A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, has been gaining attention recently as its prevalence among military personnel becomes more widely known, but this mental health concern is certainly not limited to men and women in the armed forces. Able to effect people of all ages in many different situations, the issue is often addressed with psychotherapy or medications, or some combination therein, but more effective treatments are actively being sought. In a newly-published study, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have investigated the brain’s responses to unexpected and unpleasant audio stimuli, mapping how people react to events and how anticipation plays a role in these reactions. The researchers found that emotional responses were far stronger when events were unexpected, and hope to be able to use this information to help shed light on the specific etiology of PTSD.

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

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Having a stroke is an event that’s likely to cause mental and emotional difficulties; whether it’s apprehension at being hospitalized, loss of memory or function, or any number of associated issues, stroke can greatly impact mental well-being. In some cases, stroke sufferers may develop thoughts and feelings of depression after the incident, and a research team from the University of Toronto has recently revealed review results suggesting that this occurs significantly more often in women than in men. The review focused on a total of fifty six studies and presents strong evidence for a need to provide better mental health services to female stroke sufferers to help prevent the onset of depression, which can make post-stroke living far more difficult.

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

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

The World Health Organization, in an effort to identify health issues in need of reform around the globe, has recently released a report on the state of women’s health, particularly in poor and middle-income countries. Citing broad instances of medical health issues such as death during childbirth, the report also notes that stigmas against women participating in mental health services results in a lowered ability of women to take good care of themselves and of their families. The report is hoped to contribute to global efforts to bring mental health accessibility to a larger audience and to focus on the particular needs of women.

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

By Ruth Subrin, M.A., MFT-AT

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

I work part time in a Geri-Psychiatric ward where my title is Recreational Therapist. What that means is that when elders are committed to this hospital ward, usually involuntarily, anywhere from 72 hours to one month they are termed “gravely disabled and in dire harm to themselves and/or others”. Along with individuals that are in a psychotic phase of their schizophrenia and those suffering from bipolar episodes, a large percentage of those admitted to our facility have dementia. When the dementia patients are admitted to the facility, they usually arrive in a stupor of confusion. The confusion is often exasperated because they have not been eating or have been unable to sleep for days. It is tragic to see elders who I imagine once had interesting lives be reduced to corpses that society does not have the capacity to handle, heal, or fully understand.

The procedure after they have been admitted to our facility is that psychiatrists assess their disabilities and prescribe medications that help to calm and re-orient them. While they are adjusting to medication, they often feel nauseous, dizzy, and/or confused. Many sleep for a few days to regain some equilibrium. Also disorienting is that their senses are impaired. Few arrive with their glasses and thus can’t see very well, and many have hearing loss and have lost their hearing aids in the transition. They are frail; a majority of them are in wheelchairs or can only move with the help of walkers. Read the rest of this entry

By John Lee, LMHC, Post Traumatic Stress / Trauma Topic Expert Contributor

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

Peter Strong, PhD. is an expert in the treatment of PTSD. His theory in the treatment of PTSD is “The key to changing habitual reactivity is to learn how to relate to the underlying emotional energy that compels you to react.” Peter also bases his practice near Boulder, Colorado on using core mindfulness in the treatment of PTSD.

Interestingly, Peter Strong PhD. and this writer make use of the mindfulness treatment strategy. For many years while treating people with schizophrenia I taught core mindfulness as part of my group therapy. Surprisingly, many who practiced learned to tune out the voices they were hearing. The first step what leads up to the reaction of hearing voices? And what many have said they have done. One popular technique many began to practice was using the self talk “Stop, This isn’t me, This is My Illness.” For a few this began to really work, and then the few who really applied it were ready to take it a step further. What I taught them next was the brain receives its information was through their five senses. What one saw, felt, heard smelled sometimes could trigger a reaction. Interestingly, this small group really got into this as they were realizing and experiencing saying “Stop, this isn’t me” seemed to help. I then would take them for a walk to get into the moment. By totally focusing on the experience of what the rose smelled like, what the trees looked like, what the chirping of the birds sounded like, and what the lemonade tasted like, people with schizophrenia began to experience the voices weren’t as loud. That by focusing on the experience of the moment they were also slowly training their minds new habits which could lead to tuning down the volume of the voices. Continuing to practice focusing on the wind against their chin and hearing the birds they slowly began to experience when they would even talk to another person their voices would become softer and not as noticeable. By learning to turn down the voices by practicing in the moment techniques, many began to stay out of the inpatient unit. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has just released the results of a much-anticipated survey entitled, “Gaps and Guideposts” on its site. The survey involved scores of Americans in three distinct categories: those who did not know anybody affected by depression, those who identified as caretakers of adults with depression, and depressed adults themselves. Seeking to discover Americans’ familiarity with depression and treatment options, the survey also uncovered a rising rate of acceptance of depression’s ability to affect people of all profiles and lifestyles, and of psychotherapeutic treatment to help conquer symptoms.

