A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

The search for effective tools to help people quit smoking has been underway for many decades, with scores of mental health professionals devoting some or all of their careers to assisting clients curb the habit. A study aiming at addressing smoking with the help of virtual reality has recently concluded, with positive findings that may make the technological technique popular for cessation programs. Participants who crushed virtual cigarettes as part of a smoking cessation program showed significantly greater rates of abstinence and lowered nicotine addiction at the end of the treatment and at a six-month follow up than participants who squeezed a virtual ball. As virtual reality technology advances, so too may addiction treatment programs.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Roswell Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Substance abuse disorders, including difficulties with the regulation of alcohol intake and retaled behaviors, affect many people at different stages of life, though a significant portion of those who grapple with these issues are in their mid to late years. It may seem inconsistent, then, that a study supported by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has searched for signs of substance abuse risks in children, but the gathered data may serve the primary purpose of helping to identify children who may benefit from additional education and training to prevent substance abuse issues later in life. Risk factors considering both environment and neurobiological factors were studied.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Birmingham Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Smoking cessation programs are frequently cited for the difficulties involved in getting smokers to volunteer, as well as to help those with addiction problems overcome the urge to start smoking again. These issues are especially prevalent when working with teenage smokers, so the industry has suggested –and reason would seem to support–. But this may not actually be the case, says a new trial cessation program targeted at high school students.

With an admirably large recruitment group at over two thousand teenagers, the trial set out to test the efficacy of a structured smoking cessation support program, using a number of special checks and a control group to ensure that collected data was as reliable as possible. The trial involved the administration of up to nine personalized and confidential telephone counseling sessions aimed at providing moral and emotional support during the process of quitting. The high school students were recruited during their junior year and were given the telephone treatment over the course of their final year in high school. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Albuquerque Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Efforts to advocate smoking cessation nation-wide and around the world have been accelerating in recent years as the understanding of the negative aspects of smoking improves. One program, called CHOICES, has won a Silver Achievement Award for its work with smoking cessation among those with mental health difficulties. As a significant number of smokers are faced with mental health issues, the program, which provides community support and logistics for people hoping to quite smoking, has delivered a valuable service to global efforts to ease addiction, and to serve as a source of caring and resources for people struggling to improve their mental health.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Lake Oswego Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org Featured Column written by Mary Ellen Barnes, Ph.D. & Ed Wilson, Ph.D., MAC

Click here to contact Mary Ellen and/or see her Profile
Click here to contact Ed and/or see his Profile

The “Bucket of Crabs” is one of our favorite analogies. Pulling crabs out of traps on Kodiak Island, we’d just toss them into a big bucket – no need to put a lid on the bucket.

Why not?

Because as soon as one crab would start to climb out, the other crabs would drag him, or her, right back down into the bottom of the bucket. There’s no escape to life back in the ocean. And that keeps happening until all of the crabs end up in the steamer.

The point? Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

A large percentage of those who commit suicide each year do so while experiencing the effects of alcohol dependence, a mental health and behavioral concern which can engender great feelings of powerlessness and have a negative impact on many areas of life. Recently, a study conducted by the Prevention Research Center and Texas A & M University has sought to investigate any links between the density of bars and other alcohol “outlets” and suicide rates. While there was some correlation between these factors, researchers found that rural areas had higher rates of alcohol-related suicide. The study may prove useful in efforts to combat alcohol dependence and suicide.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Santa Monica Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

By Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D., Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Topic Expert Contributor

Click here to contact Arthur and/or see his GoodTherapy.org Profile

In this first article here I will describe what Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is. Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy began as a family-therapy approach, grounded in attachment theory, for the treatment of children with disorders of attachment. It has developed over the past decade into a broader approach for treatment and has been found to be an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy has as its central therapeutic mechanism the maintenance of a contingent, collaborative, sensitive, reflective and affectively attuned relationship between therapist and child, between caregiver and child, and between therapist and caregiver. Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy focuses on and relies upon the intersubjective sharing and joint development and organization of emotional experience. Intersubjectivity refers to shared emotion (also called attunement), shared attention, and shared intention. Read the rest of this entry

