I’m 16 and I’m not really sure what to do with myself. The past few months have been really hard; my “depression” has gotten really bad. (I put depression in quotes because I have not been diagnosed by any doctor. I’m assuming that this is what I’m going through after having done research online, and from my mom (who has depression) coming to this conclusion after I told her how I feel.) I have been really stressed with school and the craziness of my schedule lately, but it’s all stuff that I used to be able to deal with. It’s very often been difficult just to get through the day. I want nothing more than to hide from the world, and I cry all the time. I get extraordinarily sad and upset for no apparent reason, for hours or days at a time. I feel like I’m constantly on the edge of breaking down, and little things that shouldn’t bother me are liable to set me over the edge. I just can’t deal with anything it seems. I used to be that girl who was always happy and always smiling, and even when this started, I was able to pretend I was, and became very good at hiding my true feelings. But now, many days I can’t even keep up this pretend face, and it’s all I can do to keep myself from breaking down right there in public. I feel like I’m just being weak or pathetic because I cannot think of any reason for me to have depression, but whatever it is is really wearing me down, and making me very unproductive and unsocial. Most of the small amount of energy I have now is spent keeping myself from curling up in a ball and crying at school, and I have a lot of trouble concentrating and keeping up my grades. I’m very introverted, and have a lot of difficulty explaining and even admitting this to anyone. Almost none of my friends or family know I’m having issues. Even writing this is extremely hard, but I’m at the point where I seriously think I need help. I have self-harmed a few times, and thoughts of death are a norm in my everyday life. I don’t know what to do, or how to get help. Where do I start?

A: You did the right thing by talking to your mom and writing us here. There are many possibilities that may be causing your symptoms and I think the first thing is to have your mom make an appointment with your physician so you can have a physical. The physician can help sort through whether this is psychological or physical and make comments and recommendations from there.

You will also want to talk to your high school’s guidance counselor to see what he or she thinks. Talking to others who can help is the best way to start feeling better.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

Hi, one of my friends that I have is becoming very toxic to me and I don’t know what to do.
She and I met over a decade ago when we worked in the same place.
She is on the one hand, tries to be nice, loyal, helpful if I have a difficult situation, knows me well, etc. but on the other hand, she is a very bitter, critical and harsh person- and lately doing it to me as well.

I can’t blame her, she is all alone except for her dh and her father (she doesn’t get along w/ her father). She has no children and no job, and has a hard life. However, every time I talk to her, she criticizes me, or the way I do thing, or she is the only one who knows how to do xyz, everyone else is stupid etc. As it is, I have low self confidence and this is very hard for me to take. For example- she’ll ask me how I make a certain dish, and when I tell her-she says in an amazed voice- ‘that’s how u make it. ugh’. (mind you, everyone says I’m a great cook.) And of course if she gives me advice or says I made a mistake, she says she tells me the truth to be helpful, because she cares- but she is so tactless, its almost nasty.
I don’t want to cut her off totally- firstly bec I feel bad for her, and also bec. then I will have no friends. So how can I become more immune to her comments?

A: It is time for new friends. While I don’t recommend a complete cutoff I do think that everything you’ve said indicates you need to find more people to connect with. Try taking a class, joining a group, volunteering, attending free lectures, etc. In other words, start increasing your contact and connection with other people so you have more choices. Once you have options it will be easier to deal with your friend.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

Today while we were both in respective dark depressed moods, my girlfriend jumped on me and started kissing me very forcefully. I told her I really did not want to and pushed her aside. I got up and she came up to me, pulled down my pants and started groping for my penis. I pushed her away but she kept forcing and forcing herself on me. I clearly repeated ‘no’ many times. Eventually I got away, as it was difficult because I didn’t want to hurt her, and she pushed me on the bed and grabbed my penis and forcing it in her mouth. I tried to push her away but I didn’t want to hurt her, even though she was hurting me. Eventually I felt as though it was pointless to resist and just let her. I was not aroused at all but still ejaculated (is that really possible?). I since feel so invaded, hurt, angry and most of all, it made me feel even more depressed. Like I’m sinking into this black hole. I feel robbed of something but we have been dating for over 4 years and I’m a man. Should I feel like this? Do I have a right to feel like this?

