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World of Psychology


Habits

Why I Didn’t Get Smartphone Until Now

I’m in my late twenties, and I just got a smartphone. I know, I know, I was met with incredulous stares from the professionals at AT&T, along with everyone else I knew for being quite "behind the times." But alas, my non-smartphone naturally became obsolete, less functional, and decided to unfortunately bid me one final goodbye.

So why did I wait so long, anyway? Why did I wait until I basically had no choice but to take the iPhone plunge? Do I need to authorize a case study? Well, no, I don’t think it’s that serious, but psychologically speaking, I clearly had reservations about this technological advancement.
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General

The Gift of Self-Compassion

Feeling love and compassion for others can be difficult. But acting toward ourselves with love and compassion can be even more challenging.

Why do we often treat ourselves in ways that we’d never behave towards others? And what would it take to bring more compassion to ourselves?

Plato has famously said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

This wise perception also applies to ourselves. Each of us has faced betrayals, adversities, and losses -- and sadly, more difficulties probably lie ahead. Life would be less stressful and more fulfilling as we learn the art of self-compassion.

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General

TPCS Podcast: Mental Health in the Workplace


Most of us spend a large portion of our days at work, where we’re exposed to all sorts of different stressors that take a cumulative toll. And many of us are already dealing with some sort of mental health issue unrelated to our jobs. Put together, it can be a recipe for a breakdown, which is why it’s so important to address mental health in the workplace. Host Gabe Howard shares his insights on the subject, including his story of being fired from a job due to his mental illness, and the ensuing years of exploring the nature of mental health at our places of employment.
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Addiction

‘Fear, paranoia, and pressure’: Challenges to Accessing Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Barriers to access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) threaten addiction recovery and complicate the safety of clinicians’ jobs, thereby hindering the national response to the opioid epidemic.

MAT is a treatment approach that combines medications with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders. Medications used in MAT are FDA-approved and clinically-driven; however, several MAT access issues create obstacles to achieving its full success in mitigating the opioid epidemic. Insurance access and coverage, geography/location, treatment cost, and drug policy emerge as the most formidable pain points to accessing MATs for opioid addiction treatment.
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Caregivers

What Makes a Good Mental Health Advocate?

I have been fortunate over the years to share the story of my son Dan’s recovery from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. The fact that he continues to do so well is concrete evidence that obsessive-compulsive disorder, no matter how severe, is indeed treatable, and it is gratifying to know that many who are suffering have found hope through my family’s story.

I hear from many people who are at various stages in their fight against OCD. When they tell me they have either read about Dan’s journey or heard me speak about him the first question they often ask is “How is Dan now?”
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General

Trans Lifeline Peer Support Helpline for Transgender

If you're a trans adult or teen who needs help and support for issues related to your trans identity, there's a fantastic support organization available. It's called Trans Lifeline and it offers valuable, life-saving resources for trans and questioning individuals.

In addition to a helpline -- 877-565-8860 (in Canada, please call: 877-330-6366) -- it also offers additional informational resources and micro grants.

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Anorexia

To Be Healthy Is to Be Loving

I went for a run because I had eaten a small, organic, dark chocolate cookie the day before and I felt that I had to punish myself. It was habitual for me to punish myself with strenuous, caloric compensation cardio whenever I felt guilty for enjoying life by eating tasty foods.

When I placed first in a fitness competition, my fitness goals went up a notch. Winning the competition was one thing, but people complimenting me on my extra lean body pressured me to stay that way. I couldn’t allow myself to look “bigger” again, and “bigger” really meant not seeing my defined ab muscles.
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Habits

The Road to Resilience

Do you ever get stuck in a funk?  

You feel miserable. The unexpected has happened. Too much is expected of you. You can’t keep up.

So what do you do?

You crawl back into bed (either literally or figuratively), telling yourself, “I can never keep up; I’ll always be stuck in this misery.”  Not only do you feel miserable; you keep obsessing about the “fact” that you feel miserable.
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Best of Our Blogs

Best of Our Blogs: September 18, 2018

There are as many ways to take care of as there are ways to neglect yourself.

Some of these are easily recognizable like self-injury, not seeking professional help or taking prescribed medications.

But there are subtler things we do that are also forms of self-punishment or self-sabotage.

If you're not making sure to eat regularly, get enough sleep and schedule in time for play and rest, these are also forms of self-neglect. Saying, "Yes," when you're over scheduled, people-pleasing and befriending negative people are also ways you're sabotaging your health.

One of our bloggers this week is inspiring me with what lengths she's willing to go to take care of herself.
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