Marriage counseling can help couples resolve differences and rekindle love by working through relationship problems, but is it right for every marriage? According to various online sources, some research has shown that marriage counseling is not as effective as people think, that women seem to get more from it than men, and that it might [...]
We hear so much about eating healthy, exercising regularly and avoiding lifestyle choices like smoking. While this is certainly good advice, we don’t hear as much about our patterns of thinking and attitude towards life. However, it’s a fact that your psychological outlook can have a dramatic effect on your overall health and longevity. Have [...]
Major depression can be quite severe and rob those diagnosed with this debilitating mental illness of their ambition to live. Unlike passing bouts of depression related to daily occurrences or life events, major depression is persistent and can be accompanied by other mental disorders as well, such as anxiety, paranoia, mania, and suicidal tendencies. Major [...]
We live in a very complex and ever changing society. We have many expectations that are placed on us everyday. Some of the pressure we feel we place on ourselves through goals and dreams and others are placed on us by employers and those we live with. Most people can handle the stress on any [...]
There are a lot of different treatments available these days for anxiety. As one of the most common mental disorders out there, and with our ever-increasing understanding of it, anxiety is steadily becoming ‘the mental disease of the year’. This is both good news and bad if you are looking for anxiety treatments. A host [...]
Want to exercise without having to deal with the boring, relentless routines required? The answer is simple try jump rope. This highly enjoyable activity is fun and different! Not only are those painful sit-ups and impossible push-ups eliminated, but you also get the benefit of having a blast. Read on to learn about all of [...]
I always envied friends who worked for great employers. Mine were always okay, but I never got some of the perks that my friends got on a regular basis. They not only had sick days for medical reasons, they also allowed their employees a few mental health days a year. We all know that there [...]
Today’s fast-paced life makes it no wonder that anxiety is a common condition. We rush from one activity to another all day long. Day-to-day worries just compound that hurried feeling. Anxiety can result from many causes, some as simple as a daily dose of a hectic pace. Exercise, good nutrition, herbal teas and meditation can [...]
Do you experience intense fear during social interactions, or avoid speaking in class or dining with co workers, or do you tremble and sweat at the thought of attending a party? If so you may be suffering from social anxiety disorder or social phobia, which is an experience of fear, apprehension, or worries regarding social [...]
As you might imagine, in our increasingly neurotic society, there are many many anxiety treatments available today. But, though most people in America might hesitate to admit it, more choices does not necessarily mean better. With alternative therapy, counseling, medication, meditation, nutrition, and anxiety support groups all competing as anxiety treatments, and with each one [...]
When I first started coming down with anxiety panic attacks, I handled them in the worst way possible – I closed down. Although most of my family wanted me to go to an anxiety support group, there was no chance of me agreeing. I was just too stressed out about too many things in my [...]
As a performance artist, it is difficult for me to make people believe that I used to be pathologically afraid of them. Before I became the bastion of self-confidence that I am now today, I used to have severe symptoms of social anxiety disorder. Every time I was in a big group of people, in [...]
Working with people can be a huge challenge. There have been times over the course of my thirty year social work career when I have asked myself why I chose this profession. I have worked in several different areas of social work. My formal training and continuing education credits have concentrated on children with mental [...]
Imagine what it would be like living with someone who had OCD. I have trouble pondering such an affliction. Life is difficult enough as it is. I certainly don’t need more problems on top of the typical stuff. Nevertheless, many people across the globe grapple with obsessive compulsive disorder on a daily basis. To get [...]
When people think of mental health services they tend to think about mental illnesses. However, not all programs are designed to help people who have disorders like schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and other similar conditions. Some mental health services are designed for children and adolescents who are struggling with a variety of problems.
A lot of people spend a lot of time and energy debating the relative worth of mental health programs. Unfortunately, with the widespread ignorance of mental health issues, sometimes this debate is only an academic one. According to mental health statistics, a large segment of the mentally ill population never gets the treatment that they [...]
Do you suffer from mood swings and crying bouts? Do you want to sleep all day and not leave the house? Have you ever found yourself asking he question, “am I suffering from depression?” If you have reached this point, then you are well on your way to conquering this common mental illness. Depression has [...]
If you have never had anxiety panic attacks, you can’t possibly know what it’s like. It stops you cold. It is the most gut wrenching, awful feeling ever. It is sort of like the feeling of awfulness distilled. An anxiety panic attack can make a normally rational person start to perspire, cause their heart to [...]
This world is no doubt a stressful place to live in. So many people spend their precious time working at jobs with long hours, raising children, paying for a house, trying to save for the future and dealing with a constant flow of bills. Yeah, when it’s put that way, life sounds a bit more [...]
The first date you go on with someone seems so important, right? Your palms are sweaty, you are hoping that he or she will be “the one,” and your are trying so hard to make a good first impression. First dates are, ideally, the seed that will grow into a great relationship.
