Psych Central Blogs

Psych Central hosts a number of blogs highlighting different concerns in mental health and psychology, bringing fresh perspectives, ideas and news updates in small, digestable nuggets. Below, you'll find an index of the most recent entries from our blogs.

World of Psychology

7 Office Depression Busters: Tips for Work Depression

By Therese J. Borchard on Tuesday, February 09th, 2010 in World of Psychology

In his classic, “The Prophet,” Kahlil Gibran writes: Always you have been told that work is a curse … But I say to you that when you work you fulfill a part of earth’s furthest dream, assigned to you when that...

Introducing the Pop Psychology Blog

By John M Grohol PsyD on Monday, February 08th, 2010 in World of Psychology

Genders issues in mainstream psychology are of interest to a great many people, us included. So we’re happy to welcome Yale University student, Johannah Cousins, as our newest blogger to be blogging about the intersection of gender issues and pop psychology in her new blog, Pop Psychology. Johannah Cousins...

Watching Others Do Good, Clean Scents Promote Altruism

By John M Grohol PsyD on Sunday, February 07th, 2010 in World of Psychology

What would you say if I told you that simply observing people thanking others induced more altruism? The simple act of watching someone else do something uplifting or a good deed motivates us to also do good. At least that’s what...

Facebook Continues to Dominate Among Youth

By John M Grohol PsyD on Saturday, February 06th, 2010 in World of Psychology

Last week, we discovered that 4 out of 5 teens prefer and use Facebook over the leading sugarless gum. Oh, sorry, I meant to say that while 7 out of 10 (73% to be exact)...

Newsweek: Do Antidepressants Work? For Many People, YES!

By Therese J. Borchard on Friday, February 05th, 2010 in World of Psychology

I admire Newsweek writer Sharon Begley’s work … especially when she explains ways we can try to rewire our brain. But I found last week’s cover story irresponsible. If, for no other reason, than its...

Always Learning

Matchmaker, Matchmaker: Love Meets Reality

By Leigh Pretnar Cousins, MS on Tuesday, February 09th, 2010 in Always Learning

There’s an ad running on TV lately for an online dating service; the young man asks: If your service is so good at matching people, why should I have to join for a whole year? I smile and sigh every time I see this commercial. I want to tell...

Love According to Freud?: A Mix of Opinions

By Leigh Pretnar Cousins, MS on Monday, February 08th, 2010 in Always Learning

I’ve had several comments, both for and against Freud’s theory. Adam feels he’s gained a great deal from studying Freud: I will forever be grateful to Freud for the insight that he gave me, that I was unable to find no where else. Through reading ‘Two Short Accounts of...

Anxiety & OCD Exposed

When Pain Becomes a Tsunami: Don’t Try this at Home!

By Charles H. Elliott, Ph.D. on Tuesday, February 02nd, 2010 in Anxiety & OCD Exposed

I haven’t very often suffered from significant chronic pain in my life; a fact that I am quite grateful for as I’ve worked with many patients who have faced this condition. I always had considerable empathy for their plights, but never fully understood how incapacitating it can...

Frowns, Smiles, and Botox

By Laura L. Smith, Ph.D. on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 in Anxiety & OCD Exposed

Chuck and I are going to get professional pictures for our web site in order to show our readers how much older we’ve become. So, already, I’m a bit worried about my smile. I don’t think I ever worried about the way I looked in pictures until I started...

Bipolar Advantage

Making Sense of Mental Energy

By Ruth Leyse-Wallace, PhD, RD on Monday, February 08th, 2010 in Bipolar Advantage

People may say “I feel low in energy,” or “I feel energetic today,” but may mean different things by that. Depression may be experienced as “not having any energy.” The manic phase of bipolar disorder may be described as “having very high energy.” “Energy” is defined in...

Healthy Diet Options for People with Depression

By Peter Forster, MD on Saturday, February 06th, 2010 in Bipolar Advantage

The Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Depression. In one study, researchers analyzed the effect of the Mediterranean Diet Plan (MDP) on depression in 10,094 healthy Spanish individuals during a mean follow-up of 4.4 years (Arch Gen Psychiatry 66:1090). After adjustment for confounders, MDP adherence (especially for fruits and nuts, fatty-acid...

Bipolar Beat

Considering the Dangers of Not Medicating Children Who Really Need It

By Candida Fink MD on Tuesday, February 09th, 2010 in Bipolar Beat

People are pretty vocal about what they perceive to be the dangers of diagnosing and medicating children who have psychiatric disorders, and you can find plenty of horror stories, including the case of Rebecca Riley, but what about the dangers of not medicating children who fail to respond to...

