Children sometimes develop funny “habit movements,” where they shrug their shoulders, jerk their head, or sniff repeatedly without reason. If you ask the child why they’re moving that way, the answer is usually, “I dunno.” These habits are called motor tics, and they typically go away on their own. But not always. Rarely the tics […]
My aunt has dementia
Dear Doctor Column 1-20-18 Dear Doc, doctors tell us my aunt has “dementia.” I know dementia has something to do with the memory, but what exactly is it? Are there any treatments? I’m sorry to hear about your aunt, but it’s great that you’re trying to learn more about what’s going on with her. Hopefully […]
Share this:
What to do when finding a job is so scary you just want to run away
Here’s the scenario. Maybe this sounds familiar: You’re unemployed and have been looking for work for months. You’re terrified because your savings won’t last forever. You’re starting to feel useless and incompetent. The free time is killing you, leaving you depressed, which is making job hunting and surviving job interviews more difficult. It’s a scary […]
Share this:
More than one kind of anxiety problem
We’re all anxious at times, especially when stressed or facing something unpredictable. Anxiety and fear help us pick up on threatening things in our environment and react – often before we know what that “thing” is. But anxiety becomes an illness when it starts controlling and ruining one’s life. There are many different types of […]
Share this:
Your brain on sleep
We sleep. We spend a third of our lives doing it, but it’s still a mystery. Why do we sleep? Why do we dream? Why is sleep architecture so complicated, with different stages and physical changes? And if the need for downtime is so innate and deeply driven, why do we suffer from insomnia? Despite the […]
Share this:
CBT Puzzle: A Problem with Lots of Solutions
This “Find-the-difference” CBT puzzle features a problem with lots of solutions. It’s good for a little fun with groups, as well as an interesting way to introduce brain-storming and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Share this:
What You Need to Know About Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also called manic depressive disorder, is a mental illness that produces unusual extremes of emotion. These mood states are severe enough to cause problems in the sufferer’s life. Read on for more information. Does having mood swings mean you have bipolar disorder? Not necessarily. We all have natural fluctuations in our mood. There’ll […]
Share this:
Seven stress-busting ways to deal with anxiety
Think of life as a spectrum: on one end you’ve got the worse-case outcome. That’s where most anxious people lean when they consider their future. But if you’re going to invest energy into the worst outcome, you should invest that same energy into best-case scenario. You can’t have one without the other.
