Psychology Articles

There are times in life when we get overwhelmed by our emotions – anger, hurt, sadness, shame, guilt, rage, desperation, terror. They seem to be so powerful and overwhelming that they control us instead of the other way around. They monopolize all our thoughts and energies, not allowing us to focus on anything else. We cannot calm down, we are irritable. Are we losing our mind? No matter what we say to ourselves, it doesn’t seem to help. It feels as though the logical part of our brain is not getting through the emotional one, no matter how hard we try.

Narcissists Need to Show Perfection to the World, At Any Cost There is an elderly woman I know (whom I will not name) whose narcissism is so severe that it is physically destroying her. This woman has been suffering from a painful auto-immune disease for thirty-five years. Progressively over the years, the steroids she took to relieve the pain caused irreversible damage to her bones, eyes, skin, muscles and organs. Her cervical spine no longer has the cushion of discs betwe

(I use "she" throughout this article but it applies to male victims as well) Contrary to popular misconceptions, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Acute Stress Disorder (or Reaction) are not typical responses to prolonged abuse. They are the outcomes of sudden exposure to severe or ...

SHYNESS AND LURES Lure is a word often used in hunting and fishing; it refers tornanything that attracts "with some fallacy" . It happens that the timid move in a world of lures or signals that trigger his social anxiety. The social fear is neither continuous, nor appears in all circumstances. But ... when it appears? What are the lures? Here we will see the seven most common lures. HOW WELL I FEEL AMONG MY PEOPLE! Being of modern man in society leads to feelings of confidence and happiness. --- "I feel good. My people around me and protect me. Nothing bad will happen to me. "r

A No Nonsense approach to Making Decisions. A Self Help Guide to having Backbone and Integrity in all your choices, short term and long term. Is this decision going to be good for Me? To help Me be successful? How do I make the right choices? What are the effects and the outcomes. Ask yourself, Who am I really making these choices for?

This seems like a silly questio I know! Of course it sucks; in fact any kind of pain sucks when we are in its grasp. If you are alive and human you have certainly experienced your share of heartache throughout your life. This pain is a significant part of our experience on this planet; ...

\ This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology is the study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. Positive Psychology has three central concerns: positive emotions, positive individual traits, and ...

"He knows not how to rule a kingdom, that cannot manage a province; nor can he wield a province, that cannot order a city; nor he order a city, that knows not how to regulate a village; nor he a village, that cannot guide a family; nor can that man govern well a family that knows not how to ...

You can have a bachelors degree, masters degree, PhD; you can be a CAC, LPC, NCC, MD, or any of the other letters that define us clinicians, however if you can’t create a genuine relationship with a patient/client you will not be an effective clinician. If we as clinicians do not genuinely ...

Are you frustrated with someone you care about who appears to be the victim of a perpetrator? Do you find yourself getting angry for this person? We all have examples of these situations and we often struggle with what to say, how much time to spend with the victim, and how to continue being their friend. Some common examples of these situations might be: Your best friend keeps bailing out his/her partner from the consequences of his/her addiction. Your parents keep giving money to your clearly addicted sibling.r

Have you been a victim or do you know someone who's a victim of Narcissistic Abuse and Betrayal? Are you getting a Divorce? Do you want to learn more about Codependency and People Pleasing? Learn why havingAuthenticity and Backbone will help you. Be among the first to see my newest blog posts, updates, and more! Subscribe now and get a free sneak-preview of my book. Click here www.backbonepower.com/newsletter-signup

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Families are planning to gather around the table to strengthen their connections to one another and maintain traditions. There is a good side to this holiday, and a not so good one. Let’s start with the happy side.

When the word psychologist comes up, most of us picture the stereotypical image of someone sitting with pen and notebook calmly listening to a patient stretched out on a couch unburdening their innermost secrets. The field of psychology, however, is so much broader than just clinical psychology. If you’re considering a career in psychology, here are a few unusual niches to specialize in. Forensic Psychologist TV shows like Criminal Minds has popularized forensic psychology

I just came back from a professional workshop about calming your inner critic and I couldn’t wait to share this interesting topic with you. Where to begin? Well the structure of the human personality is very interesting and complex. Fascinating and confusing, lovely and irritating, logical and irrational… and all at the same time. Our inner selves have different parts and that is why we all experience internal dialogues. Many people who come to my office feel they are going crazy or wonder if they are normal because sometimes this dialogue could be too intense or constant.

