Emily Eckstein, PysD, LMFT spoke with Well + Good on how abuse in intimate relationships has long-term effects on your heart. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study began in 1983 and has recently released findings that intimate partner violence in early adulthood is linked to heart disease and stroke later in life.

A new study has found a startling connection between intimate partner violence and heart health. Intimate partner violence is defined as physical or mental abuse from an intimate partner, which occurs in the US approximately 20 times per minute. This shocking statistic has implications far beyond immediate physical and emotional harm, as researchers have discovered that the effects of intimate partner violence can manifest in heart health years down the line.

Focusing on mental health may provide better well-being than a physical health goal which gets forgotten after the first month. Dr. Nicole Sigfried recommends SMART goals – specific / simplistic, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely goals that are easy to define. One such goal can be as simple as setting up a therapy appointment. While it may be daunting, there are several online guides to help. The progress in the stigma around mental health means that more and more people understand that you don’t need to be in a severe state of mental illness to seek therapy. Even those with minor struggles such as the adjustment to a new job can benefit from Psychotherapy. Dr. Siegfried advises not to wait until things get severe but to think of therapy as a preventative.

ADHD in adults is a little different than in children, explains Emily Eckstein, vice president of regional operations for Los Angeles-based Lightfully Behavioral Health, a mental health care provider. “While often the hyperactivity one experiences in youth dissipates in adulthood, both impulsivity and restlessness can continue,” she says. ADHD is often overlooked in adults, meaning that many go undiagnosed, Eckstein says. But “their presenting symptoms have the potential to cause chaos in their lives.”

“Housing-related stressors are on the rise and not a topic that was prominent within the therapeutic process up until recently,” says Elnaz Mayeh, director of clinical operations at Lightfully Behavioral Health in Los Angeles.