Category: Shame and Guilt
The Good Therapy Blog
January 13th, 2012 |
Parents who struggle with a chronic illness are at increased risk for mental health challenges, particularly depression. Adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative neurological disorder, have statistically high rates of depression, upwards of 59%. Because the illness often first manifests in early adulthood, the debilitating effects can impair child-rearing abilities and have a negative impact on parenting. Kenneth I. Pakenham of the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland in Australia recently conducted... Read More
© Copyright 2012 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist St. Louis Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
January 4th, 2012 |
I just read in a newspaper article that health clubs see a nice jump in membership at this time of year, due to all those New Year’s resolutions to lose weight. Of course, many new members will make a concerted effort for a month or two, and then slowly drift away.
Why is so hard to change or break bad habits? For instance: snacking or nibbling in a way we know is not the healthiest for us but have trouble stopping (I’m guilty of this myself).
First, notice the word “guilty”. Why guilty? Is this a trial? What, exactly, am I guilty of? I imagine a giant finger wagging at me from above,... Read More
January 3rd, 2012 |
Resolutions are a popular topic at this time of the year, and with predictions that the year 2012 may be our last (if the ancient Mayan calendar is to be believed!), perhaps a greater number of us than usual are at least contemplating how best to make sure we go out on a positive, rather than sour, note.
How will 2012 be different for us? If we didn’t quite live up to our last year’s expectations, will we simply try harder, using the same tactics, in hopes that our goals will be met now? Or will we become innovators, thinking up more creative ways of working toward our vision? The former... Read More
December 16th, 2011 |
Last month I discussed the dilemma of a psychologically wounded person who feels torn between a yearning to get his deepest needs met – a need for connection, safety and love – and a terror that those needs will be rejected (subtly or otherwise), leading to a traumatic abandonment, or re-abandonment in most cases. This creates dueling goals: to be loved and to maintain connection through inevitable “bumps” on the relational road, which in the person’s life has proven impossible. Thus the faith that lasting relational intimacy can be found is slim to none, assuming it exists at all.
Those... Read More
November 15th, 2011 |
Failure is a part of life. How an individual perceives their failure gives an indication of their overall sense of well-being and adjustment. Reflecting on past failures through imagery can provide even further detail into the one’s coping strategies. “As people recall and imagine life events, they often form mental images of those events and may do so from different visual perspectives,” said Lisa K. Libby of the Department of Psychology at Ohio State University. “With the first-person perspective, one sees the event from their own vantage point, as an actor in the scene; with the third-person... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Santa Barbara Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
November 10th, 2011 |
Funnel chest is a term used to describe the medical condition known as Pectus excavatum (PE), a deformity of the chest wall that occurs in one of every thousand children. “It is well known that children with PE are affected by their body image, that they often experience embarrassment, have low self-esteem and feelings of stigma,” said Susanne Habelt of the Department of Pediatric Surgery at the University Children’s Hospital in Basle, Switzerland. “These psychological criteria influence the... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Naperville Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
November 8th, 2011 |
Shame is an emotion that is exhibited by many people with addictions and substance use issues. “Shame is also the emotional core of self-stigma, which has been associated with treatment-seeking delays, treatment dropout, and poorer social functioning,” said Jason B. Luoma, of the Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, and Training Center in Portland, Oregon. “Shame has long been seen as relevant to substance use disorders and their treatment, but the precise nature of the relationship and how best... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Lake Oswego Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
August 11th, 2011 |
If you remember from last month, Ellen had to decide about attending her friend Robin’s wedding, to be held in a far away resort- it would be a lot of fun, but Ellen didn’t have enough money to go and couldn’t take time off from her new job, either- she was scared she might be fired- she liked the job a lot, and jobs can be hard to come by. On the other... Read More
August 5th, 2011 |
Please consider joining us at GoodTherapy.org next Thursday, August 11th, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. Pacific (7:00 p.m. Eastern) for a free teleconference event, Low Self-Esteem: Signs, Symptoms, and Solutions, presented by Tina Gilbertson, MA. Tina is a therapist based out of Portland, OR, and she has extensive experience working with self-esteem issues. In this 90-minute psychoeducational event, she will explore the roots... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Columbia Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
August 5th, 2011 |
I’m returning once more to the issue of living with a friend or family member who is struggling with addiction. First, let me thank again those of you who take the time to read these posts and/or comment. It means a lot to me and I am very touched by what I read. It drives home to me yet again how devastating it is to watch a loved one self-destruct, and to live with the insanity of addiction.
A few readers have pointed out that... Read More
July 28th, 2011 |
Depression seems to be more apparent than it may have ever been. I do not have exact statistics with ages, gender, socioeconomic status and how depression has changed, but I do not think that it is necessary to go into that right now. At a time in any one person’s life, a person may or can experience depression. The severity of depression may be based on a number of factors such as: genetics, learned behavior patterns, environmental, family issues, individual... Read More
July 19th, 2011 |
Even when it is unintended, some people find it intolerable to hurt someone they love. To experience hurting the other can create shame, guilt and strong “I am a bad person” feelings. As a result, we may avoid saying what is on our mind and put aside our own feelings and needs. This inhibiting of the self can be harmful to our relationships and can create the conditions for developing anxiety and depression.
Marlene, a 27... Read More
July 12th, 2011 |
Yesterday Ellen walked into my office looking annoyed and confused. “I don’t know what to do. Robin invited me to her wedding and I don’t want to go, but I think I should. It’s a destination wedding, a long weekend in Mexico- four days! It might be fun but I can’t afford it, and I can’t take time off from work either. But I have to go.”
“Why do you have to go?” I asked.
“Because of what happened. Her parents both died in an... Read More
July 11th, 2011 |
When a family member is struggling with addiction the entire family system suffers. Life inside the family system can become a rollercoaster of emotions. It is common for parents to blame each other or themselves when their child is suffering from addiction. All family members are affected with the chaos that addiction brings to the family unit. Emotions often range from denial, grief, fear, anger, shame, and a tremendous sense of loss.
People are quick to judge... Read More
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