Description: Consider these statements. The number of elderly people who are living alone and who do or will need some support to remain on their own is growing very quickly. The costs of providing this care can be prohibitive and finding enough people to provide what care can be paid for is also becoming increasingly… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Treatment of Psychological Disorders
Psychologists and Prescribing Authority: Yes, No, or Maybe?
Description: Can Psychologists prescribe drugs? Mainly no, only in a few jurisdictions. Should Psychologists be given limited prescribing privileges? Now that is a rather hotly debated question. There ARE examples of situations where non-doctors have been granted limited prescription authority. Dentists, for example, can prescribe pain medications (good thing too!). So, what about psychologists? What… Read more »
Horror and Anxiety: Therapeutic?
Description: Evaluate the usefulness of the following two statements. People who are worried about what is going on with the Covid pandemic shous watch movies like Contagion (about a run-away pandemic). OR, people who are trying to deal with anxiety and nightmares should watch Zombie films or televisions shows (e.g., The Walking Dead) before bed…. Read more »
Smartphone Addition: Should it be in the DSM?
Description: Do you know anyone (including yourself) who you think might be addicted to their smartphone? They cannot put it down or they cannot bear to be separated from it and they must return home and get it immediately if they forget it. There are some suggestions that smartphone addiction should be considered for addition… Read more »
Psychology of Covid – Long Covid and CBT (the Old ‘Bio is real Psycho is not’ argument)
Description: Have you heard of Long Covid? It involves a number of symptoms that resemble those seen in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) in which individuals recovered from Covid infections experience long-term shortness of breath, fatigue, and body aches and pains. What causes these symptoms? Are they due to lingering Covid effects?… Read more »
Rushing to Get From Syndrome to Disease
Description: Have you heard of General Paresis? No, it is not a military officer. It was the name given to a mysterious collection of symptoms that were regularly seen among adults (usually but not always older) in Victorian London. It started with forgetfulness and progressed consistently into memory loss, delusions, hallucinations and eventually into seizures… Read more »
Is DID Real?
Description: I am sure you know about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or, what used to be called, multiple personality disorder. Is is also quite likely that you owe your understanding of the disorder to popularized accounts in books and films like the three faces of Eve or Sybil. Would it surprise you to read that… Read more »
Covid and the Speed of Time
Description: I am sure you have heard something of the debates going on as to whether we should be shifting our clocks forward in spring and backwards in fall each year. Part of the science discussed within that debate concerns the impact of the time change (especially the one in spring) on our circadian rhythms… Read more »
Therapeutic Use of Magic Mushrooms in Oregon
Description: Even if you are not old enough to have experienced the 1960’s and 70’s personally you are no doubt aware that one of the things that era was known for is the illicit use of drugs and of psychedelics like LSD, peyote, mescaline and magic mushrooms. Within what was referred to as counterculture (outside… Read more »
Service Dogs and PTSD (In Humans)
Description: You have heard of service dogs, right? They help out people struggling with PTSD and help them get on with their lives with fewer of the issues that can be associated with PTSD. However, what do you know about what having a service dog actually does for a person with PTSD? Perhaps you just… Read more »
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