The effect of sunlight upon mental health has been obtruding into my consciousness of late. To begin with, when I needed continuing education hours to renew my license, I took an online video course a couple of months ago focused on borderline personality disorder. In one segment of this class, the presenter stressed the importance […]
Seasonal Affective Disorder and the Healing Power of Sunlight Read More »
I haven’t written about my opposition to the widespread use of psychiatric medications in quite some time, mostly because I feel I’ve already said most of what I have to say on this issue. (See the collection of posts under the heading “The Medicalization of Mental Health,†to be found at the lower right of
Benzodiazepines and Dementia Read More »
During my recovery from overload (the result of having ignored my personal limitations), I’ve found my thoughts turning to the psychodynamics of mania. Over the last few years as my clinical and theoretical focus has shifted to the role of shame in bipolar disorder, I’ve paid less atttention to rage and the sense of entitlement
Some Thoughts About Mania Read More »
I have a good friend, a woman close to my own age, who struggles with time management problems. She usually arrives late for social events and often fails to meet deadlines at work. In her free time, she sets time-related goals for projects that mean a great deal to her and consistently fails to achieve
Time Management Problems Read More »
About 30 years ago during analytic training, my good friend Tom Grant was describing a difficult case in seminar — a man in his mid-30s whom Tom had already been treating for quite some time. Tom’s client came from a severely dysfunctional background that had restricted his ability to feel for and depend upon other
Early in my practice, a client said something that has stuck with me for the last 30 years. A trained dancer, she told me she avoided taking pain relievers because, in her view, pain was her body’s way of providing important information to her and she needed to “listen”. Although you’ll sometimes hear medical and
A reconsideration of Alan Sroufe’s article in the New York Times about ADHD symptoms, as well as the rebuttals and reactions from Harold S. Koplewicz and Judth Warner.
ADHD Symptoms Revisited Read More »
Unconscious rage plays an important role in depression symptoms. Bringing that rage into awareness often leads to an improvement in those symptoms.
Depression Symptoms and the Role of Rage Read More »
Countertransference in the broad sense means all your thoughts, feelings and fantasies during a psychotherapy session. It’s a useful tool for understanding your clients, especially those suffering from depression where anger and rage are an unconscious issue.
Countertransference Issues in Treating Depression Read More »
Many people take antidepressants, not because they’re depressed, but because doing so helps them to avoid confronting important feelings or problem areas in their lives.
Good and Bad Reasons to Take an Antidepressant Read More »