September-October 2025 Get Reconnected Newsletter

We have some exciting news to share in this edition of our newsletter. It’s a special one, a bit more promotional than usual, but it’s packed with something meaningful and valuable for you. Here they are:

Delia Petrescu, RP, Speaking at the Canadian Fertility Show – October 18 2025

We’re proud to share that Delia Petrescu, RP, founder of Get Reconnected Psychotherapy Services, will be a featured speaker at the Canadian Fertility Show on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.

You can also visit Get Reconnected at Booth #1, where we’ll be handing out swag bags filled with thoughtful items and resources to support your fertility and mental health journey.

Delia will deliver her talk, The Infertility Maze: Understanding the Trauma Behind It, exploring the emotional reality of infertility and how trauma-informed therapy can help individuals and couples heal through the process.

In addition to her presentation, Delia will also take part in the Meet the Experts session, where attendees can connect with her directly, ask questions, and learn more about mental health support during fertility treatment.

Read the full press release here.

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Podcast Feature: Trauma Therapy and Healing After Loss

Delia was recently a guest on Fertility Village Live, a weekly show dedicated to honest conversations about infertility, loss, and healing.

In this episode, she talks about the emotional complexity of infertility, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth, and how therapy helps process grief that often goes unseen. Delia also explains how trauma lives in the body, what emotional flashbacks look like, and why grief after infertility is so layered and cyclical.

Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3W1aCq8jjU

Read the transcript here: website URL

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Running for Fertility Awareness

The day after her presentation at the Canadian Fertility Show, Delia and the Get Reconnected team will take part in the FM6K charity run on Sunday, October 19, 2025. The event supports fertility awareness and community programs for individuals and couples navigating infertility.

The team has already exceeded their fundraising goal and continues to raise awareness for the emotional and physical challenges tied to infertility and reproductive health. Their participation reflects their commitment to both advocacy and action, bringing visibility to the emotional impact behind every fertility journey.

Support their run or make a donation here: https://raceroster.com/events/2025/102202/2025-fm6k/pledge/participant/39115601

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Published in Wellness on Time Magazine

Delia’s article in Wellness on Time Magazine dives into Revenge Bedtime Procrastination — staying up even when you’re exhausted to reclaim “me time.”

She breaks down what sparks it, why it’s so common now, and steps you can take to change it.
Grab a copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Wellness-Time-Magazine-Sleep-Well/dp/1764339606

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Featured Article: How Digital Habits Affect Mental Health

We recently came across a thoughtful piece from A/X Publisher Digital about how constant phone use affects focus, emotions, and relationships.

Read it here:
https://www.axpublisherdigital.com/mobile-phone-are-now-causing-severe-behavioral-changes

It’s a quick, useful reminder that taking breaks from screens helps our minds rest and reconnect with what matters.

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Podcast Feature: The Science of Burnout with Delia Petrescu

Delia recently joined host Michael Peres on his podcast to discuss the science behind burnout and how chronic stress rewires the brain. She shares practical ways to reset the nervous system and regain balance.

In this episode, Delia talks about:

• The difference between exhaustion and burnout
• Why entrepreneurs are prone to chronic stress
• Her eight-week Burnout Reset Program
• Simple ways to regulate the nervous system

Listen here: https://podcast.michaelperes.com/a-conversation-with-delia-petrescu

source https://getreconnected.ca/blog/september-october-2025-get-reconnected-newsletter/

Delia Petrescu, MA, RP, Speaking at the Canadian Fertility Show 2025 in Toronto

Toronto, ON — October 14, 2025 — Get Reconnected Psychotherapy Services is proud to announce that Delia Petrescu, MA, RP, will be a featured speaker at the Canadian Fertility Show on October 18, 2025, at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.

Delia will present her talk titled “The Infertility Maze: Understanding the Trauma Behind It”, offering compassionate insight into the emotional toll of infertility and the unique ways therapy can support individuals and couples through this journey. 

Drawing from both her professional expertise and personal experience, Delia will explore how unresolved grief, identity challenges, and repeated treatment stress can affect mental health and relationships and how trauma-informed therapy can help foster resilience and healing.

As a Registered Psychotherapist and founder of Get Reconnected Psychotherapy Services, Delia specializes in fertility counseling, perinatal mental health, trauma, and relationship therapy. Her practice provides virtual psychotherapy across Ontario, focusing on helping clients reconnect with their capacity to cope and heal.

The Canadian Fertility Show brings together leading professionals in reproductive medicine, mental health, and fertility care to educate and support individuals and couples navigating infertility, IVF, and family-building options.

She will also be at the Meet the Experts session the evening before the conference, and participating in the 6K charity run on Sunday, where she has already exceeded her fundraising goal.

Event Details

Event: Canadian Fertility Show 2025
Date: October 18, 2025
Location: Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto
Topic: “The Infertility Maze: Understanding the Trauma Behind It”
Speaker: Delia Petrescu, RP, Founder, Get Reconnected Psychotherapy Services

https://www.canadianfertilityshow.ca/speakers/delia-petrescu/ 

About Get Reconnected Psychotherapy Services

Get Reconnected is a Toronto-based psychotherapy practice offering virtual counseling across Ontario. Founded by Delia Petrescu, MA, RP. The practice provides therapy for phobias, ADHD, people pleasing, infertility, trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges, emphasizing a relaxed, client-centered approach rooted in compassion and expertise.

Media Contact
info@getreconnected.ca
www.getreconnected.ca

source https://getreconnected.ca/blog/delia-petrescu-speaking-canadian-fertility-show-2025-toronto/

Pregnancy Loss: Living with the Children Who Never Were

The Psychological Reality of Pregnancy Loss

There’s a particular kind of grief that doesn’t really fit into our cultural narratives about loss.

It’s the grief of losing a baby you never got to meet, a child who existed as an embryo inside your body but never made it home, a pregnancy that ended before it really began.

If you’ve experienced miscarriage, chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, or stillbirth, you know this grief intimately.

And if it feels more complicated, more persistent, and more profound than others seem to understand, I want you to know: your experience is valid, your grief is real, and you’re not alone in carrying this particular kind of loss.

As someone who’s been through pregnancy losses and who works with people navigating pregnancy loss, I know how profoundly these experiences can affect someone’s sense of safety, identity, and emotional wellbeing.

This isn’t just sadness that passes with time. For many people, pregnancy loss creates lasting psychological impacts that deserve recognition, validation, and proper support, particularly when it involves the loss of pregnancy tissue.

The Weight of What Others Can’t See

One of the most painful aspects of pregnancy loss is that your grief often exists in isolation.

Others can’t see the baby you lost. There might be no photos, no funeral, no tangible evidence of this person who changed your life. And yet, they were real. The pregnancy, including the development of the fetus, was real. The hopes and dreams you built were real. The bond you started forming was real.

This creates what psychologists call disenfranchised grief … a grief that’s not openly acknowledged, socially validated, or publicly mourned.

You might hear comments like “at least it was early,” “you can try again,” “it wasn’t meant to be,” or “everything happens for a reason”, all of which minimize your experience and suggest your grief isn’t warranted.