A: You certainly have a right to feel like this and this is an important issue you are bringing forward. Not having your girlfriend respect your refusal is extremely serious. Your boundaries were not respected, you were clear and clearly ignored. This doesn’t sound romantic, exciting, or sexy. It sound degrading and controlling: two characteristics you do not want to have in your partner. Since you are in college I would go to the counseling center and tell them what happened – not as a couple, but as someone who has survived a rape. For more information you may want to check out this article.

Don’t wait. The longer you take to begin talking about this, the more uncomfortable it will become. You have taken a good first step here. Now it is time to follow it up with a counselor at your school.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

My current boyfriend and I have been dating for about 3 1/2 years and living together for about 3 years. We are in a band together and rely on this for most of our income. Since I’ve known him, he has dealt with minor depression. I believe it is due to having a hard childhood, constantly being passed around in foster families that treated him badly. He has always been able to deal it rationally though, until the past 6 months.

Last year we went traveling through Asia, but the trip was cut short because a member of my family had a heart attack. He chose to rush home with me, although I didn’t ask him to. After staying to help my family for a few months, we took a break because of all of the drama & sudden change. I went traveling for a month and he moved to Montreal. We had a good break and things felt fresh again so I joined him in Montreal. Things with our relationship seemed better and even things with the band were working out great, but his depression had gotten much much worse. He started seeing a therapist when I was gone, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. He skips school, closes off, loses all motivation and even talks about committing suicide because he has nothing to look forward too (even though we have plans to travel, play music, tour, built a house and have a family).

The problem is that we live together, are best friends, play music together and are building a career together as a band. When he falls into depression, which is almost everyday, I have to take over and keep working at making the money and getting things done. I feel like I can never have a day off because I am always trying to pick him up and encourage him. It is beginning to take a toll on me and I am becoming snappy and impatient with him, which makes it even worse. I find myself telling him what to do and trying to offer solutions, which is wrong, but if I don’t we’ll end up living on the streets.

I love him so much. I want to believe in him, but he has given me no reason to lately. The only thing that keeps me hanging on are: the rare beautiful and loving moments we share on a rare occasion, the beautiful music we make together and my hope for the future.

He always says: “please don’t give up on me”…I don’t want to, but I fear I am beginning to. My mother married a depressed man who treated me and her pretty badly as a child…I cannot let this happen to me, nor my future children.

Maybe there is something I could be doing better to help him. Please help me.

A: Your last 2 lines are the most telling of your whole question: You put his need first, then yours. Your desire to help comes from a very loving place, but it has already taken a toll. In the kind of relationship you are describing it seems clear that you are drawn to his potential, not his reality. Those rare, beautiful moments on rare occasions are just that – rare. If this is not enough to sustain you, which it doesn’t sound like it is, then you have to make some hard decisions.

The four things that are necessary ingredients for a good relationship are proximity, similar interests, mutual attraction and reciprocity. It sounds like you have the first three, but is there real reciprocity? It doesn’t sound like it. It sounds like you give much more into the relationship than he does. It sounds unbalanced. I would find a couples counselor near you (see the find help tab at the top of the page) and discuss your situation together. The counselor can give you guidance on whether the relationship is worth saving, or the best way to disentangle yourself.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

I think I have suffered long-term sexual abuse, but am not sure. I was laying down for a nap one day and all of a sudden a memory of miscarrying a baby popped in my head. I remembered everything so clearly, but the idea just came out of nowhere. It was so out of the blue. Later, I was doing homework for a psychology class and I got this image in my head of being tied up in a box at my old baby sitters. I remembered being naked and him forcing himself on me. I’m so afraid that I am crazy. I had heard of repressed memories but my psych teacher said they aren’t real and a lot of things on the internet back up my teachers claims. Where are these thoughts coming from? Am I crazy? The memories feel so real– especially the miscarriage. I wept for several hours over that. If this happened, it would make so much sense. Ever since I can remember I have hated myself and have felt like everything was my fault. I have an eating disorder and cut. At the same time I feel like I have always had the perfect life with supportive parents. I have no reason to feel the way I do except for these memories that came out of blue. I don’t want them to be true, but I think they are except that my teacher and other sources say repressed memories are not real. I want to get help for these intruding thoughts, but I’m also very frightened. How could I think of these things? And if it is real, what should I do? I don’t want to accuse an innocent person of rape but I also don’t want him to be hurting other people!

