C-PTSD and Eating Disorders
As a relatively new and still poorly recognized concept, few people come to therapy identifying as suffering from Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). As a rule, a diagnosis of C-PTSD comes only after the process of self-discovery in therapy has begun. When people suffering from C-PTSD are referred to a therapist, or decide to seek help for themselves, it is usually because they are seeking help for one of its symptoms, including dissociative episodes, problems forming relationships, and alcohol or substance abuse. One of the more common issues that leads to the discovery of C-PTSD is the presence of an eating ...
Source: Psych Central - January 19, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Fabiana Franco, Ph.D. Tags: Addictions Anorexia Binge Eating Bulimia Eating Disorders Loneliness Psychology PTSD Trauma Treatment affect regulation Bingeing Body Image C-PTSD Child Abuse child neglect Childhood Trauma complex posttraumatic stress di Source Type: news
I ’m Sick — Here ’s How NOT to Respond.
Friends, listen. I have cancer.
It’s a potentially terminal type, but it looks like I’ll just have to take a couple pills every day for the rest of my life and be a little careful about the choices I make.
I want you to know that this means a lot will change, and you’ll likely see some impact.
Sometimes I’ll need to stay in bed.
Sometimes I won’t have much of an appetite.
Sometimes I may not be healthy enough to go out with you, or have the energy to do the things I want to do.
Sometimes I’ll cancel our plans, because I made them when I felt ok, but then I started to feel a b...
Source: Psych Central - January 18, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Morgan Meredith Tags: Depression Personal Stories Stigma Stigmatization support Source Type: news
Marriage and Mania: Disparate Depictions of Bipolar Disorder in Mainstream Romance Novels
When characters with mental illness appear in popular fiction, it is typically because the work itself focuses on the mental illness. However, there is a small contingent of fictional projects that have characters with mental illness that do not make that illness the central plot. These books follow the typical narrative arc and literary conventions of their genre and include conflicts unrelated to mental illness; psychiatric disorder is featured but defines neither the character nor the book.
Authors writing about mental illness, however small or large a part of the plot, can raise public awareness and understanding or...
Source: Psych Central - January 16, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Kathryn Lawson, PhD Tags: Bipolar Essays Policy and Advocacy Psychology Women's Issues Bipolar Disorder Compassion Empathy genre fiction mania Manic Episode romance novels Stigma Stigmatization Source Type: news
10 Tips for a New Year and a New You
Starting off the New Year right is a common goal. Somewhere during the first month or so, however, if we believe what we read or hear in the media, most of us abandon our resolutions or decide we need to take a break. Either they were too ambitious, impractical, too many to reasonably accomplish, or some other real or imagined reason for quitting. What may be a far more realistic ambition, though, is to stick with overarching goals that allow room for incremental improvement — and a feeling of accomplishment. Here are 10 tips for a New Year and a new you.
Figure out what you’re good at.
Have you been told often by ...
Source: Psych Central - January 11, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Suzanne Kane Tags: Anxiety Habits Holiday Coping Psychology Self-Help Habit Change New Year's resolution Personal Growth Source Type: news
Denial: The Primary Roadblock to Addiction Recovery
Getting a loved one to go to drug and alcohol rehab isn’t always easy. Some people may not be ready to admit that they have a problem, let alone spend 30 to 90 days in a rehab center.
Denial is one of the main roadblocks that can keep a person from enrolling in addiction treatment and moving forward with their life.1 So what does this look like daily? How can we help our loved ones overcome their denial and accept the help they need to get better?
Addicted and In Denial
As a person on the outside, it may be difficult for you to understand how your loved one can deny their addiction and the problems it causes, especially ...