Adolescents and adults with severe drug and alcohol issues may require an extended stay at residential treatment facilities to get the individualized intense therapy they need to get well. These facilities are located across the nation and specialize in treating the issues associated with drug and alcohol addiction. Patients are prime candidates for residential treatment [...]
With all of the problems going on with relationships in this country, it is refreshing to see that least marriage counseling is becoming more popular. It wasn’t all that long ago that marriage and family counseling was frowned upon. Going to a marriage counselor meant that you just could not handle problems yourself. If you [...]
Although there are all kinds of terms, such as major depression, chronic depression, malaise, and severe depression, the bottom line is that it’s easy to tell when you are feeling down. Sometimes it just comes as a subtle sense that something is right, while other times it is a world crushing and overwhelming feeling that [...]
We’ve all been hearing about the health benefits of regular aerobic exercise and eating properly. According to numerous online sources, aerobic exercise includes activity that makes the heart and lungs worker harder than they do at rest for a continuous period of time. There are many types of aerobic exercise to choose from including dancing, [...]
If you have an eating disorder, there are groups just for you. If you have a medical condition, mental problem, or perhaps you just want support as a parent, there is something out there just for you. You may even have a huge variety from which to choose. It makes you wonder though, are there [...]
People with passive-aggressive behaviors show hostility and aggression in passive ways. Their aim is to resist job and social demands, using the common excuse that they “forgot” while demonstrating a negative attitude as to why they were late. Criticizing authority figures and failing to do their share of the work or not doing it at [...]
When I was a teen and reading everything from novels to Reader’s Digests to Mom or Dad’s encyclopedias and self-help books, I was fascinated with a particular malaise that I had felt for years but had no words to articulate. I had most of the symptoms of depression; therefore, I was bent on reading articles [...]
My mother used to call fear anxiety and depression the unholy Trinity. Although she was being melodramatic when she said it, it held a lot of truth for her. She always had some of the symptoms of anxiety attacks whenever things got tough for her. There are certain things she was phobic of and, no [...]
What makes you angry? Some people can answer this question rather easily, but the answers are not always as simple as they may seem. The anger you feel when something goes wrong is often a mask for something else. You have to dig a little deeper to find out what is really going on, and [...]
I am a cat lover. If you are also one you no exactly what I mean. I can sit and watch a cat for hours. Of course the cats I live with are the most beautiful and intelligent ones that were ever created, but I also enjoy watching other cats. You may notice I did [...]
Zoloft is the most common brand name for the chemical Sertaline, a drug classed as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Other SSRIs include Fluoxetine (Prozac), Citalopram (Celexa), Fluvoxamine (Luvox), Paroxetine (Paxil), and Escitalopram (Lexapro). Zoloft is produced today by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, and is also marketed under the brand names Lustral, Apo-Sertal, Gladem, [...]
Sometimes, life brings events or relationships which are so painful, we think there’s just no bearing them. We may become so depressed and unhappy, we can no longer muster up an appetite, for food or for that matter, anything else. This sort of sadness causes us to lose our zest for life, not caring one [...]
Adult relationships are never easy, but they do at times make more sense than the relationships we have when we are children. Though our relations with our parents are rocky at times, at least they make sense. When it comes to peers, however, things can often be askew. Children often overreact and do things that [...]
I have known for a long time that I have some very negative habits that hold me back. In many ways, I am disorganized, easily distracted, and not very focused on my goals. Although I have tried to implement the power of positive thinking in my own life with some success, I still can’t get [...]
According to W.R. Miller, in The Addictive Behaviors, an individual can become dependent, addicted, or compulsively obsessed with any activity, substance, object, or behavior that gives him or her pleasure. What are addictive behaviors? There are similarities between physical addiction to alcohol and other chemicals, and a psychological dependence that occurs with such activities as [...]
I had what you would call a religious up bringing. We were taught the 10 commandments at a very early age. In fact the 10 commandments have played such a large role in my life I cannot remember when I learned them. I remember having to memorize them for Sunday school, but that was more [...]
There are many times in life when a struggle is going to be unavoidable. Nothing goes smoothly, and I would think it would be rather boring if it did. If you don’t have to fight and work for what you want, what good is it when it comes to you? Nothing given easily is as [...]
One thing that makes me sad is the number of young women who find themselves in abusive relationships over and over again. It seems that there is something within these women that makes them think that this is the best that they can get, even if they aren’t consciously having that thought. I have seen [...]
Having some dark heavy bags under your eyes can make anyone look terrible. Even if you are young and feel fine, having bags under your eyes gives people the impression that you’re sick, tired, stressed, or a lot older than you really are. Some people seem to be especially prone to developing this baggy eye [...]