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

By Evelyn Goodman, Psy.D, LMFT, Anxiety Topic Expert Contributor

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

Recovery from an anxiety disorder (and/or depression) usually happens in stages. I mean complete recovery, not only the reduction of symptoms. The first stage is learning how to cope with anxiety or panic attacks. This is achieved by learning and practicing breathing techniques, relaxation and calming exercises, and effective and supportive self-talk. One learns how to not be afraid of, and controlled by, the anxiety and panic. Life-style changes, such as diet and exercise, as well as stress-management strategies that include time management, limit-setting, assertive communication and the appropriate expression of emotions, especially anger, are also anxiety coping skills. Learning how to desensitize to avoidance patterns is part of the learning process for those people with phobias due to the fear of anxiety or panic attacks. Understanding how one developed the anxiety condition is also a necessary step to working one’s way out of the cycle of anxiety because it helps make sense of the problem and points to the areas of emotional vulnerability that
triggered the anxiety in the first place. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Efforts to help people understand the nature of mental health difficulties and of the services available to assist them are crucial aspects of modern efforts within the professional community. Though increasing numbers of people are beginning to accept mental issues as health difficulties and are relying less on social prejudice and stigma, such blocks to understanding are still prevalent in much of the world, and may contribute to the prolonged suffering of clients and their families. A great number of efforts have been made to illustrate mental health and related issues to the public, but on Wednesday, an illustration of a much more straightforward sort was announced. The launch of “the road to god knows…,” a graphic novel by Von Allan, is taking place both on and offline to provide a range of formats and accessibility for those interested in the subject.

Raised by a mother who suffered from schizophrenia and often finding himself without context or reason with which to understand his mother’s behavior, Von Allen has incorporated his life experience into the graphic novel, which seeks to help explain mental health difficulties to readers. The comic-like format is likely to interest a younger crowd, and may perhaps appeal to those uninterested in learning about mental illness from traditional non-fiction manuals or textbooks. “the road to god knows…” will be carried in a number of comic shops, and can also be purchased online, though readers can download and share freely-distributed copies of the work in PDF format, a measure Von Allen hopes will help his graphic novel reach a wider audience. Read the rest of this entry

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

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

There are many pressures and emotional difficulties associated with school, and the issue of bullying is certainly among them. Searching for ways to address this common problem with efficacy and meaningful attention, researchers at the University of Warwick have recently studied the potential of a virtual reality program to decrease victimization among school children. The study administered three weeks of three sessions per week involving the FearNot! virtual school environment, in which children could participate in simulated bullying scenarios and offer solutions for the characters. The program is said to require a longer duration and reminder sessions over time, but may be a good choice for school curricula.

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

By Tina Gilbertson, MA, Self-Esteem Topic Expert Contributor

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

There are differences in the way people approach personal standards, and some of these have to do with self-esteem.

People with high self-esteem tend to have high yet realistic expectations of themselves; they’re not afraid to aim for a star and put in the work to get there. On the other hand, those with injured (i.e., low) self-esteem have a tendency to live with either unrealistically high or unnecessarily low standards. They are often perfectionists or underachievers … or both!

Neither the high nor the low self-esteem folks consistently meet their own standards. After all, we’re talking about human beings, not robots. But what happens when standards are not met constitutes another difference between high and low self-esteem. Read the rest of this entry