But your body knew this baby. Your mind prepared for this child. Your heart made room for them. The fact that others didn’t know them doesn’t make your loss of a pregnancy any less significant.

What Happens to Your Brain During Pregnancy Loss

When you become pregnant, your brain immediately begins a remarkable bonding process, even before you’re consciously aware of the pregnancy (REFERENCE)

Hormonal changes trigger neural restructuring in regions associated with caregiving, emotional bonding, and social connection. Your brain literally starts rewiring itself to prepare for motherhood.

Research shows that pregnant women’s brains change in structure within the first trimester, with alterations in gray matter volume in areas involved in understanding and responding to another person’s needs (REFERENCE)

This is why early pregnancy loss can be so devastating. Even if you were only pregnant for a few weeks, your brain had already begun forming attachments and creating mental space for this child.

When pregnancy loss occurs, these neural pathways don’t simply disappear. Your brain has created a schema (a cognitive framework) for this baby, complete with hopes, expectations, and emotional connections.

This is why you might still think about this child months or years later. It’s why you track what would have been their due date or imagine who they would have become. Your brain formed real bonds that persist even after the physical pregnancy, including the connection to the fetus, is gone.

The Many Forms of Pregnancy Loss

Pregnancy loss takes different forms, and each creates its own unique grief experience.

Chemical Pregnancy and Very Early Miscarriage

Chemical pregnancies (losses before 5 weeks) and very early miscarriages can feel particularly invalidating because others often suggest you “barely” lost anything.

But you saw that positive test. In that moment, everything changed. You were pregnant. You started imagining your future with this baby. And then, sometimes within days or weeks, it was over.

The brevity of the pregnancy doesn’t minimize the significance of the loss. You still grieve the future you expected, the child you were preparing for, and the assumptions about how your life would unfold that got shattered due to the risk of miscarriage.

First Trimester Miscarriage

Miscarriage in the first trimester is incredibly common; it affects up to 20% of known pregnancies. But this statistic doesn’t make individual losses any less painful.

By the time miscarriage happens, you might have told family and friends, started making plans, felt pregnancy symptoms that made it all feel real, or even seen an ultrasound.

First trimester loss often involves not just grief but also medical trauma, whether through procedures like D&C, medication to induce miscarriage, or the physical and emotional pain of miscarrying naturally.

Second Trimester and Late Miscarriage

Losses after 12 weeks bring additional layers of grief because you’ve passed the point where pregnancy is supposed to be “safe.”

You had more time to bond, more physical evidence of the pregnancy, often knowledge of the baby’s sex, and sometimes a name chosen. You might have started preparing the nursery or telling more people about your pregnancy.

Late miscarriage can also involve birth, laboring and delivering a baby who has died or won’t survive. This particular trauma of giving birth to loss creates complicated psychological impacts.

Stillbirth

Stillbirth (losing a baby after 20 weeks or during labor) brings a grief that encompasses not just loss but also the trauma of delivery, the shock of expectations destroyed in an instant, and the devastating experience of meeting your baby only to say goodbye.

You expected to bring your baby home. Instead, you left the hospital with empty arms and a body that still shows signs of pregnancy and birth.

The grief of stillbirth includes mourning both the baby who died and all the years of life you expected to have together.

Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancies are medically dangerous and require immediate treatment, but the medical urgency doesn’t erase the fact that you’ve lost a wanted pregnancy.

Ectopic loss often involves emergency procedures, potential loss of a fallopian tube, and the additional trauma of your body being in danger. You’re grieving the baby while also recovering from a medical crisis.

The Unique Nature of Pregnancy Loss Trauma

Pregnancy loss isn’t just grief… for many people, it’s also trauma.

Trauma happens when an experience is too overwhelming to process, leaving you feeling helpless, unsafe, or permanently altered. Pregnancy loss often has all these elements.

Loss of Body Trust

One of the most profound impacts of pregnancy loss is losing trust in your own body.

Your body was supposed to protect and nurture this baby. When it doesn’t (whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, or complications related to the cervix), you might feel betrayed by your own physical self.

You might become hypervigilant about physical sensations, anxious about future pregnancies, or disconnected from your body altogether. This loss of body trust is a form of trauma that affects how safe you feel in your own skin.

Medical Trauma

The medical experiences surrounding pregnancy loss can be traumatic in themselves.

This might include emergency room visits where you’re bleeding and terrified, invasive procedures like D&C or induction, medical providers who are insensitive or dismissive, or having to make impossible decisions about treatment options.

These medical experiences can create lasting trauma responses: anxiety in medical settings, panic around procedures, or avoidance of necessary healthcare.

Shattered Assumptions

Pregnancy loss destroys fundamental assumptions about how life works.

Most people assume that if they get pregnant, they’ll have a baby. This basic expectation feels so certain that when it doesn’t happen, your entire worldview can feel shaken.

You might find yourself questioning everything, whether you can trust your body, whether you’re capable of carrying a pregnancy, whether you’ll ever have the family you imagined, or whether the universe is fundamentally safe or fair.

This loss of assumptive reality is a core feature of trauma.

How Trauma Shows Up After Pregnancy Loss

Trauma responses after pregnancy loss can take many forms:

Hypervigilance and Anxiety

You might find yourself obsessively monitoring your body, unable to relax even if you get pregnant again, constantly scanning for signs something is wrong, or experiencing panic attacks related to pregnancy or medical settings.

Avoidance

This might look like avoiding baby-related situations (showers, stores, social media posts about pregnancy), steering clear of pregnant friends, putting off trying to conceive again even if you want to, or avoiding medical appointments.

Intrusive Thoughts

You might experience flashbacks to the moment you found out about the loss, repetitive thoughts about what you could have done differently, inability to stop imagining different outcomes, or vivid memories that feel like they’re happening in the present.

Emotional Numbing

Some people respond by shutting down emotionally, feeling disconnected from feelings, unable to access joy or excitement even about good things, or experiencing a general sense of flatness or emptiness.

Grief That Doesn’t Follow a Timeline

Unlike what people often expect, grief from pregnancy loss doesn’t follow a neat progression through stages that leads to resolution.

This grief often comes in waves, sometimes years after the loss. Certain dates trigger intense feelings: the due date, the anniversary of the miscarriage, or holidays when you imagined your child would be present.

You might find yourself thinking about who this child, a potential fetus, would have been at different ages, imagining milestones they would have reached, or feeling their absence during family moments.

This isn’t a sign that you’re not healing; it’s a normal response to the loss of a pregnancy. It’s a normal response to a significant loss that shaped who you are.

The Ongoing Presence of Children Lost

Many people who experience pregnancy loss describe an ongoing sense of relationship with the baby, the embryo, or fetus they lost.

You might still think of them by name (or the name you would have given them). You might talk to them in your thoughts, feel their presence during significant moments, or maintain a sense that they’re still part of your family somehow.

This continued connection isn’t denial or an inability to move on. For many people, it’s a meaningful way of honoring the significance of this child in their life.

Your baby existed, even if only for a brief moment in your uterus. They mattered. They changed you, especially in the context of your experiences with gestation and loss. The fact that they didn’t survive doesn’t erase their importance or the love you have for them.