Source: Psych Central - January 11, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Kelsey Brown Tags: Addictions Alcoholism Caregivers Codependence Family Substance Abuse Denial Drug Abuse Empowerment recovery Substance Use Source Type: news
5 Red Flags and Blind Spots in Dating a Narcissist
People are drawn to narcissists because they can be charming and charismatic. In fact, one study showed that their likable veneer was only penetrable after seven meetings. I’ve had a number of clients who claimed that the courtship with their narcissistic spouse was wonderful, and that abuse only began following the wedding. However, with greater insight, these clients admitted that there were signs that they’d overlooked.
Blind Spots When Dating a Narcissist
There are unconscious explanations why you might attracted to a narcissist. Here are some reasons why you might not recognize a narcissist:
Sexual attraction. T...
Source: Psych Central - January 8, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Darlene Lancer, JD, MFT Tags: Abuse Codependence Domestic Violence General Narcissism Relationships & Love Self-Esteem Trauma Dating Lust Narcissistic Abuse Narcissistic Personality Disorder narcissistic supply seduction Sexual Attraction Source Type: news
A Vital Part of Successfully Managing Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder can feel like a roller coaster in the dark. You don’t know when the turns or drops are coming. You don’t know when you’ll be flipped upside-down. And once you do, it’s too late. You’re in a manic episode, doing things you’ll regret. You’re in a depressive episode, too exhausted to get out of bed.
You feel like you’re being whipped around by an erratic condition, and you have zero control. You’re simply along for the ride. Which is why self-awareness is so vital. Self-awareness is essential to successfully managing bipolar disorder—and not feeling like you’re plunging headfirst int...
Source: Psych Central - January 3, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. Tags: Bipolar Disorders General Healthy Living Self-Help Stress Bipolar Disorder bipolar signs and symptoms Depressive Episode Hypomanic Episode managing bipolar disorder Mood Chart Mood Disorder Self Awareness treating bipolar disor Source Type: news
5 Early Warning Signs that You Are Dealing with a Narcissist
1. Love Bombing/Mirroring
Oh my god. This is it! This is what you’ve been waiting for! So much in common it’s uncanny. Amazing sexual chemistry. Lots of attention, interaction, and an immediate connection. The stuff dreams are made of, right? Wrong. The narcissist is an expert at this part. They know that anyone likes to feel special, and their tendency to seek out and court those who are possibly somewhat emotionally vulnerable or overly forgiving or insecure makes this even easier for them.
The affection is laid on thick… they want the target to feel there is an intense connection so that they will let their guard...
Source: Psych Central - January 2, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Jessie Monreal, CADC Tags: Abuse Codependence Narcissism Personality Relationships & Love Self-Esteem Self-Help Emotional Manipulation Gaslighting Narcissistic Personality Disorder NPD Source Type: news
Signs of Gaslighting and the Cost
Gaslighting is a malicious form of mental and emotional abuse, designed to plant seeds of self-doubt and alter your perception of reality. Like all abuse, it based on the need for power, control, or concealment. Some people occasionally lie or use denial to avoid taking responsibility. They may forget or remember conversations and events differently than you, or they may have no recollection due to a blackout if they were drinking.
These situations are sometimes called gaslighting, but the term actually refers to a deliberate pattern of manipulation calculated to make the victim doubt his or her own perceptions or sanity, ...
Source: Psych Central - January 1, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Darlene Lancer, JD, MFT Tags: Abuse Anger Codependence Divorce Domestic Violence Narcissism Personality Relationships & Love Gaslighting Narcissistic Personality Disorder NPD Source Type: news
Book Review: The Diagnostic System
While it’s true that many illnesses are foreign to the average person, many of the core symptoms of mental illness are familiar to virtually everyone.
“Not only does the public have a reasonable sense about what the symptoms of mental illness feel like, it also has some intuitive grasp about what causes them,” writes Jason Schnittker.
In his new book, The Diagnostic System: Why The Classification Of Psychiatric Disorders Is Necessary, Difficult, And Never Settled, Schnittker explores the evolution of the manual we use to understand mental illness – the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.
Schnittker explores the ofte...
