Well + Being Holistic Mental Health
“Emotional Health & Wellness Tips From The Therapy Couch And Other Places”
Your To-Do List Is Making You Miserable
While reading this thoughtful article from Lifehacks, I was reminded of how much pride we take in our daily to-do lists and particularly the emphasis our society puts on productivity. Busy, busy people we are, and especially, successful, hyper-productive New Yorkers who thrive on getting it done. But what if states-of-being like happiness or feeling content could actually be achieved if you made a habit of practicing the not-to-do list more regularly? So many people reach out for therapy and counseling seeking a path to happiness. They rarely consider all the ways that their habits and patterns actually make make miserable. The post suggests that tallying up how much we actually do in our daily lives that makes us “unhappy” is a place to start. As you read the list of misery-making habits, ask yourself “how are these behaviors actually serving me?” That’s a goal of therapy for many—to get to the root of misery by unearthing the source of suffering, which leads to a less rigid and restrictive existence. Some helpful psychotherapy techniques to address anxiety, depression and problem patterns with your therapist are: Cognitive Therapy for depression; CBT to change behaviors; DBT to understand, regulate emotions, communicate effectively and learn more adaptive coping skills; Mindfulness and (ACT) Acceptance Commitment Therapy to radically accept “what is” in your life and Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy to explore the unconscious should you care to. Please enjoy… Ten Recipes For Guaranteed Unhappiness - Lifehacks – Medium
Finding The Middle Path For Enhanced Life-Balance
Are you someone who tends to think in absolutes because ambivalence feels challenging? Ambivalence is the simultaneous existence of opposite feelings. Most of us dislike it because it is an uncomfortable state. We want to feel one way or the other about someone or something. Your life will improve greatly by learning to tolerate ambivalence and by using Middle Path as a guide. What follows are tips for individuals who struggle with extremes and "all or nothing" thinking:
1. Be open to seeing things from different angles. There can be many ways to solve a problem. Do some research and investigate how other people have solved similar problems. Who do you admire who may have some good skills in this area? Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Substance Abuse And The Co-Occurrence Of Social Anxiety
Shyness and social anxiety is thought by experts to exist on a continuum, however, efforts to cope with this anxiety challenge can be extremely disabling. For many, social anxiety symptoms leads to avoidance of situations as well as using and abusing substances in an effort to cope. The co-occurrence of substance abuse, particularly alcohol abuse, is common among people who have social anxiety disorder according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Many diagnosed with this anxiety disorder begin to rely on alcohol as a coping mechanism to relieve social discomfort. While individuals may not experience full relief from their symptoms by using alcohol or drugs, they may experience enough relief to enable them to get through difficult social situations, which is reinforcing. Some studies report that the average lifetime prevalence of alcoholism among individuals with social anxiety disorder, as well as depression, may be as high as 20 percent. Many mental health professionals and addiction specialists would argue that this number is low.
DBT Skills: Practice Radical Acceptance
Develop Radical Acceptance From Within...
This week, as we reviewed distress tolerance and handling difficult emotions in my eating disorder seminar, I was reminded of the concept of "radical acceptance."
What Does Radical Acceptance Look Like?
1. Learning to develop complete acceptance that comes from within.
2. Understand that painful emotions are a part of life—we all have them, they are normal and to be accepted.
3. Stop fighting (both emotionally and behaviorally). Learn to accept difficult emotions as a normal part of being human.
Urban Zen Center: Dr. Mark Hyman Speaks On Diabesity
Urban Zen was delighted to hear that Mark Hyman, MD considers the Urban Zen Center to be his second home, and we were thrilled to welcome him back to the studio. On October 30, 2010, the center was filled with guests eager to learn more about his approach to living a disease free life. The day long workshop was dedicated to the topic of “Diabesity” which is, as Dr. Hyman describes, an epidemic health condition that is metabolic in nature and ranges from mild blood sugar imbalance to full-blown diabetes. It is such a health concern that military leaders have labeled it a “threat to national security.” Workshop guests were surprised to learn that one out of every three volunteers in the military is obese.
The statistics are even more sobering in the general population with an alarming obesity rate of nearly three out of four Americans. Dr. Hyman added that “our children may be the first generation that will not outlive their parents.” What would it take to turn things around so that our kids can grow old? Dr. Hyman’s sensible approach to health reminded us what we probably already knew—that lifestyle treatments and a whole systems approach to chronic disease IS the cure. So, if you think you can’t reverse the problem you are wrong. The trouble with conventional medicine is that we treat the symptoms, not the root cause according to Dr. Hyman.
Finding Therapy
You’ve finally made the decision to get help for your self or your relationship, but the process feels daunting and overwhelming. If you are contemplating therapy but confused by your many options, you might find the following article from The The Huffington Post helpful. While it is not a complete offering of the many types of therapies and schools of thought offered, it certainly gives a snapshot of the major types of therapy such as: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, CBT, Group Therapy, Family Therapy and DBT Therapy. The article also describes the types of therapy that are a good fit for the concerns you bring to counseling. For instance, if you are a couple in experiencing relationship distress, you will want to work with a couple that has relationship training. If you find yourself engaging in self-destructive, self-sabotaging behaviors, psychoanalytic therapy can help you gain insight into your unconscious that drives some of these behaviors. Websites such as Psychology Today lists many local therapists who offer brief, free consultations to help you decide and determine if the therapist is a good “fit” for your particular needs. Sometimes a paid consultation with a licensed psychotherapist or psychologist can help steer you in the right direction towards the kind of therapist and style of psychotherapy that would be the most useful for your individual needs. Ultimately, finding a therapist with whom you can
Urban Zen Center: How To Avoid The Epidemic Of Obesity And Diabetes
A week ago in the heart of the West Village, the Urban Zen Foundation welcomed the return of functional medicine expert Mark Hyman, MD. The workshop focused on the fast emerging problem in America: obesity and diabetes. Dr. Hyman uses the term “Diabesity” to describe a condition that has become epidemic (nearly three out of four Americans are obese) with serious health consequences ranging from mild blood sugar imbalance to full-blown diabetes.
The Scary Truth
By 2050 one in three Americans will have diabetes. Insulin imbalances, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high triglyceride levels are a few of the serious health concerns that are metabolic in nature. Left unchecked, these conditions point directly to diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, nerve damage, blindness and even cancer.
Conquering Food Addictions With Dr. Neal Bernard
On this crisp Fall day, the Urban Zen Center welcomed Dr. Neal Barnard to share the science behind food addictions, and his solution of a plant-based (vegan) diet to control and reverse many chronic health problems, including food addiction. Winning Weight Battles And Conquering Cravings was the theme of the day as guests filled the stunning zen-like space. The six-hour workshop offered just the right balance of nutritional wisdom and delicious samples of the sweet and savory foods that promise to help heal our bodies. Can low fat, nutrition-dense food choices also be delicious? Absolutely, and my fellow attendees would agree.
The breeze from the garden was invigorating as the indoor space filled with the aroma of culinary delights that included kale and pear smoothies, vegan quesadillas and lentil stew on a bed of quinoa. With such a diverse group of guests, it was inevitable that someone would ask, “So what’s for dessert?” Not to disappoint, nutrition experts and chefs Christine Waltermyer, Jill Eckhart and Emily Richard served a raspberry chocolate mousse made with tofu. It was refreshing, (okay, pretty amazing, and I’m tofu-tolerant, not really a fan!).