Bipolar Disorder and Physical Intimacy

By Joe Kraynak on Friday, February 05th, 2010 in Bipolar Beat

A recent visitor to our Bipolar Blog wrote: I have a question, I was diagnosed BP1 in July, I am struggling with the severe manic episodes involving self damage, screaming, it is pretty bad, the police were here last night, but thanks to God, they did not take me....

Celebrity Psychings

Scorsese, DiCaprio Reunite For ‘Shutter Island’

By Alicia Sparks on Monday, February 08th, 2010 in Celebrity Psychings

Of all the Super Bowl commercials last night, the one that stuck with me the most, surprisingly, did not involve the E*TRADE baby. It was the preview for the new Martin Scorsese movie Shutter Island, the film adaptation of author Dennis Lehane’s best-selling 2003 novel –...

Greg Montgomery Becomes President, National Spokesperson for everyminute.org

By Alicia Sparks on Thursday, February 04th, 2010 in Celebrity Psychings

Exciting things are taking place down south right now, and I’m not just talking about the action-packed days leading up to Super Bowl XLIV. NFL All-Pro and nine-year veteran punter Greg Montgomery, Jr. is cruising media row to announce his new status as President and National Spokesperson for the...

Channel N

Understanding the Brain by Reverse Engineering

By Sandra Kiume on Wednesday, February 03rd, 2010 in Channel N

Learning about the brain by building a computer simulation....

How Neuroscience May Affect Law

By Sandra Kiume on Monday, February 01st, 2010 in Channel N

Basics of neurolaw....

Depression on My Mind

Am I treating my depression with expensive Tic Tacs?

By Christine Stapleton on Saturday, February 06th, 2010 in Depression On My Mind

“Expensive Tic Tacs” That phrase keeps rolling around in my head… “Expensive Tic Tacs” That’s what saved my life? “Expensive Tic Tacs” I just finished reading the controversial cover story – ANTIDEPRESSANTS DON’T WORK – in Newsweek’s Feb. 10 edition. I don’t know where to start. How about IS THERE...

This is my brain. This is my bipolar brain on caffeine.

By Christine Stapleton on Wednesday, February 03rd, 2010 in Depression On My Mind

I had a big D’uh moment yesterday. I woke up with a nasty cold and decided to work from home. I had a lot to do and so to stave off a nap-a-thon I had two cups of caffeinated coffee when I got up. I...

Family Mental Health

Family Mental Health Around the Web, #1

By Erika Krull, MS, LMHP on Friday, February 05th, 2010 in Family Mental Health

photo credit: sermoa Today I’m trying something that I hope can become a regular feature. Sometimes, finding current news and resources on family mental health issues can be tough. I will gather a few goodies that I find, give you a brief introduction, and provide a link...

Family Meals Are About More Than Just Food

By Erika Krull, MS, LMHP on Thursday, February 04th, 2010 in Family Mental Health

photo credit: Ewan-M For most of high school, I had a busy after-school schedule. Some days I was there through the evening because of a practice, a game, or an event. The distance between my school and home sometimes didn’t permit for me to touch base at home in...

Healing Together for Couples

Understanding the Sounds of Silence in Your Relationship

By Suzanne Phillips, Psy.D., ABPP on Thursday, February 04th, 2010 in Healing Together for Couples

Silence can mean many things. It can mean yes, no, agreement or disagreement. It can imply contentment or dissatisfaction, safety or fear. It can be accompanied by the smile of approval or the scorn of judgment. What do the sounds of silence mean between you and your partner?...

How to Cope with Uncertain Loss or Death of a Loved One

By Suzanne Phillips, Psy.D., ABPP on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 in Healing Together for Couples

Not knowing if your loved one is alive or dead absent or present, knowing or needing you is painfully traumatic. It is the suffering faced when soldiers are missing in action, thousands of bodies vanished after 9/11, a child is kidnapped, a partner is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,...

Mindfulness & Psychotherapy

10 Quotes for a Mindful Day Part III,

By Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. on Monday, February 08th, 2010 in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy

A while back I wrote the post 10 Quotes for a Mindful Day and followed up with 10 (More) Quotes for a Mindful Day. Since then I began an increasingly popular tradition called Mondays Mindful Quote where every Monday I post a quote that I think has some relevance to...

Mindsight and Blue Man Group: An Interview with Daniel Siegel, M.D.

By Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. on Friday, February 05th, 2010 in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy

Today I bring back Dr. Daniel Siegel to show us his comedic side, while explaining the concept of mindsight’s connection to a sense of resilience, compassion and well-being. Dan received his medical degree from Harvard University and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent, and...

360 Degrees of Mindful Living

The Staff of Mindfulness

By Pavel G. Somov, Ph.D. on Tuesday, February 09th, 2010 in 360 Degrees of Mindful Living

Long, long before smart phones, a walking stick was our support staff when on-the-go.  A good walking staff was the ultimate assistive device.  If you missteped, the staff helped regain your balance.  If tired, the staff was there to support you.  The staff offered the benefit of a probe...

