I saw a television commercial today that announced, “Depression is emotional.” It was the first time I had heard of the pharmaceutical that was being advertised. The commercial said nothing about the causes of depression, although it mentioned some of its symptoms. It advised speaking with your medical doctor, the one you’d ask about any… Read More »
As I walked along a city street today, I was struck by the word “therapy” appearing atop two posters. The headline on the first poster gleefully promoted “Heart Therapy”. It was an advertisement for a juice beverage. The headline on the second poster, located a half block away, proudly promoted “Couples Therapy”. It was an… Read More »
msnbc.com reports that if you change your mind, you might change your body, too. According to the report published today, psychologists say our “self talk” or “internal dialogue” can make or break a fitness routine. Gareth Dutton, a psychologist at Florida State University, is quoted as saying, “The thing that precedes your behavior is a… Read More »
Two days ago, Cox Newspapers published an article with the headline, “Emotional defense mechanisms can go awry“. Hap LaCrone, a clinical psychologist in Texas, writes: “Defense mechanisms are strategies or manners in which we behave or think to protect or “defend” ourselves from painful thoughts or feelings. We all use them periodically in an attempt… Read More »
Free crisis counseling services are available to residents in 34 Texas counties in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Disaster-related crisis counseling services are funded by FEMA and administered by the Texas Department of State Health Services. In a related news item, the Associated Press reports that crisis counseling helps people understand that their emotional reactions… Read More »
Allie Montgomery writes for Health News: “Mothers-to-be who suffer from depression have been shown to have twice the risk of delivering a premature infant than pregnant women that have no symptoms of depression. This risk for premature infants increases as the symptoms of depression become more severe.” “Premature birth is the leading medical expenditure for… Read More »
The politically-conservative “Common Sense Government Blog” has published a compilation of information regarding mental health issues and U.S. Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. “McCain has voted against mental health parity and, in his health care plan on his website, makes no mention of mental health as an issue.” “Obama specifically includes mental health… Read More »
Cynthia Hubert for the Sacramento Bee: “When teenagers or younger adults take their own lives, the losses trigger society’s alarm bells. But it is older people, particularly men 65 and older, who have the highest rate of suicide of any age group.” During the past decade, statistics show, older people have consistently had the highest… Read More »
Eight men and women (including Miss America 2008), who have struggled with eating disorders (i.e., anorexia, bulimia), share their personal stories in an audio feature published this morning on the New York Times web site. There’s also a corresponding section for written comments. Listen to the personal stories, read comments, and share your own. See/Hear: … Read More »
Marking the 16th annual World Mental Health Day (October 10), UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “Mental health is of paramount importance for personal well-being, family relationships and an individual’s ability to contribute to society. On this World Mental Health Day, let us recognize that there can be no health without mental health.” Original Source:… Read More »