By Sherry Gaba, LCSW and Life Coach

Click here to contact Sherry and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

Viewers cannot turn on the television today without a story depicting pop icon Michael Jackson and his un-timely death. It has brought to the forefront of everyone’s mind a reminder of the dangers of abusing prescription drugs. What parents may not realize is although overall teen drug use is down nationwide; prescription drug abuse is on the rise, as one of the fastest growing addictions amongst teenagers today. Since 1992, the number of teenager’s ages 12 to 17 years old abusing controlled prescription drugs has tripled and nearly one in five teens reported that they are able to get prescription drugs such as Vicodin or OxyContin in one hour. In fact, nearly all poison deaths in the country are attributed to prescription drugs. In the last ten years, the number of teens going into treatment for addiction to prescription pain relievers has increased by more than 300 percent. In fact, most of the clients I see today are struggling with prescription drug abuse, specifically pain medications. Although it is understood heroin is dangerous and that overdoses are common, what parents don’t understand is that narcotic painkillers mimic the same effects of heroin on their bodies and can be just as lethal. Teens turning away from street drugs and moving towards prescription drugs is rampant and the myth that these drugs are safe because they are legal must be squashed or this trend will continue to grow. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Though a growing number of people are making the choice to quit smoking for a variety of reasons, physical health complications from the habit continue to be a problem of serious concern both for those who smoke and their loved ones as well as for taxpayers left with large bills to foot for associated medical issues. Most general practice doctors advise their clients to cease or significantly reduce their tobacco use, but one smoking cessation advocate notes that when it comes to those who exhibit signs of mental health concerns, many doctors shy away from suggesting that their clients should quit. Brian Hitsman of Northwestern University argues that while thirty eight percent of people visiting their medical physician receive treatment to quit smoking, a mere twelve percent of those with mental health difficulties receive the same treatment.

The discrepancy, suggests Hitsman, is the result of a false belief that tobacco use is somehow necessary or helpful for those with feelings of depression, anxiety, or any other mental health concerns. Unfortunately, this reluctance to persuade clients to quit smoking may have profound effects; on average, a far greater number of those with mental health issues smoke than those without symptoms. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Rolling Hills Estates Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Often, an inability to access or receive meaningful mental health services can lead those experiencing debilitating symptoms to rely on pharmaceuticals and other substances in an effort to self-medicate. Such instances carry great risks, not only for physical and mental health, but for the development of deep addictions, engendering further negative consequences. This situation has been clearly observed recently in Kashmir, where long-term violence and social disorder have led to a growing number of women developing symptoms of mental health difficulties. The creation of accessible mental health care as well as treatment for addiction and substance abuse is needed to help the region recover from its deep-rooted turmoil.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Miami Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Most people are well aware that some percentage of the population grapples with a substance abuse issue, and that trends in the precise substances used may change from time to time, but difficulties that arise as a result remain largely the same. Problems at work, within social lives, and at home can easily arise in the presence of substance abuse issues, and there are many factors that can compound the negative potential of drinking or drug use. But many people are not clear about the fact that experiencing mental health difficulties in conjunction with a substance abuse issue can be a great indication of serious risks to personal health and safety, a lack of understanding that may contribute to further suffering, such as in the case of one young adult with dual diagnoses who recently committed suicide.