When Pregnancy Loss Needs Professional Support

While some level of grief is normal after pregnancy loss, there are signs that professional support could be helpful:

• Your daily functioning is significantly impaired (trouble working, caring for other children, or handling basic self-care)
• You’re experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety that persist or worsen over time
• You’re having panic attacks or severe anxiety, especially in medical settings like the emergency department.
• You’re using substances to cope with your grief
• You’re having thoughts of self-harm or suicide related to your experiences with recurrent pregnancy loss.
• Your relationships are severely strained
• You’re unable to imagine a future or make plans
• You’re experiencing PTSD symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, or severe avoidance

These responses don’t mean you’re weak or handling things poorly. They mean your nervous system has been overwhelmed and needs support to heal.

Healing from Pregnancy Loss Trauma

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting your baby or “getting over” your loss. It means learning to carry this grief in a way that doesn’t overwhelm your ability to engage with life.

Acknowledging the Trauma

Simply recognizing that pregnancy loss can be traumatic (not just sad) can be incredibly validating.

You’re not overreacting. Your body and nervous system experienced something overwhelming, and your responses are normal reactions to abnormal levels of stress and loss.

Trauma-Informed Therapy

Working with a therapist who understands both pregnancy loss and trauma can help you process the experience without retraumatizing yourself, especially when dealing with the physical aspects like cramping.

Effective approaches include Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to process traumatic memories and reduce their emotional intensity, EMDR to help integrate the loss and reduce trauma symptoms, somatic therapies to address how your body holds grief and trauma, and Internal Family Systems to work with the different parts of yourself affected by this loss.

Honoring Your Baby

Finding ways to acknowledge and honor your child can be an important part of healing.

This might include creating a small memorial, planting a tree or garden, choosing a meaningful way to mark their due date or loss anniversary, writing letters to your baby, or finding a creative expression (art, music, writing) that honors their significance.

There’s no right way to do this. What matters is finding what feels meaningful to you.

Building Safety

Trauma recovery often starts with helping your nervous system feel safe again.

This might involve developing daily routines that feel grounding, learning techniques for calming your body when grief or anxiety surge, creating physical spaces that feel comforting, or reconnecting with activities and relationships that help you feel more stable.

Moving Forward While Holding Your Loss

One of the most painful myths about pregnancy loss is that moving forward means leaving your baby behind.

But healing doesn’t require forgetting. You can build a meaningful life while still carrying your child in your heart.

Some people eventually have living children and find ways to honor the babies who came first. Others create fulfilling lives without the children they expected to have, navigating the emotional landscape of loss of a pregnancy. Some try again and some don’t.

There’s no single right path forward. What matters is finding what feels authentic for your particular experience and circumstances.

Your baby mattered. Your grief is valid. And you deserve support that honors both the significance of your loss and your need to heal.

Therapy for Pregnancy Loss at Get Reconnected

At Get Reconnected, we provide trauma-informed care specifically for people navigating pregnancy loss and reproductive trauma.

We offer Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to help process the traumatic memories and overwhelming emotions associated with miscarriage, stillbirth, molar pregnancy, and pregnancy loss.

We also integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic practices, and polyvagal-informed techniques to help regulate your nervous system, rebuild your sense of safety, and honor your baby while supporting your healing.

We understand that pregnancy loss creates both grief and trauma, and that healing requires specialized support that recognizes the unique nature of this experience.

Reach Out for Support

If you’re struggling after pregnancy loss and need support in processing your grief and trauma, you don’t have to heal alone.

At Get Reconnected Psychotherapy Services, Delia Petrescu provides compassionate, trauma-informed care for individuals dealing with pregnancy loss and reproductive trauma.

She understands the profound impact of losing a baby, whether through spontaneous abortion or other means, and is here to support your healing process while honoring the significance of your child.

Book a free 15-minute consultation to explore how trauma-informed therapy can support you through this difficult time.

Related Resources

The 9 Stages of Infertility Grief and How to Cope

Trauma of Infertility: Understanding the Emotional and Mental Health Impact of Fertility Struggles

Finding Hope Through the Infertility Journey

Surviving Mother’s Day When You’re Facing Infertility

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will I grieve my pregnancy loss?

There’s no set timeline for grief. For some, acute grief softens within months. For others, waves of grief continue for years, especially around significant dates. Both are normal.

Is it normal to still think about my baby years later?

Yes, absolutely. Many people maintain an ongoing sense of connection to babies they lost, even decades later. This continued connection is a way of honoring their significance.

Can pregnancy loss cause PTSD?

Yes. Research shows that up to 29% of women experience PTSD symptoms after pregnancy loss, particularly after stillbirth or traumatic miscarriage experiences.

Should I try to conceive again?

This is deeply personal, especially for those who have faced recurrent pregnancy loss. There’s no right answer or timeline. Some people feel ready quickly; others need more time. What matters is honoring your own emotional readiness.

Will therapy help if my loss was a long time ago?

Yes. It’s never too late to process pregnancy loss trauma. Many people seek support years after their loss when they realize the grief is still affecting their daily life.

source https://getreconnected.ca/blog/pregnancy-loss-grief-trauma/

Gender Differences and ADHD Symptoms: Why Women Are Still Being Undiagnosed

For decades, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) looked like a hyperactive boy who couldn’t sit still in class, got in trouble for talking out of turn, and had parents and teachers throwing their hands up saying “boys will be boys.”
This image mostly came from studies focused on boys with ADHD and children with ADHD, creating a limited understanding of differences between male and female presentations.

This picture was so ingrained in our understanding of ADHD that we missed an entire population of people struggling with the same condition…they just looked different.

If you’re a woman who got diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, you probably have a story about feeling “different” your whole life but not knowing why.

Maybe you were the daydreamer who got called “spacey” or “ditzy.” Maybe you were the perfectionist who worked twice as hard as everyone else just to keep up. Maybe you were the one everyone thought had it all together on the outside while you felt like you were drowning on the inside.

As someone who works with people navigating ADHD diagnoses, I’ve seen how profoundly sex and gender stereotypes have shaped who gets identified, when they get help, and what kind of support they receive.

The research is clear: ADHD affects all genders, but the way it shows up and gets recognized is significantly different depending on whether you’re perceived as male and female.

The “Typical” ADHD Story We All Know

When most people think of ADHD, they picture what we now know was a very narrow representation: a young boy who’s bouncing off the walls, can’t focus in school, gets in trouble for being disruptive, and whose symptoms are impossible to ignore.

This presentation is real and valid, but it’s just one way ADHD can look like.

This traditional understanding of ADHD was based on research on gender differences that was predominantly done on males with ADHD. The diagnostic criteria for ADHD, the criteria for ADHD symptom checklist, even the treatment approaches were all developed around how ADHD typically presents in males.

For decades, this meant that females with ADHD and girls with ADHD were overlooked, misdiagnosed, or told there was nothing wrong with them.

The problem wasn’t that female ADHD didn’t exist. The problem was that their ADHD looked different, and we weren’t looking for different.

How ADHD Symptoms Show Up Differently Across Genders

The Internalizing vs. Externalizing Divide

One of the biggest sex differences in ADHD relates to internalizing versus externalizing symptoms.

