by Melinda Beck of the Wall Street Journal
Therese Borchard likens herself to Goldilocks of the mental-health world: She tried six psychiatrists before she found one that was “just right.” One learned she was a writer and asked for help with a book proposal. Another put her on sleeping pills, ignoring her history of substance abuse. One even wanted to try hypnotic regression by candlelight to address unresolved childhood issues.
Finally, No. 7 diagnosed bipolar disorder, found medication that was effective, helped her to be less hard on herself and “salvaged the last crumb of my self-esteem,” says Ms. Borchard, who writes the popular “Beyond Blue” blog on Beliefnet.com.
The search for the right therapist can be baffling—and it comes at a time when would be patients are feeling most vulnerable.
(Image by Ryan Snook)
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This is a curious true story of the Romulus and “Rebus “of the Roman Catholic Church. It brings up questions of karmic pre-destiny and identity .
These brothers, identical twins with shared beliefs, natures, interests and professions lived monastic lives . .Did they choose to be born or…
did they choose to depart at the same time ? Free will and Determinism, Nature and Nurture – all these invented linguistic and philosophical paradigms pale into the realm of intellectual jousting, when faced with the conundrums of the unexplainable synchronicities and so called “”coincidences” of real life.
Their conjoined destinies spiraling in a double helix through the physical and spiritual world, Julian and Adrian took their first and last breaths together. Is this choice or chance ? Did they really finish each other’s “life” sentences ?
Reading like a labyrinthine Jorges Luis Borges’ tale, the brothers’ eternal bonding teases our imaginations in a world, where truth indeed gives birth to things stranger than fiction ! Can two truly live as one ? There’s more to this than our seemingly flat world psychology can explain …
To be continued..in the next world …
In many eastern cultures, it is known that the physical body has many lines along which energy flows. These are called meridian lines and Acupuncturists and Acupressurists are working with that knowledge. The web of intricate meridians link with your essential organs, such as your kidneys and lungs. These are vital sources of energy for your whole body.
Eastern therapists/healers insert needles or apply pressure at key meridian points to stimulate and release the energy of particular organs. This action floods the network and restores any imbalance into your tired, ol’ body.
How can this information improve your sex life? Ms Margot Anand, author of the “Art of Sexual Magic” explains how you can tap into those subtle meridians, to channel sexual energy right up the wassu. Interested? Click here to read more… Continue Reading
If you want an effective psychological treatment and you want results fast. If you are willing to commit to the work, then take a look at Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
Research studies show that for evidence based treatments, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy wins hands down, as the treatment of choice for anxiety related problems and depression and many more clinical conditions. It is a common sense approach, sometimes seemingly so simple e.g. for obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) or very difficult to start, for people suffering from obsessive thinking and ritualizing. But it works!
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Children suffer from all the illnesses of adulthood. I just returned from a workshop at the University of Southern Queensland and was surprised to hear the guest Psychiatrist state she was normally against prescribing drugs for children. However , if there was a need, her motto was “Start low and go slow”.
That makes good common sense, children’s brains are still developing and there is insufficient research on the effects of drugs on these delicate organs.
Even for the most serious self harm incidents, for adolescents her recommendation was at least three months of psychotherapy. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy the evidence based treatment is considered an appropriate first line option. Continue Reading
Maybe you have less energy , can’t enjoy your favourite activities anymore, or maybe you can’t seem to finish anything you start . If this is you, you may be experiencing some depression. These are common complaints of people with depression.
Its easy to cut back on things you do in that state, and it may seem logical or necessary, but beware, this actually aggravates one’s symptoms. One can fall into that dreaded, dark spiral of even further lack of interest in doing things, increased helplessness and lowered self esteem. Eventually coming to the point of thinking that one is incapable of solving problems.
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Shopping is fun ! It can promote social bonding and a new outfit always does wonders for your self esteem. But there is a whole new species being created in those malls.
True shopaholics develop retail habits that put other areas of their lives in peril explains psychologist April Lane Benson, Ph.D., author of “To Buy or Not to Buy”. A great title , I must say so I read on…..
” they’re put on probation at work because there’re caught shopping online, or they’re working two to three jobs to pay off their credit cards” , oops sound familiar? ” Their personal lives are in shambles because of the secrecy and the humiliation”. Weeeeell, not me but I know someone who hides her shopping in the closet and brings them out one by one, ” this old thing? Oh no, I’ve had it for ages”.
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Being constantly on the go, which drives others crazy, can make social outings complicated and can interfere with your work. If you have ADHD as an adult, you may have found that medication may help but just doesn’t do enough to completely control the situation.
A new study in the Journal of American Medical Association suggests that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy can be helpful for coping with symptoms of ADHD. This form of counselling helps you identify thoughts and behaviours that are counterproductive, provides training in planning, problem solving, reducing distractions and thinking more in healthy ways.
The researchers found that those who received Cognitive Behaviour Therapy improved significantly by the end of 12 sessions. Improvement was maintained well after 12months too. Continue Reading
Often clients will come to their first appointment, anticipating instant remedies, the new miracle pill once assigned to the doctors. “Just give me some techniques to cope and I’ll be fine!” they cry. It’s true that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is well known for its effective intervention techniques.
However, its really important and it’s an essential part of this approach, to take the time initially, to develop a working concept about you as a particular individual. CBT starts with having a concept that ties a cognitive behavioural theory with your unique psychological makeup. Continue Reading
Finally, No. 7 diagnosed bipolar disorder, found medication that was effective, helped her to be less hard on herself and “salvaged the last crumb of my self-esteem,” says Ms. Borchard, who writes the popular “Beyond Blue” blog on Beliefnet.com.