A: Thank you for your powerful letter. The struggle you are having is important to learn more about. Whereever these thoughts are coming from, one thing is certain – you want to find the best way of coping with them.

These memories point back to a feeling and memory of trauma – so that is the best place to begin. I would find a therapist near you specializing in trauma and make an appointment. One of the best treatments is known as EMDR and you can read more about it here. The find help tab at the top of the page can also help you find someone in your area. He or she can help you sort through where those images are coming from. More important, they can help you find some proven ways to cope.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

I’m 36. I can’t seem to get over my depression. It gets worse every time and I don’t know what to do.

A: You must be feeling desperate. You didn’t give me much to go on but I’ll try. If you are only taking medication, please get yourself to a cognitive-behavioral therapist. The generally acknowledged treatment of choice for depression is a combination of medication and therapy. Medication alone rarely does it.

I also hope you are seeing a psychiatrist for your medications, not your PCP. With all due respect to the PCPs in the world, they are generalists. We count on them to know a bit about everything and to make appropriate referrals. Psychiatry is a specialty. If you have a persistent mental illness, you should be seeing a specialist.

Then, work with your doctors. You are a central part of your treatment team. Tell your doctors how you are feeling. Keep a good daily diary of when you take your medicine, your mood throughout the day and what you are doing. Keep it every day. Take it with you to your appointments. Why? Because it’s tough when we’re feeling lousy to remember that two days ago, maybe things weren’t so bad. A diary helps us see patterns that can be helpful.

Finally, make sure you are taking care of the basics — even if you don’t feel like it. That means getting out for a walk or some physical exercise every day, making sure you are getting at least 6 – 8 hours of sleep a night, and eating decently. Your body can’t help you if you are abusing it by depriving it of basic needs.

It’s difficult to keep working at something when you don’t see results, I know. But please do. With concerted teamwork, you and your team can help you feel better.

I wish you well.
Dr. Marie

I might be suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder, but I don’t know. It might be Bipolar Disorder as well. I have a lot of mood swings, that can last a week at least, and sometimes a month. My moods varies between depression/anxiety with extreme suicidal thoughts and self-harm tendencies and “normal” episodes when I’m mildly happy and enthusiastic, but some other days I can be normal, not really depressed nor euphoric or something, but it generally doesn’t last much. The other day I may wake up depressed as well as enthusiastic and full of hope. It’s not stable at all.
You may say that I have the typical signs of a Bipolar Disorder, but my mood swings doesn’t last much you know, I mean today I’m happy the next day I’m sad and life goes on. My happy moments are usually alternated by sad moments when I feel like crap or when I’m extremely irritable and nervous. They say that Bipolar disorder usually works through episodes that last from 6 months to a year, literally, and that’s what makes me quite suspicious.

I looked through Wikipedia and social forums for Borderline personality disorder and it appears to be that I have many symptoms of the illness, including fear of abandonment, chronic feelings of emptiness, impulsivity, risky habits (alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, sex, wasting money) rage and anger.
I also have dissociative syndrome where I don’t know who I am anymore, I feel as if I’m getting out of my body, I sometimes feel very distant, too. Like a ghost. Like I’m not sure if I’m actually HERE or not, ALIVE or not. It’s really stressful. I also confuse my dreams with reality and have paranoid tendencies.

A: Of course it would not be possible to make an accurate diagnosis via an email query, but I am glad that you are taking the time to ask about your well-being. I can understand the concern and think getting a professional—a psychiatrist or psychologist –to help you sort through the symptoms would be a very good idea. The find help tab at the top can be of help in locating someone in your area.

