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Browse published articles attributed to Bill White, with full-archive search.
What in the world could a common office tool used to create holes in paper have to do with synchronicity? Let’s take a look at what a hole punch is useful for and then I’ll draw my analogy. The most obvious thing a hole punch does is punch holes. That would seem obvious right? But why do we ...
With each new year we re-adjust our course and set new goals. These goals, born in winter, are set forth in hopes of a spring bloom. As winter gives way to the early signs of spring, we see the budding trees and the days growing longer, little by little. It’s at this time that we often realize ...
I found an editorial in the March 6, 2007 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine that I believe is spot-on. It was written by Wayne Katon, M.D. and Peter Roy-By e, M.D., from the University of Washington School of Medicine. The subject matter was poor treatment practices, as well as outcomes, for anxiety disorder sufferers who receive primary care-based mental health care. The editorial begins with Drs. Katon and Roy-By e referring to the anxiety disorders as “the neglect
How many times have you started a project and, as you approached completion, found yourself losing momentum? How many near misses have you had with success? In my youth, I was a musician. I practiced with bands for about 15 years in all. One thing I became incredibly aware of is that as my ...
One could write and talk for days about the potential contributors to panic attacks. So much so that I choose to use the term “contributors,” not “causes.” And that’s because I believe using the term “causes” throws a very unnecessary roadblock in the path toward relief, as it attempts to find solid and defined explanations for why panic attacks occur. Ultimately, that’s great; however, I find it limiting in the immediate. At any rate, I want to discuss a very common psycholo
I often talk about the “secret messages” we receive from God or the universe that guide us along our path. You may have heard me talk on the subjects of animals, numbers or dreams and how they are vehicles for these messages. Another vehicle for divine communication that should not be ...
Life is a Hard Teacher: Failing to Have an Exit Strategy I can tell you a specific thing I learned early on when I started buying stocks. I had $550 in my account..not much I know...so I bought 1 stock, 100 shares at $1.90 a share. Just 3 hours later it dipped to $1.80 a share..so I bought ...
The first time you really experience a synchronistic event in your life, you feel a real sense of wonder and awe. It can be difficult quite simply because you get so excited about it that you want to tell everyone, and more often than not, you’ll get blown off and people will discount it as a ...
So often, my working relationship with a panic sufferer begins with an initial email of all-consuming pain, fear, bewilderment, and desperation. The writer has visited my website, identified with the content, felt a glimmer of possibility, saw my invitation to write, and did exactly that. But as this person wrote, just what were they really looking for? And what do they really need to receive at this most vulnerable, yet opportunistic, time? Those are hugely important questio
I’d like to discuss anger’s role in the generation and sustenance of panic attacks and anxiety. To give the matter its due, I’ve decided to present the information in two parts. In this edition, part one, we’ll review what anger is in the eyes of the psychoanalysts and cognitivists. And in part two we’ll have a closer look at how anger directly impacts panic and anxiety. Well, are you ready? Let’s get to work. The French psychiatrist, Jacques Lacan, a 20th Century pioneer in
It was a drunke Saturday night at Red's Place some fifteen years ago when I first heard about the grip. I was young, just over the legal age, and had a few shots too many, enjoying a "bacchanalian" night on the town so typical for that period of my life. A woman sat at the bar next ...
Hooked-up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while today. And I’m very glad we had lunch together. You know, the lessons life unexpectedly throws our way can be absolutely amazing. She taught me one such lesson. Suzanne and I were in the same cohort throughout grad school. I’ll never forget that very first class, as sixteen of us gathered for what would be the first of many experiences together over the next two years. As I looked around the room I noticed a woman with a very
Fear, be it a thought or an emotion, is at the very foundation of panic. And, of course, panic sufferers find all sorts of creative ways to generate fear; and it generally has much to do with overreaction and misinterpretation. Am I right? Well, I propose these self-defeating dynamics can, in time, be reversed with consistent dosages of logic. That said, let’s take a look at some statistics. How ‘bout we call them facts... Your chances of dying on a single airline flight on o
I’d like to share two concepts I believe will be of great assistance as we approach panic attacks, agoraphobia, derealization, and depersonalization - any of our anxiety and mood-driven misery, for that matter. They play so very big and need to be put into practice over and over again. And that’s exactly why I came up with names that are easily remembered. The first is “interpreaction,” which reminds us of the fact that interpretation always drives reaction. And the second i
I’ll tell you right up front, this article in a “longie.” But if you hang in there a read it all, I’ll guarantee you’ll learn tons of stuff about why panic attacks occur. And, of course, with that information in your back pocket you can also learn how to make them go away. In my opinion, the key anatomical player in the generation of panic attacks is an almond-shaped, one-inch long grouping of nuclei (cluster of nerve cells) in the brain called the amygdala. And what do you
In a previous article I discussed the importance of including balance issues in any discussion of the contributors to panic attacks and anxiety. Amazingly, this connection hasn’t received much attention, but it appears as though that’s changing. Yes, children with balance issues are being assessed for signs and symptoms of anxiety, and intervention strategies and techniques are being developed and implemented. This is great news, as it holds the potential to save millions fro
In my eWorkbook, Panic! …and Poetic Justice, I share a story about crossing the I-43 bridge, with its open view of Green Bay (the actual bay) to the northeast, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. As I was driving the incline of the bridge, the whole experience was bombarding me with all sorts of mental, emotional, and physical aggravation. Among these, my upper abdomen tightened-up and wanted to spasm, my breathing became fast and shallow, I began to physically feel like a two-by-four,
The human brain is absolutely amazing. And as much as we’ve learned about it, it remains one incredibly mysterious three-pound mass of tissue and fluid. The brain’s functioning has certainly been a puzzle to me over the many years, as it’s facilitated a long bout with panic disorder, as well as dances with other distressing mental, emotional, and physical phenomena. Lately, I’ve become more and more fascinated with how a panic sufferer’s assorted pathological challenges prese
So I answered the phone and the details were tough to hear. Yes, one of those cases that requires a gut-check before making the scene. Seems a woman, seven-months pregnant no less, was about to inject her daily heroin fix when her fiancé intervened and called the police. Out they came to the house, arrested the woman, and stopped by the E.R. for a medical assessment before taking her in for booking. By the way, I found out later that one of my colleagues got the first call; h
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “Dang, she’s really in a zone!” Or maybe you’ve thought, “Man, am I in a zone!” This “zoneness” is well worth discussing because it can really very positively impact a panic sufferer’s life. Tune in! Before we go any further, what exactly does “getting into a zone” mean; and why is it so “well worth discussing?” Getting into a zone is when one finds that very special place during an activity where everything just seems to flow. It’s as if yo
I was involved in a situation several days ago that rekindled some thoughts I’d been having over the past few months. I’d like to share what’s on my mind. I had been summoned to an emergency department to do a psych assessment on a woman who just hours before had her suicidal plan interrupted by a police officer. Going in to the case I was aware of what had happened and I’d also been informed the woman was acting upon the influence of the delusion that the FBI wanted her to
How ‘bout I start things off with a simple, yet direct, statement - don’t be a control freak! This article actually comes from an eworkbook I wrote for panic attack and anxiety sufferers; however I’m thinking the information really applies to most any of us. And that’s why I’m sharing. Now, I know the concept of control seemingly means so much to us, especially in these rocky times, with so many out of work and struggling to deal with the financial fallout. However, in many