It is common to experience negative thoughts day to day, but when these thought patterns, also known as cognitive distortions, are persistent, they can interfere with your daily life and contribute to mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Read more ›
The challenges of living with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) aren’t just limited to kids. The condition often lasts into adulthood, where working professionals and sometimes parents have to contend with symptoms that make it difficult to stay organized, focus, and reign in impulsive behavior. Read more ›
Some therapists may take a particular approach to psychotherapy, like cognitive-behavioral or psychodynamic. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist who trains and consults with many other clinicians, I often find myself fielding questions about what type of therapy would be the best fit for a particular person. Read more ›
Hurting yourself—or thinking about hurting yourself—is a sign of emotional distress. These uncomfortable emotions may grow more intense if a person continues to use self-harm as a coping mechanism. Learning other ways to tolerate the mental pain will make you stronger in the long term. Read more ›
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy. DBT was originally developed in the 1980s by Marsha Linehan, a psychologist at the University of Washington.
Although initially intended to help chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD, DBT has since been adapted for and used to effectively treat a number of other psychological problems. Read more ›
Whether you’re considering CBT for yourself (or someone else), or you’re just looking for more information about it, here’s what you need to know. Read more ›
When a child is scared of the dark or being left alone, it can be hard for adults to know the difference between an age-appropriate fear and full-blown anxiety. This podcast episode from NPR is full of tools to help parents better understand and manage their child’s “worry brain.” Read more ›
Everyone worries or feels nervous from time to time. Anxiety is a normal human reaction to stressful situations. But for people with anxiety disorders, those fears and worries aren’t temporary. Their anxiety persists, and can even get worse over time. Read more ›
Self-injury, particularly among adolescent girls, has become so prevalent so quickly that scientists and therapists are struggling to catch up. About 1 in 5 adolescents report having harmed themselves to soothe emotional pain at least once, according to a review of three dozen surveys in nearly a dozen countries, including the United States, Canada and Britain. Habitual self harm, over time, is a predictor for higher suicide risk in many individuals, studies suggest. Read more ›
Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) find it difficult to control their anxiety and stay focused on daily tasks. The good news is that GAD is treatable. Read more ›
