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World of Psychology


Minding the Media

6 Common Therapy Myths

So many times, I have cringed at friends or family when they talk about their misconstrued concepts of what therapy is.

Unfortunately, the messages we receive from movies and television do not portray the reality of good therapy, but if you have not participated in therapy yourself, the media may be your only reference point.

Below are six common therapy myths found in movies and TV, debunked.

1. Going to Therapy Means I’m Crazy or Weak
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Chronic Pain

Surprising New Pain Relief Methods

If you are one of the more than 100 million Americans suffering with chronic pain, you know how desperate you can get searching for relief. For constant or chronic pain, sometimes knowing that you can only get temporary relief from medications sits at the back of your brain and sets up pain anticipation.

Shouldn’t there be a better way, an approach or approaches that don’t rely on pharmaceutical drugs to combat pain? According to new research, there are some new pain relief methods that look very promising to do just that.
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Books

More Than Chemicals: The Difference Between Pleasure and Happiness

The experience of pleasure is distinct from the experience of happiness. Quite distinct.

With pleasure, a dopamine “spike” occurs in response to an acute momentary reward. The experience feels wonderful but depletes serotonin. The ultimate consequence of repeated rushes to this pleasure center leads to the loss of dopamine receptors in the brain. With the loss of neurons comes Tolerance: a situation in which more and more “hits” are needed to feel the same impact as before -- or to feel anything at all. The result is addiction.
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Antidepressant

I’m No Psychopharmacologist

The summer of 2018 went fine. Tommy, my 13-year-old son, was enrolled in several summer camps, which he enjoyed; we had no discernible immediate family issues, and I was in a complete bipolar remission. It felt good to feel good.

But then, the school year rolled around, and I got stressed out. I was teaching two writing courses at a local college, and I noticed a big difference between the calm I’d felt over the summer and the tension that going back to work brought on. There were classes to plan and papers to grade. There were names and faces to learn and personalities to try to understand.
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Anxiety and Panic

Facing Uncertainty Without Slamming the Panic Button

"This time, we are holding onto the tension of not knowing, not willing to press the panic button. We are unlearning thousands of years of conditioning." - Sukhvinder Sircar
This morning I awoke feeling uncertain about the direction my life was taking. Was it what I wanted in all areas? Was I right to be living where I wanted to, in London, away from family? Was I doing the “right thing” restructuring my business, and was I doing the “right thing” going away for two months next year?
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Anxiety and Panic

​​You Can Help Your Teen Cope with Social Anxiety in Public Places

​​Social anxiety is finally becoming a more understood disorder. In the past, it was treated with less than stellar seriousness in both the professional and non-professional world. Often mistaken for shyness or even antisocial qualities, we now see that this is a very real phobia that can have a painful impact on the sufferer’s life.

Teenagers and Social Pressure


Teenagers are one group that is especially prone to social anxiety. The myriad of social stigmas associated with adolescence and growing to adulthood are hard enough. But then you add in the need to perform well in school, the competitiveness of modern academics and college applications, the dynamics of their peer groups, changing bodies, still forming minds, problems at home and a host of other factors. Is it any wonder depression and anxiety are such a serious problem for teenagers?
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Aging

The Relationship Between Sleep and Alzheimer’s Disease

We have known for some time about the importance of sleep and how the lack of sleep can have detrimental effects on us. Sleep deprivation can affect our nervous systems, our memories, and the severity of physical and mental health disorders. Not to mention our moods!

Scientists have been studying the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease and have come up with some interesting findings.
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