Robin Williams died last week. A man who made us all laugh. I think this was where I first met Mr. Williams: A man whose movies challenged us to not only laugh but to see how laughter fits in with challenge, and war, with growing up, and loving your kids so much it hurts. Robin …
FAQ’s about OCD
What is OCD? OCD is the acronym for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Let’s break it down into it’s component parts: Obsessions are thoughts/feelings/urges/images that are intrusive and unwanted that won’t go away. They are painful, bothersome and troubling. They are disturbing for sure: often in content, and in persistence. Disturbing content are things like: a …
Hump Day Nudge: Hugs
Hugs save lives…literally… And hugs are good for us: lower depression and anxiety increase immunity decrease blood pressure reduced pain improve quality of marriage and other relationships reduce the effects of stress Hugs take courage. Hugs are best given with permission. Hugs make the world a better place. Hugs create connection…and we are created for …
Worrying
The February 17th edition of Maclean’s magazine’s cover story was all about “The new worry epidemic”. In the article, worry is used interchangeably with anxiety, both of which are different than fear. Fear is the “flight/fright/freeze” response that occurs when one is exposed to a threat of some kind…a danger. Fear is in the now. …
Depression vs Vitality
I’ve been pondering Andrew Solomon’s exquisite reflections on his own experience with depression. As a writer, he captures the pain and anxiety of depression remarkably. He wraps depression with words to enable those who have depression to feel understood and validated and affirmed. No, you are not crazy, you are not alone, and you definitely …
FAQ’s about Hypochondria
What is Hypochondria? Hypochondria occurs when a person is abnormally concerned about his/her health in a way that doesn’t fit the picture. It becomes a disorder when it continues for longer than six months, and interferes with a person’s ability to function normally. The anxiety is significant, and surrounds concern that a person has a …
Hump Day Nudge: Stage Fright Giggles
For many that have anticipated standing up in front of a crowd to talk or sing or present or play or act, the very thought of it creates sweaty palms, dry mouth, upset tummy, jiggly knees, ear-ringing, and instant hot flushes. I kinda like Joe Kowan…his courage, candidness and cowering in this talk…I like how …
The dark side of integrity–terror! :)
As a therapist, I have a front row seat every day to displays of raw courage. There ain’t nothing like it…I see people take enormous risks and say things out loud that they’ve never even dared form into an official thought inside their head. It’s awesome…truly. A gift that clients give me daily is to …
Making Space for Discomfort in Transitions
We all expect hard times when a tough transition hits…a person is diagnosed with cancer, a house burns down, or there is a sudden car accident. It’s rough when tragedy strikes and all of life changes in an instant. In the case of serious illness, the transition may be expected…a relative dies after being in …
Anxiety creates distance
Think about the last time a person intimidated you…maybe he was someone you wanted to impress, or maybe he was very articulate, or maybe he was someone you really wanted to be liked by. The stakes were high…and you were scared. Quick, without thinking about it, how do you behave? I’ll tell you what many …