Drinking and Problematic Drinking 1. Alcohol: Are all drinks created equal? Alcohol is the most widely-consumed nonprescription drug in North America. A standard drink contains 17 ml (14 g) of pure ethyl alcohol (or ethanol). The volume of a drink does not necessarily correspond to how much alcohol is actually in the drink. Different types […]
Drinking and Problematic Drinking Read More »
Phobias: what are they? Let’s begin with a description of what it might feel like to have a phobia of taking an airplane trip: “I’m scared to death of flying, and I never do it anymore. I used to start dreading if I had to take a plane trip a month before I was due
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What is Depression? There are various types of depression that psychologists see in daily clinical practice. First, there is Major Depression. Some of the symptoms of Major Depression include: Persistent sadness and / or difficulty enjoying activities Lack of energy / fatigue Problems with sleep (too much or too little) Problems with appetite (eating too
How would CBT by a psychologist help my depression? Read More »
Many years of research and hundreds of studies have shown that human beings have a need to be social and form relationships with other people. One of the more popular explanations for why we need to connect and attach ourselves to other people comes from evolutionary psychology. It is presumed that being part of a
Fear of rejection and the need to be liked Read More »
First, people who have social phobias should speak about their symptoms with their family doctors. The doctor should do an exam to make sure that another physical problem isn’t causing the symptoms. The doctor may refer them to a mental health specialist. Social phobia is generally treated with medication, cognitive-behavioural therapy or both. Medication The
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Are you afraid of being judged by others or of being embarrassed all the time? Do you feel extremely fearful and unsure around other people most of the time? Do these worries make it hard for you to do everyday tasks like run errands, or talk to people at work or school? If so, you
What is Social Phobia? Read More »
Certain kinds of medication and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy have been shown to treat the symptoms of PTSD very effectively. Helping all patients with PTSD includes first ensuring the patient’s physical and psychological safety, and that they have access to the required medical care, and needed community resources for self-care and recovery. The patient’s level of functioning
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Although slightly technical, this nice article on happiness is a real eye opener: it’s called What We Know Now About How to Be Happy . Even if it’s difficult to define happiness, there are strong relationships between health and happiness…
Being happy is more than not being depressed Read More »
Back when I was studying to become a psychologist, I had been fascinated by the “termites” – the nickname of the participants of a project by Lewis Terman, who over 80 years ago began to study 1,500 ten year old Californians. Generations of researchers have been working on this project, following the termites over the
The Longevity Project: Psychological predictors of a long life Read More »
I stumbled upon a great “infographic” : Desk Rage – The Tell-Tale Signs of an Overworked Employee. Although made to help bosses, I think it’s very important for employees (actually, everyone!) to know this stuff too. All too often, people suffer from these symptoms and don’t even make the connection between overwork and their
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