Mountain View, CA

During 99.9 percent of our species' history, half of all humans died before adulthood. Depression and anxiety are evolutionary defense mechanisms without which humans would not exist. Regular exercise is a powerful antidepressant. A total of 280 million humans suffer from depression. Depression is expected to be the leading cause...

Evolution of Mental Health

Mental health disorders have become epidemic in recent decades. One of the factors in lack of mental health is the continuous focus on the external world. People must focus on and cultivate their inner world for optimal mental health. Mental health has become a prominent topic in recent years and...

Cultivating Good Mental Health

The cover story of Psychology Today this month, “Diagnosed In Adulthood,” made me think back to the timing of my own diagnoses. They all came in adulthood, in my late twenties: anorexia, major depressive disorder (with the modifier of with psychotic features added later), and borderline personality disorder.

Borderline Personality Diagnosis: Two Things That Matter

Navigating your child’s struggles while maintaining your own well-being can be incredibly challenging. Positive psychology offers valuable strategies that can help you stay connected and grounded. Here are five approaches you might find useful during hard times. I recently spoke with my friend Karen about navigating some of the...

Don't Go Into the Tunnel: The Practice of Loving Detachment

Traditional definitions of childhood trauma often miss nuanced relational dynamics that can lead to trauma. The definition of relational trauma can encompass trauma from power-imbalanced, dysfunctional relationships. Vignettes depicting examples of relational trauma can show how subtle and indirect actions cause trauma. In my last post, I shared six reasons...

Relational Trauma: Is This You?

Psychology research shows that clothes shape first impressions and first impressions linger. The clothes you wear in court will influence the judge and jury's impression of you. The goal is to look trustworthy rather than attractive. You are involved in a legal case and the big day is near. Use...

How Should I Dress for Court?

Death anxiety is associated with a variety of mental health disorders. People with physical diseases and disorders can also suffer from extreme death anxiety. At the same time, fear of death can motivate you to achieve your life's goals. Debilitating death anxiety can be treated with therapy and medication. One...

Do You Suffer From Death Anxiety?

Vaccinations prevent severe disease, disability, and death. Certain vaccines also seem to have brain benefits. Those who receive the flu and shingles vaccination have a significantly lower incidence of cognitive decline. Have you gotten the shingles vaccination? What about the flu vax? If so, I have good news and more...

The Surprising "Side-Effect" of Some Vaccinations

Criticism is damaging because it shifts focus from the issue at hand to the perceived flaws of one's partner. Persistent use of defensiveness only delays addressing problems within the relationship. Contempt conveys to your partner that you consider yourself superior and think very little of them. In 1992, renowned clinical...

The 4 Strongest Predictors of Divorce

Events leading to hospitalization vary from person to person. Psychostimulant use is often a contributing factor. The context is important for understanding the illness. My intention in writing this blog is to share the experiences that I went through with my son, starting with the first manifestation of his illness and our journey through numerous subsequent episodes. Also, my purpose is to provide commentary as a parent and psychiatrist on issues that these experiences bring up, such as how the diagnostic process works in mental health, and how to work with treatment providers and medication issues. My hope is that reading this may be helpful for people with mental health issues and also their families and friends.

Events That Lead to a Mental-Illness ER Visit

Los Angeles County, CA

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Herbie J Pilato

Actor Van Johnson, who died in 2007, was one of Hollywood's ideal films idols. In the 1940s, the charming screen icon was box office gold, and remained a popular presence on TV in shows like Murder, She Wrote (which starred his good friend Angela Lansbury).

The Secret Gay Life & Horrific Car Accident of Actor Van Johnson: 16 Years After His Tragic Death

Declutterbuzz

Clutter, can and often does, creep up on us because decluttering is an ongoing process. This makes our homes feel more like chaotic storage units than serene sanctuaries. Keep reading to learn how to avoid making decluttering mistakes.

How To Avoid Making Common Decluttering Mistakes

Salem, OH

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Northern Kentucky Tribune

Every day, 8-year-old Emma sits in a small garden outside her grandmother’s home in Salem, Ohio, writing letters to her mom and sometimes singing songs her mother used to sing to her.

Thousands of parents die of overdoses; advocates say their kids need more help

Denver, CO

David Heitz

An opinion piece appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA this week illustrates why the drug problem among people experiencing homelessness in Denver may be so severe. It's because many homeless people aren't addicted to just one drug, but two, according to the viewpoint's author, Benjamin A. Howell of Yale School of Medicine and colleagues.

Fentanyl-meth combo ravages homeless in Denver, so why aren't there better treatments?

Minimizing your feelings or your partner's actions is a lie that can wreak havoc on a relationship. The belief that you can change your partner is a dangerous lie that sets both of you up for disappointment. "We don’t need to talk about that" is one of the most destructive...

The 4 Biggest Lies That Destroy Love

Therapists' personal traits, such as interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, affect therapy results. Many patients drop out of therapy or realize later that another therapist would have been a better choice. Most people prefer an engaged and responsive therapist who provides feedback. Therapists who stick to one approach or are...

This One Thing Can Make or Break Your Therapy

A good-enough marriage greatly depends upon letting go of the idealized partner and the perfect relationship. Identify what each spouse desires, accompanied by agreements of support. Allow clarity about desires and needs to support expressions of love. There are at least three reasons why a marriage will be experienced as...

What's a Good-Enough Marriage?

Apache Junction, AZ

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Suzy Jacobson Cherry

When I studied Anthropology in college, I learned that teeth have been indicators of economic status just about forever. Archaeologists look at the teeth in ancient skeletons and know who the rich were based on their tooth decay. During the Renaissance period, it became fashionable for women to blacken their teeth to look like they were better off than they were, because the royals and aristocrats, who could afford sugar and sweets, had more rotten and missing teeth than the poor.

Opinion: Stop Stereotyping Bad Teeth as a Sign of Drug Addiction

In 2002, I returned to the United States following a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, where I initially lived in a slum area. I enjoyed my time in Africa, making friends and memories, but I never imagined I would return to the United States with “reverse culture shock.” Life in the US would feel foreign to me. I also never imagined that this would lead to my first full-blown psychotic episode, and radically change the course of my life.

Psychosis and Reverse Culture Shock

Colorado State

Saturday, Aug. 31 is Overdose Awareness Day. Unfortunately, we are all too aware of overdoses at Fusion Studios, the homeless hotel run by Colorado Coalition for the Homeless where I live.

Opinion: Denver homeless hotel diary: Overdoses common here

NewsBreak

Parent Stress Is a Serious Public Health Concern

Parents are under an undue amount of stress that has increased over the past decade. Parents are struggling financially and working longer hours, often to the...

Parent Stress Is a Serious Public Health Concern

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