There are few things sadder and more troubling in this world than seeing a young person’s life cut short, not by an accident or illness, but by their own hand.
And this article in the St. Petersbury Times just brings this all home, reporting on the untimely death of a local teen who decided he […]

Well, of course we don’t have to tell you what a blog is, since you’re already reading one. But most Americans have also read a blog, and 8 out 10 claim to know what a blog is, according to a survey by research firm Synovate.
The research firm has a panel of 1,000 Americans it claims […]

Support groups are supposed to be helpful, so how can I go into group feeling neutral and leave totally irritated? And what do I do about it?
I didn’t really have a problem to discuss in my group tonight. I’ve been hypomanic and that’s upset my snugglufagus (the unpredictability more than anything I actually did). But […]

Psychology today doesn’t have the well-known philosophical rock stars of yore, such as Freud or Skinner. What we do have are more complex thinkers who have spent decades researching more subtle human behaviors, such as, What kinds of behaviors, attitudes and activities lead to a happier life? What makes us feel “fulfilled” as a human […]

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, a great peer support organization in America, has just announced the Facing Us contest. They’re looking for people to create videos and artwork related to their experiences for a public awareness campaign. The intent:
DBSA is launching the Facing Us campaign to highlight the ‘face’ of bipolar disorder and depression […]

The Washington Post reported today that Virginia Tech shooter Cho had an anxiety disorder — selective mutism. Selective mutism is a rare and extreme form of social anxiety. Basically, the person can’t speak in specific situations where speaking is necessary.
It should be noted, however, that this may not have been the cause (or directly […]

A study out of Finland has shown that people on both sides of bullying (the bully and his target) are at increased risk for anxiety disorders and antisocial personal disorder later in life. The common belief about bullies among mental health professionals is that people who are bullying are likely to also be bullied at […]

A really simple study is showing that good psychology can help reduce symptoms associated with ADHD, which challenges the idea that ADHD is essentially a biologically programmed disorder that can only be helped with medication. The study demonstrated that support and reinforcement of good behaviors can reduce the characteristics associated with ADHD, such as academic, […]

Several news services have carried a report on an Israeli psychiatrist that says “internet addiction disorder” (IAD) needs to be classified with disorders like compulsive gambling and kleptomania. I have written about this before and will continue the debate on terminology for these types of problems: none of these things should be called an “addiction”, […]

According to researchers in England, hesitation to try new foods can be traced to our genes. The idea is that it is a characteristic that developed through the evolutionary process to protect young people from eating things that may be dangerous to their health (e.g. something poisonous). The study also said that food preferences are […]

“What are you so depressed about?”
Anyone who’s ever suffered from depression has probably heard this question at least once in their lives. It’s often spoken not by a mean-spirited stranger, but an honestly caring friend or family member who simply doesn’t understand your continued blue mood. Which makes it all the more harder a question […]

The combo of severe mental illness and homelessness is a disturbing problem in Western cultures and there’s much outcry over service shortages. In India, however, mental illness is still largely seen as a problem caused by evil spirits to be cured with magic, beatings and chains. Women with severe mental illnesses are often abandoned by […]