Males with ADHD: More likely to show externalizing symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and disruptive behaviour – obvious signs that meet traditional expectations for symptoms of ADHD in deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.

These behaviors are hard to miss because they affect other people and disrupt classrooms or workplaces.

ADHD in Females: Tend to have more inattentive symptoms like daydreaming, withdrawal, and perfectionism. They might appear engaged but mentally drift off.

They might work incredibly hard to compensate for their difficulties, leading to exhaustion and anxiety rather than obvious behavioural problems.

Because these differences in ADHD symptoms are less visible, ADHD are more likely to go unnoticed in females than in males. This contributes to an under diagnosed population.

The Perfectionist Mask

Many women with ADHD – and especially females with ADHD diagnosed later in life – develop what researchers call “masking” behaviors.
They learn to hide their symptoms and overcompensate for their difficulties.

This might look like becoming a perfectionist, working twice as hard as their peers, or developing elaborate organizational systems to manage their challenges.

From the outside, it might look like they have everything together. They might be high achievers in school or work, but the cost is enormous internal stress, anxiety, and exhaustion.

Because they’re not failing in obvious ways, their ADHD goes unrecognized while they suffer in silence.

This often happens more in females than males due to societal expectations, hiding difficulties with elaborate systems. While effective in appearances, the emotional cost is high.

Emotional Dysregulation

Women with ADHD often experience intense emotional reactions, rejection sensitivity, and difficulty managing their emotional responses.

But instead of these being recognized as ADHD symptoms, they’re often misattributed to being “too sensitive,” “dramatic,” or having anxiety or mood disorders.

This emotional component of ADHD is real and significant, but it doesn’t fit the traditional hyperactive model, so it gets overlooked or misunderstood.

Why Girls and Women Get Missed

Societal Expectations Shape What We See

Societal expectations for male and female behaviour shape how ADHD is noticed.

Boys with hyperactivity are seen as needing intervention, girls with ADHD may be called dreamy or creative rather than having a neurodevelopmental condition.

A girl who’s hyperactive might be told she’s “too much” or needs to “calm down,” but she’s less likely to be referred for ADHD evaluation.

Boys who display hyperactive or disruptive behaviours are more likely to be seen as having a problem that needs intervention. Girls with the same underlying neurology might just be told to try harder or be more organized.

Additionally, differences in ADHD symptoms and differences in symptom presentation mean gender differences in adult ADHD are real, with diagnostic systems slow to adapt.

The Quiet Struggle Goes Unnoticed

Inattentive ADHD…the type that involves difficulty focusing, being easily distracted, and struggling with organization…is much less disruptive to others than hyperactive-impulsive ADHD.

A child who’s quietly daydreaming in the back of the classroom doesn’t disrupt the lesson the way a child who’s getting up and moving around does.

This means that many girls and women with ADHD slip through the cracks not because their symptoms are less severe, but because their symptoms are less obvious to others.

Hormones Complicate the Picture

ADHD symptoms can fluctuate with hormonal changes, and women experience more dramatic hormonal shifts throughout their lives than men.
Hormonal changes during puberty, throughout the menstrual cycle, in pregnancy, and during menopause can influence ADHD symptoms, often making them more difficult to recognize and manage.

Many women first notice their ADHD symptoms becoming unmanageable during major hormonal transitions, but because these changes coincide with life stressors (like having children or going through menopause), the ADHD often gets overlooked in favour of situational explanations.

Hormones complicate recognition. In child and adolescent years, puberty changes ADHD impact, but this has rarely been considered in ADHD clinical setting until more recently.

The Misdiagnosis Pipeline

Because women’s ADHD symptoms often look different from the traditional presentation, they frequently get misdiagnosed with other conditions before anyone considers ADHD.

Anxiety and Depression

Women are often diagnosed with anxiety or depression before ADHD is considered, despite the prevalence of ADHD being similar between male and female populations. This is partly due to sex differences in symptom presentation and a lack of clinician training in gender differences in adult cases.

Women with undiagnosed ADHD often develop anxiety and depression as secondary conditions. When you’re constantly struggling to keep up, feeling like you’re not meeting expectations, and working harder than everyone else just to function, anxiety and depression are natural results.

But these secondary conditions often get treated as the primary problem, while the underlying ADHD continues to go untreated.
Someone might spend years in therapy for anxiety without anyone realizing that the anxiety is partly driven by untreated ADHD.

Eating Disorders

There’s a significant overlap between ADHD and eating disorders, particularly in women. People living with ADHD may face challenges like acting impulsively, finding it hard to manage emotions, and striving for perfection, which together can increase the likelihood of developing unhealthy eating patterns.

But again, the eating disorder might be treated without addressing the underlying neurodivergence.

Borderline Personality Disorder

The emotional intensity and rejection sensitivity that many women with ADHD experience can sometimes be misinterpreted as borderline personality disorder.

While some people may have both conditions, it’s important that ADHD gets considered as a potential explanation for emotional dysregulation.

The Late Diagnosis Experience

Many women don’t get diagnosed with ADHD until they’re adults, often after their own children are diagnosed or after a major life change makes their symptoms impossible to ignore anymore.

The Relief and the Grief

Getting an ADHD diagnosis as an adult often brings a complex mix of emotions. There’s relief at finally having an explanation for lifelong struggles, but there’s also grief for all the years of feeling different, trying harder than everyone else, and not understanding why things that seemed easy for others were so difficult.

Many women describe feeling angry about all the opportunities they might have missed, relationships that suffered, or potential that went unrealized because their ADHD wasn’t recognized and treated.

Reframing Your Life Story

An adult ADHD diagnosis often requires reframing your entire life story. Suddenly, things that you blamed yourself for (being disorganized, struggling in school despite being smart, having difficulty maintaining friendships, or feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks) start to make sense in a different way.

This reframing can be incredibly healing, but it can also be disorienting as you adjust to understanding yourself through a new lens.

Men’s ADHD Isn’t Always Obvious Either

While we’ve focused primarily on how women’s ADHD gets missed, it’s important to acknowledge that men can also be misunderstood or misdiagnosed, particularly if they don’t fit the hyperactive stereotype.

Inattentive Men Fly Under the Radar

Men with primarily inattentive ADHD might also be overlooked, especially if they’re not disruptive.

They might be seen as lazy, unmotivated, or just not living up to their potential, without anyone considering that attention difficulties might be the underlying issue.

Different Masking Strategies

Men with ADHD might develop different masking strategies than women.

They might become class clowns, focus intensely on specific interests, or channel their hyperactivity into sports or other physical activities. These strategies might help them cope but can also delay recognition of their ADHD.

Emotional Symptoms Get Overlooked

Men with ADHD also experience emotional dysregulation and rejection sensitivity, but these symptoms might be even less likely to be recognized in men due to societal expectations about male emotional expression.

The Intersection of Gender and Other Identities

It’s important to recognize that gender doesn’t exist in isolation…it intersects with other aspects of identity that can further complicate ADHD recognition and treatment.

The Intersection of Gender and Other Identities

It’s important to recognize that gender doesn’t exist in isolation…it intersects with other aspects of identity that can further complicate ADHD recognition and treatment.