But I would also want you to be aware of your strengths. You have listed the symptoms that trouble you and the possible diagnoses, but what are the strengths you have that have given you the resilience to cope and to seek answers to help you heal? While you are looking for a label for the condition I would also invite you to look at your strengths. Here is a link to the VIA character strengths survey which is free and can help you identify these features in your life.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

Every so often, i dont know why, but i get extremely sad and everything i hate about myself, everything i worry about and all my fears and thoughts I surface themselves and I can’t get them out of my brain. Recently, I was in this state of mind and I realized I have been hurting everyone I’ve ever cared about in my life, after googling a few things, I came across “Fear of emotional Intimacy” articles and such. I took the FIS test and scored a 150..which i guess is not very good. And never in my life had anything made more sense than this fear, it fits my past and current actions and thoughts exactly… and i know for a fact that this is one of the things I may be suffering from, if not the only thing. My question is, how do I overcome this fear and how do I know if this is something that I may need therapy for.

A. It is possible that you do have a fear of intimacy, especially after having had read about it and the description resonated with you. However, allow for the possibility that you may have incorrectly diagnosed yourself. You took a test that confirmed a fear of intimacy but how valid is the test? I would caution you against self-diagnosis. It’s possible that you are wrong.

In your letter, you described having periods of depression and anxiety. You did not detail why you thought you had a fear of intimacy. All I can conclude from your letter is that you may be experiencing depression and anxiety.

Self-diagnosis is problematic. The layperson is not trained to evaluate psychological conditions. Mental health professionals receive years of advanced training to learn these skills. It’s also important to carefully and critically evaluate the materials you are reading on the Internet. It’s good practice to bring these materials with you should you decide to be evaluated by a mental health professional. The mental health professional could evaluate these materials as well as your symptoms and determine if you have a psychological problem.

If you continue to have periods of depression and anxiety, then you should be evaluated by a mental health professional. Undergoing an evaluation will help to determine whether or not you have a fear of intimacy or anxiety or depression. Should the evaluation uncover psychological problems, your therapist will develop a treatment plan to assist you in eliminating your symptoms. Please take care.

Dr. Kristina Randle
Mental Health & Criminal Justice Blog

I was diagnosed with depression in December of last year. Its started to get worse after my mission trip from Nicaragua. Ever since I came back, I get aggravated easily, my roommate and my best friend don’t ever invite me to things and never seem to care that I am around.

I feel so alone most of the time, and I feel like no one cares and think maybe I am better off dead. My best friend even told me she wishes I could be the happier me, the less angry one. I don’t know what is wrong and I mean she is a psychology major here, but she obviously doesn’t understand and I know she is tired of me telling her what is wrong. She says she cares, but I find that to be lies as she doesn’t care to even have dinner with me.

A: I’m so sorry you are feeling so down. It sounds like you are wearing out your friends and feeling generally helpless and alone.

You say that this started to get much worse after your mission trip. I hope the agency or church that sent you prepared you for re-entry into regular American life. Sometimes it’s very hard for people who have been doing work where they have been selflessly helping others for a long time to readjust when they return. You may have depleted yourself more than you realize. It’s not at all unusual for people to get depressed or unmotivated when they come back. People who have not had that kind of experience often don’t understand it or its effects on someone.

The first thing to do would be to contact the sending agency to see if they have any supports for people who have been on mission. If not, I suggest you make an appointment with a mental health counselor. You need help debriefing your experience and restoring yourself. An experienced counselor can help you with that.

I wish you well.
Dr. Marie

It’s not like I’m depressed or anything, I’m not suicidal or self-harming, thats why I haven’t really sought out any help until now. I’m not sad in any way. I’m usually either really happy, or neutral. I used to do well in school. I’d try to ace all my courses, but recently I just really stopped caring. I feel almost like I’ve experienced everything but dying. I’ve been in most cliques at school, I’ve had major and minor surgeries, and I have a lot of medical conditions (that I was forced by my parent to visit the doctor and take care of). I still ,obviously, haven’t experienced everything though. I hardly pay attention to the actions I carry out and how they affect others , the way they react doesn’t bother me. Even though I should care about how they feel,I can’t and I realize it’s hurting my family and the people I’m around and I wish I could care. When my grandfather died a few months ago, I couldn’t even cry. I attended to my grandmother, but I didn’t feel like I lost anything; even though I was close with him. Late February, I adopted a pet, hoping it would pave the way to caring, it doesn’t feel like I’m cherishing the time with it though. It just feels like a responsibility that I must attend to regardless if I want to or not. I have no idea if theres something wrong with me, I just don’t want to live the rest of my life in this grey void. I’m not looking for a diagnosis, just advice.

