Children and adolescents that have been exposed to trauma, either directly or indirectly, experience, process, display and suffer from trauma much differently than adults.
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We cannot always escape stress because anything which occurs in life has the potential to be perceived by us as stressful.
Read MoreNarcissism, in its simplest form, is the pursuit of attention and validation.
Read MorePregnancy and child birth can send a mothers hormones and emotions rushing.
Read MoreIt is not always easy to give up a job when the workplace suddenly becomes toxic.
Read MoreFor some people, ending relationships with toxic people can be rather difficult.
Read MoreDo you have a greater appreciation for the rights and needs of others than the rights and needs of yourself?
Read MoreThe theory states that personality can be boiled down to five core factors.
Read MoreSupporting people through ptsd and trauma can be extremely time consuming and at times frustrating.
Read MoreWARNING: This article discusses child sexual exploitation and may be discomforting for some readers.
Read MoreAttachment therapy is a pseudoscientific therapeutic intervention designed to treat children with attachment issues.
Read MoreResolving trauma does not mean eliminating trauma. This is why I prefer the phrase ‘REFORMING TRAUMA’.
Read MoreHow can we increase our theory of mind and so improve our mental health?
Read MoreSelf-care plans can be quite complex and highly personalized.
Read MoreUnhealthy coping skills often ‘match’ how we feel or think during times of stress and distress.
Read MoreIf your partner is receptive to the idea of sharing passwords, what will be the rules and limitations?
Read MoreHere are some tips which may help you to overcome insecurity within your intimate relationships.
Read MoreDepression affects an estimated 270 million people worldwide.
Read MoreThe general lack of insight into themselves and others often leads to this feeling of being misunderstood.
Read MoreThe goal of ACT is to help people to create rich and meaningful lives.
Read MoreAnalysis paralysis is the rumination component of decision making.
Read MoreDo you feel embarrassed or ashamed when you see that someone younger than you has accomplished more in life than you have?
Read MoreDo you find yourself constantly drawn into conflict, chaos and drama?
Read MoreCognitive distortions are self-limiting and self-defeating by nature.
Read MoreExposure therapy is based on the very simple notion that it is always better to face your fears rather than avoid them.
Read MoreDabrowski stated that these ‘lower’ level influences prevented people from reaching the ‘higher’ aspects of the self.
Read MoreThis is where the communication before and after the ‘upset’ moments become extremely important.
Read MoreInteracting with these kinds of people can be extremely frustrating.
Read MoreSelf-awareness is the conscious knowledge of ourselves.
Read MoreThis can range from who earns how much to who spends how much.
Read MoreIt is easy to say that people who cannot love are self-absorbed and, in some ways, that is correct but not fully.
Read MoreHere are some practical ways to help you as an individual and you and your spouse as a couple manage troublesome in-laws.
Read MoreBipolar Disorder refers to a group of related mental health conditions.
Read MoreAbuse and neglect are extremely common within dysfunctional families.
Read MoreAnxiety is a typical response to stress.
Read MoreIt is important for parents, caregivers, teachers and friends to recognise the signs that a child is suffering from mental illness.
Read MoreNo. From the get go it’s an emphatic no.
Read MoreThese questions are designed to encourage thought and insight into how you go about getting your needs met.
Read MoreAutomatic negative thoughts become more powerful the more that they are reinforced.
Read MoreThe vast majority of us would have seen and heard about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in some form or another.
Read MoreObject constancy allows you to have healthy whole relations with people.
Read MoreThe term ‘empath’ derives from the term empathy and so relates to a person who is especially aware of the emotions that surround them.
Read MoreSince we are social creatures the human brain can never develop properly in isolation.
Read MoreDo you constantly feel like the walking dead going day in and day out with little to no sleep?
Read MoreKnowing if you are a good friend or not will allow you to appraise your friendships honestly.
Read MoreInternal objects refer to our internal representations of external objects.
Read MoreHere are some do’s and don’ts of coping with trauma.
Read MoreAbuse and trauma related support groups which are monitored and supervised properly can provide immense mental health value.
Read MoreThere are a variety of different symptoms related to depression.