LGBTQ+ Considerations

Transgender and non-binary individuals may face unique challenges in getting appropriate ADHD care, particularly if their gender identity isn’t respected by healthcare providers or if their symptoms don’t fit traditional gender-based expectations.

Socioeconomic Factors

Access to ADHD evaluation and treatment is significantly affected by socioeconomic status. Girls and women from lower-income families might be less likely to receive comprehensive evaluations or ongoing treatment, even when their symptoms are recognized.

Moving Toward Better Recognition and Treatment

The good news is that awareness of gender differences in ADHD is growing, and diagnostic practices are slowly evolving to be more inclusive and comprehensive.

Updated Diagnostic Criteria

Mental health professionals are becoming more aware of how ADHD can present differently across genders.

Updating diagnostic criteria for ADHD to reflect differences between male and female experiences – including those without ADHD for comparison will improve outcomes.

Greater attention to sex and gender research, differences in ADHD symptoms, and ADHD in girls ensures clinicians better understand the reason for these gaps.

Specialized Assessment

Some clinicians now specialize in evaluating ADHD in women and girls, using assessment tools and approaches that are more sensitive to how the condition presents in these populations.

Comprehensive Treatment Approaches

Treatment for ADHD is increasingly recognizing the need for comprehensive approaches that address not just the core symptoms, but also the secondary effects like anxiety, depression, and self-esteem issues that often develop when ADHD goes unrecognized.

If You’re Wondering About Yourself

If you’re reading this and recognizing yourself in these descriptions, it might be worth exploring whether ADHD could explain some of the challenges you’ve experienced. This is particularly worth considering if:

● You’ve always felt “different” but couldn’t explain why
● You work much harder than others to achieve the same result
● You struggle with organization and time management despite trying numerous systems
● You have difficulty focusing, especially on tasks that aren’t immediately interesting
● You experience intense emotions or rejection sensitivity
● You’ve been diagnosed with anxiety or depression but treatments haven’t fully addressed your symptoms
● You have a child or family member with ADHD and you’re noticing similarities

Here is an ADULT ADHD Self-Rated Symptom Checklist that you can use as a prescreener.

Getting Proper Evaluation and Support

If you suspect you might have ADHD, it’s important to work with a mental health professional who understands how the condition can present differently across genders. Look for someone who:

● Has experience evaluating ADHD in adults
● Understands gender differences in ADHD presentation
● Uses comprehensive assessment tools, not just brief questionnaires
● Considers your full history, including childhood experiences and family history
● Looks at how symptoms affect your daily functioning, not just whether you fit a narrow stereotype

What to Expect from Evaluation

A comprehensive ADHD evaluation should include detailed interviews about your current symptoms and childhood history, standardized rating scales, and consideration of other conditions that might explain your symptoms. The process might take multiple appointments and should feel thorough rather than rushed.

Treatment is Individualized

If you are diagnosed with ADHD, remember that treatment should be tailored to your specific needs, symptoms, and life circumstances. What works for someone else might not work for you, and that’s okay. Treatment might include medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, or accommodations at work or school.

The Importance of Accurate Diagnosis

Getting an accurate ADHD diagnosis (whenever it happens in your life) can be transformative. It’s not just about getting access to treatments (though that’s important). It’s about understanding yourself, reframing your struggles, and developing strategies that actually work with your brain rather than against it.

For women who have spent years feeling like they were failing at things that seemed easy for everyone else, understanding that their brain works differently can be incredibly validating. It doesn’t excuse challenges, but it explains them and opens up new possibilities for support and success.

The goal isn’t to use ADHD as an excuse or to lower expectations for yourself. The goal is to understand how your brain works so you can develop strategies that actually help you thrive, rather than continuing to struggle with approaches that weren’t designed for your neurology.

Your struggles are real, your experiences are valid, and you deserve support that acknowledges and addresses how your brain actually works…not how other people think it should work.

If you’re wondering whether ADHD might explain some of your lifelong struggles, or if you’ve been recently diagnosed and need support navigating this new understanding of yourself, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

At Get Reconnected Psychotherapy Services, Sep Nikmanesh and Adam Adivi provide comprehensive support for adults with ADHD, including help processing late diagnoses and developing strategies that work with your unique brain.

Book a Free 15 Minute consultation with Adam and a Free 15 Minute Consultation with Sep to explore how Sep and Adam can support you in understanding and managing your ADHD.

source https://getreconnected.ca/blog/adhd-gender-differences-women-undiagnosed/

How to Deal With a Negative Pregnancy Test after IVF and Embryo Transfer

There’s a particular kind of heartbreak that comes with seeing a negative pregnancy test result following an embryo transfer.

It’s different from the disappointment of a regular cycle not working out.

This time, you did everything “right.” You went through the fertility medications, the monitoring, the procedures.

You had actual embryos. There was science involved. And still, facing a negative test result can feel devastating.

If you’re reading this after getting that negative test result, I want you to know that what you’re feeling right now is completely valid.

The grief, the anger, the confusion, the urge to immediately plan your next steps after a negative outcome, or the desires to never think about assisted reproduction treatment again… all of it makes sense.

As someone who’s been through it all and who works with people navigating fertility challenges, I’ve sat with countless individuals and couples through this exact moment.

The one thing I always want people to know is that there’s no “right” way to process this kind of loss, and there’s no timeline for when you should feel better or be ready to make decisions about what comes next.

The Unique Grief of a Negative Pregnancy Test

When you’re trying to conceive naturally and get a negative home pregnancy test, there’s disappointment, but there’s also usually a sense of “we’ll try again next month.”

With IVF treatment, the stakes feel different. You’ve invested so much (financially, emotionally, physically). You’ve put your life on hold, taken time off work, dealt with side effects from fertility medications, and endured procedures that aren’t exactly comfortable.

There’s also this weird cognitive dissonance that happens. On one hand, you know the statistics. You know that even healthy, young couples don’t have a 100% chance of success with IVF treatment.

But on the other hand, when you’re going through it, part of your brain starts to believe that because there’s so much medical intervention involved, it should work.

When the pregnancy test is negative, it can feel like a betrayal by your own body, by the medical system, by the universe itself.

You might find yourself thinking things like “If science can’t make this happen, what hope do I have?” or “Maybe I’m just broken.”

You’re not broken. Sometimes embryos that look perfect don’t achieve successful embryo implantation, and sometimes embryos that don’t look promising do.

There’s still so much about conception and implantation that medical science doesn’t fully understand.

Even when your fertility specialist has done everything correctly, embryo implantation remains complex and sometimes unpredictable.

What You Might Be Feeling Right Now

Even though you weren’t technically pregnant, you may be grieving the loss of possibility, the loss of the timeline you had in your head, the loss of that specific embryo. This grief is real and deserves to be acknowledged. Women undergoing fertility treatments often experience this as a profound loss.

Anger

You might be furious at your body, at the unfairness of it all, at people who seem to get pregnant without trying. You might be angry at well-meaning friends who say things like “at least you know you can make embryos” or “maybe you’re just stressed.” That anger is completely understandable and part of the emotional ups and downs of fertility treatment.

Failure and Inadequacy

Even though logically you know this isn’t your fault, you might feel like you’ve somehow failed. Like your body didn’t do what it was supposed to do, or you didn’t think positively enough, or you should have done something differently during the two-week wait.

