Joseph of the Corpus Callosum blog wrote a great post about a study on psychotherapy for terminally ill cancer patients with depression. Though you might assume anyone who is terminally ill would become depressed, only about 25% develop serious symptoms of depression. A meta-analysis finds that they do respond to therapy with significant improvements.
The argumentative […]

“Ma has made herself sick with her hypochondria, like actually sick on the inside of her body. And even if that’s not true, being a hypochondriac is at the very least an illness in itself, a mental illness. Which is worse than having a kidney infection or a gallstone ’cause it can go on forever, […]

Look, you might be 22 or 42, but there are some things you should think about even if you think it’s premature or “I’ll get to that later.” While it’s a morbid topic for some, it’s one that’s important enough that I have to write about at least once. That topic is your own death, […]

Margaret Trudeau, Canada’s lively and lovely former first lady turned bipolar advocate, talks about her recovery (récupération in French) process to stay balanced.
“You need to develop a sense of forgiveness,” she says. “Forgiving myself and forgiving others for abandoning me, for hurting me, for their lack of understanding. I have to ask for forgiveness, and […]

Scientists have long believed that since schizophrenia is associated with abnormal brain structure and functioning that a mothers’ stress during pregnancy could adversely affect brain development in the fetus, even causing mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Now there is strong evidence to support these assumptions. According to a report in the Archives of General […]

When is it time to consider psychotherapy? is a great article written by Karen Rogers, MFCC. Sometimes people don’t seek professional help because of stigma and stereotypes, like that a belief it’s only for seriously ill people. Rogers explains what psychotherapy is (for example, that it doesn’t provide answers but helps you reach your own) […]

When a young person kills themselves, the question most adults, friends and family asks is the same question we ask when anyone kills themselves — Why? While teen suicide seems to make even less sense than adult suicide (because adults have at least led a longer, experience-filled life), it can make a lot of sense […]

As 2007 draws to a close, a great many of us will put our lives under the microscope. Some will see the negatives in their lives magnified; the mediocre job somehow seems like the worst thing that could ever happen, the weight issues or the difficult relationship becomes an all-consuming entity. However, the […]

Breast cancer survivors have some common psychological problems during recovery, especially after mastectomy. I’ve found a couple of videos exploring body image, self-esteem, sexuality, and popular culture related to the cancer. A group of ten patients have a peer discussion on their common issues and “pieces of our selves” in Body Image after Breast Cancer, […]

Everyday, I read probably a half-dozen articles written on the topics of self-improvement, behavior, psychology, and other things that psychologists and other researchers spend entire careers studying and writing about. There’s nothing wrong with writing about these topics from your own personal perspective, or bringing your unique bent on an existing theory or what-not.
But I […]

Holidays tend to be family-oriented and if you’ve lost a loved one, the season can be an especially painful reminder of the death. Here are some ways to cope:

talking about the deceased person is okay. Your stress will only increase if the deceased person’s memory is allowed to become a landmine that everyone tiptoes […]

As we continue to turn toward an increasingly digital existence to do business, to connect to people, to learn; so to will criminals and other unsavory characters turn to the virtual world to conduct their business. These persons will continue to devise new methods of manipulating us through technology. It appears however, […]