Description: What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? What causes it and how can it be managed or treated? The further north we live the less light we have in winter and as well, the further north we live the colder and snowier our winters are. So, is it that case that some people experience a drop… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Abnormal Psychology
Should Misophonia be a Disorder?
Description: Are there particular sounds that bother you? Some sounds CAN be unpleasant or annoying like the hum or rattle of a neighbor’s air conditioner when we are trying to relax on our balcony or in our backyard and some sounds can be truly awful. For example even thinking about the sound of fingernails on… Read more »
Stop It! Stop Overthinking
Description: Everyone worries sometimes about some things. Some people worry a LOT and have trouble dealing with the constantly high levels of anxiety that comes along with those worries. What do you think this is and what can people do, or be helped to do, that will make things better and reduce their levels and… Read more »
Helpful Psychological Disorder Symptoms?
Description: In “the old days” ( a couple of hundred years ago) the general understanding of fever (an above average body temperature) was a problem in and of itself. The fever was seen as the disease. Efforts were made to reduce the fever (cold compresses etc.) and sometimes it went away and the person got… Read more »
Royal Psychedelics?
Description: It is fascinating to see how some ideas, theories and research pop up in the popular press as opposed to in peer review research journals that are not generally read recreationally. Perhaps you have run across articles and related references recently to the potential efficacy of psychedelics in the treatment of depression and other… Read more »
Holiday Loneliness
Description: Of course the holiday period in late December is supposed to be a time away from work and engaged in other activities such as spending time with loved ones, friends and family. This does NOT mean that it is a time to be away from Psychology (in fact maybe just the opposite)! It can,… Read more »
The Myth of Holiday Suicides
Description: Be honest, have you heard or think you heard from somewhere or someone that suicide rates jump up during the holiday season? It seems to make sense doesn’t it that people at risk for suicide might be more at risk during the time a year that focusses upon things like family connections (good or… Read more »
Where Do ADHD Meds Act in the Brain?
Description: I am certain that you know that the most prescribed medication for those with ADHD is a version of methylphenidate which is a stimulant. A common question which arises when people encounter this fact is to ask how an individual with hyperactivity (the H in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) could possibly be helped by… Read more »
Sorting SAD and Winter Blues
Description: Even if you like winter (I do not) and you can manage the cold and have winter things you like to do, like skating or skiing, you may find that you have less energy in winter or you may notice other symptoms. For those of us who live at northern latitudes one thing we… Read more »
Treat Anxiety in Children Like a Phobia
Description: Face your fears! Sounds like a pretty basic piece of advice but for children with deep anxieties over often basic things like eating or being alone offering them such advice does not tend to work. There are therapeutic approaches that can work. Exposure Therapy, based on classical conditioning and linked to the much-discussed work… Read more »