Isolation

Unless someone has been through fertility treatments themselves, it can be hard for them to understand the specific kind of disappointment you’re experiencing. You might feel alone in your grief, especially if this isn’t something you’ve been open about with friends and family. Remember that your fertility journey is unique to you.

Overwhelm About Next Steps

Your medical team might already be talking about what to try next, but you might not be ready to think about that yet. Or conversely, you might want to jump right into planning the next cycle because forward movement feels like the only way to cope.

Understanding Your Test Results

When facing a negative pregnancy test result, it’s important to understand what this means in the context of your treatment cycle. Your fertility specialist will typically confirm pregnancy through blood work that measures human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG levels) – the pregnancy hormone that would indicate successful embryo implantation.

Sometimes, the home pregnancy test result could indicate a false negative if taken too early. Your HCG level needs to reach a certain threshold to confirm pregnancy, and timing is crucial when testing after a frozen embryo transfer or fresh transfer.

The hormone changes in your body during this time can be significant. Your ovary and uterine lining have been prepared through various fertility medications, and when the pregnancy test is negative, your body needs time to readjust as the pregnancy hormone levels return to baseline.

Coping Strategies

Give Yourself Permission to Feel Whatever You’re Feeling<

This isn’t the time to try to be positive or look on the bright side. If you’re devastated, be devastated. If you’re angry, be angry. These feelings won’t last forever, but they need space to exist right now. This challenging time requires patience with yourself.

Take Care of Your Physical Needs

Grief is exhausting. Make sure you’re eating, staying hydrated, and getting rest. If you’ve been on progesterone or other fertility medications, your body is also adjusting to hormonal changes, which can affect your mood and energy levels. the hormone fluctuations following an embryo transfer can be particularly intense.

Limit Social Media and Pregnancy Announcements

Give yourself permission to unfollow pregnant friends temporarily, skip baby showers, and avoid the corner of Instagram where everyone seems to be glowing with pregnancy joy. Your mental health is more important than social obligations right now.

Communicate with Your Partner

If you have a partner, know that they might be processing this differently than you are. Some people want to talk through every feeling, others need space to process privately first. Try to communicate about what you each need without assuming you should be grieving in the same way. A simple hug can sometimes provide comfort when words fail.

Navigating Conversations with Others

One of the hardest parts of dealing with fertility treatment failures is managing other people’s reactions and comments. Even well-meaning friends and family can say things that feel hurtful when you’re already raw.

You Don’t Owe Anyone Information

If you’ve been sharing your journey with others, you might feel pressure to update everyone about the results. Remember that you can share as much or as little as you want. A simple “the test is negative this time, but we’re doing okay” can be enough if that’s all you have energy for.

Prepare for Unhelpful Comments

People might say things like “everything happens for a reason,” “maybe you should just relax and it will happen naturally,” or “have you considered adoption?” These comments usually come from a place of wanting to help, but they can feel incredibly invalidating when you’re dealing with a negative test result. It’s okay to say “I’m not ready to talk about next steps yet” or simply change the subject.

Find Your People

If possible, connect with others who understand what you’re going through. This might be through online fertility communities, support groups, or friends who have been through similar experiences. Sometimes you just need to be around people who get why this hurts so much and understand the emotional ups and downs of assisted reproduction treatment.

Making Decisions About Next Steps

Right now, you might feel pressure to immediately decide what comes next. Should you try another transfer if you have frozen embryos? Start another retrieval cycle? Take a break? Consider other options?

Here’s what I tell my clients: you don’t have to make any major decisions while you’re in acute grief. Most fertility clinics will give you time to process before moving forward, and rushing into the next step because you can’t tolerate the disappointment rarely leads to better outcomes.

Take Time to Process

Give yourself at least a few weeks to sit with what happened before making big decisions about your next move. Your perspective might shift as the initial shock wears off. This is especially important when planning your next treatment cycle.

Consider What You Learned

Was there anything about this cycle that felt particularly difficult? Are there aspects of the process you’d want to change next time? This isn’t about blaming yourself for the outcome, but about thinking through what would make future attempts more manageable.

Think About Your Resources

Be honest about where you are financially, emotionally, and relationally. What do you have capacity for right now? What support do you need to continue? Fertility treatment is a marathon, not a sprint and your fertility journey is unique to your circumstances.

When to Seek Additional Support

Some level of sadness and disappointment after a failed transfer is completely normal and expected. But there are times when professional support can be really helpful:

● If you’re having trouble functioning in daily life for more than a few weeks
● If you’re experiencing thoughts of self-harm
● If this disappointment is creating significant strain in your relationship
● If you’re feeling completely hopeless about your fertility journey
● If you’re using alcohol, drugs, or other substances to cope

Consider Fertility Counselling

Many fertility clinics have counsellors who specialize in helping people navigate the emotional aspects of treatment. They understand the unique stressors of IVF treatment and can help you process what you’re going through while also helping you think through decisions about next steps.

Individual or Couples Therapy

If fertility struggles are affecting your mental health or your relationship, working with a therapist who has experience with fertility issues can be incredibly valuable. They can help you develop coping strategies and work through the complex emotions that come with this journey.

Remember: This Doesn’t Define Your Worth

I know it’s hard to believe this right now, but your worth as a person isn’t determined by whether an embryo implants. You are not less deserving of motherhood or fatherhood because this cycle didn’t work. You are not being punished by the universe. You are not broken.

Fertility is complex, and there are so many factors that affect whether any given cycle will be successful. Some of these factors we can control, many we cannot. What we can control is how we care for ourselves through the process and how much support we allow ourselves to receive.

Moving Forward (When You’re Ready)

Eventually, when you’re ready, you’ll need to make decisions about your path forward. This might mean trying another frozen embryo transfer, exploring different treatment options, or deciding to step away from fertility treatments altogether. All of these choices are valid, and only you can decide what feels right for your situation.

Whatever you decide, know that it’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to take breaks. It’s okay to try again, and it’s okay to stop trying. Your fertility journey doesn’t have to follow anyone else’s timeline or expectations.

The only requirement is that you be gentle with yourself through whatever comes next. This is hard enough without adding self-criticism to the mix.

Finding Hope in the Midst of Disappointment

I don’t want to end this by telling you that everything happens for a reason or that this will all work out exactly as it’s supposed to. That kind of forced optimism doesn’t honor the real pain you’re experiencing right now.

What I will say is that people navigate fertility struggles and go on to create the families they want in many different ways.

Some try again and find success with subsequent transfers. Others explore different treatment approaches. Some decide to pursue adoption or child-free living.

There isn’t one right path, but there are many ways to build a meaningful life.

Right now, your job isn’t to figure out the rest of your story. Your job is just to get through today, and tomorrow, and to be kind to yourself while you do it. Remember that your fertility journey is unique, and there’s no timeline for processing this challenging time.

