Posts Tagged ‘depression’

January 13, 2022

Celebrities with BIPOLAR Disorder

I’ve heard this story so many times before; of  lives blown apart by Bipolar Disorder. I see it over and over again in my practice. All the talented, charismatic, beloved people whose lives careen out of control.  We often hear about singers, actors and comedians speaking openly about their diagnosis. It is rarely spoken of […]

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October 14, 2021

The Lies Our Brains Tell Us

We all have our perceptions of the world. Our experience, our education, the teachings of our families and mentors all enter in to how we view the world. We make decisions based on those perceptions. What many people do not realize is that our brains can lie to us. Mental illness is, at it’s core, […]

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April 16, 2019

Perfectionism-The Losing Quest

One of the saddest conditions I work with as a psychologist is perfectionism. At it’s core perfectionism is about setting standards for oneself that are impossible to meet.People who suffer from it tend to be anxious, depressed, irritable, impatient with others and chronically dis-satisfied. Perfectionism can truly strip any joy from life, turning it in […]

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June 8, 2018

Suicide on My Mind

I deal with thoughts of suicide all the time.  Not my own-but those of the people I treat in my work as a psychologist.  I suspect a large percentage of the people who seek help for their mental health do so because of depression.  A substantial proportion of those with depression admit having thoughts that […]

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June 6, 2015

Hetero, homo, bi. Does it Really Matter?

The culture wars have truly shifted and homosexuality has found increasing acceptance in our country. A study long ago showed that attitudes toward homosexuality improved for individuals who knew someone personally who was homosexual. When gay men and women came out of the closet in greater numbers in the 1970’s many of us discovered that […]

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January 28, 2015

Overwhelmed All the Time? This One’s for You

One of the most common complaints I hear as a psychologist is, “I’m so overwhelmed!” When my client lists their problems I am likely to hear, “I am under so much pressure at work…my desk keeps piling up…there is so much to do for the kids…my house is a mess and there is no time […]

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August 2, 2014

Bipolar Disorder-Developing a Strong Relationship With Your Therapist

Living with Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a challenge. For a lucky minority, symptoms are fairly easily managed but for most people it’s on an ongoing process that can be tedious and frustrating. Because BD is not age related and can affect even people who are quite young and otherwise healthy, those who are recently diagnosed […]

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July 20, 2014

How to Talk to Your Psychiatrist About Depression

I am a psychologist. I am a doctor but not a medical doctor and I provide psychotherapy, not medication. Still, I refer many patients with depression to MD psychiatrists to provide medication to help with depression. Modern anti-depressants can truly be life saving medications. While many (mistakenly, I believe) get prescriptions from their family doctor, […]

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April 4, 2014

The Military and Mental Health

The tragic shootings at Fort Hood put the media spotlight, once again, on mental health issues. The shooter may not have left sufficient clues around to his mental state but clearly this was a very disturbed person who took the lives of three others as well as himself and injured many more. There have been […]

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September 17, 2013

Paranoia-Greatly Misunderstood and Surprisingly Common

“Oh, he’s so paranoid” is an expression we hear tossed about casually.  It is mistakenly used to describe fearfulness as in, “she’s paranoid about driving by herself”. Paranoia is also incorrectly used to describe worry that is excessive such as “he’s paranoid he’ll lose his job.” What paranoia truly represents is a negative distortion in […]

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September 6, 2013

Loving Someone With A Mental Illness

Whether the issue is addiction, depression, anxiety or Bipolar Disorder, the challenge is still the same-how do I help my loved one, how do I take care of myself? Read more http://www.yourtango.com/2013192188/individual-vs-couple-mental-illness-counseling.

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April 12, 2013

Suicide and Guns

The headline this week about Pastor Rick Warren’s 27 year old son committing suicide brings the tragedy of suicide as well as the connection between guns and suicide to our attention. The Warren family, like the grieving families of Newtown have tried to use their anguish to advocate for social change concerning guns as well […]

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March 14, 2013

Insomnia : Why do we put up with it? And should we?

Anyone who works with me knows I am a fanatic about sleep. How well do you sleep? How much do you sleep? Do you have any trouble sleeping? I am always surprised by how inarticulate many people become when trying to answer this question. I hear things like, “I get enough” or “last night I […]

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February 22, 2013

When Good Kids Get Bad Grades

I work with teenagers and often, when a parent brings their son or daughter to consult with me it’s because of a battle over bad grades. A common story is that Mark was a terrific student until middle school or sometimes high school. The parent tries threats and punishments that don’t seem to help, the […]

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February 5, 2013

Is Everyone Bipolar?

Bipolar has entered the common lexicon as in, “he’s so bipolar!” When people use the expression in a casual way they are usually referring to some one who is moody or temperamental, who gets upset easily. The part that they have right is that Bipolar Disorder, a serious mental health condition, is related to extremes […]

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January 18, 2013

Guns and Mental Health

There are, on average, 30,000 firearm related deaths in the United States every year. Of those, about two thirds  were suicide and roughly one third are homicides. Obviously a very significant majority of gun deaths are suicide.Mental illness and/or substance abuse is present in a large percentage of those cases.  Since many people who commit […]

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November 11, 2012

Symptoms of Depression-Am I Depressed?

Most people think depression is obvious and often when I make a diagnosis of depression in a patient, they are surprised.  Typical responses are, ” but it’s just when I think about my money worries” or “I feel really great when I’m at work” or “she’s always happy when she’s with her friends”.  When someone […]

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November 3, 2012

Is Being a Little Bit Depressed Like Being a Little Bit Pregnant?

I always tell my patients, “a little bit of depression goes a long way.”  In the USA there is a lot of emphasis on managing problems by yourself.  Even people who are struggling with serious problems such as the loss of a loved one, a major medical problem or financial difficulty will frequently apologize for […]

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September 15, 2012

Depression-The Silent Killer

Yes, depression kills.  People do commit suicide.  I am thinking instead about the many sufferers who live their lives so much less fully than they might because depression saps them of vitality, enthusiasm and pleasure.  Many more people experience debilitating depression than seek help because of continued lack of knowledge, understanding or appreciation of the […]

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April 24, 2012

Symptoms of Depression? Is He Depressed?

Is your wife (or child or mother or boyfriend) depressed?  This can be a harder question to answer than you might think.  Depression can be elusive to recognize and assess.  Often it is obvious.  The person cries easily, talks of wishing they were dead, doesn’t want to go anywhere or do anything.  They say, “I […]

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January 15, 2012

Perfectionism or What’s Wrong with Being Too Good?

One of the most challenging issues I confront in people who seek my help is perfectionism. These are people with very high standards who continually work to meet their goals-admirable qualities most would agree. When it is extreme, however, the relentless pursuit of achievement can lead to a great deal of misery for the individual […]

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January 6, 2012

New Year, New Emotions

    How about challenging yourself in the New Year to learn how to manage difficult emotions better? Are there really any other developments that could make this a better year for you? The big three are anxiety, depression and anger.  All three can be very healthy and appropriate but when they are excessive or […]

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December 24, 2011

Anger and Depression

Depression is a greatly misunderstood condition that affects millions of people.  A better understanding of depression can help people to recognize and take action as early as possible.  The longer someone suffers from depression the more entrenched the condition can become, making treatment and recovery more difficult.  The most common picture most people have of […]

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