A. You may be having a normal reaction to difficult life events.

You had both major and minor surgeries, “a lot” of medical conditions and recently lost your grandfather. These are all major life events and all seem to have occurred in close temporal proximity. Virtually anyone would struggle with these issues.

Your medical problems and surgeries could be affecting your mood. Your medical problems may require you to take certain medications, which may also be affecting the way you feel. Virtually all medications have side effects which could produce changes in your thinking and behavior and feelings.

Losing your grandfather may also be affecting your mood. Sadness after the death of a loved one is normal.

Medical problems, surgeries and losing a close family relative will undoubtedly have an effect on your mood and behavior. Therefore, it’s possible that these events are the reason why you are feeling the way you do.

It’s highly unlikely that you will “live the rest of your life in this grey void.” You’re experiencing a difficult time in your life but you will not always feel this way. I would encourage you to share your feelings with your parents. Ask if there’s anything they can do to help. They may offer advice or perhaps suggest counseling. During this difficult time, be open with your feelings and make it your goal to gain as much support as possible. The more support you have, the better you will feel. Please take care.

Dr. Kristina Randle
Mental Health & Criminal Justice Blog

I have come to the realization that I was raped at 12 or 13. Didn’t know up until about a year ago. I have been given a diagnosis of major depressive and borderline personality disorder. It affected the way I treated children, who are now adult. I am overwhelmed with feelings of guilt.

A: I am so sorry that you have had to learn about this event in your life. But this is the time to reach out for therapy. They have been many advances in the treatment of repressed memories and trauma. Please choose the ‘find help’ tab at the top of the page to locate a therapist who can be of help. The guilty feelings are understandable but what is most important right now is to find ways to relieve yourself of the burden of the reaction to this memory. There are some new treatments that may be helpful such as EMDR, which is specifically designed to help people who have had trauma in their lives.

Finally, I appreciate your courage and readiness here and hope your therapy will help you cope with the pain of these memories.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

Hi, I’ve been with my boyfriend for a few months now and he has always had a problem with depression but at first I did think it was just his life as he almost died last year and his dad is ill and his mom is struggling in her life too, but as he’s spoken to me more I’ve come to realize that it’s deeper than his life and his thoughts are seriously negative and I struggle to help him. Whenever we see each other he’s always happy but I’m starting to wonder if he’s just hiding his true feelings.

I know for a fact I want to stay with him, and I definitely want to help him…I just don’t know how. He won’t go to the doctors, he barely talks to me and when he does he’s very secretive in what he will tell me because “he doesn’t want to worry me” and he certainly won’t talk to anyone else about this,

I just want to be the best girlfriend I can be and help him though this. What are the things, if anything, I can do for him, because he’s losing hope of ever feeling like himself again!
Thank you for reading this.

A: I’m sure this is very worrying. It’s painful to watch someone we love be in pain. Your boyfriend has been through a lot and it sounds like it’s not over yet with both parents struggling. I’m sorry he won’t take advantage of good help that is available. There is no shame in talking to a therapist. However you may care for him, you don’t have the training or experience to give him the help he may need to cope.

On the other hand, you do have something no therapist has: You care about him personally and you can have good times with him. I suggest you not push him to talk about things he doesn’t want to share. Instead, focus on positive things. Get together with friends. Do things he likes to do. Do your best to sustain the happy times. Happiness and positive experiences are the best antidote to sadness and negativity.

And, please, I hope you don’t let yourself get caught up in the drama of negativity. Negative drama only feeds negativity. Don’t beg him to share his secrets. Don’t constantly tell him how worried you are. Don’t try to “save” him. He doesn’t need a savior. He needs a friend. When he’s blue, suggest you go do something active, watch a comedy movie, or go hang out with friends doing something fun.