_______________________________________________________________________

If you’re struggling with the emotional aspects of fertility treatment, you don’t have to navigate this alone. At Get Reconnected Psychotherapy Services, Delia Petrescu, MA, RP provides specialized support for individuals and couples dealing with fertility challenges. She understands the unique stressors of IVF and can help you process your emotions while making decisions about your path forward. Book a free 15-minute consultation with Delia to explore how she can support you during this difficult time.

source https://getreconnected.ca/blog/negative-pregnancy-test-after-embryo-transfer-ivf/

August 2025 Get Reconnected Newsletter – Insights on Social Media and Mental Health

August 2025 Get Reconnected Newsletter – Insights on Social Media and Mental Health

What’s really happening when we scroll?

How many times have you opened Instagram just to “quickly check” something, and then you find yourself still on it even 20 minutes later? Or posted a photo and found yourself checking back throughout the day to see how many likes it got?

Maybe you’ve noticed feeling a little down after browsing through everyone else’s highlight reels of vacations, achievements, and picture-perfect moments.

If this sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone. Most of us have a complicated relationship with social media.

On one hand, it helps us stay connected with friends, share important moments, and discover new ideas. On the other hand, it can leave us feeling anxious, lonely, or like we’re not measuring up.

The thing is, for years we’ve heard conflicting advice about social media and mental health. Some experts say it’s terrible for us, others say it’s fine in moderation, and many of us are left wondering what’s actually true.

In this newsletter, we’re exploring some recent studies that help us understand what’s actually happening to our minds when we scroll, post, and engage online.

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UK Study: Posting vs. Viewing – Different Impacts on Adult Mental Health

A 2024 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research followed 15,836 UK adults for over a year to understand how different types of social media use affect mental health. The researchers distinguished between two key behaviors: viewing social media content versus actively posting content.

The results were striking. Adults who frequently posted on social media showed increased mental health problems a year later, including higher levels of depression and anxiety. But frequently viewing social media content didn’t show the same negative association with mental health outcomes.

This challenges the common assumption that all social media use affects mental health equally. The study suggests that active engagement through posting may be more psychologically demanding than passive consumption through viewing.

Why is This Important?

This research helps us understand that not all social media activities are created equal when it comes to mental health. Posting requires us to curate our image, seek validation through likes and comments, and often engage in social comparison as we see how our posts perform relative to others.

When you post content, you’re putting yourself “out there” for judgment and comparison. You might find yourself checking repeatedly to see how many likes or comments you receive, comparing your engagement to others, or feeling disappointed when posts don’t perform as expected.

The fact that viewing didn’t show the same negative effects suggests that mindful, passive consumption of social media might be less harmful to mental health than active participation focused on self-presentation and validation-seeking.

Read Article Here

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University of Pennsylvania: Limiting Social Media Reduces Depression and Loneliness

In the first experimental study to establish a direct causal link between social media use and mental health, University of Pennsylvania researchers followed 143 young adults and found evidence that limiting social media use leads to significant mental health improvements.

Participants were randomly assigned to either continue their normal social media use or limit their time on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to just 10 minutes per platform per day (30 minutes total). After three weeks, those in the limited-use group showed significant reductions in both loneliness and depression compared to the control group.

Interestingly, both groups showed decreases in anxiety and fear of missing out (FOMO), suggesting that simply paying attention to social media use through self-monitoring can have benefits.

Why is This Important?

This study provides the first experimental evidence that social media use directly causes decreased wellbeing, rather than just being associated with it.

The researchers point to social comparison as the likely culprit: “When you look at other people’s lives, particularly on Instagram, it’s easy to conclude that everyone else’s life is cooler or better than yours.”

The findings are particularly relevant for adults who may find themselves constantly comparing their real lives to others’ carefully curated online presentations. Whether it’s career achievements, relationships, vacations, or lifestyle choices, social media can create an illusion that everyone else is doing better than you are.

The fact that limiting use to just 30 minutes per day made such a significant difference is encouraging. You don’t need to quit social media entirely to see mental health benefits.

The researchers noted it’s “a little ironic that reducing your use of social media actually makes you feel less lonely,” but it makes sense when you consider that social media often provides surface-level connections rather than meaningful relationships.

For busy adults juggling work, family, and personal responsibilities, this research suggests that cutting back on social media might actually free up mental and emotional energy for more fulfilling activities and relationships.

Read Article Here

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Australian Study: Social Comparison is the Hidden Driver of Mental Health Problems

A 2022 study published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions looked at something we all do but rarely talk about: comparing ourselves to others on social media.

Australian researchers wanted to understand why some people who use social media problematically end up with depression while others don’t.

The study found that social comparison is the missing link. People who frequently compare themselves to others while using social media (looking at someone’s vacation photos and thinking “why don’t I travel like that?” or seeing career updates and feeling behind in life) are much more likely to develop depressive symptoms.

What’s particularly interesting is that this tendency to compare ourselves to others partially explains why problematic social media use hurts our self-esteem and mental health.

It’s not just about using social media too much but about what’s happening in our minds while we scroll.

Why is This Important?

This research helps explain why social media can feel so emotionally draining. When we’re constantly measuring our real lives against other people’s highlight reels, it creates a perfect storm for feeling inadequate.

You might be having a normal Tuesday, dealing with work stress or household chores, and then you open Instagram to see a friend’s perfectly curated post about their promotion, their beautiful dinner, or their amazing weekend. Without even realizing it, you start asking yourself “What am I doing with my life?”

This kind of comparison is especially tough for adults because we’re juggling so many different areas of life (career, relationships, parenting, finances, health). Social media gives us endless opportunities to find someone who seems to be doing better than us in any of these areas.

The study suggests that learning to recognize when we’re making these comparisons – and actively working to stop them – might be more effective than just limiting our social media time.

It’s about changing how we think while we scroll, not just how long we scroll.

Read Article Here

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How You Can Support Your Mental Health with Social Media

Be intentional about posting: Before sharing content, ask yourself why you’re posting. Are you sharing something meaningful or just seeking validation? Consider taking breaks from posting while still staying connected through viewing and direct messaging.

Curate your feeds mindfully: Pay attention to how different accounts and types of content make you feel. Unfollow or mute accounts that consistently trigger negative emotions, comparison, or anxiety. Follow accounts that inspire, educate, or genuinely entertain you.

Focus on quality interactions: Instead of broadcasting to everyone, prioritize direct messages and meaningful conversations with people you actually care about. Focus on connecting with people who matter to you instead of chasing likes from people you don’t really know.

Set purpose-driven limits: Rather than arbitrary time limits, set intention-based boundaries. For example, “I’ll check Instagram once in the morning to see what close friends are up to, but not during work hours or before bed.”

Practice the 30-minute rule: Based on the Pennsylvania research, consider limiting your daily social media use to around 30 minutes total across all platforms to see if you notice mental health benefits.

Take regular digital detoxes: Whether it’s phone-free meals, social media-free weekends, or longer breaks, giving your mind rest from these platforms can help you maintain perspective and reconnect with offline activities and relationships.

Final Thoughts

The research reveals that our connection with social media has many different sides to it. The key isn’t necessarily using it less but using it more consciously – in ways that support rather than undermine our mental health and wellbeing.

As adults, we have the power to choose how these platforms fit into our lives rather than letting them dictate how we feel about ourselves.

source https://getreconnected.ca/blog/august-2025-get-reconnected-newsletter-insights-on-social-media-and-mental-health/

July 2025 Get Reconnected Newsletter – Insights on Sleep and Mental Health

What is sleep?