Read MoreStress is a common life experience which we can never truly escape.
Read MoreWhy do we lie even when society tells us that we shouldn’t?
Read MoreSomatic symptom disorder is diagnosed when a person hyper-focuses on certain physical symptoms.
Read MoreOver all though, mental health labels do serve a purpose when they are not attached to people’s personalities and so remain abstract.
Read MoreResearchers don’t know the exact cause of OCD however...
Read MoreAll of these factors and symptoms combined makes a person much more susceptible to stress.
Read MoreFinding ways to manage both stress and anxiety is extremely important.
Read MoreBoth subsets of codependents willingly become hosts for their parasites.
Read MoreWhen a person is exposed to a traumatic event, only they can ever truly know and understand what they went through.
Read MoreWe are never truly immune to manipulation no matter how skilled we think we are in noticing it.
Read MoreThe ABC model is a basic CBT technique which assumes that your beliefs about stress directly affect or influence how you subsequently respond to stress.
Read MoreMental health care is just as important as physical health care.
Read MoreRather than the traits and behaviours being born out of ‘intention’, ‘malevolence’ or ‘evilness’, ego development theory...
Read MoreYoung girls who are not recognised and diagnosed as having ADHD often grow up confused as to why they are struggling with certain things compared to their female peers.
Read MoreResearchers are unsure why ADHD is comorbid with many other mental health conditions but they believe that genetics may play a role.
Read MoreExposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence which must be experienced directly, as a witness, indirectly or vicariously.
Read MoreGoal setting is a great way to keep ourselves on track and ensure that we stay committed to achieving our successes.
Read MoreThe more outlandish the abuser can make their abuse tactics, the less likely their victim will be believed.
Read MoreIf you do end any relationship permanently, you do not have to stop loving the other person unconditionally.
Read MoreShouldn’t the ‘imperfect’ images and videos be the majority and the ‘perfect’ images and videos the minority?
Read MoreBeing diagnosed with any mental health condition is not the same as receiving a terminal diagnosis within the medical profession.
Read MoreChildren and adolescents really are quite resilient and with appropriate help and support they can recover and heal.
Read MoreThe higher a participant’s ACE score was, the higher the chances were that they engaged in high-risk behaviours.
Read MoreSelf-pity is an unbridled obsession with wallowing in the displeasure of oneself and one’s misfortunes.
Read MoreUltimately, holding onto negative introjections will always do you more harm than good so they should be rejected outright.
Read MoreWe are all susceptible to anxiety, depression and other mental conditions at some point in our lives.
Read MoreYou cannot escape stressors because anything which occurs in life has the potential to be perceived, by us humans, as stressful.
Read MoreSo, you have imbued an arbitrary stressor with negative significance and you are now suffering from stress?
Read MoreThe Golem effect occurs when superiors, supervisors or authority figures anticipate low performance from those ‘below’ them.
Read MoreCognitive distortions are deemed ‘unhelpful’ because they are exactly that…UNHELPFUL.
Read MoreIf anyone is experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence, please do not hesitate to seek professional help.
Read MoreA lot of intimate partner conflict arises simply because the couple don’t know or understand enough about each other.
Read MoreSelf-compassion is the antidote to self-criticism and self-hatred.
Read MoreLoss is an inevitable part of life and we all respond to loss differently depending on our beliefs, values, social expectations, religions, cultures, etc.
Read MoreThe aim therefore is to achieve equality between thoughts and emotions because once they are equal, they are no longer seen as special and they return back to their arbitrary state.
Read MoreThe true self is often referred to by many terms such as ‘authentic self’, ‘original self’ or vulnerable self’. Likewise, the false self is referred to by terms such as ‘fake self’, ‘idealized self’ or ‘superficial self’.
Read MoreBefore committing to any one therapeutic treatment approach, do your research first.
Read MoreTrauma exists independently of ptsd and can be classified prior to, and separate from, the diagnostic criteria stipulated by the DSM-5.
Read MoreThe second lesson is… the choices, thoughts, feelings, etc that we make in the NOW can and will supersede whatever has occurred in the past.
