The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-5, is about to be released. There has been mixed response from the medical community about the revisions in the "Bible of mental disorders." One expert, Dr. Thomas R. Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, suggests that the DSM is the best out there at the moment, but would like to see some changes.

Dr. Insel believes that disorders should be categorized not only by symptoms, but by also looking at biology, genetics, and neuroscience. Chairman of the DSM revisions and professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. David J. Kupfer commented on this problem. He said, "The problem that we’ve had in dealing with the data that we’ve had over the five to 10 years since we began the revision process of D.S.M.-5 is a failure of our neuroscience and biology to give us the level of diagnostic criteria, a level of sensitivity and specificity that we would be able to introduce into the diagnostic manual."

Insel and other scientists are looking to establish a new way of looking at and diagnosing mental disorders. To learn more about this subject, read the New York Times Article - Psychiatry's Guide is Out of Touch With Science, Experts Say.

Click here to read my blog - How Changes in New DSM-5 Impact Those With Asperger Syndrome.

Each and every individual is endowed with strengths and weaknesses. In order to find success and joy in life, you must learn to work with those strengths and weaknesses. How is this possible?  

The New York Times published an interesting article about a man who has mastered the art of working with his strengths and overcoming his weaknesses. His name is Adam Grant. He is a professor at Wharton and an organizational psychologist. Organization psychology takes the principles of psychology and apply them to the workplace. He works with companies to help them care for and motivate their employees and also works with the employees to get the most out of their work. Grant is approachable, helpful, and dedicated. He believes that the biggest source of motivation should be found in helping others. His book, "Give and Take" centers around this idea that satisfaction and productivity are linked to extreme giving. 

 

What struck me about Grant was reading about his childhood and adolescence. He was shy, socially awkward, and had a fear of public speaking. Grant challenged himself to overcome his social weaknesses and in the process learned that giving enabled him to do that. He learned to work within his strengths and weakness and now has joy and success. What a win-win situation! I recommend reading his story in the article - Is Giving the Secret to Getting Ahead? 

To learn more about finding success and working with your strengths and weakness, visit Personal Growth. 

Have people ever called you "too intense" or perhaps "too driven"? Or maybe people have said "Why don't you slow down?" or "Can't you do just one thing?" Do you have a habit of starting a new book to read before you have finished the old one? Is there only one person in a hundred who understands your jokes? Have you always felt like you just didn't fit in?   If you can answer yes to these questions, you might just be a gifted adult. A gifted person according to the National Association of Gifted Children is, "someone who shows, or has the potential for showing, an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression.”

One major characteristic of gifted adults is that they seldom realize that they are gifted. They may know they are smart, if they did well in school, but many gifted adults performed average in school.  And even if you know that you are smart, the term “gifted” seems extreme. Often times, gifted adults grew up with very little social reinforcement for who they are. When you think differently and act differently than most everyone else you associate with, most people come to doubt their perceptions and thus doubt themselves.

After years of rejection and misunderstanding, the gifted adult has much misinformation about his or herself that may even be described as a “false self.” Through psychotherapy and education about giftedness, the gifted adult can reclaim their true self and find the meaning in life that they have a hidden longing for. 

If you are a gifted adult or believe you have a gifted child, contact my office to set up an appointment. Let's unleash that gift together! For more information, visit Personal Growth - Gifted Adults  and Parenting Effectively - Guiding a Gifted Child.

When life throws you a curveball, we are often told to have hope. But is there any scientific proof that hope works? Dr. Jerome Groopman, author of The Anatomy of Hope, says there is truth to hoping. He writes, "Researchers are learning that a change in mind-set has the power to alter neurochemistry. Belief and expectation -- the key elements of hope -- can block pain by releasing the brain's endorphins and enkephalins, mimicking the effects of morphine. In some cases, hope can also have important effects on fundamental physiological processes like respiration, circulation and motor function." 

Hopeful people are happier, less stressed, and healthier. How can you develop a hopeful attitude? According to the research of Duane Bidwell, an associate professor of practical theology at Claremont School of Theology in California and Dr. Donald Batisky, a pediatric nephrologist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, there are five pathways to hope: maintaining identity, realizing community, claiming power, attending to spirituality, and developing wisdom. To learn more about these pathways, read the article How Hope Can Help You Heal. 

Hope should not be confused with denial or wishing. Hope requires moving forward actively not passively waiting. If you would like assistance in developing a hopeful mental attitude, set up an appointment with a mental health care professional who can guide you through this process. 

For more information, visit Mind and Body Health - Holistic Health. 

Do you struggle getting a good night’s rest? Do you feel anxious, stressed, and/or depressed? You may be experiencing a sleep disorder. It is estimated that one in fifteen Americans have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when the airway in the body is obstructed and then breathing is compromised. When this happens, the body does not achieve the deepest levels of sleep. This can lead to a laundry list of problems including depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, suppressed immune system, weight gain, and even cancer and diabetes. 

Sleep apnea often goes undetected. How can you find out of you have sleep apnea? The first person you can talk to is your dentist. A common indicator of sleep apnea is teeth grinding. Your dentist can look for signs that you are grinding. Then make an appointment with a sleep specialist. They can give your diagnosis. (For more information, read the article - Dental Screening That Could Save Your Life) 

Getting good sleep is vital to healthy living. One of my clients was experiencing psychosis and when he got help for his sleep apnea, he regained his normal healthy self.  As a psychologist I always check the physical health issues of my clients to make sure I am treating the right problem. The mind and body are interconnected and in order to experience overall well-being, we must look at the both areas. If you are looking to improve the quality of your sleep, don't delay in seeking assistance! It will make a difference.   