Super Bowl of Nondual Nonpartisanship

By Pavel G. Somov, Ph.D. on Sunday, February 07th, 2010 in 360 Degrees of Mindful Living

1. As a competitive swimmer of the river of consciousness I never understood the idea of a false start. What do you mean I have to wait to compete?! 2. But now that I don’t compete I get it: I have to synchronize first Before I competitively get out...

Pop Psychology

Twilight: A Step Forward for Women?

By Johannah Cousins on Friday, February 05th, 2010 in Pop Psychology

For film studio execs, the Holy Grail is the four-quadrant film.  Prospective audience members are divided into four groups (young men, young women, older men, older women), and every once in a while, a film like Avatar comes along to attract viewers from every demographic and therefore make obscene...

And the Grammy Goes to the Blonde Virgin

By Johannah Cousins on Wednesday, February 03rd, 2010 in Pop Psychology

At about 11:26 Sunday night, several of my friends suddenly became very, very angry.  As the culmination of the music industry’s year-long effort to make sure that Taylor Swift never runs out of shiny metal objects, the 2010 Grammys named the country crossover superstar’s Fearless the “Album of the...

Therapy Soup

Your Therapist’s “To Do” List

By Richard Zwolinksi, LMHC, CASAC on Tuesday, February 09th, 2010 in Therapy Soup

The next section of the mental health treatment plan I like to use is number three–the Therapist’s Objectives—in a nutshell, your therapist’s “to do” list. These objectives are the actual courses of action that your therapist will take to help you reach your goals. They may be very specific,...

Sensitive Kids Like “Orchids,” Says Scientist

By Richard Zwolinksi, LMHC, CASAC on Sunday, February 07th, 2010 in Therapy Soup

Parents, beware! According to a University of British Columbia study led  by Jelena Obradović, presently an assistant professor in the School of Education at Stanford University, kids who are sensitive to stress, despite being prone to behavior and health problems, are  likely to do extremely well, even better than their...

Therapy Unplugged

What Cancer is Really Like

By Sonia Neale on Thursday, February 04th, 2010 in Therapy Unplugged

I received the following comment from a reader on my blog post My Psychology of Cancer, and I feel it is worthy and deserving enough to have its own special place. It’s for anyone who has suffered cancer, is suffering cancer, knows someone who has cancer or is looking...

My Psychology of Cancer

By Sonia Neale on Tuesday, February 02nd, 2010 in Therapy Unplugged

Five years ago I found out I had cancer and collapsed in a heap of self-pity. It’s a life-changing diagnosis.  My first thought was to find out how I’d gotten it.  The list was endless.  I wanted to blame something or someone.  Smoking, drinking, prescription drugs, the pot I’d...

Weightless

Breaking Free From Binge Eating: Q&A with Eleanor Kohlsaat

By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS on Tuesday, February 09th, 2010 in Weightless

I’ve already had the great opportunity to speak with many women about their recovery from eating disorders and emotional eating (you can find the interviews here). I hope to regularly feature Q&As with individuals who’ve recovered from eating disorders, binge eating, negative body image or any kind of disordered eating....

Boosting Your Body Image by Becoming “Madly In Love with Me”

By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS on Monday, February 08th, 2010 in Weightless

Every Monday features a tip, exercise, inspiring quote or other tid-bit to help boost your body image. For many of us, Mondays are tough. We may feel anxious and stressed out, anticipating an arduous week, especially if we didn’t get much rest and relaxation during the weekend. These kinds of...

PsychSplash

Raging Alcoholic

By Psych Central Resource Editor on Friday, February 05th, 2010 in PsychSplash

I assume alcoholism or problem drinking is affecting you in someway. A way you really aren’t happy about. We’re here...

Easy Dream Interpretation

By Psych Central Resource Editor on Thursday, February 04th, 2010 in PsychSplash

This site will show you how to remember, record and analyze your dreams easily and effortlessly. It will also teach...

Y Factor

Feedback on Readers’ Comments

By Kate Nickerson on Monday, February 08th, 2010 in The Y Factor

For this installment of “The Y Factor” I’d like to take the opportunity to respond to feedback provided by a couple of readers. My intentions in responding to the feedback aren’t to rebut or “correct” anyone, but to internalize the comments and incorporate them into my own healing...

The Healthiest Relationship I’ve Ever Had with a Man

By Kate Nickerson on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 in The Y Factor

After a year and a half of therapy to deal with my subconscious man-issues, I came to the conclusion that the healthiest relationship I’ve ever had with a man is with my therapist, Roger.  If you’ve been following the “Y” Factor you know that I have had some pretty...