Read MoreRather than experiencing anxiety that they themselves will be abandoned by their parent (or others), they experience anxiety about THEM abandoning their parent (or others).
Read MoreGlobal depression and anxiety have been on the up and up for a long time. We live in a hyper competitive, hyper comparative world and people are more stressed than ever.
Read MoreDivergent thinking involves exploring multiple possible solutions from multiple perspectives in order to generate multiple solutions/answers.
Read MoreThese are the mean, insensitive, cruel and derogatory comments, phrases, words or statements that we have internalized from the outside world.
Read MoreWhy are these recently arrived immigrants seemingly more resilient and therefore have better mental health than those who have migrated before them and those who were born and raised in the country?
Read MoreWellness is the overall experience of health, happiness and prosperity. Wellness involves proactively practicing and maintaining healthy life habits on a daily basis.
Read MoreCluster A personality disorders refers to a specific group of mental health conditions which are characterised by ‘odd’ or ‘eccentric’ thoughts, feelings or behaviours which often leads to social; awkwardness and social withdrawal.
Read MoreDBT teaches clients that their thoughts are ‘normal’ given their condition, and should therefore be ‘accepted’, however they must engage in change if they wish to improve their standard of living and overcome their challenges, stresses and distresses.
Read MoreThe third virtual space allows a healthy couple to remain independent whilst also being interdependent. The healthy couple can maintain their individual pursuits/interests and personal identity whilst simultaneously sharing pursuits/interests and having a separate and distinct ‘us’ identity.
Read MoreSome research has suggested that compulsive hoarding may be the result of deficits in executive functioning. Executive functioning is related to flexible thinking, planning, self-monitoring, self-control, working memory, time management, and organization.
Read MoreAnger is a typical human emotion and it can be viewed in one of two ways. State vs trait anger.
Read MoreSelf-compassion has all of the mental health benefits of self-esteem without any of the down sides (extreme highs or lows - pathologies).
Read MoreBPD is characterized by intense and prolific fluctuations in mood states (emotional lability), anger, insecurity (stemming from poor self-image coupled with severe abandonment anxiety), impulsiveness and self-harm/suicide.
Read MoreThe framework of ego development allows us to see full blown NPD as a form of arrested development.
Read MoreSerial killers however, lack genuine emotions. Serial killers often say that during the time of the killing, they felt no emotions only an intense adrenaline rush.
Read MoreThe ‘alliance’ refers to the reciprocal nature of therapy. That is, the client and the therapist must work together as a team if they wish to achieve the clients desired outcomes.
Read MoreThe ability to be assertive is a fundamental communication skill which can help you to express yourself more efficiently.
Read MoreThere is nothing wrong with feeling sad. It helps us to cry and helps us to release our emotions.
Read MoreConflict in and of itself is the mere expression of disagreement. A discord between needs, values, wants, beliefs, etc.
Read MoreSelf-serving bias is related to locus of control. As the name suggests, locus of control refers to perceptions of control.
Read MoreSuccessful trauma recovery/healing requires people to develop object constancy so that they can have healthy whole object relations with others.
Read MoreWARNING; This article contains information pertaining to sexual abuse and sexual exploitation which some readers may find disturbing or offensive. If you feel that your emotional health is compromised in any way after reading the contents of this post, please seek immediate advice from a mental health professional.
Read MoreNUTS refers to 1. Novelty, 2. Unpredictability, 3. Threat to the ego and 4. Sense of control.
Read MoreIf you are aware that you have a tendency to self-sabotage, it would be a good idea for you to develop a self-sabotage plan.
Read MoreIt can be hard for people to accept and acknowledge emotional responsibility. People are usually raised to believe that it is what has happened to them which ultimately determines how they feel.
Read MorePsychology is the scientific study of the mind, emotions and behaviour. Psychology aims to describe, explain, predict and change human behaviour, etc. Psychology is not a precise science.
Read MoreIt is important to recognise that the antipsychiatry movement is not totally opposed to psychiatry. The movement does not seek to abolish psychiatry as a whole.
Read MoreWARNING: The content of this post refers specifically to child abuse and sexual predation of minors and contains reported instances of child abuse which some people may find graphic and disturbing.