Sleep is something that happens to us every night where we become less aware of what’s around us and our bodies get a chance to fix and restore themselves.

During sleep, our brains don’t just “shut down” but become incredibly active just in different ways than when we’re awake.

While we sleep, our brains go through different stages, and each stage does something important.

The deepest sleep stages help lock in what we learned that day, fix damaged brain cells, and as we’re learning from exciting new research … it literally washes out the junk that builds up in our brains during the day.

Without good sleep, we can’t think straight, manage our feelings well, or feel mentally healthy. Sleep is just as important to feeling good mentally as eating food and drinking water are to staying alive.

In this newsletter, we’re sharing some recent research about how sleep and mental health work together.

The 5Rs: Why Your Brain and Body Need Quality Sleep

In our blog post, we explored how sleep is essential for mental health through what we call the “5Rs” framework. Here’s why each one matters for your psychological wellbeing:

• Refresh – Sleep gives your mind a chance to clear mental clutter and reset for the next day, which is crucial for focus and decision-making.
• Renew – Your body uses sleep time to strengthen your immune system and heal physical damage, creating the energy foundation you need for emotional resilience.
• Restore – This is where sleep directly impacts mental health by helping your brain process the day’s experiences and regulate your emotional responses.
• Regenerate – During deep sleep phases, your brain literally repairs itself at the cellular level, maintaining the healthy neural networks needed for good mental health.
• Reconfigure – Sleep reorganizes your brain’s connections, enhancing creativity and problem-solving abilities that help you cope with daily stresses.

What makes this especially important for mental health is that sleep isn’t passive downtime.

While you’re sleeping, your brain is actively cycling through different stages with some focused on physical recovery and others dedicated to emotional processing and memory work.

Read the full blog post here.

Why is This Important?

This foundational understanding shows us that sleep isn’t just “time off”. But it’s also when some of your brain’s most important mental health work happens.

Poor sleep quality disrupts these essential processes, which directly impacts your emotional regulation, memory processing, and stress management.

When you understand that sleep is actively restoring your emotional balance and reconfiguring your brain for better problem-solving, it becomes clear why sleep problems and mental health issues so often go hand in hand.

The research we’ll explore next builds on these fundamental sleep processes to show specific ways sleep impacts mental wellness.

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Even Night Owls Benefit from Earlier Bedtimes for Mental Health

Think you’re naturally wired to stay up late? New research from Stanford Medicine might surprise you.

In a large study of nearly 75,000 adults, researchers found that both morning people and night owls had better mental health when they went to bed earlier.

Even if you identify as a “night owl,” staying up late increased your risk of mental health disorders by 20-40% compared to night owls who followed an earlier sleep schedule.

The researchers were initially skeptical of their own findings. “We spent six months trying to disprove it, and we couldn’t,” said study author Dr. Jamie Zeitzer.

Why is This Important?

Your natural chronotype (whether you’re a morning lark or night owl) might not be what’s best for your mental health. This challenges the common advice to “follow your natural rhythm.”

The research suggests that regardless of your preferences, earlier bedtimes benefit everyone’s psychological wellbeing. This could be related to how our modern environments (artificial light, social schedules) may conflict with deeper biological needs for earlier rest.

If you’re a night owl struggling with anxiety, depression, or mood issues, gradually shifting your bedtime earlier – even by 30-60 minutes – might provide mental health benefits beyond what you’d expect.

Read the full article here.

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The Bidirectional Relationship: Sleep Quality Predicts Mental Health

A 2024 Sleep Foundation survey revealed something many of us know intuitively but hadn’t seen quantified: the quality of your sleep directly impacts how you feel mentally, and vice versa.

Nearly half of people who report having below-average sleep quality rate their mental health as below average. Those with poor sleep get nearly an hour less sleep per night (6.3 hours vs. 7.2 hours) and are three times as likely to rate their sleep quality as poor.

But here’s what’s particularly interesting: people with anxiety and depression don’t just sleep poorly, they seem to feel the effects of bad sleep more intensely than others.
Even when they sleep the same number of hours as someone else, they wake up feeling worse.

Why is This Important?

This isn’t just about getting more sleep BUT about understanding that sleep and mental health feed into each other in a continuous loop.
“Anxiety is like dumping gasoline on the fire of insomnia,” explains sleep specialist Dr. Brandon Peters.

When you’re anxious or depressed, poor sleep hits you harder. But improving your sleep quality can break this cycle and provide mental health benefits that go beyond just feeling less tired.

The research shows that people with below-average sleep quality are up to two times more likely to regularly experience nervousness and agitation, creating a cycle where poor sleep worsens mental health, which then worsens sleep.

Read the article here.

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Your Brain’s Overnight Cleaning System: The Glymphatic Discovery

One of the most fascinating recent discoveries about sleep is that your brain has a waste removal system that works primarily while you sleep and it’s called the glymphatic system.

Recent studies show that when we’re in deep sleep, our brain cells work together in a coordinated way that helps move cerebrospinal fluid through brain tissue. This fluid acts like a washing system, carrying toxic waste products out of the brain so they can be eliminated by the body.

Think of it like your brain’s overnight janitorial service. During deep sleep, cerebrospinal fluid flows through your brain tissue, washing away toxic proteins and metabolic waste that build up during the day.

“Sleep is critical to the function of the brain’s waste removal system and this study shows that the deeper the sleep the better,” explains Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who discovered this system.

Why is This Important?

This discovery helps explain why poor sleep is linked to mental health problems and neurodegenerative diseases. When your brain can’t properly clean itself due to insufficient or poor-quality sleep, toxic waste products accumulate (potentially contributing to depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline).
When this brain cleaning system doesn’t work properly, it may contribute to various conditions including depression, anxiety, headaches, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The key insight?

Not all sleep is equal.

Deep, slow-wave sleep (N3 stage) is when this cleaning process works best. Light, fragmented sleep doesn’t allow for optimal waste removal, which may explain why you can sleep for 8 hours but still wake up feeling mentally foggy if the sleep quality was poor.

This gives us a biological reason why prioritizing sleep quality (and not just quantity) is crucial for mental health.

How You Can Support Your Sleep and Mental Health

Create optimal sleep conditions: Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. The glymphatic system works best during deep sleep, so minimize anything that might cause frequent awakenings.

Consider an earlier bedtime: Based on the Stanford research, even if you’re naturally a night owl, gradually shifting your bedtime earlier by 15-30 minutes may benefit your mental health.

Focus on sleep quality, not just quantity: Deep, restorative sleep is when your brain does its most important maintenance work. Avoid screens before bed, limit caffeine after 2 PM, and create a consistent wind-down routine.

Address the cycle: If you’re experiencing both sleep problems and mental health challenges, recognize that improving one will help the other. Consider working with a healthcare provider who understands this bidirectional relationship.

Read the article here.

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Final Thoughts

Your brain works hard for you all day. Give it the deep, restorative sleep it needs to clean itself, process emotions, and prepare you for mental wellness tomorrow.

source https://getreconnected.ca/blog/july-2025-get-reconnected-newsletter-insights-on-sleep-and-mental-health/