PsyMontréal

When most people think of perfectionism, they think of striving at any and all costs to achieve a wanted result. In fact, psychologists have shown that perfectionism has multiple components, some of which are adaptive (and even desirable) while others are actually more problematic (because they get in the way of goals or can lead […]

Procrastination We all do it: delaying, navel-gazing, waiting, stalling, a-hemming, hiding, turtling, humming, hawing –whatever you want to call it. We all have procrastinated…. never mind for things we didn’t want to do in the first place, we’ve all (each of us, you too!) even procrastinated on things we needed or wanted to do too.

What Is Insomnia? People with insomnia have trouble falling asleep, have disrupted sleep, or they awaken too early. As a result, they may get too little sleep or have poor-quality sleep. They don’t feel refreshed when they wake up. Insomnia can be acute (short-term) or chronic (ongoing). Acute insomnia is common and often is brought

Eating disorders and their treatment Eating disorders (EDs) are widely-differing conditions, defined by distorted thoughts and beliefs, and strange behaviors, around eating, weight, and body image. EDs are typically accompanied by disturbances of self-image, mood, impulses, and social functioning. In this column, I present the defining features of the EDs, provide brief look at how

Dieting: it’s not a problem, right? It seems almost everyone is unhappy with their weight nowadays, right? Maybe not everyone, but in most Western societies, many people are so unhappy with their appearance and weight that there is a prevalent and strong desire to lose weight by repeated dieting. Roughly half of women, and significant

Panic is the most extreme form of anxiety. It’s the body’s strongest fear reaction. Let’s consider an example of what panic might feel like: “For me, panic is a terrifying experience. I feel like I’m losing control in a very extreme way and I feel disconnected from reality. My heart pounds really hard, I feel

Treating alcoholism was once limited to the peer support group Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) founded in the United States in 1935. AA has seen competition in more recent times with newer treatments including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Enhancement Therapy (also called Motivational Interviewing. Mood problems (a common trigger for drinking) among individuals with alcoholism can also

How is anxiety treated by psychologists and other mental health professionals? Many psychological treatments—such as relaxation training, meditation, biofeedback and stress management—can help with clinical anxiety. Depending on the cause of the anxiety, some people with anxiety disorders also benefit from supportive counseling or couples or family therapy. However, psychologists generally agree that the most

We all experience anxiety, but it is usually occasional and short-lived, and it does not cause us too many severe problems. Anxiety is the mind and body’s normal response to a threat. If you see a car coming towards you on the street …ding ding…the alarm rings and you run like hell. Anxiety can protect