Read MoreNeurodiversity is more than just a ‘fad’ or populist movement created simply to appease the egos of parents who gave birth to ‘challenging’ children. The concept of neurodiversity has solid groundings in science.
Read MoreGoal setting is an excellent way of removing anxiety and uncertainty. Goal setting helps us to manage stress, and remain calm, resilient and happy, especially when we are under pressure.
Read MoreSocial media has forced modern generations to forcibly ask themselves questions centred around “who am I”? “What makes me special”? “What is my status amongst these 5 billion other people I am exposed to”?
Read MoreIntimate partner violence is not restricted to heterosexual relationships.
Read MoreThis is how our authentic self should be treated. Regardless of how many times it ‘fails’ us, we must continually provide it with unconditional love and support.
Read MoreThese three examples highlight the relationship between interpretations of traumatic events and the associated emotional/cognitive responses.
Read MoreSo yes, resentment can be problematic but it can also be advantageous. It can teach us quite a lot of useful things.
Read MoreThis is where re-parenting comes in. You have to take control and become the parent to yourself if you wish to improve your distress tolerance and reduce your hypersensitivity to emotions.
Read MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic is unique in a very important way. It forces seclusion and isolation on a scale unheard of before.
Read MoreI am also going to intentionally ‘misuse’ the 8 stages as they were originally intended and instead highlight how each of the 8 stages can help to explain how a person can be ‘changed’ or ‘altered’ by an abusive relationship.
Read MoreMany people grow up with the idea that relationships need to be perfect or that they must always be happy.
Read MoreEgo states or self-states are the different personalities that we display within different social contexts.
Read MoreRyff’s model of psychological well-being has distinguished six core factors which contribute towards well-being; autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance.
Read MoreThere is an upside to granting psychologists prescription privileges (some US states already have). Generally speaking, a psychologist spends much more time interacting with a client than a psychiatrist or doctor can or does.
Read MoreThe id is present from the moment we are born and it runs on pure instinct, desire, and need. The id is entirely unconscious and it is the most primitive part of the personality, including basic biological drives and reflexes.
Read MoreThis inability to replicate previous findings has become known as the replication crisis and it is starting to jeopardise the integrity of psychology as a ‘scientific’ discipline.
Read MoreStressors can be events, places, things or people and all stressors have the POTENTIAL to cause stress if they are PERCEIVED as stressful.
Read MoreThere are four main concepts within schema therapy; Early maladaptive schemas, core emotional needs (schema domains), modes (4 modes), and maladaptive coping styles.
Read MoreSafety behaviours which are activated in response to anxiety and anxiety disorders are false safety behaviours (FSB). They are considered false because they are unnecessary.
Read MoreThe core basis of social exchange theory is the familiar saying “you scratch my back and I will scratch your back”.
Read MoreAt one point eating disorders (ED) were predominately a “Western” problem however the disorder has expanded across the globe affecting people of all ages, races, genders and ethnicities.
Read MoreGoal setting is a great way of keeping us on track and ensuring that we stay committed to achieving our success.
Read MoreThe goal is not to completely eliminate social anxiety: The goal is to return atypical social anxiety back to its typical form.
Read MoreConflict can help to release pent-up frustration: Unaddressed conflict builds up over time and the pressure builds up until the conflict is finally addressed and expressed.
Read MoreUncontrolled negative thoughts are parasitic. They are like leeches. They consume and consume and consume but they leave us with nothing but misery and emptiness.
Read MoreWhen our self-esteem becomes balanced and healthy across time and across situations, so too will our mental health become balanced and healthy across time and across situations.
Read MoreThe concept of decoded neurofeedback relies upon associating a particular neural pathway pattern with a particular memory.
Read MoreResearchers have shown that state gratitude is positively correlated with life satisfaction, positive affect and happiness and negatively correlated with depression, negative affect and physical aggression.
Read MoreWe all have challenges in life that we must learn to overcome if we wish to grow, learn and develop. For some people these challenges are much harder to overcome.
Read Morewe are responsible for our actions, and We are responsible for recognising and taking responsibility for how our actions can potentially INFLUENCE the emotional states of others. This is the basis of empathy.
Read MoreLoneliness is a distressing feeling that accompanies the perception that one’s social needs are not being met by the quantity or the quality of one’s social relationships.
Read MoreInvalidation occurs when someone, either intentionally or unintentionally, dismisses, rejects or minimizes our thoughts and feelings. Invalidation implies that our subjective experience is somehow wrong, unimportant or unacceptable.
Read MoreWe generally believe that negative events/stressors cause us to act or feel in certain ways. The reality is, negative events and stressors are neutral, arbitrary events which we as humans give meaning to.
Read MoreChildren and adolescents that have been exposed to trauma, either directly or indirectly, experience, process, display and suffer from trauma much differently than adults.
Read MoreClinical depression (also known as major depression, major depressive disorder or unipolar depression) is a serious mental illness that negatively affects how a person thinks.
Read MoreDr Willem Martens, the director of the W. Khan Institute of Theoretical Psychiatry and Neuroscience, suggests that contrary to popular belief, the psychopath experiences emotional pain the same as ‘normal’ people do.
Read MoreDonald Trump may very well see his ritualistic agnostic behaviour (RAB) as being higher than that of Joe Biden which is contributing to Trump’s refusal to concede the 2020 election. Trump may believe that Biden is weak and incapable of holding the office of president of the United States.
Read MoreDugan’s defence team used Dugan’s FMRI scan to demonstrate that the convicted murderer had deficits in brain functioning. The defence argued that these significant deficits in brain functioning contributed to Dugan’s violent and depraved behaviour.
Read MoreBrian Dugan was born in 1956 in Nashua, New Hampshire and is a convicted serial rapist and serial killer. Dugan once made a claim that when he was a teenager, he was abducted and raped by serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
Read MoreParentification occurs when children assume the care giving roles of the parents. The child is compelled to give up their own needs, wants, desires and childhood to look after siblings and/or their parents.
Read MoreReality testing can be learnt and achieved which leads to a better standard of living.
Read MoreSibling incest most commonly occurs in larger families where there is an abundance of emotional and physical abuse, marital conflicts, blurred or non-existent intrafamilial boundaries and significant parentification.
Read MoreRick had in fact murdered his foster daughter Tiahleigh to prevent anybody from discovering that his 18-year-old son Trent had been molesting the young school girl. Trent had disclosed to a relative that he had raped the young girl and was concerned that she may be pregnant.
Read MoreWithin the last 10 years, social media has pounced all over narcissism and psychopathy. Once conditions relatively unheard of outside of academia, social media interest in narcissism and psychopathy has exploded exponentially.
Read MoreEmotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the capacity of individuals to recognise and differentiate between the emotions and feelings of themselves and others.
Read MoreDuring the mid-90’s, psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun suggested that individuals who had endured significant trauma, either singularly or repeatedly, would experience positive growth afterwards.
Read MoreWhen people have experienced trauma, depression or are just in a slump and motivation is hard to come by, the biggest mistake they make when trying to set goals is not recognising their current state.
Read MoreThe ability to be assertive is a fundamental communication skill which can help you to express yourself more efficiently.
Read MoreThe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) characterises Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as a childhood behavioural problem consisting primarily of disobedience and hostility in pre-teen children.
Read MoreReactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a condition whereby an infant or young child was not provided the opportunity to form healthy and secure attachments with their primary care givers (i.e., mothers, fathers, grandparents, pre-school teachers, etc).
Read MoreThis stage occurs immediately following exposure to a traumatic event. The aftermath of a traumatic event leaves an individual confused and struggling to come to grips with what has occurred.
Read MoreTrauma, whether it be emotional, psychological or physical, damages the psyche and can, if left untreated, disrupt daily functioning and coping. The degree to which one experiences the negative effects of trauma can be exacerbated by risk factors or mitigated by protective factors.
Read MoreIt is possible that the cognitive dissonance between the instinctual flee or freeze response and societies perception of what behaviours constitute strong and weak behaviours leads to the creation of insecurity and the subsequent creation of narcissistic defences.