I wish you well.
Dr. Marie

I started a criminal life early, spending most of my 20′s behind bars. I never learned how to be somebody or even be in a relationship sober or that did not feel like a hostage situation. Years later(present), I came across an acquaintance of mine that came to see me in the hospital when I had a tumor removed, and well we have been spending some time together. We have kissed and I couldn’t believe that he kisses just the way I like. He listens to my type of music, we have the same believes and outlook on many things in general. It seems that he is my soul mate. I want to get closer and be with him a lot but I am insecure about my body because of scares and how gravity has taken over my body. I see myself playing stupid junior high games and I get jealous or made when he does not call or text. How can I grow out of this insecurity?

A: I deeply admire your courage for speaking about your past and getting focused on the present. I think it takes a good deal of bravery to honor your struggle. In this relationship there are three major influences. The first is the fact that you are feeling so many positive and engaging emotions that they may in and of themselves overwhelm you. Second, this is a new relationship and it doesn’t sound like you have had a sober relationship in your life. This could be quite unsettling and undermine you as you learn the dance of intimacy. Finally, this comes at a time when you are struggling for your personal identity; who you are, and what your contribution is going to be in the world. The confluence of these factors make for a difficult time.

As you mentioned in your profile along with this letter that you are in college I would highly recommend you find a counselor on campus and talk to him or her about your concerns. This will be the fastest and easiest way to get some help.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

I’ve always been self-conscious about my body. When I was 13 I gained a lot of weight and I realized I was getting stretch marks. I didn’t really care back then, but when I turned 17 I noticed that I had stretch marks everywhere. I developed bulimia and anorexia at age 17.I believes I didn’t want to lose weight but I wanted to get rid of my stretch marks. Well, when I turned 18 I started self-harming to cope with all the hate I felt for myself.
I quit studying 2 years ago. I no longer have a social life or even get out of my room. When I do go out, I feel like a freak. I see all those beautiful girls with their gorgeous bodies, and how men turn their necks to see them. I feel awful, Inferior, useless and worthless. I have made my mind that no man will ever love me and I don’t allow myself to be happy.

It has come to a point where I’ve tried to commit suicide and do drugs because I’ve stopped caring about myself. Coming to realize that I’ll die alone. I have no propose, dreams or plans for the future cause I feel useless. Some people may think that it’s not serious and that I shouldn’t worry about it, but I can’t. I have no control over this. It’s too much hate on myself. I quit studying; I have literally no friends at all. I’ve been to a psychiatrist before, but my mom says I don’t need one. No one in my family knows about this body issue I have and how it ruins my life.

I don’t know how to deal with this anymore. I need help, but my mom refuses to get help for me cause she says I’m normal. I hate it when people compliment me cause I feel bad for myself.

I am exhausted. Mentally and physically, I feel old, tired and depressed. I no longer sleep at night and I rarely eat.

A: I am sorry you are having so much trouble with your self-image. But I do think that there are several things that you can do to gain support and feel better. The first thing I would do is look for an Overeaters Anonymous meeting in your area. These meetings are free and meet following 12-step principles on managing your food. Beyond the education you get at such meetings, you get a strong sense of fellowship of the members who attend. I think this gives you the best first place to begin.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

I feel like crying all the time and I’m not able to concentrate on any task or talk to someone.
My sister got divorced after a 2 year marriage and it has been 2 years and still she is not able to recover from the trauma. Our financial status was not also not so good since childhood due to problems in my father’s job.Also,we do not get any support from our father either psychological or financial since many years. My sister’s earning since almost 9 years. I have done a professional course but am not settled as of now in my career.
Having faced so many problems at age of 23,these days m feeling too low. I don’t feel like talking to anyone and always feel like crying.

Pl help asap!!

A: I am sorry you are having so many difficulties in your family and I deeply appreciate the fact that you don’t want to talk to someone, but felt comfortable enough to write to us here at Psych Central.

It sounds like there are many factors with your family that you do not have control over. During times like these the most reasonable response is to focus on your own growth and needs. Self-care is perhaps the most important task you can invest in for yourself.

My advice is to build on the courage you displayed here by reaching out to a counselor or clergyperson to begin discussing your options. Writing us here was a very good first step.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral