Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Self Help”
Is a warm bedroom contributing to your insomnia? Does temperature make a difference in sleep quality? We’ve been looking into these questions, and we think we’ve found some actionable research results that may really help. The body’s natural thermoregulation process forms a healthy sleep pattern, which can be found in all mammals, not just humans. As evening approaches, the body …
This is a regular theme among our clients in January. “I was getting tired of too much partying, visiting and travel, but now that it’s over, I’m slipping into depression!” Through discussions and patient feedback, we’ve developed techniques that people can use before, during, and after a vacation or trip to get integrated back home without any glitches. One patient …
It’s that time of year again. People are thinking about resolutions, and also about broken resolutions. Why do we have such good intentions and such poor outcomes? Well, there are a few reasons, but this year, I’m looking at support structures. Maybe it’s not your lack of discipline that trashes resolution after resolution, year after year. Maybe there’s more to …
Should you stop mourning during a religious holiday? Is mourning something odd, and distinct from regular life? Should people in mourning hide it because it’s a “downer” for others? No, no, and no. Psychologists, counselors and pastors often remind us that “some people find the holidays difficult for personal reasons” as if those people should be some kind of a …
We’ve given a lot of advice about surviving the holiday season over the years, which is why I’m always looking for a new twist on the old “tips and tricks” narrative. This year, the New York Times suggested a different way of looking at it: make a list of “don’ts”. At first glance, it seems negative, but actually it’s a …
A new study was published in JAMA earlier this month, looking at the ketogenic diet and its effect on mental illness, specifically depression and anxiety. The study authors looked at 50 recently completed studies, including randomized control trials and “quasi-experimental” studies. These studies had covered a total of 41,718 participants. Meta-analysis showed that ketogenic diets were associated with modest improvements …
A patient has recommended the Philips Hue smart light as a very helpful insomnia solution. Designed like a regular bedside lamp, the smart light can be programmed to begin lighting with a light blue hue, gradually growing to lilac light, and ending up with a bright sunlight simulator, waking you with a natural-seeming sunrise instead of a loud noise like …
The end of Daylight Savings is upon us again, and we are all starting to gear up for winter in the Northern Hemisphere, even in California’s Bay Area, which is not famous for cold, dark winters, to say the least. Yet going on Daylight Savings in the spring, and coming off it in the fall does cause real disruption and …
Now that Fall is well underway in the Northern Hemisphere, back-to-school is already a memory, it’s a good time to take a look at habit formation, especially in the realm of medication and treatment adherence. Adherence is a critical issue, both for conventional medication and for alternative treatments of any kind: they can’t work if you don’t follow the plan. …
September is suicide prevention month, and there’s a lot of information available online. Overall, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. The vast majority of suicides are by gunshot, with suffocation next and poisoning third. There Is Help Available If you search the internet for “suicide prevention” one striking result is the number of formulas …
We were talking with a patient recently, let’s call him Brian, who suffers from recurrent anxiety, which disrupts his sleep. He explained the technique that has helped him significantly improve his sleep quality: scheduled worry. Scheduled worry is a simple technique that many of our patients swear by. Instead of allowing worrisome thoughts or issues to float randomly to your …
Since insomnia is one of the big concerns of many of our mood disorder patients, we keep a close eye on sleep apps and related fields like jet lag helps. We have been recommending the “Sleep Junkie” app for several years, but it seems they no longer offer it, although they have “tips” for jet lag on their website. Recently, …
Is it helpful or hurtful? Is it easy or hard? Do I give more or get more? Can it change my life? Can it change the world? Empathy is a much-maligned skill set that mostly just makes life a little bit easier. It doesn’t mean becoming a doormat, or completely subsuming your own feelings for those of others. Only someone …
Once you see a physician, get a diagnosis, and get a prescription for the medication you need, the hard part should be over, right? But sometimes people face long searches to find a pharmacy that can fill their prescription in the face of shortages and uncertain supply lines for medications that many people need. You have to sit by the …
Don’t take “no” for an answer! Here’s a great resource for anyone encountering barriers to getting insurance coverage for mental health care. Cover My Mental Health is a non-profit offering help to people battling for insurance coverage of care. They offer free guidance for every step of the way, including: No in-network care When a claim is denied Next steps: …
Work is one of our biggest sources of anxiety and stress. So often a small incident at work can turn into something bigger, resulting in negative supervisor reviews, which results in more anxiety and ruminative thinking about the original incident. “What really happened?” “What should I have done differently?” “What should I have said when I got called on it?” …
Today we’re sending some love to the terrific blog, Speaking Bipolar, by Scott Ninneman. It’s a super-positive and uplifting blog from somebody who’s been living with bipolar for thirty years. And what a well-examined journey this is. Scott is celebrating 7 years of blogging, and those seven years of posts are packed with practical tips, personal stories, and encouragement. Whether …
What is catastrophism? Even if it’s realistic to know that there are forces able to wipe out your home, job, possessions, and community in a single stroke, worrying about the catastrophe maybe coming today or tomorrow can harm your health without improving your chances of escape. Anybody going in for medical checks and tests knows the feeling, but now, if …
A client writes to say the hot new trend in breathing exercises has proven “effective” in controlling his panic attacks. So what is a breathing necklace? In simple terms, it’s a small tube, about 2 inches long. The inner diameter can vary from about one-tenth to one-third of an inch. When you feel an anxiety or panic attack coming on, …
Some people actually do have a pleasant, comfortable relationship with their extended family members, and enjoy getting together with them on special days. But I think most people have some reservations, some dread, some reluctance to plunge into another holiday family get-together. Old feuds, old secrets, ongoing expectations, and new in-laws, new plans, new politics… it can all add up …