Read MoreHow do they do this? TEAMWORK. Ideally, both parties come into the relationship with the mindset of “This person is taking a risk on me. The odds are against them somewhat because they don’t really know me all that well. What actions can I perform to help increase these odds in their favour and thus make this risk/gamble more appealing to him/her?”
Read MoreThe ‘3C’s’ of psychological hardiness (commitment, control, challenge) supplies an individual with the courage and the willingness to dedicate oneself to transforming stressful events and situations from unwanted and feared catastrophes into needed and desired opportunities for learning, development and growth (Maddi, 2004).
Read MoreTrauma bonding is the bond which is created as the consequence of intense and prolific emotional experiences with a toxic person. The manipulator in a relationship uses mental, physical or emotional abuse to create a trauma bond which, ultimately, serves to keep the other party from escaping the relationship.
Read MoreWhat does a narcissist and a butterfly have in common?
Read MorePost-traumatic stress is a relatively new psychological phenomena which was classified in the early 1970s largely in response to psychologists recognizing that a proportion of Vietnam War veterans...
Read MoreWithin defeat and entrapment theory, depression is thought to be unconsciously manifested as a submissive behaviour which is displayed in order to minimise conflict and restore social rank imbalances.
Read MoreLife is challenging even at the best of times. Life will always have its ups and downs and the struggle will always be real. The ability to become mentally stronger and resilient however will help you to overcome any adversity that life throws at you. With resiliency and a strong mind, what was once a massive mountain of a problem that would send you into a spiral of depression, anxiety, helplessness and self-doubt becomes but a mere bump in the road and an exciting opportunity to learn and grow. So here are my 5 tips on how to develop a stronger mind and become more resilient.
Read MoreMost of us have experienced the whirlwind of passion, romance and excitement that comes with meeting a new romantic interest.
Read MoreThe phrase “oh, I’m so OCD” or “It’s normal, I’m just a little OCD” has become an increasingly common catch phrase to explain away perfectionistic tendencies.
Read MoreWhilst the two terms are used interchangeably, there are significant differences between a psychopath and a sociopath. To begin, one of the easiest ways to differentiate between the two is to remember that the P in psychopath stands for primary or pure and the S in sociopath stands for secondary or social. This means that a psychopath is of primary origin. From birth. Pure. The sociopath however, as the name implies, is socially engineered. They are secondary. Below psychopaths in the hierarchy and constructed via social means (i.e., influenced by another/others).
Read MoreWithin psychology, the concept of qualia refers to subjective or personal conscious experiences. The most common manner in which the concept of qualia is described is with the question ‘Is the colour red that you see the same colour red that I see?’ Basically, what this means is how can two people, who have different biological, neurological, genetic and epistemological makeups, be certain that they are seeing the colour red in exactly the same way? Philosophically speaking, it is not possible to know this. So how can we relate the concept of qualia to people who have experienced trauma and the trauma professionals who claim they can help them?
Read MoreLearned helplessness is the belief that we are incapable of changing the course of negative events therefore failure is inevitable. The condition stems from a lack of perceived control. Once learned helplessness has been relied upon for a long time, it can be rather difficult to reverse the effects.
Read MoreAfter so many years this statement from your parents can still play in your mind whenever you stand in front of the mirror examining your clothes before you go out. This constant chatter in your head that judges you and tells you that your clothes look silly. It’s the same as when you go to the beach or the gym and you suddenly become self-conscious and recall all the times someone has called you fat. Or ugly. Or any other mean comment that hurt your feelings and you still hold onto after all this time.
Read More1. Choose either a guided meditation or some calming music of your choice. YouTube is a great source for both options. The key to using guided meditation is listening. Really listening. Listening, trusting and following the instructions of your chosen guided meditation will help you to attain a meditative state faster. Once you practice meditation for a while, any kind of your favorite music can be used. Just keep the key ideas about meditating in mind and you will relax in no time. 2. If you want to use incense sticks or fragrant oils, choose very subtle fragrances...