How do I know if I am acting codependent or loving? This is an excellent question and often confusing for many for different reasons. Let’s look at the definitions of codependent and loving and see what we find. Love: An intense feeling of deep affection. For the purpose of this article, we will include some distinctions of love: Truth Strong Energizingr Codependency: Codependency for the purpose of this discussion is a recognizable system of learned personality traits that negatively affect knowing one’s self and others.

Are superstars born or made? Do they have the genius of supreme achievement by an accident of birth, a favorable environment or from their own individual effort? Whatever the reasons, superstars are a different breed. They must succeed and they will succeed. They have an amazing capacity to dream big, strive even bigger and come through against all the odds. Can we learn to become better achievers by looking inside the minds of the big-time peak performers? Let's see what makes them tick and why they are able to achieve so much more and at a higher level than anyone else.

This paper presents research showing the biological basis for the theory of recovered memory. I define recovered memory as the phenomenon of partially or fully losing part or a specific aspect of a memory, and then later recovering part or all of the memory into conscious awareness. This paper includes data from the works of van der Kolk and Fisler, Knopp and Benson and Bremner.

If information and knowledge is the currency of today's marketplace, then asking questions is the means of accessing that currency. Knowing how to ask what questions when is important in leadership positions, sales, management, teaching and parenting as well as learning in any field of study. We ask so many questions daily that we take it for granted. But, there is art to asking questions. There are two types of questions: open and closed. Closed questions are those that can be answered with one of three words: yes, no or, sometimes, maybe.

nPersonality disorders usually refer to personality traits that are extreme or that cause enough difficulty in a person’s life to interfere with daily functioning to the point of “disabling.”nnA true personality disorder is more severe than simple negative personality traits we all show at various times throughout our lives.nnThe medical definition of personality disorder is:nn• Long-term, pervasive, inflexible patterns of thoughts and behaviors that are not well adap

Children and adolescents with conduct disorder are budding psychopaths. They repeatedly and deliberately (and joyfully) violate the rights of others and breach age-appropriate social norms and rules. Some of them gleefully hurt and torture people or, more frequently, animals. Others damage ...

With every emotional and/or physical painful experience in life, you have the opportunity to write and store knowledge about pain. You add new volumes every year. Moments of unhappiness, confusion, failure, depression, and the act of making the same mistakes over and over, all present the ...

Narcissism is an instinctive trait of self-love that everyone possesses to some degree. In infancy we all possess traits of narcissism that are appropriate for that level of development such as self-absorption, omnipotence and grandiosity. However, these same characteristic are seen as emotionally unhealthy when demonstrated by adults. As children move through healthy stages of individuality, these extreme narcissistic traits should diminish. Healthy self-love and self-estee

A playful challenge from an audience member helps bring to life the importance of searching for and developing your passion, whether in the face of skepticism, long periods of self-doubt and/or having to accept (even better, learn to play with and laugh at) your own flaws and foibles. Setting the stage for the dramatic close of my Practice Safe Stress program with the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Dentistry faculty and staff, I declared, "Find something you love to do, that you are truly passionate about.

Deep Breathing It is easier to learn this in the presence of a professional or via audio (see www.umfer.org to get mp3s with this exercise on it). Begin by sitting in a chair. Once you learn this you can do it lying down or while in line at the grocery store. First test your breathing by timing for one minute how many breaths you take, with each inhale and exhale counting as one. Notice how high your count is. Most people take on average between 15-17 breaths per minute. You likely are taking short shallow breaths. The goal is to get between 3-6. And no I’m not on acid.

Perhaps the most important application for your listening skills is when you communicate with your partner. A process called reciprocal communication provides a structure in which you can really hear each other. Here's how it works. When you're discussing a topic that is a conflict area for ...