The young man’s story may sound exotic –multiple trips in and out of mental health facilities, rehabilitations and relapses with substance abuse, and extreme difficulty finding treatment to collaboratively address both issues– yet his situation is likely shared by many who struggle with substance abuse and mental health concerns at the same time. The man’s parents express their remorse over their inability to find treatment capable of addressing both concerns in a meaningful way, an inability that they believe ultimately led to their son’s death. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist North Vancouver Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Internet addiction may seem like a slippery slope to many who use the internet for working and engaging in social interactions, but some people may experience a strong tendency to crave internet and computer use to a debilitating degree. To address this issue, an internet addiction clinic has been opened recently in Washington state, with hopes of helping addicts return to a prosperous and balanced life. The program runs for the course of forty five days and is not covered by insurance, but is intent on providing quality services to those who enter its doors.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Kansas City Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

The associations between young people and binge drinking or the excessive and frequent intake of alcohol are strong and seemingly omnipresent. Through the efforts of marketing officials at major alcoholic beverage companies, youths are often targeted as the ideal customers for beer, liquors, and spirits, and ideas about heavy drinking in college or among young professionals help to bolster the notion that binge drinking is a problem experienced well before middle age. But this focus on the connection between young people and binge drinking may be ignoring an important truth: those entering their senior years may be considerable participants in binge drinking as well. To check up on the drinking habits of older adults, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health analyzed data from thousands of Americans concerning their intake habits.

The results found that a considerable amount of people aged fifty to sixty four were involved with at risk drinking, which was defined as the intake of two or more drinks per day. Among men in this age range, twenty two percent reported such frequent alcohol use, while nine percent of female respondents were associated with the trend. The research suggests that those people who are anticipating their later years may be more inclined to drink than has traditionally been thought, and greater measures may need to be explored to help mitigate the risks of the issue. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist St. Louis Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Temptations, in myriad different forms, are available everywhere, often in copious amounts. To some people, temptation may take the form of a cigarette or stiff drink, while to others, a sweet snack or attractive person may represent the ultimate temptation. Most people are likely to report that they have a fairly high ability to resist temptation, but as a study recently performed at the Kellogg School suggests, those with strong convictions about such an ability are often the most likely to give in. Performing experiments based on substance addiction, food choices, and mental fatigue, the research team showed that people tend to overestimate their ability to resist, and that an excess of confidence may in fact yield poor results. The answer? The study offers the idea that a bit of humility may help make the greatest vices a little easier to avoid.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Beverly Hills Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Dubai has been in continuous and remarkable growth for decades, exemplifying the inspiration and diligence of the region as it improves services and highlights its cultural specialties to its residents and to the world at large. But as with every area of the world, Dubai experiences as considerable drug addiction issue within its native population, and the effort to help residents overcome their addictions and to create a safer and more prosperous society are on the top of the to-do list for many officials and organizations. Recently, in an effort to gain a better understanding of the nature of the drug use issue within Dubai, a study was conductedby the local police and a social specialist.

The results of the study have returned fairly interesting information; analyzing the precise demographics of drug addicts associated with an array of substances, the research team found that over half had previously been employed in law enforcement, and nearly a quarter were schoolchildren. While both groups may be at a high risk for developing substance abuse issues, the significant percentages indicate a pronounced concern within Dubai, as well as a clear direction for the application of social services and mental health care for addiction. Additionally, the study may spawn investigations into the treatment of scheduled substances within law enforcement facilities. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Elm Grove Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Issues with rising obesity rates in combination with a growing percentage of people who report feelings of depression and anxiety have been considerable causes for concern in recent years, and analyzing popular trends and shifts in lifestyles may hold the key to understanding how and why the prevalence of basic physical and mental health concerns are changing. Seeking to examine the links between different media usage types and typical physical and mental health issues, the Centers for Disease Control along with two university teams have conducted a study with telling results. Some of the most striking data to emerge from the report has been the associations between adult video game playing and symptoms of physical and mental concerns; females who played video games reported higher rates of depression and poorer physical health, while males exhibited an increase in BMI in groups that participated in gaming. Fostering more balanced lifestyles may lead to an enjoyment of both leisure and personal prosperity.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Coral Gables Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