Read MoreThe cowardly, violent and unjustified acts of mass shooters is implicitly related to malignant narcissism. The perpetrators of such violence feel compelled to act out their brand of justice and revenge in order to satisfy their sadistic desires on those who have, in reality or fantasy, wronged or humiliated them in some way. The perceived wrongs and humiliations challenge their fragile ego, superiority and grandiosity thus inflicting upon them the severest of narcissistic injuries. The mass shooter can no longer contain their repressed anger and humiliation and are forced to unleash the full wrath of their narcissistic rage.
Read MoreDomestic violence (DV) is defined as violence, sexual, emotional, physical and verbal abuse/ aggression and/or any other forms of degradation of one individual against another which, necessarily, occurs within the sanctity of an intimate relationship (Showden, 2011). Males and females can be either the abused or the abuser (Wendt & Zannettino, 2014). Ultimately, perpetrators of domestic violence seek to control and isolate their intimate partners by effectively rendering the partner compliant, dependent and isolated from friends, family and other external resources (Rees & Pease, 2007).
Read MoreCognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention which proposes that there is an interconnected and interdependent relationship between a person’s thoughts, feelings/emotions and behaviours (Lowenthal & House, 2010). According to CBT, modifications occurring in one domain (i.e., thoughts) can lead to modifications occurring in the other two domains (Rhodes, 2013). Therefore, unhelpful and unproductive behaviours, thoughts and feelings can be consciously altered, via a range of CBT based techniques, into more helpful, positive and productive ones (Rhodes, 2013).
Read MoreWe have all seen and heard about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in some form or another. Whether it’s through the depictions of war heroes in Hollywood movies or personal experiences with family members or friends who have served in the military. You may have even seen PTSD manifested by a close friend or relative that survived a car crash, experienced a natural disaster like a flood or earthquake, was in an abusive and violent relationship, or witnessed a mugging occur on the streets of their neighbourhood.
Read MoreDepression is something that we all experience at some point in our lives. Sometimes it is mild and we recovery fairly quickly and other times its more severe and persistent. Depression takes away the joy and happiness we once felt towards life and other. We become unmotivated, lethargic, withdrawn, negative and incapable of reigniting that spark of passion and wonderment that exists deep inside of us. So here are six natural and holistic tips to help you on the road to recovery. 1. Take things slowly...
Read MoreNote: I am not making any accusations or conclusions about Michael Jackson's innocence or guilt, I am merely identifying similarities between two celebrity cases. I'm pretty sure that everyone knows who Michael Jackson is so I won't go into his history too much. As for Jimmy Saville, he was a former DJ and...
Read MoreCognitive distortions are disproportionate and irrational thought/belief patterns or schemas. They can develop in response to trauma, repeated abuse, faulty introjections from others and as mental shortcuts. These inaccurate thought patterns/beliefs reinforce and exacerbate negative thinking and/or negative emotions...
Read MoreAll successful people know that the key to becoming successful is effective goal setting. These people have learnt that if they wish to accomplish their goals, they must make sure that they set SMART goals. S - Specific and clear M - Measurable and meaningful A - Achievable and attainable R - realistic and rewarding T - Time-based. So how did the creators of Homescapes incorporate the SMART model of goal setting into their game and how can you learn from it?
Read MoreWhilst everyone is familiar with procrastination, how many of you are familiar with analysis paralysis? Basically, analysis paralysis is the act of over-thinking about a decision so compulsively that ultimately a choice never gets made. Hence the notion of paralysis. The overthinking individual gets so stuck in the exploring and figuring out all the options stage that they cannot mentally progress onto the actual selection of a decision.
Read MoreThe American Psychiatric Associations (APA) decision to hastily introduce the diagnostic and statistical manual 5th edition (DSM-5) in 2013 was met with harsh criticism from psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals around the world. The professionals were concerned with how little outside input and influence the APA allowed prior to publication of the DSM-5 and the inclusion of more psychiatric disorders which were not clinically supported. For example, the DSM-5 introduced 14 new psychiatric disorders; 1. Binge Eating Disorder 2. Caffeine Withdrawal 3. Cannabis Withdrawal
Read MoreLabelling anybody who displays even a small degree of self-confidence as narcissistic seems to be common practice these days. Narcissistic personality disorder is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as an over concern with self-love and an idealised self-image,
Read More