When a patient with ADHD says “I know I’m overreacting, but I can’t stop,” they are not being dramatic. They are describing something neurobiologically real — a predictable consequence of dopaminergic prefrontal dysfunction interacting with the brain’s social pain circuitry. Rejection sensitivity is one of the most impactful features of ADHD and, in my experience, one of the most underaddressed in clinical training. This post on RSD covers what the research tells us about the underlying neuroscience, what it looks like when it walks into your office, and how to think about treatment when screening tools and symptom checklists have only told part of the story.

Every week, therapists sit with clients who are on psychiatric medication — holding the most detailed, continuous picture of how that medication is actually going. They hear about the side effect that showed up in week two. They notice when the affect has gone flat in a way that feels different from the depression. They know about the ibuprofen for the back pain, the supplement someone started taking, the doses that got skipped during the work trip. And most of them have no idea what to do with any of it — not because they don’t care, but because nobody ever taught them that this information was clinically urgent, or how to move it across the treatment team in a way that actually changes care. This post is about that gap.

This article highlights the enduring significance of analog practices—writing, doodling, drawing, and journaling—as essential tools for mental well-being, cognitive enhancement, and personal growth. Grounded in both historical tradition and modern neuroscience, these activities stimulate complex motor and cognitive processes that digital interactions often neglect. Research demonstrates that handwriting improves memory retention, promotes emotional regulation, and fosters mindfulness by slowing mental processes and grounding individuals in the present moment. Additionally, expressive writing and creative drawing serve as therapeutic outlets for processing emotions, reducing anxiety and depression, and supporting overall mental health. As part of a holistic approach to care, Praxis Mental Health encourages integrating these analog practices into both therapeutic work and personal wellness rituals, providing a much-needed counterbalance to the overstimulation of modern digital life.

This narrative explores the author’s professional journey from licensed Marriage and Family Therapist to psychiatric nurse practitioner, illustrating how a foundation of curiosity and scholarship shaped a career devoted to integrative mental health care. Recognizing the limitations of a single-modality approach, the author pursued advanced training to bridge the gap between psychotherapy and psychiatry, blending relational insight with medical expertise. This career path exemplifies how ongoing scholarship—through the continuous study of neurobiology, pharmacology, and psychological research—can directly enhance patient care. Rather than viewing academic inquiry as separate from clinical work, the author describes how curiosity fuels a practice rooted in collaboration, education, and evidence-informed treatment. This model positions scholarship not as an academic exercise, but as an essential form of care that empowers patients through both understanding and meaningful therapeutic change.