The wonder drugs to treat mental and physical illness!

There are two magical remedies for mental as well as physical health problems. The problem with these remedies is they are not in pill form so patients and clients are not as motivated to try them because they include work and behavioral changes. So, whoever is able to turn these two antidotes into pills will be a very wealthy person since every doctor is going to prescribe them. The remedies I am talking about are EXERCISE and HUMOR. To start the weekend off with some laughter I decided to have Will Ferrell take the lead in this video clip.

How to bounce back from a sports injury

Being an athlete comes with a lot of sacrifices and blessings but one of the toughest things to overcome are injuries. Injuries don't just mean we have to take a break from the sport. They also mean a change of our daily routine, social interactions, a possible change of athletic goals, which often is accompanied by feelings of anxiety and some level of depression plus uncertainty about the future. While non-athletes in most cases know how to rest and give their body time to recover, athletes are a different breed. Often athletes do not not know how to take a break after an injury. Their brains, which are trained from a young age to ignore pain, play tricks on them by directing inner self-talk towards "I can play through this.", "It is not as bad.", "I have played through worse.". This mentality leads them to ignore the body's pain signals to stop and as a result causes more severe injuries. 

I am guilty of training and playing through certain pains and injuries myself which resulted in a dislocation of my shoulder and various ankle sprains. Yes, I am one of those crazy athletes who competed with a broken bone justifying it through the irrational thought of "my team needs me to win". But, now being somehow wiser through experience, I appreciate this article which gives general guidelines on how to overcome injuries the healthy way. I wish I had more coaches, counselors, therapists, etc. who had taught me a balance between pushing oneself and listening to my body's signals. 

PTSD and its generational effects.

Did you know that trauma can be transmitted over generations? This article in psychology today explains some of the reasons. EMDR therapy and other mental health treatments can help to stop this generational transmission process. Call today for more information. 

Humor to fight off mental illness!

Today, I decided to focus on humor. When depressed, anxious or struggling with other unpleasant emotions, one of the self-help skills which can create relief through the body releasing its own happy substances (endorphins) is humor.  Therefore, I decided to link this post to an in my opinion quite funny commercial. Enjoy and have a great day. (click the arrow next to the title)

Practicing Self-Compassion When Struggling with Anxiety

Anxiety seems to be one of the main mental health concerns of this century which can be observed at any age and in any economical class. Here is a new article by a writer who tries to offer some new tools to accept, live with and control the anxious mind. I especially love the suggestion of "tonglen".

What is addiction?

I love Gabor Mate's compassionate description of how he views addictions. While I do believe that there is a genetic component to it, I agree with him that addictions have their origins in hurt. Therefore, an addict who wants to stop will have to learn new skills to maybe endure and cope with the pain. 

The power of thinking

I often ask my students and clients what they think is the difference between "a glass being half full or half empty". The answer is well written in this little article. Viewing a glass and maybe the world as half full shows a positive worldview, which in response can lead to a healthier plus happier way of living. In my therapy sessions I try to challenge a negative view of life plus thinking errors and support my clients in finding more balanced and positive ways to see the world. 

Do I need therapy? quiz

Are you unsure if therapy is beneficial or right for you? Take this quick quiz, by John M. Grohol, Psy.D., which can help you to determine if seeing a therapist might be helpful for you.