There are a number of challenges that alcoholics in search of recovery face on a regular basis, but a recent study has suggested that it’s the face itself that may present one of the most difficult social aspects of recovery. The research, performed at the University of California at San Diego, tested the reactions of a group of abstinent, long-term alcoholics to a range of emotionally-charged faces against those of a control group, and found that the study group had a significantly lower ability to understand the meanings of facial expressions, reacting to the full range of faces in similar ways. The study helps support the idea that recovering alcoholics, perhaps those receiving therapy and counseling, may benefit from a more direct exploration of social cues and behaviors.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist San Diego Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Update

Smoking Cessation Therapies May Ward Off Dementia

Cognitive decline is a serious mental health issue affecting a large number of aging people, and tends to strike for a variety of reasons, sometimes without much of any warning. As the progress of medical science marches on, the search for effective treatments for dementia continues, though so far no adequate solutions have been developed. A key focus for interested health professionals, then, is the prevention of dementia, and many studies are being conducted to determine which factors are most likely to play a role in the emergence of this health concern. One such study, carried out in the Netherlands at the National Institute Institute for Public Health and the Environment, has recently published results that represent the culmination of a five year research project into the possibility a link between tobacco smoking and dementia.

The project based its work on nearly two thousand male and female participants, about a tenth of which smoked cigarettes. Initially presenting participants with batteries of cognitive function and other tests, the researchers found that those who smoked performed more poorly than did their non-smoking counterparts. Upon re-testing subjects five years later, the team discovered that the rates of mental decline were 1.9 times faster in the smoking group than in the non-smoking group. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Elm Grove Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

By Joanna Poppink, LMFT

Click here to contact Joanna and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

I’m in the middle of attending a great conference at UCLA this week end. It’s “Adult Attachment in Clinical Context: Applications of the Adult Attachment Interview.” Superb and gifted researchers and clinicians are gathered to discuss and share information on the latest neuroscience findings, the reasons why humans bond or do not bond well with each other, how human relationships can harm and heal, and the powerful healing force of human love, compassion, stability, flexibility and reliability. As I participate in this conference, surrounded by clinicians dedicated to learning and fostering healing, I feel richly held. I am free to let my mind relate what I’m hearing and learning to people who, in some way, live with the experience of eating disorders. Here’s what I’ve come up with after two days of the conference:

Changing Our Brains: The joyous or painful or frustrating reality is that we humans can destroy, create, and change neural functioning in our brains. In other words, we can improve. We can deteriorate. We can change – for better or worse. The research coming out of neuroscience provides evidence that particular circumstances over time can alter brain activity and even brain structure. See Dan Siegel’s work and Allan Schore’s writings.

Power of Love and Kindness: The good news is that a durable, kind and informed relationship with a trustworthy and stable person over a considerable period of time will actually create conditions where a person’s brain can change for the better. This is one of the great and wonderful powers of long term, in depth psychotherapy with a trustworthy and focused psychotherapist. This is also why loving, trustworthy, stable, reliable and empathic parents produce secure, loving and self confident children. This is also why a loving, trustworthy, stable, reliable and empathic aunt or uncle or grandparent or teacher or neighbor can contribute to building a secure base in a child who has problematic parents. Love and kindness as well as focused attention and knowledge creates an environment in which new ways of seeing the world can become permanent. The developing child or the adult patient not only develops trust for the parents or the therapist. She actually develops the capacity to trust, to be more optimistic, to recognize good opportunities and act on them. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

The rates of anti-depression and related pharmaceuticals is on the rise, as psychotherapists strive to reach clients with deep and meaningful change many, especially those in the medical establishment, choose to treat issues solely with medications. Recently, a research team in Spain sought to discover the relationship between medication use and established family dysfunction. While the team’s research did not return any significant correlation between dysfunctional family relationships and medication use, it did reveal that an alarming 24% of Spain’s women take anti-depressants, and that over 30% take tranquilizers. Though the mental health professions are gaining popularity and credibility in Spain as in many other parts of the world, a clear need for more quality psychotherapeutic care exists.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Lafayette Bureau - All Rights Reserved.