Source: Psych Central - December 30, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Claire Nana Tags: Book Reviews Disorders Dual Diagnosis General Medications Policy and Advocacy Professional Psychiatry Psychology Psychotherapy Treatment diagnosis system diagnostic system mental diagnosis Mental Disorders Psychiatric Disorde Source Type: news
Book Review: Mastering the Addicted Brain
I have worked in the substance use disorder field for about forty years. It can be a contentious field at times, with varying factions proclaiming that their way for recovery is the only way.
Some go the denial-busting, “you must admit your an addict” route. Others focus more on the individual, seeking approaches to recovery that may work for them, whether that is harm-reduction, complete abstinence, a life time of support group meetings, or something else.
Walter Ling, author of Mastering the Addicted Brain: Building a Sane and Meaningful Life to Stay Clean is a flexible pragmatist. He is interested in help...
Source: Psych Central - December 25, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Stan Rockwell, PsyD Tags: Addictions Book Reviews Self-Help Substance Abuse Treatment Source Type: news
When You ’re Deeply Ashamed of Your Anxiety
You feel deeply ashamed of your anxiety. You are embarrassed and mortified and hope that no one ever finds out—maybe not even your friends, maybe not even your spouse. After all, who gets nervous and shaky at the grocery store? Who feels panicked over giving a presentation at work? Who gets terrified of germs or their loved one’s safety every single time they walk out the door?
You assume it’s just you. You assume there’s something really wrong with you, something inherently wrong with you. You are flawed. And because you believe you should be able to control your anxiety—and you can’t—you feel like a total f...
Source: Psych Central - December 24, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. Tags: Agoraphobia Anxiety Disorders Self-Esteem Self-Help Stress Anxiety Disorder Avoidance Excessive Anxiety feeling ashamed panic Self Doubt self-compassion self-kindness Source Type: news
How I Came to Suffer with Anxiety
Many of you might be thinking, “How is his story of battling with anxiety going to raise me up from the despair of a most incapacitating condition which has cut into the very core of my mundane existence.”
To those skeptics out there, I want you to know that I understand what many of you are going through, just trying to get a handle on your racing and/or obsessive thoughts that have led you to a very dark and seemingly hopeless place in your life. Having said this, my hope is that you will read about my own battles with anxiety and how I’ve come out the other end.
An examination into my own upbringing, transition...
Source: Psych Central - December 22, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Irving Schattner, LCSW Tags: Anxiety Cognitive-Behavioral Genetics Loneliness Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Personal Stories Relaxation and Meditation Self-Esteem Therapists Spill anxious thoughts worry Source Type: news
How to Overcome Stage Fright in Almost Any Situation
“A little bit of stage fright, then I’m ready.” – Faith Hill
Fear of speaking before an audience plagues many of us. It certainly held me captive for a few years in my early business career. Yet, whether standing on stage to deliver an extemporaneous speech or before your boss and co-workers when you give a presentation, or in front of assembled family members or friends, the ability to get past stage fright is a useful skill to master. Here are some suggestions on how to overcome it.
Know the material.
It’s never going to benefit you to get in front of an audience and wing it. No matter how conversational you ar...
Source: Psych Central - December 20, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Suzanne Kane Tags: Anxiety Self-Help Stress anxious thoughts Fear jitter performance anxiety Public Speaking stage fright worry Source Type: news
What is Dissociation & Multiple Personality Disorder?
Dissociation is a mental process, which produces a lack of connection in a person’s thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. During the period of time when a person is dissociating, certain information is not associated with other information as it normally would be.
For example, during a traumatic experience, a person may dissociate the memory of the place and circumstances of the trauma from his ongoing memory, resulting in a temporary mental escape from the fear and pain of the trauma and, in some cases, a memory gap surrounding the experience. Because this process can produce changes in memory...
Source: Psych Central - December 17, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Tags: Disorders Dissociation Dissociative General Personality Source Type: news
