So you’ve met someone you don’t know and it’s time to have a conversation, hopefully create a friendship, and your first tendency is to… run. Sound familiar? If talking to strangers feels like a bucketful of icy, cold water thrown in your direction, you’ve found the right spot. This post is written for all shy, […]
Free: The Wacky and Wonderful Relapse Prevention Plan
The worksheet below is a rough copy of our Wacky and Wonderful Recovery Pamphlet, “Relapse Prevention Plan.” (This link will take you to the store, where you can download a clean and updated version for free!) The handout includes 4 pages: Page 1 is a checklist identifying warning symptoms and triggers, negative effects of drugs/alcohol, and the […]
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Exciting stuff about aging
“For age is opportunity no less than youth itself, though in another dress, and as the evening twilight fades away, the sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.” – Henry Wadworth Longfellow We put a lot of money and effort into trying to avoid aging. In our society, getting older is equated with decline — […]
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Cognitive therapy: mind conquers mood
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” — Oprah Winfrey Cognitive therapy (CT) is a powerful technique therapists use to help their clients deal with life’s tougher moments. It’s used worldwide to help individuals overcome psychiatric problems like phobias, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, […]
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Imagery: here’s the answer to your question
You have a burning question. There’s something painful in your life, and you stay awake long into the night looking for an answer. It’s urgent, and the emotion is killing you. Maybe it’s a daughter who uses drugs. Or you’re coping with an illness, stuck with out-of-control anger, or trying to decide whether to drop […]
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Finding meaning: the creative way
You’re meant to immerse yourself in this “topic” until it surfaces in your dreams, until you subliminally speak its language and bring it up at every conversation, until you understand a world you’ve never understood before…
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When emotions are too scary and thoughts too sharp
It’s deeply personal. Maybe it’s a recent diagnosis, something chronic and unescapable? The doctors say you have a year or less, and that’s that. There’s nothing else they can do. It’s a dead-end situation. No amount of problem-solving will fix this one. Or perhaps you crashed your car and don’t have the money to fix […]
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How do I get rid of this guilt?
Guilt is about feeling bad, even disliking ourselves, over something we did or didn’t do in the past. Guilt can be normal: the fact that we feel it proves that we have compassion for others. At the same time, guilt can become so toxic and destructive that it overwhelms, and that’s when it’s time to […]
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When depression meds don’t work: antidepressant amplifiers
Sometimes depression doesn’t get better, not with a single antidepressant. With all the medications on the market and all the pressure not to prescribe, what should a psychiatrist do? Add more medication, and the patient has side effects. Withhold medications, and they suffer or worse. People are complicated. Medications are complicated. But then there are […]
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Psychiatric problems
Psychiatric disorders are medical conditions that affect a person’s mind and mood. Below you’ll find a list of mental health problems in alphabetical order. * Please keep in mind that only a mental health care professional can make a diagnosis. A Acute Stress Disorder Addiction: FAQ Addiction: Drugs People Use Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Alzheimer’s: […]
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FAQ About Surviving Trauma
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” — Khalil Jibran It’s normal to feel afraid during a catastrophic event. Emotions can be numb or painful, senses are heightened, and the “fight or flight” response kicks in. Some people want to run. Others find themselves shutting down […]
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Wacky and Wonderful Recovery: replacing drugs with the good stuff
Wacky and Wonderful Recovery: Replacing drugs with the good stuff The worksheet below is for people in recovery from substance abuse. Giving up drugs creates an enormous hole in your life. Suddenly there’s something missing. Beforehand drugs took up most of your time, and now you don’t know what to do with yourself. Sound familiar? […]
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PTSD: conquering nightmares
People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often suffer from debilitating nightmares. The dreams can be so terrifying the person is afraid to sleep. If this sounds familiar, here are six nightmare-busting methods that might help you conquer those bad dreams. (1) Talk about the nightmares. Share your dreams with someone you trust, ideally a therapist […]
