Author Archive

Listed by most recent articles first.

• Treatments for Anxiety
  Anxiety is a well-understood and readily treated condition. There are many different kinds of specific anxiety disorders, ranging from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) to panic attacks. The below treatment options cover general anxiety disorders and ...
• Depression Versus Anxiety
  Many people mistakenly believe that most depressed people have no energy. But that is not always the case, as some people with depression often experience one form or another of anxiety. Depression and anxiety ...
• Choosing the Therapy That’s Right For You
  You probably can think of a time when you were helped by "Working something out" with a friend. Psychotherapy is based on the same principle - the idea that an understanding, receptive, nonjudgmental listener can ...
• The Male Midlife Crisis
  You have an unexplained desire to buy a sports car. You're happily married, but you have started fantasizing about younger women. You go on a crash diet, and dream about starting over, being free. Does ...
• Are You an Underachiever?
  Underachievement is a stress indicator associated with physical problems and emotional discomfort. High scorers on this scale have the perception that they are not being very productive with their lives and, as a result, become ...
• Coping with a Negative Mood
  People under chronic stress often try to cope by feeling down, hopeless, or sad. It is a way of communicating to the world that "I'm not doing so well" or a subtle plea for help. Negative ...
• Teenagers and Suicide
  Suicides among young people continue to be a serious problem. Each year in the U.S., thousands of teenagers commit suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds, and the sixth leading cause ...
• Children and Choosing a Pet
  Pets are part of many children's lives. Parental involvement, open discussion, and planning are usually necessary to help make pet ownership a positive experience for everyone. A child who learns to care ...
• Children and the Death of a Pet
  For many children, their first real experience with loss occurs when a pet dies. When a pet dies, children need consolation, love, support, and affection more than they need complicated medical or scientific explanations. ...
• Children and Sleep Problems
  Many children have sleep problems. Examples include: Frequent awakening during the night Talking during sleep Difficulty falling asleep Waking up crying ...
• Children and Grief
  When a family member dies, children react differently from adults. Preschool children usually see death as temporary and reversible, a belief reinforced by cartoon characters who die and come to life again. Children between five ...
• Children and Depression
  Not only adults become depressed. Children and teenagers also may have depression, which is a treatable illness. Depression is defined as an illness when the feelings of depression persist and interfere with a child or ...
• Asperger’s Disorder
  Asperger's Disorder is the term for a specific type of pervasive developmental disorder which is characterized by problems in development of social skills and behavior. In the past, many children with Asperger's Disorder were diagnosed ...
• Psychotherapy Treatment for PTSD
  Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and survivors of trauma. There are a variety of psychotherapies available, but they all share a number of common attributes: Therapy always is individualized to meet ...
• An Overview of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized as an anxiety problem that people sometimes experience after witnessing or being involved with a traumatic event, such as a fire, a war, an accident or the like. ...
• An Introduction to Biofeedback
  Most people think that they can't control blood pressure, body temperature, brain waves, digestion, muscle tension, heart rate, and the like. And most of the time, they're right; these basic bodily functions are normally regulated ...
• Dating Without Alcohol
  If you’re single and dating, you may find yourself spending a lot of time in restaurants or bars where alcohol is available. Drinking on dates can quickly become a habit, but the National Institute of ...
• Behavioral Therapy, Medications and Anorexia
  No medications are available that effectively treat patients suffering from anorexia nervosa, but a few behavioral therapies may help prevent a relapse and offer other limited benefits, according to a new review of currently available ...
• Two Stories of PTSD
  Maria was only 15 when she was attacked by a group of men on the way home from school. They took turns screaming abuse at her and then they each raped her. Finally, they tried ...
• Who is Typically Diagnosed with PTSD?
  There is no "typical" demographic profile for a person with PTSD. While military doctors first identified PTSD as "shell shock" or "battle fatigue," today it is recognized as a disorder that affects people of all ...
• Differential Diagnosis of PTSD Symptoms
  While the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may seem similar to those of other disorders, there are differences. For example, PTSD symptoms may seem similar to those of anxiety disorders, such as acute stress ...
• What Causes PTSD?
  Explanations of PTSD focus primarily on the way that the mind is affected by traumatic experiences. Theorists speculate upon facing overwhelming trauma, the mind is unable to process information and feelings in a normal way. ...
• Treatment of PTSD
  There are two primary types of treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) -- psychotherapy and medications. Psychotherapy for PTSD Most people who experience post-traumatic stress disorder undergo some type of psychotherapy (most commonly either cognitive-behavioral therapy ...
• Myths and Facts about PTSD
  Myth: PTSD is only seen in people with "weak characters" who are unable to cope with difficult situations in the same way that most of us do. Fact: PTSD is a human response to markedly abnormal ...
• Frequently Asked Questions about PTSD
  Is the cause of PTSD simply a traumatic event? Although PTSD begins after a traumatic event, other factors also play an important role. The severity, type, and circumstances of the traumatic event may determine whether or ...