Positive Psychology

The BYU Counseling Center sponsored their annual workshop last week, on the hot topic of Positive Psychology. It was a fun and inspirational presentation by Dr. Chris Peterson, a research associate of Dr. Martin Seligman. Here is their website, which I have only just begun to explore. Dr. Peterson said that taking their evaluations requires registering, but suggested that we use a fake email address if we're uncomfortable using our real one. More later!

More Resources for Anxiety Disorders

Here are a few more places to look for information on anxiety:

SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center

ADAA, the Anxiety Disorders Association of America

The American Psychiatric Association

and of course, the American Psychological Association.

Anxiety

These are stressful times all the way around, and even though there is reason for hope and optimism, I find that a large proportion of my new clients suffer from anxiety. Here is a good resource for information about anxiety.

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation in the office, study harder for an exam, keep focused on an important speech. In general, it helps one cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder.

The NIHM site is a trustworthy place to look for info on mental health issues.

Surviving Financial Stress

The January APA Monitor has an interesting article on dealing with economic bad times. The take-home info for family survival is:

Conger and colleagues observed that children in families whose parents put family first and continued to communicate despite the hardship fared much better in the short and long term than those who allowed the crisis to fracture them.

Youngsters "weren't terribly bothered by not having a lot of stuff," Conger says. "What bothered them was when their parents became angry and irritable and withdrawn."

Similarly, children whose parents maintained strong community ties did much better over time than those who were not as embedded in their communities, says Elder, Conger's research colleague.

"Kids whose parents were connected to church, school and civic organizations lived their lives the same way," he says. "Those involvements really predicted what they were going to do in their lives and how successful they would be."

Sometimes psychological research yields "well duh!" results. But it's nice that science matches up in this case with common sense. Go read the whole thing here.

Why I Love My Job

I attended a UPA Ethics workshop yesterday at the SLC Library (presented by Steve Behnke, director of the APA Ethics Office). As usual in these workshops, we discuss vignettes which involve conflicting principles or values--confidentiality vs. the duty to report child abuse, for example. One vignette Dr. Behnke presented was that of a Jewish female psych intern whose prospective patient is a neo-Nazi. Is the intern obligated to disclose that she is Jewish? Will she be able to work with a neo-Nazi? What if he finds out later in therapy that she is Jewish? Will it damage the therapeutic relationship? What is her ethical obligation in this instance?

One of the other attendees raised her hand and said, in gently accented English, that she was a Holocaust survivor as a child, and her very first patient as an intern during graduate school was the Utah head of Aryan Nations. "But he was not a big scary SS officer," she said, "and I was no longer a little child. He was a victim of child abuse himself, sad and trying to build himself up. The roles were different, and because I saw him that way, we were able to work together."

The presenter asked her what had happened if or when she informed the client that she was Jewish. "I asked him about it later," she said. "He figured it out in our first interview. He said when he told me what he was I didn't even flinch, and he knew that I would be able to handle his issues."

I love my colleagues. Every time I talk to them or listen to them they inspire me and remind me of why I do what I do.

Holiday Depression

Here's a good post on how to beat the holiday blues, from the Mayo Clinic website:

Tips you can try to head off holiday stress and depression:

1. Acknowledge your feelings. If a loved one has recently died or you aren't able to be with your loved ones, realize that it's normal to feel sadness or grief. It's OK now and then to take time just to cry or express your feelings. You can't force yourself
to be happy just because it's the holiday season.

2. Seek support. If you feel isolated or down, seek out family members and friends, or community, religious or social services. They can offer support and companionship. Consider volunteering at a community or religious function. Getting involved and helping others can lift your spirits and broaden your friendships. Also, enlist support for organizing holiday gatherings, as well as meal preparation and cleanup. You don't have to go it alone. Don't be a martyr.

3. Be realistic. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Hold on to those you can and want to. But accept that you may have to let go of others. For example, if your adult children and grandchildren can't all gather at your house as usual, find new ways to celebrate together from afar, such as sharing
pictures, e-mails or videotapes.

4. Set differences aside. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don't live up to all your expectations. Practice forgiveness. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. With stress and activity levels high, the holidays might not be conducive to making quality time for relationships. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are they're feeling the effects of holiday stress and depression, too.

5. Stick to a budget. Before you go shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend on gifts and other items. Then be sure to stick to your budget. If you don't, you could feel anxious and tense for months afterward as you struggle to pay the bills. Don't try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts. Donate to a charity in someone's name, give homemade gifts or start a family gift exchange.

6. Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make one big food-shopping trip. That'll help prevent a last-minute scramble to buy forgotten ingredients — and you'll have time to make another pie, if the first one's a flop. Expect travel delays, especially if you're flying.

7. Learn to say no. Believe it or not, people will understand if you can't do certain
projects or activities. If you say yes only to what you really want to do, you'll avoid feeling resentful, bitter and overwhelmed. If it's really not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.

8. Don't abandon healthy habits. Don't let the holidays become a dietary free-for-all. Some indulgence is OK, but overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don't go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks. Continue to get plenty of sleep and schedule time for physical activity.

9. Take a breather. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Steal away to a quiet place, even if it's to the bathroom for a few moments of solitude. Take a walk at night and stargaze. Listen to soothing music. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm.

10. Rethink resolutions. Resolutions can set you up for failure if they're unrealistic. Don't resolve to change your whole life to make up for past excess. Instead, try to return to basic, healthy lifestyle routines. Set smaller, more specific goals with a reasonable time frame. Choose only those resolutions that help you feel valuable and that provide more than only fleeting moments of happiness.

11. Forget about perfection. Holiday TV specials are filled with happy endings. But in real life, people don't usually resolve problems within an hour or two. Something always comes up. You may get stuck late at the office and miss your daughter's school play, your sister may dredge up an old argument, your partner may burn the
cookies, and your mother may criticize how you're raising the kids. All in the same day. Accept imperfections in yourself and in others.

12. Seek professional help if you need it. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical complaints, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine chores. If these feelings last for several weeks, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. You may have depression.

Exposure Treatment of OCD

Here is a very interesting clip of treatment for OCD. Dr. Owens and Mandi presented at one of our UPA Brown Bag Luncheons recently. Mandi is a very courageous and admirable young woman.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Here's a link to the entire story.