Blue Sails Insights
In-depth guides and articles on mental health, autism care and finding support in Maryland. Start with a guide, or search and filter articles by topic.
Each guide covers signs, evaluation, treatment options and common questions for one area of care.
If you are in crisis, call 911, go to the nearest ER, or call or text 988. Maryland programs and community listings are in our behavioral health resources guide.
Trauma and PTSD Recovery, Treatments, and Strategies
Borderline, avoidant, OCPD, and narcissistic personality disorders explained: what each pattern looks like, how they differ, and how DBT and CBT are used.
Trauma and PTSD Recovery, Treatments, and Strategies
Personality disorders develop through the interplay of temperament, attachment, and early adversity rather than character flaws. This guide explains those pathways and why patterns…
Anxiety & Phobias
OCD is one diagnosis with many themes, including harm, contamination, relationship (ROCD), scrupulosity, and perinatal OCD. This guide explains how each presentation works and…
Anxiety & Phobias
OCD is linked to brain circuits that detect errors, not to character or willpower. This guide explains the CSTC loop, genetics, and what PANDAS…
Anxiety & Phobias
When someone lives with OCD, family accommodation such as reassurance, joining rituals, or reshaping routines can unintentionally feed the cycle. Learn how to spot…
Anxiety & Phobias
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the psychological treatment most often called the gold standard for OCD, and SSRIs are the first-line medicines. Learn…
Anxiety & Phobias
Compulsions in OCD are not limited to handwashing or checking locks. Rumination, silent counting, reassurance seeking, and mental review serve the same function: briefly…
Depression & Mood
Depression often pulls people into a withdrawal cycle. Learn how behavioral activation, CBT, and medication each help, how treatment is matched to severity and…
Depression & Mood
Depression often shows up in the body first: fatigue that rest does not fix, aches and headaches, sleep changes, and shifts in appetite. Learn…
