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Category: Transitions

Depression and Anxiety Are on the Rise

March 4, 2025
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| Categories: Blog, Transitions
MJ

Now, some of you read this and think, "Duh." But others will be relieved to learn they aren't weird or crazy. You might be odd and old because it goes with being over whatever age you are when you fall all by yourself without any assistance from an external force. You weren't dizzy, no one pushed you, you just forgot about that last stair, or you seemingly just fell out of your shoes, so welcome to old age, that bridge you have always seen on the distant horizon. However, you have arrived and are standing in the middle of the old wood bridge that millions have traveled before you. You are not crazy. Crazy people don't think they're crazy. And there are now excellent medications for those folks. When you feel depressed and anxious because you don't know if you're going to be laid off, if you are earning, after fuel costs and bridge tolls pretty close to what you get paid, and if you can buy half of the amount of groceries for twice the price, you avoid long road trips or airplane flights, you've stopped going shopping and to lunch with the girls, or you only stop by...

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Need Sleep Now?

March 7, 2017
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| Categories: Aging, Anxiety, Depression, Families, Life Stress, Parenting/Children, Relationships, Transitions

A common sign of depression is sleep disturbance, not being able to fall asleep as well as waking up one or several times during the night or waking up before you are ready to wake up. It's also a common sign of a new baby in the house, worrying about something, feeling stressed and anxious, and various other things similar to what I've listed. This exercise is excellent although it will take some practice and patience. You can't do it once or twice and give up because you don't think it's going to work. This article explains why it will work for just about everything except someone snoring very loudly right next to you or living within feet of  train tracks and it's a much better solution than drugs that can be addicting like Ambien. Now, if your doctor prescribes Ambien for you please take it. You should do what your medical doctor tells you to do. However, you might also give this exercise a try and see how it goes. Good sleep is essential for good mental health. If you aren't getting enough sleep your symptoms will likely increase, not decrease, something you should avoid if at all possible....

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The Value of Sadness

June 22, 2016
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| Categories: Anxiety, Depression, Life Stress, Personal Growth, Relationships, Transitions

This is a very interesting talk that resonates with my observations over more than than twenty-five years as a therapist, that humans don't seem to grow emotionally without some form of pain or anxiety. So, when you're struggling with something it's likely that you're also growing. The talk also discusses sadness as opposed to anger or violence bringing people closer to each other. In my office I educate people to say what they need to say coming from the place of sadness or pain and not from anger, which is adrenaline dumped into the body as a way to get out of pain. Sometimes that's important but when attempting to communicate strong emotions with another it's pretty useless. Follow this link for the entire talk by Courtney Stephens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8li-3pRrA5Y

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Interesting Abstract About Online Counseling

May 27, 2015
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| Categories: Addictions, Aging, Anxiety, Creativity, Depression, Families, Life Stress, Parenting/Children, Personal Growth, Relationships, Seniors, Transitions, Trauma

Medscape Medical News from the • American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2015 Annual Meeting This coverage is not sanctioned by, nor a part of, the American Psychiatric Association. Medscape Psychiatry An Internet Depression Therapy as Effective as Drugs? Bret S. Stetka, MD; Jan Philipp Klein, MD Editor's Note: While browsing a poster session at the American Psychiatric Association's 168th Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Medscape spoke with Dr Jan Philipp Klein of the Lübeck University (Lübeck, Germany) Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy about the efficacy of a new Internet-based depression therapy. Medscape: What was the objective of your study[1]? Dr Klein: We were interested in studying Internet-based psychological interventions for depression, in part due to the large treatment gap associated with the condition. Many patients don't get adequate treatment for depression. Prior to starting the study we knew that there is an evidence base for psychological Internet interventions in treating depressive symptoms. However, in previous studies, the sample size was much smaller, and depressive symptoms were only self-rated. This was the first study to also include clinician ratings over time. Medscape: How big was the study? Dr Klein: We recruited over 1000 participants with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, and...

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