WHAT IS CHILDHOOD ABUSE? Child abuse can take the form of any act of emotional, physical or sexual abuse perpetrated against a child. Child abuse can also take the form of neglect: ignoring the child's emotional and or physical needs. Child abuse can take place inside and outside of the ...

Since the beginning of time, people have been prone to procrastinate. Some of them are embarrassed by it (“Sorry, I’m late.”), some brag about it (“I put the “pro” in procrastination”) and still others have created a holiday for it.

Users of sexting represent a particular spectrum of the population. Some people don’t seem to realize the meaning or the full impact of their sexting activities on their reputation, career, their families and other people around them.

The human mind is often bombarded with many messages through the various media that we are exposed to. Some of these can be positive, producing improved self-esteem for example, whilst others can be negative, resulting in negative personality traits. Research has shown that these negative traits and habits can be significantly altered, or even removed, with the use of subliminal messaging. This is done by using positive affirmations or subliminal messages to replace the negat

Everybody tells you that you should have a positive attitude. We even kinda' sorta' know what that looks like, but what do you do if you struggle with negative programming and "stinkin' thinkin'"? First of all, do whatever is necessary to boost your self esteem. That seems easier said, than done. It doesn't happen ove ight, and tes a lot of courage to do things you don't believe you are capable of doing.

The acronym DINS (Double Income No Sex) was coined a few years ago in discussions about the evolution of marriage in this country. In research carried out at Georgia State University, 16% of married couples reported they had sex with each other less than once a month. As a psychotherapist working with couples, I agree that the pressures of a fast life and hectic days (and nights) can contribute to the reduction in the frequency and quality of sex in couples who live together, whether married or not.

I was having breakfast with a group of friends this morning. When I declined the biscuit offered to me, one of them said, “Oh, no, now I suppose you have gluten intolerance too, the latest disease fad. I wonder the next new disease will be?” To which all of the others laughed in agreement of her observation. I assure you, if you have intolerance to gluten, it is no laughing matter.

Schizoaffective Disorder occurs in 1 and 100 people. It was first diagnosed by Dr. Jacob Kasanin in 1933. Many people who have it are diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression because it is difficult to understand its symptoms.

Loss of trust in a love relationship can come about as a result of infidelity, a partner lying about money, one partner failing to be a loyal ally when needed, and many other ways. Regardless of the cause, when couples are faced with the dilemma of rebuilding trust after a betrayal, there are four strategies that can help. We call these CORE strategies. CORE is an acronym for Communication, Opportunity, Renegotiation, and Empathy.

Abuse by proxy continues long after the relationship is officially over (at least as far as you are conce ed). The majority of abusers get the message, however belatedly and reluctantly. Others – more vindictive and obsessed – continue to haunt their ex-spouses for years to come. ...

Ten-year-old Harry finds a sand dollar on the beach; racing over to show his parents this treasure, he plows right through the sand castle that his eight-year-old sister, Carrie, had just started building. Carrie bursts into tears, shouting “I hate you! I hope you die! You always do this! I’ve been working for hours on my pretty castle and you’ve ruined everything!” Harry and Carrie’s parents exchange a familiar look: another beautiful morning at the shore has been derailed by the ADHD-driven behavior of their children.

It’s my job to take care of everyone else. I shouldn’t need help. I should be able to take care of my baby by myself. If I say “no,” that’s selfish. They’ll be disappointed in me if I refuse. If there’s time leftover for me, then I’ll take it. Even if only one of these statements rings a bell ...

One of the most effective methods parents can use to help modify behaviors of their children, are natural consequences and positive reinforcements. Although consequences can be seen as punishment, and reinforcements as rewards, there are some differences. Natural consequences, sometimes referred to as logical consequences, are an established set of results, which occur from specific behaviors. There is no emotionality contained with the dispensation of a natural or logical consequence; it is just the given outcome of a particular behavior.