After tragedy strikes like it did yesterday at the Boston marathon, it is normal to feel fearful. It's a natural and healthy reaction to certain situations and at times can serve as a valuable protection. What isn't healthy is when that natural fear becomes a phobia.

Even if were are not directly involved in a tragic event, it is easy to still feel it. All we have to do is turn on the TV or go online and we see the horrific images and it immediately touches us. We place ourselves there and think about how we would have felt and reacted to the situation. What individuals have to be careful of is turning those natural feelings into irrational thoughts and feelings. Irrational thinking is what triggers phobias.

What is irrational thinking? When thoughts become exaggerated and illogical. The next step is for a phobia to set in. Phobias are serious and can handicap your life. The good news is that phobias are treatable. Lengthy therapy delving into the origin of the fear response is often unnecessary. Effective methods include therapies that focus on treating the symptoms are the most effective. Deep relaxation, systematic desensitization and “flooding” are all behavioral techniques that have proven remarkably effective with phobias.

If you are feeling any of these symptoms, do not delay is seeking practical assistance. For more information, visit Conquering Fears and Phobias. 

What does autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and ADHD have in common? Genetics! New research says that these disorders share multiple "genetics glitches" that can move the brain toward mental illness. For a disease to actually develop would depend on additional environmental and genetic factors. Keep in mind that this involves hundreds of genes and variations. (Read the article for the latest research - 5 Disorders Share Genetic Risk Factors, Study Finds)

I found this research astounding! The wealth of research that is pouring in has the power to transform how we think and feel about these disorders and how they affect the people we love. On April 20, 2013, the Asperger Syndrome: Partners and Family of Adults with ASD will be meeting to discuss "Using Research as Therapy." Knowledge is power. Ignorance is oppressive. Let's use the wealth of data that is coming out of ivory tower labs and use it to heal our hearts and minds. 

If you are not able to make it in person, please join us as an online member. 

How would you answer this question – Are people today more in tune with people or electronics? The answer is obvious when you look around you. You may be at a party, grocery store, doctor’s office and people everywhere are connected to their phones. Electronic devices offer many valuable services, but they can also cause some biological damage.

Barbara L. Fredrickson is a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill contributed a fascinating article to the New York Times about this very subject. Fredrickson highlights the biological science between the brain-heart connection. The bottom line is that we need to exercise our ability to connect with others. If we focus on building human connections, our physical health improves. That's a win-win!

In the article, Fredrickson comments, "When you share a smile or laugh with someone face to face, a discernible synchrony emerges between you, as your gestures and biochemistries, even your respective neural firings, come to mirror each other. It’s micro-moments like these, in which a wave of good feeling rolls through two brains and bodies at once, that build your capacity to empathize as well as to improve your health. If you don’t regularly exercise this capacity, it withers."

Let's work hard to build a human connection. If we don't, we might just lose it!

 

Sadness or depression? Common question, but mixed responses. Many are beginning to question the diagnosis of depression and mental illness. Some are claiming that doctors are too quick to prescribe medication and that medication is too often the first line of defense regardless of what the problem is whether it is clinical depression, mental illness, or life changes. The article, Are we over-diagnosing mental illness? provides an interesting look at the claims of the skeptics and the response of the medical community. 

Life changing events (death, illness, divorce) can lead to moments of sadness, grief, and frustration. Learning to effectively sift and sort through feelings and emotions is a vital part of coping with these emotions. You do not have to be clinically depressed or suffering from a mental illness to seek out psychotherapy. In fact, by being more proactive about your mental health you can often head off problems before they take root in your life. 

Medication, although often necessary, should not be considered the first and only treatment option, especially in the case of grief and life changes. Psychotherapy is an effective wellness tool without harmful side effects. There are many psychotherapy options that are now available and have proven effective. To learn more about psychotherapy and overall mental wellness, visit Personal Growth - Psychotherapy Options. 

I'm sure we would all agree that we would like the world we live in to be more empathetic. Empathy, compassion, and fellow feeling are not as common as they used to be. What can make the world more empathetic and altruistic? A possible solution may lie in the world of virtual reality. 

Stanford University experimented with this theory. They created a virtual reality and gave the participants a mission – deliver insulin to a diabetic child in the city. One group was given super powers like Superman and were able to fly through the city. The other group were passengers in a helicopter. Afterward each participants was interviewed. The interview was a test to gauge empathy. During the interview, the interviewer "accidentally" dropped a cup of 15 pens. The idea behind this is to see how the participant responds. Who would act to assist picking up the pens? The group who pretended to be Superman responded quicker and picked up more pens than the group who rode in the helicopter. In fact a few who rode in the helicopter didn't even respond and did not pick up any pens. 

What does all of this mean? According Jeremy Bailenson, one of the experimenters and Associate Professor of Communication summed it up nicely. He said, "It's very clear that if you design games that are violent, peoples' aggressive behavior increases. If we can identify the mechanism that encourages empathy, then perhaps we can design technology and video games that people will enjoy and that will successfully promote altruistic behavior in the real world." To read more about this study, read the article - Stanford experiment shows that virtual superpowers encourage real-world empathy.   

I know many parents are concerned that video games make their children more aggressive. It would be fantastic to see games that actually promoted healthy social interaction. Please visit the Parenting section of my website for more tips.