Do you believe joy is possible? Many people I work with feel they passively exist without joy. Depression, anxiety, trauma, etc. may initially cause this, but then it is perpetuated by a lack of engagement in life. People do better when they are actively living. In the last post, we talked about what is the […]
Is joy possible? Finding your purpose through active living Read Post »
People that are suffering can sometimes lose sight of the meaning and purpose of life. At times, they begin to question the meaning of it all and the reasons why they would choose to continue to struggle. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the meaning of life as it is up to the individual to
Life in Search of Meaning: Finding Your Meaning and Purpose of Life Read Post »
Do you get a thought stuck in your head and then can’t stop thinking, analyzing, and worrying about it? Are these thoughts negative and focused on possible mistakes you have made? Do you let problems eat away at you? These are examples of ruminating thoughts. Ruminative thinking is not problem-solving that is productive, it is the
How to stop ruminating: Ruminative thinking doesn’t solve problems! Read Post »
The FDA’s recent approval of Esketamine (Spravato by Janssen Pharmaceuticals) has been met with much excitement (and some controversy) for it’s potential to help people with treatment-resistant depression. Despite it being a potentially life-threatening condition treatment-resistant depression medication options are limited. 12-20% of people diagnosed with major depression don’t respond to conventional antidepressant treatment. According to the
It’s that time a year again! How did it come back so fast? With summer winding down and fall weather returning, depression can rear its ugly head for those who experience seasonal dips in their mood. Light therapy for seasonal depression works. Often called “light box therapy” because historically it required sitting in front of a
Light Therapy for Seasonal Depression: What works? Read Post »
WHAT IS SELF-RESPECT? In my profession, I see lots of people who feel broken. Some have been struggling for years with depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc…. but others are broken because they are afraid to be themselves. I wish I had a magic wand or even a magic pill, anything to make it easier for people
What is Self-Respect? Read Post »
Preventing suicide does not happen by offering simple platitudes (“You have so much to be grateful for”) or by saying comments like: “It’s wrong”, “It’s selfish”, etc…but by coming up with a focused suicide prevention plan. Suicide and suicide thoughts are a response to incredible pain. The pain seems unending to the person experiencing it.
Suicide Prevention Plan: 5 Tips to Deal With Thoughts of Suicide Read Post »
As a psychiatrist, part of my job is to talk to people about suicide. In my profession, hearing about suicidal thoughts is not uncommon. Read this post if you need help with suicidal thoughts or if you want to learn how to help someone who is suicidal. Suicide prevention hotline: 800-273-8255 Suicidal thoughts are
A Psychiatrist’s Take on Suicidal Thoughts and Suicide Prevention Read Post »
Are you looking for ideas how to beat depression? There are many interventions for depression that can help. Don’t let your brain trick you into thinking it will never get better and that you will always feel this bad. This isn’t true! You may not believe me but I see people get better all the
11 Effective Interventions for Depression Read Post »
Our thoughts help shape how we feel. Depression can cloud people’s outlook with negative thoughts that focus on everything that feels wrong. When thoughts are shifted toward the positive, outlooks change and the light can start to shine through. Postive, healing mantras can be used as one tool to help fight off depression and shift
30 Healing Mantras For Depression Read Post »
In the last 2 posts about exercise and depression, I discussed how to help depression. We talked about how exercise helps depression, why it’s important to exercise even if you take an antidepressant, and how to create a plan with achievable goals that are broken down into smaller action steps. Now its time to think about
3 Tips For Exercise: How to Stay Motivated when Depressed Read Post »
In the last post about exercise and depression, I discussed the benefits of exercise on depression and why it is worth it to push yourself even when you have no energy. Exercise helps with overcoming depression but are you wondering how to get motivated when you are depressed? Depression can make it hard to get
Exercise and Depression: How to get started when you want to stay in bed Read Post »