In the film “The Beaver”, the character played by Mel Gibson suffers from depression. He latches on to a tattered puppet in the shape of a beaver and communicates exclusively through it. The Beaver is everything its ostensible master isn’t: daring, creative, exuberant, omnipotent, and omniscient, gregarious, resourceful, charismatic, and charming; a good father, good CEO, and good company all around. In short: The Beaver is the reification of the protagonist’s False Self. Wh

Disclaimer The Negativistic (Passive-Aggressive) Personality Disorder appears in Appendix B of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), titled "Criteria Sets and Axes Provided for Further Study." Notes of first therapy session with Mike, male, 52, diagnosed with Negativistic ...

Research recently reported in the Monitor on Psychology shows that aerobic exercise not only significantly improves health and wards off disease, but it also may prevent—and even reverse—cognitive (thinking) functions. New neurons and neuron connections develop, which favorably impact general intelligence, logic, verbal ability and visuospatial ability.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET THE LATEST BLOG POSTS, NEWS, & MORE UPDATES FROM DR. ANNE BROWN. http://backbonepower.com/newsletter-signup Dr. Anne Brown, PhD, of Sausalito, Califo ia, formerly from Aspen, Colorado in her private practice has served as the trusted advocate and advisor to Influential Corporate leaders, Trial Atto eys, Athletes, Leaders, Physicians and their families, many whose connections extend well beyond the town of Aspen.

With a dagger in your hand, or a loaded gun nearby….anger is particularly dangerous. It’s one thing to slam doors, throw plates or simply yell, scream or have a temper tantrum. It’s an altogether different level of conce when weapons are involved. Anger itself is not a dangerous emotion; it’s the decisions that arise from an angry mind that become dangerous. Any person who is angry has choices about how to deal with that emotion. Unfortunately, almost by definition, anger is not rational, and the decisions made while angry are not thought out….

I assess bullying as a form of abuse. Our first child abuse laws had many starts and stops; they did not really gain traction until the 1970’s. These laws addressed physical and sexual abuse, not emotional abuse. Church and State enabled abuse and the paradigm that women and children were property of man and he could do as he wanted with his property. We do know female bullying in the workplace is on the rise. It is highly likely these same women are using their bullying tactics in other areas such as in their social situations and families. Healing From Emotional Bullying

Yoga is generally considered to be a set of physical postures; often a class to which millions of people throughout the world go to stretch this way and that. Yoga, however, is a much grander philosophy which encompasses not just physical health but mental well-being and spiritual regeneration. Yoga is often ridiculed and made fun of in today’s modern materialistic societies; it has also been revered in many of yesterday’s ancient spiritual societies.

Here is a relatively simple method you can do which may be effective in helping you overcome anxiety, panic or a phobia. Let’s take as an example a fear of…..swimming. Let’s say as a child you had some negative experiences while learning to swim. Perhaps you were thrown into the deep end before you really knew fully how to swim; or, perhaps you went running into the pool without your inner tube around your waist and soon found yourself, even in the shallow end, mildly terrorized as you realized you didn’t have your inner tube.

There are two indispensable elements that make forgiveness possible. Without them, people struggle with anger, hurt, fear and insecurity, without resolution. Let’s take the case of a couple where one partner had an affair. This scenario is not uncommon in our society, where 50% of married people admit to having had at least one extra-marital affair in the course of their marriages.

Are you living life or is life living you? Do exte al events or people push you into a negative state difficult to escape from? Or is it you who determines your experience of life? What happens in life cannot be controlled. Many things in life are imposed on you whether you like it or not. However, just as a competent surfer does not control the wave but masters the art of riding it, you too can determine how you deal with challenges. How to direct your own course and travel life’s currents in ways that are meaningful to you? Use your free will.

A recent article in the Wall St. journal, “For a Nation of Whiners, Therapists Try Tough Love”, has created quite a stir in the psychological community. The author advocates that therapists should provide ‘tough love’ for their clients, firing those who can’t stop complaining. “Crybabies be gone!” is her rallying cry. A bit harsh, I’d say. This psychologist believes that a little bit of whining is good for your health. Here's why:

Before we proceed to outline the psychological profile of the stalker, it is important to try and gauge the extent of the problem by quantifying its different manifestations. More plainly, studying the available statistics is both enlightening and useful. Contrary to common opinion, there has ...