For a long time, the brain of an adult was considered as a rigidly fixed, hard-wired organ. The latest scientific findings, however, show just the opposite, proving not only something that Buddhists have always known, but also illustrating why psychotherapy ‘works’ … and that many of our weaknesses might actually be more changeable than we […]
To a high extent, the work of a psychotherapist consists of the treatment of the various forms of depression, so I’ve always tried to improve my understanding of this particular form of mental disorder – and of its most extreme form, the idea to commit suicide. So I’ve continuously gathered data on suicide – here […]
Today, I stumbled upon an impressive and moving interview with the survivor of a suicide attempt that was published in a newspaper article in September 2000. In a state of presuicidal constriction / presuicidal syndrome, Kevin Hines jumped of the Golden Gate Bridge and survived this jump only by extremely fortunate circumstances . Today he […]
A nice friend just sent me a link to this article: Addiction is a brain disease, experts declare (Source: L.A. Times, August 16, 2011) But wait: addiction is now ‘a brain disease‘?! Well, be warned – here comes a therapist’s viewpoint on that! 😉 The scientific community in the US and Europe is highly influenced […]
One of the lesser known aspects of psychotherapy is the rule of confidentiality. This rule (which by the way is not a binding part of Thai law yet, but handled very strictly in most Western countries) basically says that everything a client tells in the context of an ongoing psychotherapy has to remain between the […]
Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Counselor, Trainer or Psychotherapist? The maze of mental health-related job titles. Most of the people looking for advice, having personal problems or problems in their relationrships inevitably have to ask themselves: who is the right person to adress my issues? 100 years ago it was usually a priest or a medical doctor. Today, […]
‘counseling: who needs such a thing?‘ This is about the view some veteran personalities express when the issue comes to psychotherapy or counseling. psychotherapy still has a dubious image – people who need it would have to be losers or people who don’t have control over their lives. But a look outside the box shows […]
‘You’re psychotic!‘ That’s supposed to be the ‘polite’ form of the phrase ‘You’re insane!’, used by some when they can’t explain the actions of a person. In deeply nature-bound cultures, people whose behavior strongly deviated from what was perceived as ‘normal’, were treated by magicians and shamans. In the West, however, they were locked up […]
Posttraumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) was very much one of the centers of attention during the last years of psychological research. Posttraumatic stress disorders may develop when people are exposed to life-threatening situations – such as natural disasters, assassinations, sexual abuse or war events. It is estimated that up to 50% of all U.S. soldiers returning […]
Antidepressants are now the best-selling drugs in the USA – and their consumption has doubled in the last 10 years. This was established by a meta-analysis of studies from 1996 to 2005 among 50,000 children and adults and published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Currently 10 percent of Americans – about 27 million people […]