MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Psych Central' source. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:38:49 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3382645&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fcan-adults-have-adhd%2F Attention deficit disorder is not just a childhood disorder. Adults can be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) as well. Sometimes this is a result of the person’s childhood ADHD progressing into adulthood (up to 70 percent of children will continue to struggle with ADHD as adults). Other times, an adult can either simply never been diagnosed as a child, or develop the disorder later on in life. Adult attention deficit disorder looks a lot like childhood attention deficit disorder. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, since the symptoms are largely the same. If you answer “Yes” to six or more of the below symptoms, you may have adult ADHD: Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in course work, work, or other activities ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3382645 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:33:15 +0100 3382645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3382646&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fthe-link-between-bipolar-disorder-and-creativity%2F People with bipolar disorder experience episodes of both mania (an exceptionally elevated, irritable, or energetic mood) and depression. These episodes may be separate or depressed and manic symptoms may occur at the same time. The frequency of episodes varies. At least four depressive, manic, hypomanic (mild form of mania) or mixed episodes within a year is known as rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. During the early stages of a manic episode, people can be very happy, productive and creative. They have less need for sleep and don’t feel tired. There is some evidence that many well-known creative people suffer or have suffered from bipolar disorder. But this link may be caused by an unknown third factor, such as temperament. Bipolar disorder has been slightly romanticized by its assoc... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3382646 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:49:26 +0100 3382646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350181&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fchallenges-for-caregivers-of-bipolar-disorder%2F The objective burden on caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder is significantly higher than for those with unipolar [straightforward] depression.” Due to the cyclical nature of the illness and the stresses arising from manic and hypomanic episodes, it “causes uncertainty regarding how best to structure family interventions to optimally alleviate burden.” Studies on U.S. caregiver burden in bipolar disorder suggest that the burden is “high and largely neglected.” As well as depression, caregivers can experience poor physical health, low social support, disruption of household routine, financial strain, and can neglect their own health needs. According to Eduard Vieta, MD, and colleagues at the University of Barcelona, Spain, the most burdensome aspects f... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350181 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:58:35 +0100 3350181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350182&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2F10-tips-to-ease-concerns-about-your-weight%2F Given the focus on weight by the health establishment, the government and the media, it is not surprising that many people in this country are anxiously asking the same question. And there is no shortage of recommendations out there directing people to lose weight with this or that diet, lifestyle program or eating regimen. Unfortunately, the research over the last 25 years is quite clear. There is simply no evidence that any of these approaches results in long-term weight loss for the vast majority of people who engage in them. There are no exceptions and none of the approaches (low fat, low calorie, low carb, etc.) work any better than any of the others. Even more unfortunately however, this complete lack of evidence does not stop people from being seduced into trying to lose weight with... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350182 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:57:38 +0100 3350182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346364&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Ffamous-people-with-adhd%2F Attention deficit disorder (with or without hyperactivity) affects people of all ages, races, professions and walks of life. The impact of attention deficit disorder symptoms can make a person less productive, but still no less able to make their mark on this world. It’s estimated that approximately 5 percent of children today may have a form of attention deficit disorder. Having ADHD doesn’t mean you have a handicap. As somebody once noted, “ADHD often endows children and adults with gifts such as creativity, intuition, imagination, and a sense of adventure.” Indeed, if you have ADHD, you are in very good company with the list of famous people below who either have been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, or have many of the symptoms of this disorder that su... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346364 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:35:49 +0100 3346364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331138&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fthe-relationship-between-mental-and-physical-health%2F People with depression often have worse physical health, as well as worse self-perceived health, than those without depression. Depression and other physical health conditions have separate but additive effects on well-being. For example, the combination of heart disease and depression can cause twice the reduction in social interaction than either condition alone. Patients with both depression and physical health problems are at particular risk: The physical problem can complicate depression’s assessment and treatment by masking or mimicking its symptoms. It can work the other way as well. People with any chronic physical disease tend to feel more psychological distress than do healthy people. Poor physical health brings an increased risk of depression, as do the social and relati... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331138 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:58:37 +0100 3331138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294469&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fself-care-for-depression-caregivers%2F Depression is a common disorder, affecting almost one in five people of all age groups and both genders at any time. This means that even if you are lucky enough never to suffer from it yourself, at some stage and to some extent you may need to care for someone with depression. Although caring for a depressed person is a vital role, it is far from easy. If and when the person recovers, the results and rewards will be highly rewarding. But it is often a challenging and thankless task, requiring immense patience and perseverance. Still, it could prove to be essential for recovery and could even save someone’s life. Your role as the caregiver is vital, because even the best doctors cannot be there 24/7. As the carer, you can help by observing alterations in the person’s behavior ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294469 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:30:16 +0100 3294469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3291839&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fa-chance-to-live%2F Inside every human being is a drive. Sometimes the drive is clear cut: he or she wants to be a doctor, a lawyer, a wife, a mother, a husband, a father, or something else entirely. Sometimes the drive is muddy, murky and hard to understand. Sometimes that drive, the very thing that is supposed to motivate us to become something special in this world, can become the one thing that can turn on us and lead us down the path of self-destruction. Once on that path, a host of questions, fears and doubts besiege us. How do we protect ourselves against rejection, prejudice, risk, pain and judgment? How do we breathe through this dark cloud, let alone survive in this world? From the time I was very small I knew I was different. I was more sensitive to people’s emotions and I always wanted to belong... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3291839 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:32:29 +0100 3291839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3291840&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Ftemper-dysregulation-disorder-with-dysphoria%2F Temper dysregulation disorder with dysphoria is a proposed disorder for the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It is an attempt by the publishers of the DSM to create a diagnostic category that captures much of the behavior that’s presently being diagnosed as “childhood bipolar disorder.” The criteria for the proposed disorder are: A. The disorder is characterized by severe recurrent temper outbursts in response to common stressors. The temper outbursts are manifest verbally and/or behaviorally, such as in the form of verbal rages, or physical aggression towards people or property. The reaction is grossly out of proportion in intensity or duration to the situation or provocation. The responses are inconsistent with developmental level. ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3291840 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:02:52 +0100 3291840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290747&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fthe-eating-disorder-beast-can-be-beaten%2F I’m 15 years old, it’s 3:00 p.m., school is out and I can’t wait to get home and be alone. I’m dizzy, lightheaded, and cold. As I go to my locker to get the necessary books I need for tomorrow’s homework, I’m stopped by friends to talk and discuss afternoon plans. As usual I choose to go home and be alone. My energy is high and my face has its usual big smile. My frail body is hidden by layers of clothing and my mind is filled with nothing but thoughts of what I can eat when I get home. I’ve been a good girl — I have stuck to my eating plan that amounts to 500 calories so far. I feel very anxious and pressure to start my homework. I have a Science test to study for and I must get a 95 or above. As I open the door to the house I pray that my b... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290747 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:33:18 +0100 3290747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262488&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fcoping-with-atypical-antipsychotic-side-effects%2F Atypical antipsychotics are widely believed to be better tolerated in adults than first-generation, or typical antipsychotics, and more likely to be taken long-term. They are less likely to cause tremors and other serious movement disorders that affect users of typical antipsychotics. In contrast to the earlier drugs, atypicals usually work on serotonin receptors in addition to dopamine receptors. Drugs in this group include olanzapine (Zyprexa), clozapine (Clozaril), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), ziprasidone (Geodon), aripiprazole (Abilify) and paliperidone (Invega). The drugs are prescribed for conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorders and may also be given for agitation, anxiety, psychotic episodes and obsessive behaviors. Their off-label use is increasin... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262488 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:41:14 +0100 3262488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262489&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fwhen-family-members-protect-alcoholics%2F In families with alcoholism, emotions and priorities can get very mixed up — and not just by the alcoholic. Spouses, kids, parents, and extended family members can also get emotionally entangled with the alcoholic’s situation. Everyone has expectations and needs to be met, and in many cases the alcoholic falls short. When everyone gets accustomed to living with an intense emotional situation, feelings start taking on way too much importance. The Problems Family members: Don’t want to lose their relationship with the alcoholic. Some family members don’t put pressure on an alcoholic because they don’t want to be abandoned. They would rather keep that person in their life instead of possibly losing them altogether. Rather than talk about alcohol rehab or tell t... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262489 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:40:50 +0100 3262489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3251066&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fcoping-with-antidepressant-side-effects%2F All types of antidepressants can cause some side effects. The most common problems are sleepiness, dry mouth, constipation, nausea and sexual problems. Some people react badly to antidepressants; in others side effects can be quite mild. Different drugs have different risks: SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine (Prozac) may cause you to feel sick or more anxious during the first couple of weeks. Some types of SSRI can cause indigestion, but this can usually be avoided by taking them with food. They may interfere with sexual function, and there have been reports of episodes of aggression, although these are rare. Side effects of SSRIs tend to become less obvious after the first few weeks, while the body adapts to the drug. The exception is sexual side effect... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3251066 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:36:26 +0100 3251066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235708&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fhow-family-and-close-friends-can-help-trauma-survivors%2F How do you express your support to someone who is reeling from a traumatic experience? There are things you can do for the other person as well as for yourself. 1. If your loved one has been threatened with physical harm or death, you can experience that as a trauma. Hearing about or seeing what your loved one survived can be very distressing to you. Take care of yourself or you will not be able to help the survivor. Get support for yourself from others, not the survivor. It is important for you to keep in touch with other friends, family members, or supportive people. 2. Get as much information as you can about trauma and its impact. Read or talk to a professional to gain a better understanding of the survivor’s reactions. 3. Ask the survivor how you can be helpful, and then ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235708 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:05:58 +0100 3235708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231355&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fthe-essential-family-guide-to-borderline-personality-disorder%2F Editor’s note: All statistics cited in the review are taken from the book itself. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mystery to many of us, even clinicians. Still, BPD is more common than schizophrenia and twice as common as anorexia nervosa. Compared to the general public, a person with BPD is 400 times more at risk for suicide. BPD is a serious condition that is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed and overlooked. Families of individuals with BPD may be at their wit’s end, trying to figure out how to live with someone whose emotions resemble a rollercoaster. This is where The Essential Family Guide to Borderline Personality Disorder: New Tools and Techniques to Stop Walking on Eggshells comes in. It’s written by Randi Kreger, co-author of the bestselling Stop Walking on E... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231355 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:16:01 +0100 3231355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212096&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fseeing-beneath-the-surface-with-your-teen%2F Disclaimer: The characters from these vignettes are fictitious. They were derived from a composite of people and events for the purpose of representing real-life situations and psychological dilemmas which occur in families. Daniel’s Perspective Daniel was 16 and appeared to be doing fine. Though popular at school and well-liked, he easily felt rejected, recently feeling alienated from friends. Though no one was concerned about his performance at school, he felt increasing pressure to do well, and worried about disappointing or burdening people. Stressed and secretly overwhelmed, he stayed up all night trying to keep up with his advanced classes - and could not concentrate. Daniel came into therapy following a suicide attempt by overdose. In the initial sessions Daniel talked mostly ab... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212096 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:39:39 +0100 3212096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212097&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fsleep-deprived-nation%2F The student who asked to see me looks exhausted. I’m used to sleepy students. It’s an occupational hazard of teaching the 8:30 a.m. class. But I’ve been worried about this young man for several weeks. He seems to be fighting especially hard to keep his head from hitting the desk during every class. Ironically, we’ve been covering sleep disorders in our psychology seminar and he sent me an urgent request for an appointment. Now at my office in the late afternoon, he doesn’t look much better. “Were you serious that people sometimes feel so paralyzed when they wake up that they can’t move?” he asks. “Is it really true that people can hear voices just because they are sleep-deprived? How about seeing ghosts and spirits?” “Yes. Yes. And yes,” I tell him. “Those are a... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212097 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:35:46 +0100 3212097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3180214&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Filluminating-13-myths-of-schizophrenia%2F It’s safe to say that no mental disorder is more shrouded in mystery, misunderstanding and fear than schizophrenia. “The modern-day equivalent of leprosy” is how renowned research psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., refers to schizophrenia in his excellent book, Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Patients, and Providers. While 85 percent of Americans recognize that schizophrenia is a disorder, only 24 percent are actually familiar with it. And according to a 2008 survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 64 percent can’t recognize its symptoms or think the symptoms include a “split” or multiple personalities. (They don’t.) Aside from ignorance, images of the aggressive, sadistic “schizophrenic” are plentiful in the media. Such stereotypes o... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3180214 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:12:06 +0100 3180214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3180215&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2010%2Fliving-with-schizophrenia%2F “Your daughter has schizophrenia,” I told the woman. “Oh, my God, anything but that,” she replied. “Why couldn’t she have leukemia or some other disease instead?” “But if she had leukemia she might die,” I pointed out. “Schizophrenia is a much more treatable disease.” The woman looked sadly at me, then down at the floor. She spoke softly. “I would still prefer that my daughter had leukemia.” “This book is a product of a thousand such conversations,” writes research psychiatrist and schizophrenia specialist E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., in Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Patients And Providers. Getting a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be devastating. Families and patients alike think there’s no hope. What follows may be shock, shame and confusion. ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3180215 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:05:51 +0100 3180215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096668&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fscattershot-my-bipolar-family%2F It was back in the ’50s. One day my friend’s mother just disappeared. That Sunday as they gathered in the church parking lot, the other mothers whispered. My friend stood next to me and cried. Finally, one of the more outspoken moms broke away from the mom-huddle and put her arms around the girl. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Your mom has a sickness in her mind and is in the hospital. She’ll be back in a few months good as new. But don’t talk about it. People don’t talk about mental sickness.” As absurd as that tableau may seem today, it comforted my friend. At least she knew her mom would come back. She did; drugged up and passive, but there. She seemed to sleepwalk through her days for the next couple of years but then gradually became some... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096668 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:18:41 +0100 3096668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056503&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fbonding-with-your-teen-a-hidden-opportunity%2F This column is part of a series of vignettes representing themes common to families and adolescents. Different sides of a dilemma are presented – the parent’s point of view and the adolescent’s view. Then a psychological perspective is offered, integrating the views of both the adolescent and the parent in order to help family members understand the situation differently and learn ways to improve the quality of family life. The characters from these vignettes are fictitious. They were derived from a composite of people and events for the purpose of representing real-life situations and psychological dilemmas which occur in families. Mom’s Perspective Courtney’s mom, Jill, was beside herself. While Courtney was away for the summer at camp, Jill found a collage Courtney had made ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056503 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:08:51 +0100 3056503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995623&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fholiday-coping-tips%2F This article was originally published in 1996. (Source: Psych Central) Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995623 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:21:37 +0100 2995623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2950616&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Finvoluntary-emotional-expression-disorder%2F , or IEED, is a condition in which a person experiences uncontrollable episodes of emotional expression. That is, they have episodes of crying, laughter, or anger that are not in line with their present mood. The condition is also known as labile affect, pseudobulbar affect, emotional lability, and pathological laughing and crying. It can have a severe impact on the lives of both patients and caregivers, as symptoms may leave sufferers feeling guilty, awkward, embarrassed and reluctant to take part in social interaction. IEED is seen most often following brain injury or in people with dementia, motor neuron disease, and multiple sclerosis. It can appear at any stage of the associated diseases. Its prevalence was estimated in 2007 by Walter Bradley, MD, of Miami University. His team survey... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2950616 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:59:53 +0100 2950616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912065&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fanticipated-fullness-is-crucial-to-calorie-intake%2F This study is unique in that it compares palatability and reward (measured as monetary value) across foods. It also compared foods on a like-for-like (calorie-for-calorie) basis, to understand their relative effect on energy intake. “It is now widely assumed that palatability plays a key role in decisions about meal size,” they researchers write. “However, an alternative, and previously unexplored possibility, is that decisions are largely motivated by non-affective beliefs, such as those relating to the post-ingestive consequences of consuming food.” Foods differ considerably in their expected satiation. Per calorie, some foods have been rated as five to six times more filling than other foods. “In particular, foods with low expected satiety tended to be high... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912065 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:29:10 +0100 2912065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912066&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fteen-drinking-limits-vs-punishment%2F According to the National Institute of Health, drinking — the drug of choice among youth — plays a major role in death from injuries, and injuries are the leading cause of death for kids under 21. Alcohol also significantly increases the likelihood of risky sexual behavior, including unprotected sex, multiple partners, and physical and sexual assault (NIAA, 2007). How do we set limits on our teenagers so that the limits are actually protective and not just a reaction to anger? It’s easy to take teens’ provocative behavior personally and (Source: Psych Central) Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912066 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:28:15 +0100 2912066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912067&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fweekends-at-bellevue%2F Ever wanted to go beyond the doors of a psychiatric hospital? To have a key to the locked units? To witness the day-to-day at a legendary institution mired in mystery and folklore? Weekends at Bellevue, a medical memoir by psychiatrist Julie Holland, gives readers this very opportunity, taking them inside the infamous New York City hospital. As the doctor in charge of Bellevue’s psychiatric emergency room (known as CPEP), Dr. Holland had a front row seat to the “madness” and mayhem from 1996 to 2005. Her job was to decide who was admitted — whether voluntarily or involuntarily — and who was released, which didn’t necessarily bring relief to everyone, especially those who came to Bellevue for a night’s sleep. Bellevue has a long, rich history. Dr. Holland writes: Bellevue i... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912067 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:26:31 +0100 2912067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2868791&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fdoes-your-teenager-want-to-get-caught%2F Travis was 15. He’d always been a good kid – no trouble, unlike his brothers. His parents saw him as the perfect child. That’s why it was jolting and perplexing to his parents that this semester he started breaking rules, getting into trouble, and seeming downright provocative. Travis was recently caught drunk after being at friends’ houses and engaging in risky and dangerous activities. He recently remarked to his father, “I can’t wait to get my dirt bike. Then I’ll be able to go anywhere I want and go scary-wild!” Travis’ dad was shocked by this comment and angry that Travis seemed to be purposely and intentionally rebelling. What should his parents do? Let’s think about the vignette. How we interpret others’ actions - what we think their intentions are and what th... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2868791 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:56:25 +0100 2868791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851648&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-depression-and-manic-depression%2F Sometimes people are confused about the differences between clinical depression and manic depression. And it’s no wonder — they both have the word “depression” in their names. That’s one of the reason’s manic depression’s clinical name changed to “bipolar disorder” many years ago, to more clearly distinguish it from regular depression. The difference is really quite simple, though. Manic depression — or bipolar disorder — includes clinical depression as a part of its diagnosis. You can’t have bipolar disorder without also having had an episode of clinical depression. That’s why the two disorders shared similar names for many years, because they both include the component of clinical depression. Such a depressive ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851648 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:43:22 +0100 2851648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820031&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fthe-depression-advantage%2F Depression, like other mental illnesses, is rarely seen as a good thing. While many can articulate positive things about having a mental illness (or knowing someone who does), the illness itself is almost never looked upon as providing an advantage. In The Depression Advantage, Tom Wootton attempts to do just that—to show that depression, despite the challenges and distress it can bring, can also be helpful. Drawing on personal experience with bipolar disorder, the lives of the saints, and feedback received through workshops he has led, Wootton suggests a new paradigm for understanding and coping with mood disorders. The book is directed primarily at mental health consumers, while professionals may become frustrated with the easygoing style and lack of conclusive evidence to suppor... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820031 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:10:45 +0100 2820031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820032&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fpost-traumatic-stress-disorder-linked-to-earlier-poor-health%2F Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are higher among military personnel who had mental or physical health problems before combat, a recent study has found. Cynthia LeardMann and colleagues at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego wanted to see whether there are predisposing factors for PTSD. Most previous studies have used retrospective figures, so the team examined volunteers before military deployment. They write on the website of the British Medical Journal that, “It has not been temporally established if those with poor mental or physical health status are more vulnerable to developing PTSD.” But they do refer to one study suggesting that prior trauma and prior psychological adjustment were significant predictors of PTSD. Another study suggests that youn... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820032 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:07:09 +0100 2820032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800244&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Ftaking-medication-16-ways-to-become-a-smart-self-advocate%2F When we walk into the doctor’s office, for many of us, the scenario looks like this: We list off our symptoms, the doctor asks a few questions, writes out a prescription and we go on our way. From her work in primary care settings, Risa Weisberg, Ph.D, assistant professor (research) and co-director of the Brown University Program for Anxiety Research at Alpert Medical School, has seen “firsthand how a great many patients accept a prescription from their provider without asking many questions about it, or often, without even knowing for what symptoms/disorder it is being prescribed.” Such a scenario can stall or sabotage your treatment. Confused, you’re likely left with tons of questions, unaware of what you’re taking and how it’s supposed to help. You may be feeling helpless ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800244 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:36:55 +0100 2800244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757590&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fthe-genetics-of-compulsive-hoarding%2F Is compulsive hoarding inherited? People who compulsively acquire and hoard clutter to the extent that it impairs their daily activities are labeled “compulsive hoarders.” The condition is classed as a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), present in 30 to 40 percent of individuals affected with OCD. It may damage relationships, cut the individual off from society, and even endanger lives. Compulsive hoarding is distinct from bad planning and disorganization because it is believed to be a pathological brain disorder. It is often a symptom of other disorders, such as impulse control disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Bereavement or another significant life event can trigger excessive hoarding behavior. Hoarding often runs in families, but it is uncer... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757590 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:25:09 +0100 2757590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2733932&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fconquering-post-traumatic-stress-disorder%2F Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the most difficult conditions for anyone to bear. Many who encounter life-threatening events or situations that threaten physical or emotional safety become burdened by a variety of intense symptoms, including intrusive memories, flashbacks and nightmares. People with PTSD often become hypervigilant and employ desperate coping strategies to avoid situations that remind them of their trauma. They may experience mood, anger and anxiety problems, unexplained aches and pains, addictions, and difficulties in work, relationships, self-esteem, faith and worldview. Many who have suffered physical injuries carry a burden of chronic pain and disability. Plus, other mental health issues may worsen. Fortunately PTSD has been thoroughly studied and evide... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2733932 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:21:52 +0100 2733932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2733933&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fpurge-rehab-diaries%2F In conclusion, I wrote this book to inform the public, counteract myths surrounding eating disorders and treatment, and provide eating disordered individuals with hope. I think she accomplishes all three. Purge: Rehab Diaries By Nicole Johns Seal Press, April 2009 288 pages Paperback, $16.95 (Source: Psych Central) Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2733933 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:07:47 +0100 2733933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2711939&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fordinary-heroes%2F Last night I went to a convenience store. I was joking with one of the two female cashiers working the late night shift when this guy stormed in, shouting obscenities, totally agitated. I was scared—sure he was on methamphetamines—drunk and dangerous. He was about 30 years old, of average height and weight. He was pacing, swearing repeatedly, saying he’s going to kill ‘this guy.’ Then he grabbed a glass bottle from the cooler. He said he would use it to smash in the other man’s skull; he wishes he had a gun on him; all this in a total rage. I was too shocked to make out anything this man was yelling except for those scary threats—and I felt threatened. So I kept my eyes on the short, stocky, black woman working behind the counter, wondering if ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2711939 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:25:20 +0100 2711939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2691387&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fhiding-behind-the-pulpit-with-bipolar-disorder%2F I have an illness that affects nearly 1 out of every 17 Americans, and affects 1 out of every 5 families. This disease is chronic in nature, and can only be controlled, not cured. It is not consistent in either symptoms or treatments. Controlling the symptoms is a lifelong struggle, and can only be accomplished through therapy, medication and developing coping skills. People with this illness are treated like modern-day lepers. They are ridiculed, stereotyped and misrepresented in society. No matter how skilled or educated they may be, the dark cloud of this disease follows them everywhere. In order to maintain employment, they must resort to lying. I know this because I am one of these people. Moreover, although my situation might seem unique, it is more common than you might think. Now,... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2691387 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:05:09 +0100 2691387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653566&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fbook-review-a-brief-history-of-anxiety-yours-and-mine%2F In the U.S., 40 million adults have an anxiety disorder. Author Patricia Pearson is one of them: She is a regular visitor to Flu Wiki, an online community that fears an impending influenza outbreak. She compares her “uncomfortable but meaningless” angst to Edvard Munch’s The Scream . In A Brief History of Anxiety: Yours and Mine, Pearson describes the Flu Wiki: “The conversations ranged widely, from scientific discourses on virus mutation to historical analysis of pandemics, to tips for home fuel storage—on the presumption that self-quarantine would be the only effective protection from contracting the virus.” Though she realizes that her fears may be unwarranted and absurd, she can’t stop stockpiling her house with twelve containers of freeze-dried vegetables and powdered... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653566 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:11:59 +0100 2653566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2625866&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fmedias-damaging-depictions-of-mental-illness%2F A man who suffers from schizophrenia goes on a shooting spree in Times Square and later stabs a pregnant physician in the stomach. These are the opening scenes from Wonderland, a drama set in the psychiatric and emergency room units of a New York City hospital. Premiering in 2000, Wonderland was promptly canceled because of dwindling ratings and heavy criticism from mental health groups (though it was brought back in January 2009). The series portrayed a bleak life for people with mental illness and groups like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) criticized its theme of hopelessness. But images of individuals with mental illness aren’t always so in your face. Subtle stereotypes pervade the news regularly. Just the other day, a local news program in Central Florida reported o... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2625866 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:19:49 +0100 2625866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2621429&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fhow-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-adhd%2F Your child is in school and either you are frustrated, your child’s teacher is frustrated, or both. You have most likely seen behavioral problems and your child’s teacher has called to tell you that your child is disrupting the classroom and is not listening. You are at your “wits end” and finally decide, after much deliberating, to take your child to a health care professional —who tells you that your child has ADHD. Now what? Your child most likely is as frustrated as you are with constantly getting in trouble at school for not sitting still and not paying attention. He or she also may have been labeled at school as a troublemaker or daydreamer. Children don’t want to stick out from their classmates and they especially do not want to be made fun of. If a school-aged... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2621429 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:24:47 +0100 2621429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2601894&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fsetting-up-a-behavior-management-plan-for-an-adhd-child%2F Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD are at a much higher risk of developing noncompliant or negative behaviors than a child who does not have ADHD. The very nature of ADHD implies that the child will have difficulty with self-control, paying attention, listening to instructions at home and school, and following directions. Some children seem to be predisposed to develop behavior problems by their temperament; however, the symptoms of ADHD—including hyperactivity, impulsivity, or inattention—seem to exacerbate these negative behaviors. Managing these negative behaviors often becomes a full-time job for parents. Treatment for the ADHD child usually requires a comprehensive approach. It includes school support, medications if needed, parent/child education regarding ADHD a... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2601894 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:26:32 +0100 2601894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584035&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fpremenstrual-dysphoric-disorder%2F Most women have a variety of physical or emotional symptoms related to their monthly usuaperiods. Symptoms are usually present during the five days before their period and then disappear within a day or two of the period starting. Most of the time, these symptoms aren’t an indication of a mental disorder or other mental health concern. Such mild symptoms are a normal process of menstruation. Severe cases of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be diagnosed as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD significantly interfere’s with a woman’s ability to function in her everyday, normal life — including with family, at work, or do other activities she normally enjoys. Symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Symptoms of PMDD are similar to those for PMS, except that ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584035 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:50:41 +0100 2584035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570103&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fovercoming-fears-phobias-and-panic-attacks%2F There are many ways that a therapist might work with someone to help them overcome their fears, a phobia (like being afraid of snakes) or having a panic attack (where a person feels their heart beating, they are short of breath, and feel like they might die). Many therapists use what are called cognitive-behavioral techniques to help a person gain control over these kinds of irrational fears. You can also learn more about these techniques on your own, and through self-help books. Keep in mind that not every technique is appropriate for every kind of concern or every person — some may work better than others for you. If you fail at one, don’t despair; it means you should either try again until you succeed with that technique, or try another one from the list. 1. The Experimenta... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570103 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:57:04 +0100 2570103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2522488&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fliving-with-an-anxiety-disorder%2F Learning that you have an anxiety disorder may bring relief (finally having a name for your struggles), more questions (why me?) and more worry (not knowing what to do next). The good news is that anxiety disorders are among the most treatable. According to Peter J. Norton, Ph.D, Director of the Anxiety Disorder Clinic at the University of Houston and co-author of The Anti-Anxiety Workbook, anxiety disorders have success rates that make other researchers jealous. The key is to get the right treatment and stick with it. Here’s a look at what effective treatment entails, including the ins and outs of psychotherapy and medication, plus tips for finding a qualified therapist, managing panic attacks and more. Common Misconceptions Anxiety disorders aren’t that serious. This myth persist... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2522488 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:09:47 +0100 2522488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2457497&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fanxiety-in-the-athlete%2F Michael Phelps is from my hometown, Towson, Maryland and no, I don’t know him personally. I have seen him around town several times and have been known to swim where he trained; however, we aren’t buds. But I can offer you this: I have competed at very high levels in art, pretty high levels on horseback, and not so high levels of downhill skiing, ice skating, shooting, and dance. What I have learned over the years is that it’s MUCH easier to compete without an animal! That being said, competition is about learning a skill very, very well. So well, in fact, that it becomes automatic. While you are always perfecting your skill, and continually learning more things to make you better, the day always comes when you have to face the crowd and your competitors. And that is when anxiety c... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2457497 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:53:53 +0100 2457497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2457498&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fricochet-the-truth-about-ptsd%2F Some of you may have read the article “Ricochet: My shot made Joseph Dwyer famous. Did it also help lead to his death?” If you haven’t, you might want to. It’s about this young medic, Joseph Dwyer, who was photographed during the 2003 invasion, running toward safety with an injured Iraqi child in his arms. Dwyer was found dead in his apartment a week before the article ran, having overdosed on drugs. We know that he was haunted by the war and likely exhibited many or all of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. He was hypervigilant, anxious, fearful, and haunted by the war. His mother told the reporter that he was proud of the photograph but embarrassed by the publicity. Having spent a great deal of time working with combat soldiers and other pati... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2457498 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:03:37 +0100 2457498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2437009&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fliving-with-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder%2F If you’re a parent of a child who’s recently been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you may be devastated and overwhelmed. If you’re an adult who’s recently been diagnosed, you may be going through “various stages of grief” after learning that your “lifelong difficulties can now be explained by a medical condition,” said Terry Matlen, MSW, ACSW, licensed psychotherapist and founder of ADD Consults. Fortunately, ADHD is highly treatable and whether one is diagnosed at 30 or 80, “your quality of life will change for the better,” Matlen said. But knowing what treatments are effective and how to find them can seem just as overwhelming as the diagnosis. Here’s a clear-cut look at managing ADHD, from evaluation to treatment. Common Misconcept... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2437009 Tue, 26 May 2009 14:18:33 +0100 2437009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2427879&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fq-a-with-eating-disorder-specialist-sari-fine-shepphird-part-1%2F Sari Fine Shepphird, Ph.D, a Los Angeles clinical psychologist and eating disorder specialist, is the author of 100 Questions & Answers about Anorexia Nervosa. Psych Central contributor Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., spoke with her about common myths surrounding anorexia, the media’s impact and healthy body image in kids. Be sure to check out Part 2 of the interview next week. For more information about Shepphird and her book, please visit her website. Q: In your book, you discuss several prevailing myths, including: people choose to have anorexia; they’re just trying to get attention; anorexia is about vanity; a person can’t have anorexia if they eat three meals a day; and anorexia is just a phase. What kinds of myths do the media circulate? A: One of the things, unfortunately, ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2427879 Wed, 20 May 2009 11:41:26 +0100 2427879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2402977&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fmothers-day-thoughts-by-a-mommy-of-angels%2F I have been thinking. I have 6 Angels waiting for me in Heaven. I have miscarriages. The couple weeks surrounding Mother’s Day contain several significant dates for me anyway. May 8th was the 7th anniversary of losing the 2nd twin. The first one was in April. May 11th is the day I discovered we had SIGNIFICANT problems in our marriage which ended in a divorce. It is full of dates that are bittersweet and a few that were downright heartwrenching. But with 6 miscarriages I have dates spread throughout the year so it is an unavoidable time of remembrance for a person who is good with dates. But Mother’s Day…. Mother’s Day hurts for those who are Mommies but don’t have them with us. See, in my heart I am still a Mommy. I am a Mommy because when I get to Heaven I w... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2402977 Sat, 09 May 2009 21:20:19 +0100 2402977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2402978&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fwe-shouldnt-need-a-day-of-our-own%2F Everybody in the United States is terribly aware the second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day — the floral and greeting card industries won’t let you forget it. Mother’s Day is big business. (Whether people buy into it out of guilt, because they “feel like they should” even though they have lousy relationships with their mothers, or because they genuinely want to honor their mothers is an investigation for another time.) But the Saturday before Mother’s Day is also Mother’s Day. It’s just the one nobody wants to admit a need for. Birth Mothers Day began in Seattle in 1990 to recognize the women everyone else forgets, those who chose to give their children both life and a stable future by relinquishing them for adoption. It’s usually a pretty quiet affair... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2402978 Sat, 09 May 2009 13:00:13 +0100 2402978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2388020&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fdemystifying-treatment-for-body-dysmorphic-disorder%2F Some dismiss body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) as vanity; others believe it’s a rare and extreme condition. Though many misconceptions continue to circulate, BDD is a real, fairly common body image disorder. It affects men and women equally and has shades of severity. Fortunately, BDD can be successfully treated with medication and psychotherapy. In fact, both cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs or SRIs) are considered the first line of treatment for BDD, according to Jennifer L. Greenberg, Psy.D, Clinical and Research Fellow in Psychology (Psychiatry) at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Here’s a closer look at how this underdiagnosed, often misconstrued condition is treated in adults and adolescents. CBT Techni... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2388020 Mon, 04 May 2009 13:34:55 +0100 2388020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2388021&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fcoffee-may-prevent-dementia%2F Further evidence has come to light that drinking coffee may have a protective effect against dementia. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are common problems in the elderly population. Although research is improving our knowledge of the underlying biology of these disorders, we still have little understanding of the “modifiable” risk factors. Caffeine has been suggested to have a protective effect against dementia. This new study comes from the University of Kuopio, Finland and the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr. Miia Kivipelto and colleagues are involved in the ongoing Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) study. The team looked at figures from 1,409 adults aged 65 to 79 who had been followed for an average of 21 years. Of these, 61 had b... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2388021 Mon, 04 May 2009 13:29:24 +0100 2388021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2388022&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fteens-who-self-harm%2F Sandy’s mother, Lily, is beside herself. “I didn’t notice anything was wrong all winter,” she said. “Oh, she was quieter than usual and her grades weren’t the best. But we moved last fall and I figured she was just adjusting. Last week, though, spring really came on with 80-degree days and she insisted on wearing a wool sweater to school. Sandy got furious when I told her to go change. I’ve never seen her that upset! Three days of long sleeved shirts and I finally caught on. I’d heard about this, of course. But I never thought my daughter would be doing it. There are scars all up and down her arms!” Lily was doing her best to hold back tears. “Sandy wouldn’t come here with me. She won’t talk to me. What can I do?&#8221... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2388022 Mon, 04 May 2009 13:28:24 +0100 2388022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375604&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fis-alcohol-spoiling-your-romance%2F When I first talk to people about couples therapy, I usually ask: “Do you drink alcohol? Does your partner?” and if so, “How much?” I also ask whether they use other mind-altering drugs and intoxicants. Please understand — I’m not opposed to having a good time. Some people can drink in moderation without ill effects. But I want to know whether drinking or drugs may be spoiling your romance. With alcohol especially people may not make the connection between drinking and relationship problems. They may not be ready to let go of a partying lifestyle. Or they may prefer to deny problems with alcohol rather than feel shame or guilt about some of the terrible problems they’re having. Here are some of the situations you typically see where people are having a... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375604 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:41:45 +0100 2375604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2356728&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fextreme-thinking-and-moods-are-the-death-of-creativity%2F You probably have heard that many of the world’s most creative people often had some sort of mental illness. While I can see some truth in this viewpoint, I offer a different opinion: In nearly every case, a person with mental illness experiences some form of extreme thinking, a black-and-white viewpoint. Let’s profile bipolar disorder and depression right now to see what I’m talking about. Bipolar disorder is characterized by mood swings, sleep disruption, and extreme behaviors. These mood swings can include irritability, energetic happiness, impulsive and erratic behavior, deep depression, anger, or even agitated confusion. None of these states is healthy over the long term, yet this is the world of a person with bipolar disorder. Bipolar I is the most extreme and da... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2356728 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:57:29 +0100 2356728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2330507&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fhow-to-keep-your-head-in-a-bad-economy%2F When a recession hits and then gains momentum, it’s natural to feel scared, helpless or hopeless, and these feelings can get the better of us. People who feel overwhelmed often try to cope by avoiding the difficulties coming at them. Sometimes it’s just too much, and it’s okay to take a break. But excessive escape and avoidance lets problems pile up, so they’re even more overwhelming. Certain types of therapy, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, help people build coping skills that include paying attention to what’s important, or mindfulness. But there are other ways to balance effective action with pacing yourself: Turn worrying into thinking. If you’re afraid of losing your job, home, or savings or have already done so, you�... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2330507 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:08:03 +0100 2330507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2330508&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fanother-antidepressant-journey%2F Today I have spent a lot of time on the phone with both a nurse and my psychiatrist. Our big topic of the day? How to get me off Celexa. I started taking Celexa a few weeks ago. I had previously been on Remeron, but it didn’t seem to be doing much. At the suggestion of my psychologist, I asked my psychiatrist about switching to Celexa. My psychiatrist explained that Celexa is part of a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). While I can’t honestly say I understand the precise differences between an SSRI and any other type of antidepressants, I know that SSRIs work on different neurotransmitters and are widely prescribed. They do great things for a lot of people. My psychiatrist also explained that Celexa can have some bad side effects. She asked me if I... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2330508 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:03:13 +0100 2330508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2330509&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fsylvia-plaths-legacy%2F For someone who has only read her biography and never read any of Sylvia Plath’s actual poetry, I spend an awful lot of time thinking about her. That’s because I suffer from chronic depression and anxiety. Sylvia’s poetry to me is what whiskey is to an alcoholic or what heroin is to a drug addict. It is something to be aware of, but avoided at all costs if I am to keep my sanity. So rather than lean toward the warm, seductive, siren-like pull of identification and immersion with the dead poet and her writing, I try to spend my time reading books that make me feel happy while at the same time not denying that unhappiness exists. Someone very dear to my heart gave me a book called Good Poems edited by Garrison Keillor. Every so often when I am feeling particularly melancholic, I find ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2330509 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:32:23 +0100 2330509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2330510&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fyoga-for-treatment-of-anxiety-and-depression%2F Can yoga help in the treatment of anxiety and depression? Since the 1970s, meditation and other stress-reduction techniques have been studied as possible treatments for depression and anxiety. One such practice, yoga, has received less attention in the medical literature, though it has become increasingly popular in recent decades. One national survey estimated, for example, that about 7.5% of U.S. adults had tried yoga at least once, and that nearly 4% practiced yoga in the previous year. Yoga classes can vary from gentle and accommodating to strenuous and challenging; the choice of style tends to be based on physical ability and personal preference. Hatha yoga, the most common type of yoga practiced in the United States, combines three elements: physical poses, called asanas; controlled ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2330510 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:39:20 +0100 2330510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2330511&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fvoluntary-madness-my-year-lost-and-found-in-the-loony-bin%2F By Norah Vincent New York: Viking, December 2008 Hardcover, 283 pages $25.95 Immersion journalism, as it’s called, can be kind of fun on a limited basis. In my days as a reporter, in pursuit of stories I volunteered to get Tasered and learned how to snowshoe. (The Tasering was fun for the cops who got to watch a journalist get nailed; the snowshoeing – a 5K race my first time on the things – was fun mostly in retrospect.) Then there are immersion journalists who do it up big. Stefan Fatsis, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, became a professional Scrabble player, then a placekicker for the Denver Broncos. AJ Jacobs, an Esquire magazine editor, read the Encyclopedia Brittanica all the way through from A to Z. He followed that by spending a year obeying as many of the 613 rules of... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2330511 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:16:17 +0100 2330511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2301831&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fadhd-behavioral-interventions-for-the-home%2F This article based upon a presentation by Dr. William E. Pelham Jr., October 2008. (Source: Psych Central) Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2301831 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:37:34 +0100 2301831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2301832&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fcomprehensive-treatment-of-childhood-adhd%2F While learning of the diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADHD) makes many parents feel relief, the real work begins in finding the right treatment approach for a child or teen diagnosed with ADHD. If the diagnosis was made by a pediatrician or family physician, the first thing you should ask for is a referral to a mental health professional trained in the treatment of attention deficit disorder. This should happen before any treatment is prescribed, because, as you’ll learn, the order and focus of treatment is important. Although the inclination may be to start medication treatment immediately (with drugs such as Ritalin or Adderall), you should not give in to this feeling that you need “do something.” Since the diagnosis of ADHD requires the child to have inattent... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2301832 Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:57:46 +0100 2301832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2301833&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fthe-healing-power-of-a-good-therapist%2F The precursor of the mirror is the mother’s face. —D.W. Winnicott, Playing and Reality, 1971 Thirteen years ago I gave birth to my very much wanted third child. Eight months later I ended up in the psychiatric ward of a public hospital for exhaustion and post natal depression. That was when I met my therapist. For a long time in therapy I did not have a coherent narrative. My stories were long, rambling, confused and disordered. I did not have the discretionary powers to summarize a situation in a succinct, global and philosophical sense. This gave my therapist a pretty clear idea what sort of upbringing I had experienced with my biological mother. Finally, here was someone who intuitively understood my battered and tenuous relationship with my mother and managed to approve o... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2301833 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:47:58 +0100 2301833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2301834&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fthe-stress-of-severe-weather%2F It’s coming up to that time of year in many places of the country — tornado season. The southern states have already experienced some storms; Oklahoma was struck by a deadly twister just before Valentine’s Day. Yes, it’s time to get the flashlights, portable radios, and your tornado safety plan ready. It’s also time to get your severe weather stress plan in place. For those of you who experience hurricanes each summer and fall, this is your respite time. You won’t really need to be ready for another few months at least. However, even you need to watch for tornadoes and dangerous lightning. Severe thunderstorms can get stirred up so quickly, it really pays to be watchful. Regardless of your particular peril, the mental aspect of severe weather can be hars... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2301834 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:36:33 +0100 2301834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2285556&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fmanaging-worry-action-and-distraction%2F Everyone worries about things from time to time: the economy, an ill parent, safety concerns. For parents, it seems to come along even more naturally. There are endless things that a mom or dad could worry about from sunup to sundown. This can paralyze you if you let it get too big. At some point, it turns a corner. The worry either moves into something useful or it spirals into something more emotionally painful. Here’s a case in point from my own life to demonstrate how this can work. One of my daughters has been sick way too many times this winter, including this week. I was told there wasn’t anything unusual going on, just a bad streak. As evidenced by this week’s continued problems, I’m no longer satisfied with that answer. The doctor’s answer had shut d... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2285556 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:40:40 +0100 2285556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2285558&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Flifestyle-tips-for-dealing-with-depression%2F If you are affected by depression, you are not “just” sad or upset; you have a condition that involves intense feelings of persistent sadness, helplessness and hopelessness, together with physical problems such as sleeplessness, loss of energy, and physical aches and pains. Depression is an illness and you need support to help fight it. Treatments can involve a variety of different approaches including antidepressants and psychological therapies. But there are also many self-help techniques you can use to complement professional treatment. Options include attending a self-help group, making changes to your diet, improving your sleep habits and learning relaxation techniques. Research on acupuncture, herbal medicines (including St. John’s Wort), and aromatherapy suggests t... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2285558 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:18:24 +0100 2285558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2285560&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fabout-treatment-resistant-depression-trd%2F Clinical depression can sometimes be difficult to treat. When a person has tried multiple types of treatment options to treat their depression (sometimes even with multiple professionals) over the course of months or even years, professionals may refer to the depression as “treatment resistant” or treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Treatment resistant depression is simply an episode of depression that resists typical treatments, such as psychotherapy or medications. If treatment for your depression has not yet worked, don’t give up! Virtually all clinical depression is treatable, but it’s often a matter of finding the right type of treatment for each person. What this usually means is that it’s a matter of trial and error, working with a mental health profe... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2285560 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:50:42 +0100 2285560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2261653&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fwhat-is-exposure-therapy%2F Exposure therapy is a specific type of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy technique that is often used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and phobias. In PTSD, exposure therapy is intended to help the patient face and gain control of the fear and distress that was overwhelming in the trauma, and must be done very carefully in order not to re-traumatize the patient. In some cases, trauma memories or reminders can be confronted all at once (”flooding”), while for other individuals or traumas it is preferable to work gradually up to the most severe trauma by using relaxation techniques and either starting with less upsetting life stressors or by taking the trauma one piece at a time (”desensitization”). A therapist works with the client to determine which method... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2261653 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:16:00 +0100 2261653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2261654&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fattention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-fact-sheet%2F Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed disorder in children and teens. Its hallmark symptoms include hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. Children have difficulty concentrating, following instructions, sitting still and interacting with others. Some kids may call out answers without waiting their turn and make inappropriate comments. Others might be quiet and keep to themselves, daydreaming away at their desks. ADHD also affects approximately 4 percent of adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. These adults have problems with organization, time management, sustaining their attention, completing tasks and controlling their emotions. They can miss deadlines, speak without thinking, get easily distracted, misplace items and... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2261654 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:58:17 +0100 2261654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190530&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fadhd-and-head-injury-link-examined%2F Recent evidence disputes the theory that head injury early in life increases the risk of developing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There is a well-established link between ADHD and traumatic head injury, with some experts suggesting that brain injury in school-age children causes ADHD. But this has not been conclusively confirmed, and it may be that children with ADHD are more likely to sustain a head injury due to a pattern of riskier behavior. Writing on the website of the British Medical Journal, Professor Heather Keenan of the University of Utah and her team state that “the direction of the relation between ADHD and head injury has been difficult to elucidate,” but “understanding the nature of the association is important.” The team explored th... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190530 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:50:15 +0100 2190530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190531&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fschizophrenia-fact-sheet%2F Speak the word “schizophrenia” and you’ll likely receive reactions peppered with misunderstanding and fear. The disorder is largely shrouded in myths, stereotypes and stigma. For instance, many equate schizophrenia with violence and criminals. But schizophrenia sufferers aren’t likelier to be violent than others, unless they have a criminal history before becoming sick or unless they abuse alcohol and drugs (see Schizophrenia and Violence). Also, despite its etymology and its portrayal in movies, schizophrenia isn’t a split personality: It literally means “split mind.” Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating disorder, characterized by an inability to distinguish between what is real and what isn’t. A person with schizophrenia experiences hallucinations and delusional thou... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190531 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:31:34 +0100 2190531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167537&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fbipolar-disorder-fact-sheet%2F All of us experience changes in our moods. Some days we might feel irritable and frustrated; other days, we’re happy and excited. However, individuals with bipolar disorder experience severe mood swings that impair their daily life and negatively affect their relationships. Approximately 2.6 percent of American adults have bipolar disorder (formerly called manic depression and manic depressive disorder), according to the National Institute of Mental Health. These mood swings include “highs” (mania), when individuals feel either on top of the world or on edge, and “lows” (depression), when they feel sad and hopeless. Suicide attempts are common in bipolar disorder, especially during depressive episodes. Bipolar disorder can be effectively treated with medication and psychother... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167537 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:41:21 +0100 2167537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2137531&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Fthe-consequences-of-verbally-abusive-athletic-coaches%2F Pages: 1 2 Next »     Single Page My 10-year-old son was bullied recently. He was told that he was an “embarrassment.” He was told to “shut up.” He was yelled at and scolded in a tone of voice tinged with disgust and disdain. He was told he would be punished for any mistakes he or his peers made in the future. Surprisingly, this didn’t happen at school. The bully wasn’t even a peer of his. The bully was his swim coach, a young lady of perhaps 26. She was desperately trying to motivate her swimmers to swim fast in the big meet the next day. And this was her attempt at motivation. In speaking to the lady in charge of the coaches on this swim team, it quickly became apparent that this type of “incentive” was not only okay with her, it was actually enco... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2137531 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:03:43 +0100 2137531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2132265&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Finterpersonal-and-social-rhythm-therapy%2F is a specific type of psychotherapy developed to help people with bipolar disorder. Its focus is on helping people identify and maintain the regular routines of everyday life — including sleep patterns — and solving interpersonal issues and problems that may arise that directly impact a person’s routines. Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) is founded upon the belief that disruptions of our circadian rhythms and sleep deprivation may provoke or exacerbate the symptoms commonly associated with bipolar disorder. Its approach to treatment uses methods both from interpersonal psychotherapy, as well as cognitive-behavioral techniques to help people maintain their routines. In IPSRT, the therapist works with the client to better understand the importance of circad... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2132265 Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:54:45 +0100 2132265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121606&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2009%2Feating-too-quickly-may-encourage-weight-gain%2F Researchers studying food behavior have discovered that eating too quickly may be an important contributor to becoming overweight. Eating quickly previously has been linked to a higher body mass index, according to Prof. Hiroyasu Iso of Osaka University, Japan, and colleagues in an article on the British Medical Journal website. The team investigated these factors among 3,287 Japanese men and women aged 30 to 69 years. About 33 percent of the men and 22 percent of the women were overweight (body mass index of 25 or higher). The participants were given questionnaires to record their dietary habits, including “eating until full” and speed of eating. Over half of women (58 percent) and men (51 percent) said that they ate until full. In the study, this refers to eating a &#82... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121606 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:39:54 +0100 2121606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039930&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fhappy-at-last-the-thinking-persons-guide-to-finding-joy%2F Too many pop psychology books today pretend that they have all of the answers, or try and wow you with their insights by tying together esoteric small studies done on college students and suggest such findings can have meaningful and significant impact for virtually anyone, anywhere. Richard O’Connor’s newest book, Happy at Last, is a refreshing change from these kinds of books. In this new effort, O’Connor methodically lays out the troubles with our current pursuit of happiness in life (and why so many of us go down the wrong roads, pursuing the wrong things), and how to actually go about changing your life to genuinely pursue happiness. A thoughtful book, written in O’Connor’s easygoing style, Happy at Last brings together ideas and methods from dozens of ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039930 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:56:51 +0100 2039930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2026927&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fteen-depression-is-a-distressing-problem%2F Teenage depression is a growing problem, one that is increasingly being recognized and treated. But while teenagers often experience major depression at the same rate that adults do, by age 24, half of all adolescents will have had another episode of major depression. Another 25 percent of teens have experienced alcohol and drug problems. Only a quarter of those with a history of major depression between ages 14 and 19 remain free of psychiatric problems through age 23. And most adolescents never bother seeking treatment for their concerns. Teens are also subject to residual effects of their earlier disorder during young adulthood. They make less money. They are less likely to have graduated from college. They are more likely to have a period of unemployment. “They show functional... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2026927 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:15:17 +0100 2026927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2026928&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fmy-first-trip-to-the-psychiatrist%2F It seems that life is made up of a lot of different “firsts.” The first time you leave home, the first time you have sex, the first full-time job you accept, your first apartment, etc. etc. I’ve experienced many different “firsts” and had thought that there were not many big ones left for me (other than my first marriage, which hopefully will be the only one). This was not a correct assumption on my part. This morning I had a big life “first” — my first appointment with a psychiatrist. I’ve always been somewhat of an anxious, worried person. Not to stereotypically blame my issues on my less than sparkling childhood, but I think it started when I was four. My parents got divorced and my father remarried a few years later. I remember my dad being fine with me when I w... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2026928 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:07:07 +0100 2026928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017530&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2F12-tips-to-keep-joy-in-the-holidays%2F The Christmas season is upon us once again, and once again we find ourselves balancing between our work or studies, hanging out friends, scheduling time with family, and maybe even attending a party or two. The Christmas tree stands are up down at the corner, where they magically appear every year, full of the usual perfect, green triangular symbols of the season. At some point though, in-between the parties, the family gatherings and the endless shopping crowds, the cheer of the holidays can quickly leave our rosy cheeks and send us into a downward depressive spiral. How do you keep that depression from affecting not only your mood, but the mood of others around you? And how can you keep the joy in the holidays and stop them from turning into yet another year of an endless parade of mat... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017530 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:34:11 +0100 2017530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990711&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fcoping-with-sudden-unemployment%2F With all that is happening in our economy lately, we all have to realize that we could fall victim to ‘downsizing’ or ‘organizational restructuring.’ Just as with any loss, you are likely to face many emotions. Anger is understandable. Chances are your previous employer hurt you, and you’ll no doubt want to get even, but instead of daydreaming about ways to get them back, try to work toward the one goal that will give you lasting revenge: Find a better job. Depression likely will seem all-consuming at times. In addition to the rejection you might be feeling, there is also a certain loss of identity or self-worth. Our jobs are often a great source of satisfaction and pride; in fact they are often a central part of who we are. Fear is a near-universal feeling when we suddenly... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990711 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:48:57 +0100 1990711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984794&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fserial-therapy-quitter%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » When I was a kid, my mom would sometimes go to see a therapist. This was back when there was an actual building for health care that was simply called “HMO.” All of your health care needs were taken care of under one roof at the HMO, including therapy. I remember once going with my mother to HMO for her therapy session and hanging around the waiting room until she was done. As a kid hanging out in the HMO waiting room, I didn’t get it. Why would you go to a stranger and talk about your problems? Why did people have issues at all? Why couldn’t they just talk to people they knew instead of paying someone to listen to them? It all seemed weird and mysterious to me. Even after I grew up, graduated from college, and became an adult, therapy seemed like an oddb... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984794 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:12:47 +0100 1984794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968762&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fovereating-its-all-in-your-head%2F Pages: 1 2 3 4 Next » The following is an excerpt from the book Three Minute Therapy and focuses on the topic of overeating and how cognitive-behavioral techniques can be used to help a person overcome this concern. They say that inside every fat person there’s a thin person fighting to get out. In Suzie’s case, the thin person appeared to be losing the struggle. At 5′4″ Suzie felt she ought to be 130 lbs, but was actually closer to 160. Just about to turn 20, Suzie looked older. She had deep eyes and smooth chestnut hair beneath her floppy leghorn hat, and wore a silk print dress with an enormous string of crystal beads. She had a lively manner and was ready to laugh, but seemed imprisoned by her excess fat. She was disheartened. “I’ve tried do... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968762 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:06:01 +0100 1968762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960608&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-a-delusion-and-a-hallucination%2F This article uses material summarized from the DSM-IV. (Source: Psych Central) Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960608 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:43:13 +0100 1960608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1955210&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fbody-dysmorphic-disorder-when-the-reflection-is-revolting%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » Fifteen-year-old Joel wakes up two hours before school to begin cleaning his face and covering up his bad skin. Many days this means he’s either late to school or doesn’t show up at all. He spends his entire allowance on skin care products and tanning to cure or camouflage his acne. When he does make it to school, he sits in the back of the classroom and takes frequent breaks to scrutinize his skin in the bathroom mirror. He convinces his parents to visit several dermatologists, to no avail. Joel can’t stop thinking that no one likes him and he’ll be alone for the rest of his life because of his appearance. No matter how many times his parents try to reassure him, Joel doesn’t buy it and continues to stress over his obvious flaws. When Joel and ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1955210 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:20:45 +0100 1955210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1951820&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fpsychotherapy-and-self-help-for-bipolar-disorder%2F Bipolar disorder is usually considered a long-term, often chronic mental health condition requiring long-term treatment. Most people with bipolar disorder receive treatment through a prescription medication, such as lithium, Depakote, or an atypical antipsychotic. But medication is often only half the equation, because medication only works when it’s taken as prescribed by the psychiatrist. People with bipolar disorder often discontinue their medication on their own, complaining of the side effects or feeling like they no longer need it. Psychotherapy for Bipolar Disorder Psychotherapy can be helpful for someone grappling with bipolar disorder, because it can help the person learn to deal with the psychological aspects of this disorder that aren’t helped by the medication. Th... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1951820 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:51:10 +0100 1951820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947110&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fdysthymia-treatment%2F There are a number of effective treatment approaches to help treat dysthymic disorder (also known as dysthymia). Often times a person with dysthymia will seek out treatment because of increased stress or personal difficulties which may be situationally-related. Only after a careful diagnostic interview is conducted (or after a few therapy sessions) may the chronic nature of the problem become apparent. The best treatment approach for people with dysthymia appears to be a combination approach — psychotherapy combined with antidepressant medication. One large multisite study in the New England Journal of Medicine by Keller and colleagues (2000), for instance, had patients randomly assigned to one of three treatments: a depression-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program, the... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947110 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:59:30 +0100 1947110 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947111&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fdepression-treatment-psychotherapy-medication-or-both%2F This study calls into serious question the perceived efficacy of tricyclic antidepressant medications, which are shown only to be more effective than inert placebo and only on clinician-rated measures, not patient-rated measures. If patients cannot tell that they are better off in a controlled study, one must question the conventional wisdom about the efficacy of antidepressant drugs. The newer selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft) do not appear to fare much better (Antonuccio, 1995 [43]). With active placebos, so that the patients and psychiatrists are not easily informed, the empirical data show that medication effect sizes are hard to distinguish from the placebo. Also not mentioned is that most antidepressant medications habituate, and the ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947111 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:31:05 +0100 1947111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930198&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fsymptoms-of-childhood-bipolar-disorder%2F Childhood bipolar disorder, also known as pediatric bipolar disorder, is a form of bipolar disorder that occurs in children. While its existence is still a matter of some academic debate and disagreement, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that bipolar disorder can exist in children. Unlike most adults who have bipolar disorder, however, children who have pediatric bipolar disorder are characterized by abrupt mood swings, periods of hyperactivity followed by lethargy, intense temper tantrums, frustration and defiant behavior. This rapid and severe cycling between moods may produce a type of chronic irritability with few clear periods of peace between episodes. Because the current diagnostic manual of mental disorders doesn’t recognize childhood bipolar disorder, the... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930198 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:44:43 +0100 1930198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930199&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fsuicide-junkie%2F Approximately one million people commit suicide every year, according to the World Health Organization. Despite his best efforts, Steve Westwood is not one of them. “Suicide Junkie,” Westwood’s autobiography, details his long-term struggles with body dysmorphic disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression and self-harm and all his attempts at giving back the gift of life. Westwood exhibited signs of mental illness from an early age. As a young student he complained of “phantom” pains. His parents divorced. Bullies heightened his insecurity about his appearance. The opposite sex made him feel inadequate. And so he chose to cope with it all by using alcohol, recreational drugs, and self-harm. “I knew there was a world out there somewhere, people having lives ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930199 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:20:20 +0100 1930199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930200&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fbeyond-prozac-treatment-for-anxiety-depression-and-trauma%2F Did you know there is a natural method of treatment which has been used throughout the world for over 200 years which can transform your mood, increase your energy, as well as help with all manner of physical and emotional symptoms-and with no unwanted side effects? What is this method? Classical Homeopathy. Homeopathy has been shown to be beneficial for those seeking treatment for anxiety, depression, grief, phobias, and trauma, along with other types of psychological challenges. Many people are familiar with the effectiveness of homeopathy for first aid or acute situations, such as using arnica for a bruise or a sprain. But the most powerful way to use homeopathy is called constitutional, or classical homeopathy, where one remedy is chosen by a professional homeopath based on all you... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930200 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:07:53 +0100 1930200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930201&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Frestrained-eaters-may-let-go-during-pregnancy%2F In this study, she gathered information about attitudes toward exercise by giving a questionnaire to 1,535 pregnant women in the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study. The findings were then investigated in more depth with focus groups. Most (85 percent) of the women reported one or more barriers to physical activity. Almost two-thirds of the barriers were health-related. Since pregnancy may trigger the development of obesity, Dr. Siega-Riz said, physicians should promote healthy physical activity for pregnant women. Using a much larger group of women, Dr. Siega-Riz looked at the impact of eating disorders on pregnancy. She took data from 35,929 pregnant women in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Of these women 35 reported having anorexia nervosa, 304 bulimia nervosa, and... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930201 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:56:11 +0100 1930201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930202&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Ffour-phases-and-steps-of-gambling-addiction%2F Four phases and four treatment steps have been identified in helping people better understand pathological gambling (also known as gambling addiction). The Four Phases in Gambling Addiction The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery has identified the following four phases in gambling addiction. Winning phase: The winning phase often starts with a big win, leading to excitement and a positive view of gambling. Problem gamblers believe they have a special talent for gambling and that the winning will continue. They begin spending greater amounts of time and money on gambling. Losing phase: Problem gamblers become more and more preoccupied with gambling. They start to gamble alone, borrow money, skip work, lie to family and friends and default on debts. They also begin to “chase... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930202 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:43:55 +0100 1930202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930203&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fwarning-signs-and-risk-factors-for-pathological-gambling%2F Gambling addiction, also known as compulsive gambling, may be a type of impulse-control disorder. Compulsive gamblers keep gambling whether they’re up or down, broke or flush, happy or depressed. Even when they know the odds are against them, even when they can’t afford to lose, people with a gambling addiction can’t “stay off the bet.” Problem and pathological gambling may affect anywhere from 2 to 4 percent of the population. Warning Signs of Gambling Addiction Pathological gambling can strike any family at any time. Many times, friends and family may not be aware of the gambling problem until two or more of the following warning signs become evident: Secrecy over money and finances New desire to control household finances Overdue or unpaid bills ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930203 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:32:31 +0100 1930203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1917925&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fadhd-in-the-workplace-solutions-and-success%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » For adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), work can become a continual cycle of challenges. Studies show they’re more likely to experience work-related problems, get dismissed and quit impulsively. But your experiences don’t have to mirror these findings. With proper treatment, an awareness of your challenges and the right strategies, you can excel at work. Here’s how to thrive, not just survive in the workplace. Getting Evaluated A professional evaluation, whether it’s from a career counselor or therapist, is a significant step on the road to success. Wilma Fellman, a licensed career counselor, assesses her clients’ strengths, interests, personality type, recreational and work values, focus pattern, work habits and special c... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1917925 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:25:35 +0100 1917925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1894912&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-psychology-of-diets%2F Evidence suggests that our dietary habits and the decisions we make about what we eat are acquired over several years, but what psychological processes underpin this kind of learning? And why do preferences vary across different groups of people, such as those who consciously restrict their intake? Dr. Jeff Brunstrom, currently working in the Department of Experimental Psychology at Bristol University, UK, has extensively studied the links between cognition and dietary control — such as the relationship between attention and meal size, our reactions to food’s sight and smell, and the decisions we make about portion size. “There is every indication that most of our flavor preferences and dietary behaviors are learned,” he said. “Despite this, we know very lit... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1894912 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:01:30 +0100 1894912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1894913&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fexcess-carbs-may-alter-appetite-regulation%2F The ability to regulate appetite may decline with age if we overdo the carbohydrates, a recent study suggests. A team led by Dr. Zane Andrews of Monash University in Victoria, Australia, says that appetite-suppressing cells are attacked by “free radicals” after eating. This degeneration is more significant after meals high in carbohydrates and sugars, and the type of carbohydrate — simple or complex — seems not to matter. Dr. Andrews, a neuroendocrinologist previously based at Yale, conducted the study to investigate how the brain responds to ghrelin, a hormone produced in the stomach which induces appetite and operates through a brain region that controls food cravings. “When the stomach is empty, it triggers the ghrelin hormone that notifies the brain t... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1894913 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:49:27 +0100 1894913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1844639&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fshes-so-shy%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » MJ’s mother is worried. “She’s so shy. Whenever we get together with people, I mean even one or two people, she hangs behind me. I don’t know how to encourage her.” MJ is four years old. When I first meet her, I see what her mother means. MJ stands behind her mom. She sneaks a peak at me. She retreats. When she finally does come forward, she holds tight to her mom’s hand. I ask her to tell me her whole name. “MaryJane,” she whispers. I tell her that her mom and I are going to talk a bit and that it’s okay if she decides she’d like to see what’s in the toy corner. Mom and I talk. Sure enough, in about 10 minutes, MJ is exploring the books and toys. Normal Shyness MJ is perfectly normal. What looks to her mom like s... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1844639 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:53:01 +0100 1844639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833141&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-center-cannot-hold%2F : My Journey Through Madness A moving, telling memoir of Elyn Sak’s profound battle with schizophrenia. It is an inspiring journey for family members or for anyone suffering from a schizophrenia-related disorder. Saks is a professor of law and psychiatry at the University of Southern California, and with that background, she has crafted something that often reads more like a gripping novel than a personal, first-hand account of her life. From Amazon.com: “Saks struggled mightily to balance her ambitions with her illness, which was eventually diagnosed as schizophrenia. Never wanting to concede to her mental illness, Saks founds calm and comfort in a rigorous work routine. An analyst characterized her as having three lives: as Elyn, as Professor Saks, and as the Lady of the Ch... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833141 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:15:52 +0100 1833141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833142&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-anorexia-workbook%2F : How to Accept Yourself, Heal Your Suffering, and Reclaim Your Life Despite ever-widening media attention and public awareness of the problem, American women continue to suffer from anorexia nervosa in greater numbers than ever before. This severe psychophysiological condition—characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming obese, a persistent unwillingness to eat, and severe compulsion to lose weight—is particularly difficult to treat, often because the victims are unwilling to seek out help. This book uses innovative new techniques based on a revolutionary model of psychotherapy called acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, to teach readers that efforts to control and stop anorexia may do more harm than good. Instead of focusing efforts on judging impulses associated with the dis... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833142 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:13:53 +0100 1833142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833143&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fperfect-anorexia-me%2F Emily Halban developed anorexia in her final year of high school. She went on to college at an Ivy League school where her disease took on a powerful dimension. By her final year she was so debilitated that she had to take her exams in a separate room where she could be fed continuously. With heartbreaking candor and poignant intimacy, Emily vividly chronicles the complexities and inner struggles of living with anorexia. She traces her disease from its elusive origins, through its darkest moments of deprivation, guilt, and self-loathing. As she recounts her journey towards recovery, Emily draws us into her raw experience of anorexia, exposing its secrets and dispelling some of the myths that shroud it. Beautifully written and alive with self-awareness, but never self-pity, this inspiring... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833143 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:10:45 +0100 1833143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833144&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fwasted-a-memoir-of-anorexia-and-bulimia%2F In this classic from Marya Hornbacher, she tells the story of dealing with her anorexia and bulimia over a course of many years, including the multiple hospitalizations, endless therapy, and the loss of family. By the time she is in college, Hornbacher is in the grip of a bout with anorexia so horrifying that it will forever put to rest the romance of wasting away. In this vivid, emotionally wrenching memoir, the author recreates the experience and illuminates the tanble of personal, family and cultural causes underlying eating disorders in modern society. The book is the engaging story of one woman’s travels to the darker side of reality and her decision to find her way back… on her own terms. From Amazon.com: “I fell for the great American dream, female version, hook,... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833144 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:08:37 +0100 1833144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833145&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-cyclothymia-workbook%2F : Learn How To Manage Your Mood Swings & Lead A Balanced Life Cyclothymia is a mood disorder characterized by cycling periods of hypomania-unusual emotional highs-and periods of mild to moderate depression. The condition is similar to the better known bipolar disorder, but cyclothymics never experience episodes of full mania or deep depression. In order for a therapist to diagnose someone with cyclothymia, the cycling of moods must continue for at least two years. Since the emotional episodes of cyclothymics tend to be more mild, they often go undiagnosed and untreated. Clinical studies have demonstrated, though, that leaving these symptoms untreated carries a particular risk: between 15 and 50 percent of cyclothymia sufferers will eventually develop a diagnosable bipolar disorder. ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833145 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:02:41 +0100 1833145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833146&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Finvisible-driving%2F is a memoir of Manic Depression that takes readers inside the terrors, thrills, and triumphs of coming to terms with this debilitating and misunderstood mental illness. The manic narrator’s voice vividly recreates the feelings and sensations of mania, offering an unprecedented look at this fascinating and bizarre state of being. While behavior and thought illuminate the condition of mania, it is the protagonist’s language itself that most viscerally conveys what it feels like to be trapped inside a manic ‘high.’ The voice of the recovered narrator provides context, reliability, and credibility. Where the manic narrator is relentlessly entertaining and delusional, the recovered narrator is tough minded, concise, and determined to reveal the truth, no matter how pai... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833146 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:53:50 +0100 1833146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833147&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fmadness-a-bipolar-life-2%2F Bipolar disorder and literary genius are often linked, the disorder considered a brilliant madness that produces great writers. Famous examples are Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, and Kay Redfield Jamison, who wrote the book Touched by Fire (among others) on creativity and manic depression. She herself is an ultra high achieving person living with bipolar. Here now is Marya Hornbacher to push the image further with her memoir, Madness. Hornbacher is a gifted writer who’s navigated the positive and negative effects of the illness on her writing career. She writes about writing while relating her life events in a way that isn’t self-aggrandizing. Well, not too much. This is a person who has had some very grandiose moments during her manic episodes, and enjoys sharing them in Mad... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833147 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:31:49 +0100 1833147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833148&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-bipolar-advantage%2F is a revelation. It is one man’s journey through the darkness and light of the bipolar condition to a place of spiritual joy, functionality and excellence that holds lessons for everyone with a diagnosis of bipolar. Raw, honest and brazen, The Bipolar Advantage draws its examples from the real-life experiences of its author, other people with a bipolar diagnosis and those who have relationships with bipolar people. Pulling no punches, Tom Wootton paints a realistic picture of the bipolar condition in its many faces, then gently guides the reader through the steps necessary to lead an introspective life that greatly ameliorates those symptoms, with the ultimate goal of helping bipolar people gain control of their lives. Tom takes the reader on a journey through the good and bad asp... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833148 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:23:01 +0100 1833148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833149&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fparenting-children-with-adhd%2F : 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach Kids with ADHD need to be loved and shown how to become successful adults. Unfortunately, their lack of attention and restlessness often get in the way. Parents of these kids try so hard to stay connected and remain patient in the face of daily frustration. However, it is an incredible challenge to remain positive and involved when your child does not respond to the kinds of strategies that work for other children. Without guidance and systematic treatment, these bright, inquisitive children are unlikely to graduate from high school, are more prone to use illegal drugs, and struggle to maintain employment as adults. This book gives parents a framework for building a successful parenting program at home. Drawing from his experiences in evaluating an... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833149 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:16:12 +0100 1833149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833150&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-survival-guide-for-kids-with-add-or-adhd%2F What are ADD and ADHD? What does it mean to have ADD and ADHD? How can kids diagnosed with ADD and ADHD help themselves succeed in school, get along better at home, and form healthy, enjoyable relationships with peers? In kid-friendly language and a format that welcomes reluctant and easily distracted readers, Free Spirit’s newest survival guide helps kids know they’re not alone and offers practical strategies for taking care of oneself, modifying behavior, enjoying school, having fun, and dealing (when needed) with doctors, counselors, and medication. Includes real-life scenarios, quizzes, and a special message for parents. A great book for kids 6 to 12 years old. Softcover, 119 pages. (Source: Psych Central) Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833150 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:14:37 +0100 1833150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833151&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fadhd-me%2F ADHD & Me: What I Learned from Lighting Fires at the Dinner Table Blake Taylor’s memoir, written when he was 17, offers, for the first time, a young person’s account of what it’s like to live and grow up with this common condition. Join Blake as he foils bullies, confronts unfair teachers, struggles with distraction and disorganization on exams, and goes sailing out-of-bounds and ends up with a boatload of spiders. It will be an inspiration and companion to the millions of others like him who must find a way to thrive with a different perspective than many of us. Blake’s mother first suspected he had ADHD when he, at only three years of age, tried to push his infant sister in her carrier off the kitchen table. As time went by, Blake developed a reputation for being hyperacti... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833151 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:13:22 +0100 1833151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833152&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fdriven-to-distraction%2F : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood From Amazon.com reviews: This clear and valuable book dispels a variety of myths about attention deficit disorder (ADD). Since both authors have ADD themselves, and both are successful medical professionals, perhaps there’s no surprise that the two myths they attack most persistently are: (a) that ADD is an issue only for children; and (b) that ADD corresponds simply to limited intelligence or limited self-discipline. “The word disorder puts the syndrome entirely in the domain of pathology, where it should not entirely be. Although ADD can generate a host of problems, there are also advantages to having it, advantages that this book will stress, such as high energy, intuitiveness, creativity, a... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833152 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:11:46 +0100 1833152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833153&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fconquering-panic-and-anxiety-disorders%2F : Success Stories, Strategies, and Other Good News Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in America, affecting one in every nine people. Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders brings us triumphant tales by those who have overcome them. Men and women of diverse ages and backgrounds share their individual experiences battling anxiety. Offering hope and inspiration, their essays discuss methods for recovery and techniques to manage symptoms. Each account is followed by a therapist’s explanation of the recovery techniques used and how others can apply these techniques to their lives. This book is an anthology of success stories from 31 women and men who have overcome anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiet... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833153 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:06:15 +0100 1833153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833154&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-sky-is-falling%2F : Understanding and Coping With Phobias, Panic, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders This is a terrific book to start out with if you are dealing with anxiety attacks. It’s the first book I read, mainly because it’s rather thin and when I was starting out I wanted quick answers. This book really went a long way to convince me that everything I needed to defeat my feelings of panic was already with me. It’s very straightforward and easy to read, If you’re like I am you don’t want a lot of theory about why, you just want to kill the problem. Here’s an excellent way to start. Case studies of sufferers are presented, including a woman who experiences panic attacks in public places; a man terrified of driving over bridges; and a teenage boy who stops eating ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833154 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:00:33 +0100 1833154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833155&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-anxiety-phobia-workbook%2F A helpful and practical guide to working on issues of anxiety and phobias, for anyone who’s ready to take their treatment to the next level. It provides step-by-step exercises, helping you learn about relaxation, exposure techniques, visualization, and how to overcome the negative, largely unconscious self-talk that helps reinforce feelings of fear and hopelessness. The author also provides in-depth discussions about additional types of treatment options available to someone working on anxiety or a phobia, such as exercise, working with a therapist, and medications commonly prescribed. Well-written and fairly comprehensive, you may not need to buy another book on anxiety or phobias. Softcover, 432 pages. (Source: Psych Central) Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833155 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:57:30 +0100 1833155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1829113&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-feeling-good-handbook%2F Depression is a crippling and often misunderstood disorder in today’s society. While many people advocate a purely medical model of this problem (and label it a “disease,” like cancer), others find it more helpful to explore the depths of depression and other possible causes. Since medication isn’t right for everyone with this disorder, and not everyone can afford to attend weekly therapy sessions, David Burns has written a book for those people looking to help themselves through this disorder. This excellent how-to manual leads people who are depressed on a journey of understanding and self-discovery. Beginning with an easy to read and understand overview of the cognitive theory of what causes people to become depressed, it goes on to discuss the multitude of meth... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1829113 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:58:34 +0100 1829113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775526&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fbipolar-disorder-and-memory%2F Do people who have bipolar disorder have a harder time with accurate memory? Are they more likely to confuse their memories with fantasy or daydreaming as though it actually occurred? Everyone does some version of what is called “confabulation,” and to varying degrees. Confabulation is a term referring to the phenomenon of misremembering, or creating a context for memory that fills in data—often skewed and erroneous data, into a memory. Memories are not videotaped information stored in our brains — they are active, sculpted, and nourished bits of data, accompanied by emotions and sensations. We first encode, then store in long term, then retrieve memories. We forget more than we remember, and in order to make sense of past experiences, we unwittingly may create a ser... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775526 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:39:45 +0100 1775526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1759844&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fbody-image-and-reality-changing-perspectives%2F More than 300 million adults worldwide are overweight, and they’re increasingly failing to recognize the problem, a recent survey has found. The data comes from 853 men and 944 women living in Great Britain in 1999, and 847 men and 989 women in 2007. In 2007, of those who are overweight only 75 percent realized they fall into this category, compared with 88 percent in 1999. Professor Jane Wardle and colleagues from University College, London, set out to look at the changes in public perceptions of overweight over an eight-year period. Participants reported their weight and height, and classified their body size on a scale from very underweight to obese. The proportion who were objectively clinically obese nearly doubled from 11 to 19 per cent. But “the weight at which peop... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1759844 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:10:48 +0100 1759844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739050&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fdepression-and-anxiety-among-college-students%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » Depression and anxiety are prevalent problems in colleges across the country. “There is no question that all of the national surveys we have at our fingertips show a distinct rise in the number of mental health problems,” said Jerald Kay, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Wright State University School of Medicine. Indeed, in the past 15 years, depression has doubled and suicide tripled, he said. According to a survey from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), universities and colleges also have seen an increase in students seeking services for anxiety disorders. The average age of onset for many mental health conditions is the typical college age range of 18 to 24 years old, said Courtney Knowles, executive d... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739050 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:43:06 +0100 1739050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1733845&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fis-the-military-help-our-vets-cope-with-mental-illness%2F Some critics are charging that the U.S. government is not doing enough to help returning war veterans with their mental health concerns. For instance, the first time vets are screened for a mental health concern is only on their way home from a deployment, using a standardized paper-and-pencil screening test. The screening consists of the Post-Deployment Health Assessment, a two-page form of fill-in-the-bubble questions. Only five questions — including “Did you ever feel you were in great danger of being killed?” — address mental health. A mental health expert reviews each questionnaire. Abbie Pickett is one of the tens of thousands who served in the National Guard in Iraq. She was in Iraq for 11 months in 2003 and 2004. When she came home, she said she suffered ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1733845 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:51:54 +0100 1733845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720306&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fis-the-military-help-our-vets-cope-with-mental-illness%2F Some critics are charging that the U.S. government is not doing enough to help returning war veterans with their mental health concerns. For instance, the first time vets are screened for a mental health concern is only on their way home from a deployment, using a standardized paper-and-pencil screening test. The screening consists of the Post-Deployment Health Assessment, a two-page form of fill-in-the-bubble questions. Only five questions — including “Did you ever feel you were in great danger of being killed?” — address mental health. A mental health expert reviews each questionnaire. Abbie Pickett is one of the tens of thousands who served in the National Guard in Iraq. She was in Iraq for 11 months in 2003 and 2004. When she came home, she said she suffered ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720306 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:49:37 +0100 1720306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720307&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fradical-lifestyle-changes-may-help-depression%2F A top scientific adviser to the U.K. government is advising depressed people to forget drugs and take up lifestyle changes such as smiling and eating seaweed. Jane A. Plant is a professor of geochemistry at Imperial College London. She became interested in mental health via her work in environmental health and after first-hand experience. While her previous books have focused on a range of physical conditions, she has now turned her attention to depression. In her controversial new book, Beating Stress, Anxiety and Depression: Groundbreaking Ways to Help You Feel Better, Plant aims to “inform and empower sufferers and their families” and “give the reader the latest findings on medications commonly used and misused to treat the epidemic that is sweeping the Western worl... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720307 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:41:56 +0100 1720307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696129&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fequine-assisted-psychotherapy-healing-therapy-or-just-hype%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » Whether it’s a nuzzle of their wet nose, a game of fetch or a walk around the block, spending time with our pets can make us feel better, calmer and even happier. Indeed, studies suggest that people with pets experience both emotional and physical benefits (Barker, 1999). But can time spent with an animal truly translate into a meaningful, healing experience? That’s the goal of equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP), an increasingly popular experiential treatment where individuals interact with horses in a variety of activities, including grooming, feeding, walking and equine games, for improving their psychological health. Both a licensed therapist and horse professional conduct EAP. According to the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, EAP is use... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696129 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:17:48 +0100 1696129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1688972&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fatypical-antipsychotics-for-schizophrenia%2F The most recent medications typically prescribed for schizophrenia include a class of drugs called “atypical antipsychotics.” Atypical means they work in a manner that is significantly different than the previous class of antipsychotic medications. “Antipsychotic” refers to the fact that these medications were initially thought only to help people with psychosis (a common symptom of schizophrenia). People with schizophrenia who take this medication will typically find that their hallucinations or delusions will significantly decrease and, in some cases, disappear altogether. Since their initial development, further research has demonstrated that atypical antipsychotics can also have helpful mood stabilizing properties. Because of this, this class of drugs is common... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1688972 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:59:54 +0100 1688972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1688973&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fatypical-antipsychotics-for-bipolar-disorder%2F The most recent medications typically prescribed for bipolar disorder include a class of drugs called “atypical antipsychotics.” Atypical means they work in a manner that is significantly different than the previous class of antipsychotic medications. “Antipsychotic” refers to the fact that these medications were initially thought only to help people with psychosis (a common symptom of schizophrenia). However, since their initial development, further research has demonstrated that this class of medications also can have helpful mood stabilizing properties. This means for someone with bipolar disorder, their moods swings will typically become less frequent and less intense. There are seven commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotic medications for bipolar disorder: ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1688973 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:39:11 +0100 1688973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1668374&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fcoping-with-flashbacks%2F Flashbacks are memories of past traumas. They may take the form of pictures, sounds, smells, body sensations, feelings, or the lack of them (numbness). Many times there is no actual visual or auditory memory with flashbacks. One may have a sense of panic, of being trapped, or a feeling of powerlessness with no memory stimulating it. These experiences can also happen in dreams. During the initial crisis, the survivor had to insulate her/himself from the emotional and physical horrors of the trauma. In order to survive, that insulated part of the self remained isolated, unable to express the feelings and thoughts of that time. It is as though the survivor put that part of her/his self into a time capsule, which later surfaces and comes out as a flashback, feeling just as intense in t... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668374 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:23:35 +0100 1668374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1668375&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fwhat-is-a-trigger%2F A trigger is something that sets off a memory tape or flashback transporting the person back to the event of her/his original trauma. Triggers are very personal; different things trigger different people. The survivor may begin to avoid situations and stimuli that she/he thinks triggered the flashback. She/he will react to this flashback, trigger with an emotional intensity similar to that at the time of the trauma. A person’s triggers are activated through one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. The senses identified as being the most common to trigger someone are sight and sound, followed by touch and smell, and taste close behind. A combination of the senses is identified as well, especially in situations that strongly resemble the original tra... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668375 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:20:58 +0100 1668375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1645894&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fan-overview-of-bipolar-disorder%2F Bipolar disorder is the modern term for mood swings that used to be called manic depression. It is a fairly common yet serious mental illness, affecting between one and five per cent of Americans of all ages. Unfortunately there is usually a delay of several years before the diagnosis is made. Bipolar disorder has no known cure. The likelihood is that the individual will need long-term medication and ongoing support. But if it is well managed, with help from family, friends, support groups and health professionals, the person with bipolar disorder can lead a productive and satisfying life: many people with bipolar disorder are married, have families, work, study and pursue pastimes of their choice. Advances in drug therapy together with new approaches to non-medical treatment are making ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1645894 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:33:46 +0100 1645894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1645895&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fdenied-for-being-myself-an-attempt-to-be-hospitalized%2F Pages: 1 2 3 4 Next » Within my most powerful episodes of depression, I would awake each morning, shower, apply makeup, and attempt to create a fabulous outfit. My worst appearance offense during these periods would be to go out in public in a pair of bright pink sweatpants with a hooded sweatshirt — but the makeup and hair were always done. I would do what was required of me — attend work, my internship, and classes. At school, I focused on the blackboard through tears, isolating myself from my classmates by default. None of them, I would learn later on, wanted to talk with me because my facade was intimidating. They said I looked like I didn’t want to be bothered. When I did not have to fulfill obligations within these episodes, I would literally spend all of my time sle... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1645895 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:08:59 +0100 1645895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1645896&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fonline-pharmacy-use-can-have-serious-consequences%2F In today’s communications landscape — where Internet access is readily available and advertising for prescription medication — it is no surprise that many patients are using online pharmacies. There are many benefits to this type of drug distribution: Disabled or homebound patients can have their medications conveniently delivered to their homes. Shoppers enjoy a certain level of discretion and anonymity. The selection of products is vast. Medications can be easily researched and compared, and computers can quickly catch potentially dangerous interactions. But there are also drawbacks to buying medications online. A study released July 9th by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that most websites selling prescription opioi... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1645896 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:07:00 +0100 1645896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1645897&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fattention-deficithyperactivity-disorder-in-adults%2F Most people who have heard of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder assume it’s strictly a diagnosis for excessively rowdy kids. But although symptoms begin to appear in childhood, they don’t automatically disappear at age 18. In fact, as more research into the disorder is conducted, more adults are realizing that they have it, too — and have, in some cases, for decades. Those whose ADHD went undiagnosed until well into adulthood often share a troubling set of symptoms. They include: Inconsistent performance at work and frequent job loss Academic and career underachievement Inability to manage routine household chores Difficulty in personal relationships because of forgetfulness, inattentiveness or being quick to anger over minor issues Chronic stress and worry caus... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1645897 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:03:44 +0100 1645897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1622092&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fsad-or-lonely-losing-your-concentration-or-memory%2F People are often sad or lonely at certain times in their life, such as after a breakup in a relationship or losing a loved one. And after such a loss, often our concentration and memory can be negatively affected. These are normal reactions to loss and usually resolve on their own over time. But if you’re sad and lonely for no reason, and suddenly find that your concentration or memory is slipping, you may have something else — depression. These are a handful of symptoms most commonly a sign of depression, a serious mental health concern that is characterized by having the majority of the following: Having a depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, such as feeling sad, lonely or empty Seriously diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities m... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1622092 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:51:53 +0100 1622092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526086&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fdiagnostic-manual-intellectual-disability-dm-id-a-textbook-of-diagnosis-of-mental-disorders-in-persons-with-intellectual-disability%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » It’s called the “other” dual diagnosis. While most professionals and laypeople understand dual diagnosis to mean those who suffer from both mental illness and substance abuse, the term is also used for those with the double challenge of mental illness and mental retardation. The intellectually disabled long have been deprived of needed treatment and even compassion because their mental illness has been seen through the lens of their disability. It was thought that people with cognitive disabilities could not possibly have mental illness, perhaps could not even have the same feelings, as the typical population. This “diagnostic overshadowing” — the tendency to let the mental retardation diagnosis block recognition of mental illness — still li... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526086 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:08:17 +0100 1526086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1477879&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fsway-the-irresistible-pull-of-irrational-behavior%2F You know there’s a new nonfiction genre by the titles alone — Blink, Nudge, Predictably Irrational… and now Sway. This book is probably best compared with Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational, but to me the Brafman brothers’ book seemed easier to digest — partially because it’s shorter, but also because it doesn’t seem to discuss as many experiments in as excruciating detail as Ariely tended to do. The thesis is largely the same — we humans think we act rationally in most situations, especially in business or areas of our life that would seem to call for rational thinking (e.g., work). What Ori and Rom Brafman (a businessman and a psychologist, respectively) show instead is what we all know from Ariely and others before him — huma... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1477879 Fri, 30 May 2008 12:02:04 +0100 1477879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432413&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fdiabetes-and-depression%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » Depression can strike anyone, but people with diabetes may be at a greater risk. Diabetes is a serious health concern that afflicts an estimated 16 million Americans. Treatment for depression helps people manage symptoms of both diseases, thus improving the quality of their lives. Several studies suggest that diabetes doubles the risk of depression compared to those without the disorder. The chances of becoming depressed increase as diabetes complications worsen. Research shows that depression leads to poorer physical and mental functioning, so a person is less likely to follow a required diet or medication plan. Treating depression with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of these treatments can improve a patient’s well-being and ability to manage d... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432413 Fri, 09 May 2008 21:50:20 +0100 1432413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1396201&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fin-depth-understanding-dissociative-disorders%2F Pages: 1 2 3 Next » Dissociation is a common defense/reaction to stressful or traumatic situations. Severe isolated traumas or repeated traumas may result in a person developing a dissociative disorder. A dissociative disorder impairs the normal state of awareness and limits or alters one’s sense of identity, memory or consciousness. Once considered rare, recent research indicates that dissociative symptoms are as common as anxiety and depression, and that individuals with dissociative disorders (particularly Dissociative Identity Disorder and Depersonalization Disorder) are frequently misdiagnosed for many years, delaying effective treatment. In fact, persons suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder often seek treatment for a variety of other problems including depress... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1396201 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:12:10 +0100 1396201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1388952&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Frecommended-books-on-adhd%2F Looking for a book to help you or a loved one better understand attention deficit disorder (ADHD)? We recommend the following: Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood From Amazon.com reviews: This clear and valuable book dispels a variety of myths about attention deficit disorder (ADD). Since both authors have ADD themselves, and both are successful medical professionals, perhaps there’s no surprise that the two myths they attack most persistently are: (a) that ADD is an issue only for children; and (b) that ADD corresponds simply to limited intelligence or limited self-discipline. “The word disorder puts the syndrome entirely in the domain of pathology, where it should not entirely be. Although ADD ca... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1388952 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:06:20 +0100 1388952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386802&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Frecommended-books-on-bipolar%2F Looking for a book to help you or a loved one better understand bipolar disorder (also called manic depression)? We recommend the following: Madness: A Bipolar Life By the author of the groundbreaking memoir Wasted about her struggle with eating disorders written nearly a decade ago, Marya Hornbacher is back. This time with a look at her struggle with bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) in her new book, Madness: A Bipolar Life. It is a lively biographical tale following the author’s life from age 4 to the present, and all of the stories that she believes related to her bipolar disorder. Read our full review here… Manic: A Memoir While living a Jackie Collins-like lifestyle as a Beverley Hills entertainment lawyer to the stars, she endures ECT without anaesthetic... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386802 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:59:19 +0100 1386802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386803&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Frecommended-books-on-depression%2F Looking for a book to help you or a loved one better understand depression? We recommend the following: Active Treatment of Depression Addressing his fellow professionals in the mental health field, O’Connor argues that the current state of understanding of the causes and treatments for depression are woefully inadequate and quite often counterproductive. He argues that no single theory can adequately explain the causes and no single treatment plan can successfully be applied universally to depressed patients. He also calls upon his colleagues to recognize that although incidents of depression may sometimes be successfully treated, all too often depression is a chronic disease that is not improved by one-time interventions of pharmaceuticals or other therapies. O’Connor advo... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386803 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:41:15 +0100 1386803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344189&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fmanic-a-memoir%2F I read Terri Cheney’s Manic: A Memoir with a bit of suspicion. While living a Jackie Collins-like lifestyle as a Beverley Hills entertainment lawyer to the stars, she endures ECT without anaesthetic (and bit half her tongue off), a brutal night in jail, two suicide attempts with dramatic rescues, a severe eating disorder, and a glamorous romance ended with the cruel statement, “I would marry you in a minute, if it wasn’t for the manic depression.” There’s much more, too. The first chapter comes on strong, reeling with an overabundance of intense action. Surely some is embellishment? Cheney introduces the 240-page memoir with the caveat that her memory is impaired from both bipolar and its treatments. It is common for amnesia to accompany mania, and sad tha... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344189 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:27:21 +0100 1344189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1319320&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fcomponents-of-recovery%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » Recovery has only recently become a word used in relation to the experience of psychiatric symptoms. Those of us who experience psychiatric symptoms are commonly told that these symptoms are incurable, that we will have to live with them for the rest of our lives, that the medications, if they (health care professionals) can find the right ones or the right combination, may help, and that we will always have to take the medications. Many of us have even been told that these symptoms will worsen as we get older. Nothing about recovery was ever mentioned. Nothing about hope. Nothing about anything we can do to help ourselves. Nothing about empowerment. Nothing about wellness. So what does recovery from a mental disorder look like? You will recognize your own recove... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1319320 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:04:03 +0100 1319320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1319321&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fhow-do-you-know-when-youre-recovered%2F Pages: 1 2 3 4 Next » Getting well is a process that began for me a long time ago. I never expect to finish. Given different responses from responsible adults and health care professionals in my life, my journey might have been very different. In this article, I want to share what did happen and how I actually am getting well. At the conclusion of the article, I will share some perspectives on how I think my life could have been different (and a lot of pain averted) and how symptoms of depression and manic depression might be more appropriately dealt with to keep us from becoming “chronic mental patients.” (I believe that psychiatric disorders, as with all disorders, have a physiological and a psychological component. Response to particular treatment, management and ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1319321 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:33:16 +0100 1319321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1319322&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fcoping-with-my-moms-mental-illness%2F I first became aware of “mental illness” when I was eight years old. My mother began spending all of her time sitting in a rocking chair-rocking, crying, very frightened and unbearably sad. No one asked her why she was crying. No one took the time to sit with her and hold her hand. Instead they took her away to a mental institution. That’s where she spent the next eight years of her life. This brilliant woman with a degree in nutrition, ahead of her time in her understanding of the effects of food on the body, deeply caring and compassionate, was treated with 150 electric shock treatments interspersed with various experimental drugs available at the time to stop her sadness. She spent her days behind a series of thick locked doors, sharing a sleeping and living space ... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1319322 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:10:43 +0100 1319322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1316630&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fhistorical-secrets-to-happiness%2F Has the latest fad, “positive psychology,” increased our happiness? Not according to a British author and cultural historian. Positive psychology, defined as “the study of optimal human functioning,” has gained enormous popularity in the past decade. But Richard Schoch, professor of the history of culture at Queen Mary, University of London and author of The Secrets of Happiness: Three Thousand Years of Searching for the Good Life, said there is more to be learned instead from the wisdom of the ancients. In an April 2007 lecture at the University of London, he said that “in ancient Athens, happiness was a civic virtue that demanded a lifetime’s cultivation. Now, it’s everybody’s birthright. Somewhere between Plato and Prozac, happiness stop... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1316630 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:20:28 +0100 1316630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1314077&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fwhen-are-you-cured-of-depression%2F Over fifteen years of experience with reasonably safe drug treatments for depression has given the mental health world a new understanding of the disorder, a more accurate sense of its true course and a new set of goals. It’s no longer enough merely to be treated for depression; it’s necessary to be cured completely. Increasingly, the aim of treatment is not to make patients better but to make them well. In the absence of complete remission from an episode of depression, the disorder tends to recur, even to settle in more or less permanently. What’s more, studies now show that the longer patients remain sick, the harder it is to ever make them completely well. Improvement is not enough. The existence of even low-level symptoms can have deleterious effects on the brain i... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1314077 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:32:13 +0100 1314077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1307677&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fmentalization-based-therapy-mbt%2F Mentalization based therapy (MBT) is a specific type of psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy designed to help people with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Its focus is helping people to differentiate and separate out their own thoughts and feelings from those around them. People with borderline personality disorder tend to have unstable and intense relationships, and may unconsciously exploit and manipulate others. They may find it difficult or impossible to recognize the effects their behavior has on other people, to put themselves in other people’s shoes and to empathize with others. Mentalization is the capacity to understand both behavior and feelings and how they’re associated with specific mental states, not just in ourselves, but in others as well. It is the... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1307677 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:06:38 +0100 1307677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1255027&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fwhat-is-existential-depression%2F When people talk about depression, sometimes they refer to different types based upon what they think may have caused their depression. One such possible cause is existential in nature, that is, a person ends up questioning his or her life, death or meaning of life, and by doing so, lapses into depression. According to existentialism, a specific type of philosophy, humans are driven to meaning in their lives not by a specific type of deity or god, or by an outside authority, but internally, through our own choices, desires and pursuits. Humans are entirely free, and, therefore, entirely responsible for their own happiness or misery. It is up to each one of us to create the meaning which drives our life, whether it be through work, hobbies, charity, religion, relationships, offspring, fami... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1255027 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:45:54 +0100 1255027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1241869&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Ffrequently-asked-questions-about-serotonin%2F Pages: 1 2 Next » Serotonin is a common neurotransmitter found in our brains. Neurotransmitters are special chemicals in our brain that help relay signals from one area of the brain to another. Although serotonin is manufactured in the brain, where it performs its primary functions, some 90% of our serotonin supply is found in the digestive tract and in blood platelets. The average adult has between five and 10 milligrams of serotonin in the body. Q. What role does serotonin play in our health? As a neurotransmitter, serotonin helps to relay messages from one area of the brain to another. Because of the widespread distribution of its cells, it is believed to influence a variety of psychological and other body functions. Of the approximately 40 million brain cells, most are influen... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1241869 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:12:10 +0100 1241869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1231818&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fserotonin-syndrome%2F Serotonin syndrome is the name for a condition when the body has too much serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates many functions, including mood, appetite, and sensory perception. Serotonin syndrome typically occurs when you’ve taken one or more medications that have an effect on your serotonin levels. The drugs cause too much serotonin to be released or to remain in the brain area. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include one or more of the following: Restlessness Hallucinations Loss of coordination Fast heart beat Rapid changes in blood pressure Increased body temperature Overactive reflexes Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea The symptoms can occur within a few minutes to a few hours after taking the medication or combination of medic... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1231818 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:28:53 +0100 1231818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1169633&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fwhere-clues-lie-sleeping%2F Sleep disturbances and depression are anything but strange bedfellows. Nearly all depressed individuals experience sleep problems. At least 80% complain of insomnia — difficulty falling or staying asleep. Indeed, early-morning awakening is a hallmark of the mood disorder. Another 15% of the depressed are hypersomniac and sleep excessively. Yet exactly how disturbed sleep and depression fit together is one of the continuing puzzles of neuroscience. Many mental health experts believe that sleep is a primary window into the brain and holds some key secrets of mood disorders. For example, says psychiatrist J. Christian Gillin, M.D., about a third of the general population experiences a bout of insomnia perhaps once a year. It’s usually short-lived and stress-related. About 10% of... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1169633 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:21:01 +0100 1169633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166348&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fthe-dos-and-donts-of-intervention%2F In his best selling book, I’ll Quit Tomorrow, the late Dr. Vernon Johnson wrote that the hallmark of alcoholism and drug dependence is denial. Accordingly, most substance abusers believe that their problems are caused by others, bad luck or circumstances beyond their control. Because they routinely fail to make the connection between their drug use and harmful behavior, intervention is necessary. Telling the truth, in a way it can be heard Johnson defined intervention as: “Telling the truth—in a way it can be heard.” Shouting and empty threats may be grounded in truth but generally are counterproductive. For example, a frustrated wife meets her inebriated husband at the door at 2 a.m. and gives him a piece of her mind, to which he replies, “No wonder I stay out and drink. Every... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166348 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:40:25 +0100 1166348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166349&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Frebuilding-relationships-in-early-recovery%2F It is no secret that drug or alcohol addiction can damage the body and impair the mind. The good news is that with proper medical treatment, counseling and stopping use, these wounds heal over time. However, the damage that addiction causes to important relationships is enormous and very hard to restore. James had been through a treatment program for alcoholism and was in his third month of sobriety. One night after dinner James put on his coat and announced to his wife, “I’m going to get some cigarettes.” Before the door closed behind him he heard his wife scream, “Not again!” Startled and confused, James hurried back inside to find out what was wrong. James’ wife was reacting the same way she had reacted a thousand times before when her husband “went out for cigarettes.... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166349 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:57:04 +0100 1166349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166350&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fwhy-alcohol-and-depression-dont-mix%2F Alcohol abuse and depression can be a deadly mix. Often, a person with depression will also have alcoholism, and vice versa. In fact, 30 percent to 50 percent of people with alcoholism, at any given time, also are suffering from major depression. Family history of depression or alcoholism puts a person at greater risk for developing either illness. You should know that while alcohol often causes a “good mood” at first, it is a depression-causing drug. Alcoholism and depression Alcoholism may cause a relapse in people with depression. The depressive symptoms from alcohol are greatest when a person first stops drinking. So people recovering from alcoholism who have a history of depression should be carefully monitored during the early stages of withdrawal; the symptoms of dep... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166350 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:53:48 +0100 1166350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1130967&cid=s_34735_172_f&fid=34735&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Flib%2F2008%2Fmedications-for-depression-2%2F Depression is the most common mental disorder diagnosed. Two treatments are usually recommended for most people who are experiencing depression: psychotherapy and medication. Medication helps some of the symptoms of depression, while psychotherapy helps a person learn how to better cope with the remaining symptoms, and with depression and life in general. While either treatment can be prescribed independently, research has shown that if you want to feel relief from your depression as quickly and as strongly as possible, you should try and do both medications and psychotherapy. No specific antidepressant medication should be tried first — the one chosen will be based upon your history with the illness, what’s worked for you in the past (if applicable) and your doctor’s j... Psych Central consumer http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1130967 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:41:42 +0100 1130967