with maintaining head position, coordination, movement against gravity, muscle tone, and posture. The TLR (also known as the TLR reflex) also plays a role in focus and the ability to track objects with the eyes.
If a child has a retained TLR, they are likely to have difficulty focusing, reading, writing, doing basic math, playing sports, and re...

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The Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex, also called STNR or STNR reflex, is an important part of child development. As with other reflexes, the STNR should develop at a certain point, then disappear (integrate). When this happens, a child should demonstrate improved hand-eye coordination, which helps with functional tasks such as writing, scissor use, throwing/catching a ball, sports, and more. The STNR also helps with posture, meaning it enables a child to hold their body in various positions again...

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive actions aimed at easing distress from these thoughts (compulsions). Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are frontline treatments for OCD. In some cases, medications like SSRIs and antipsychotics may be added to therapy to target OCD symptoms.

Many people are not aware of all the ways in which vagus nerve dysfunction affects the body. For example, a racing heartbeat or uneven breathing rate may be more obvious than a low mood or difficulty responding to stress. But even one of these concerns can have a major impact on our quality of life. This is why it’s so important that our vagus nerve works as it should, because no one has to live with faulty vagus nerve function.

When someone is part of or witnesses a distressing, difficult event, they typically develop a specific psychological response. It is normal to have such a reaction, called a trauma response, for a short period of time. However, if they are not properly managed, trauma responses can cause long-term changes in someone’s mental function and emotions. This can lead to lasting changes in the nervous system, especially if they are not managed properly.

While society is beginning to learn more about conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), they still tend to be misunderstood. For instance, it may surprise most people to learn there is a strong connection between ADHD and the vagus nerve.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and similar neurodevelopmental conditions can cause restlessness along with difficulty regulating emotions, processing information, and maintaining attention. Th...

In an effort to be more accessible to at-risk populations, text-based quit vaping programs designed for teenagers are on the rise. These programs are currently aimed at the cessation of cannabis and nicotine, as substantial health risks come along with this form of polysubstance use. While they may not be the best fit for all youth and young adults, these programs show promise in their ability to help dual users abstain from these substances.