Handouts & questionnaires for panic, agoraphobia & depersonalization
1st September 2008
I've been working on the 'Panic & depersonalization' handouts list in the Good Knowledge section of this website. The list contains most of the handouts and questionnaires I currently use when working with people suffering from panic disorder, agoraphobia or depersonalization/ derealization disorder. Here they are with brief descriptions: Panic …
Nourishing self-esteem – second post
31st August 2008
In yesterday's post I discussed interesting research (Marigold, Holmes, & Ross, 2007) on boosting self-esteem by helping people allow appreciation in rather than dismissing it. In these studies, the typical experimental instructions were: "Think of a time when your partner told you how much he/she liked something about you. For …
Nourishing self-esteem – first post
30th August 2008
People who are low in self-esteem are often self-defeatingly, self-protective. They would like other people to accept and respect them for the good qualities they have. However they fear that, if they are seen to have certain strengths, they will at some stage fail to live up to other's expectations …
Organization of teratology information specialists (OTIS)
29th August 2008
Teratology is the study of the effects that drugs, medications, chemicals and other exposures may have on the unborn child during pregnancy. Particulary when a mother is taking a medication that is helping her stay well, it can be a difficult decision whether or not to stop taking the medication …
Recent research: five studies on depression – including side-effects, young people, heart attacks, and bipolar disorder
28th August 2008
Here are the abstracts of five recent research studies on depression and antidepressants. The first confirms earlier work showing an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding with SSRI's (particularly if also taking NSAID's). The second highlights the potential physical survival value of screening for and treating depression in people who have …
Agoraphobia
25th August 2008
I'm gradually adding content to the 'Good Knowledge' database. I've just put in some information on agoraphobia. It reads: The US DSM IV diagnostic system describes the "essential features" of agoraphobia in the following way: "There is intense fear of, or discomfort in, settings from which escape is difficult or …
Recent research: spiritually modified CBT, happiness & freedom, healthy goal disengagement, and hoarding & OCD
21st August 2008
Hodge, D. R. (2008). "Constructing spiritually modified interventions: Cognitive therapy with diverse populations." International Social Work 51(2): 178-192. [Abstract/Full Text] Although cognitive therapy is widely used, little attention has been given to the value assumptions embedded in the self-statements that are at the heart of the change process. Constructing statements …
Relationships, self-esteem and health - second posting
17th August 2008
Looking at research like the studies by Stinson on self-esteem, relationships and illness (Stinson, Logel et al. 2008), it's easy to start to see self-esteem as a "the-more-the-better" quality. It is true that higher self-esteem is robustly associated with higher levels of happiness, increased initiative and less tendency to depression …
Relationships, self-esteem and health - first posting
16th August 2008
Poor relationships damage our health. Recent research powerfully demonstrates this point (Stinson, Logel et al. 2008). In these studies, relationships were assessed in three different ways - relationship quality (closeness, trust, satisfaction), number of friends, and relationship stress. Sheldon Cohen (Cohen 2004) has argued that these three aspects of relationships …
Recent research: acute stress disorder & CBT, ‘life skills’ for medical students, and borderline personality disorder prevalence
14th August 2008
Bryant, R. A., J. Mastrodomenico, et al. (2008). "Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Arch Gen Psychiatry 65(6): 659-667 [Abstract/Full Text] Context Recent trauma survivors with acute stress disorder (ASD) are likely to subsequently develop chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cognitive behavioral therapy for ASD may prevent …