BLOG- Eliminating Anxiety and Depression
Affiliated COUNSELING AND REFERRAL SERVICES (ACRS)
...serving Cary, Crystal Lake, Fox River Grove, Barrington, Schaumburg, Palatine, Woodstock, Lake in
the Hills and McHenry, IL...
DR. Michael Shery, Clinical Psychology
2615 Three Oaks Rd. Ste 2A;
Cary, IL 60013
www.carypsychology.com 847 516 0899
(24 Hrs); drmike@carypsychology.com
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Need a Therapist to help you Eliminate your Anxiety? 5 Things to Look
For
1. Is your therapist licensed either as a clinical social worker, psychologist or mental health counselor? It's
best to use psychiatrists only when you need medication. They have little training in counseling or psychotherapy.
2. Does your therapist educate you about the physical AND emotional causes of your over-worrying?
3. Do you feel a rapport with your therapist? Do you feel that both of you are on the same "wavelength"?
4. Does your therapist disagree with you or challenge you at times to view issues in a more constructive way?
5. Does your therapist teach you specific mental techniques and exercises that help you reduce your anxiety?
Sunday, SS Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Bipolar
Disorder has Risen Dramatically
NEW YORK
(Reuters Health) - The number of young Americans diagnosed with bipolar disorder has risen
dramatically in recent years, according to a new study.
This increase highlights the need for "reliability studies" to determine the accuracy of diagnoses of child and adolescent bipolar
disorder, conclude the researchers in a report in the latest issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
This disorder is a
psychiatric illness that typically involves periods of mania (abnormally elevated mood) and depression.
Dr. Mark Olfson, from
Columbia University, New York and New York State Psychiatric Institute, and colleagues compared increases between 1994-1995 and 2002-2003 in
office visits that culminated in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder among individuals aged 19 and younger to that among adults aged 30 and
older.
They found that
outpatient visits with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in the younger age group increased approximately 40-fold, from 25 per 100,000 in
1994-1995 to 1,003 per 100,000 population in 2002-2003. During the same time, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in adults increased nearly
2-fold, from 905 to 1,679 per 100,000.
There are two possible
reasons for the "impressive increase" in cases of bipolar disorder in young people, the authors say. Either bipolar disorder was historically
underdiagnosed in children and adolescents and the problem has now been rectified or bipolar disorder is currently being overdiagnosed in this
age group.
"Without independent
systematic diagnostic assessments, we cannot confidently select between these competing hypotheses," they note.
Olfson's team also found
that the vast majority of youth and adults were prescribed a psychotropic drug at the time of diagnosis of bipolar disorder, including mood
stabilizers, antipsychotics and antidepressants.
"There is an urgent
need," the researchers warn, to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of drugs commonly used to treat young people diagnosed with bipolar
disorder.
Monday, September 3, 2007
How Can Therapy Help Me?…News about counseling and mental health for those living in
Elgin, Barrington, Lakewood, Mchenry, Gilberts, Prairie Grove, Marengo, Arlington Heights, IL
Written by Jodi Blackley, M.S., M.F.T.
Have you considered going to therapy, but have yet to pick up the phone? What’s stopping you? Are you worried what others might think? Are
you wondering if therapy is really for you? Maybe you’re trying to decide if spending the money is worth it.
When I scour the web, I read posts from many people looking for therapist referrals. They ask for “good therapists,” or
“therapists who use Cognitive-Behavioral therapy.” If you check out message boards like, Craigslist.org, it’s no wonder trying to figure out
if there are benefits to therapy. There’s so much pessimism about therapy that many people steer away from it.
However, there’s good news! Researchers at The Institute for the Study of Therapeutic Change (ISTC) and Partners for Change
have proven that there is value in therapy. However, the value isn’t in the therapist’s techniques
or what school of thought the therapist works from. The value is inherently in the professional relationship between yourself and the
therapist. In fact, the ISTC shows that about 60% of the success of therapy relies on this relationship. If you trust and like your
therapist, there is a higher likelihood that you will have a greater level of success in therapy. The other 40% is based on therapist
techniques and the therapist’s confidence in those techniques.
With this in mind, how do you know if the therapist you’re looking for is the “right one” for you? Well, there’s no exact
science here. There are plenty of outlets to find therapists, including online directories like GoodTherapy.org or state-specific directories
like TherapistFinder.com. Read through the bios. Find a couple that “speak” to you.
When you call the therapist, you will probably only get a few minutes to chat with them to discuss the general issues you
want to work on, how much it’ll cost and set an appointment. If you get a bad “vibe” from the therapist, do not feel obligated to set an
appointment. Move on to the next one.
Therapists work differently, so what to expect upon your first visit can vary. The therapist should feel comfortable
responding to your questions about the therapy process and any expectations you have.
Hopefully this will help you take the leap to making changes in your life. Therapy is a journey and you have the
opportunity to make it work for you!
©Copyright 2007 Jodi Blackley, M.S., M.F.T. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Black and Blue Soul
I have become a black hole
Everything pours in but there is no way out
The endless energy that is trapped here in my body
Searches for a reason to continue in this state
Compressed into a tiny lightless sphere
Lonely blue spirit
I Worry if there is peace in that next dimension
If I give in to the desperation
Will it ruin what I can become?
Will it leave me with this emptiness forever?
--a therapy patient
Friday, August 10, 2007
What Causes My
Anxiety?…News about counseling and mental health for those living
in Woodstock, Cary, Lincolnshire, Prairie Grove, Hoffman Estates, Carpentersville, Lake Zurich and Lakewood, IL
…
It is quite possible that your anxiety and stress fatigue has
both a
physical and emotional component. Many of us have a constant stream
of chatter going on in our heads — a kind of stress implant from our
earliest years — that requires a great deal of subconscious energy to
manage. Learning what your private litany is — be it chants of self-
criticism, despair, anger, grief, shame or fear — may be the first
step toward turning down its volume and reversing the spiral of
fatigue. But you won't hear much about how to do that in conventional
medical circles, where mild to moderate fatigue is often ignored and
under-treated.
In the conventional view, persistent mild fatigue is usually
considered a reaction to sleep-deprivation or overwork, and as such
is usually treated with a prescription for a sedative. While this
may allow the user to sleep for six to eight steady hours when they
take it — which can do good — it does little to treat the stress-
induced physiological imbalance causing the anxiety and stress
fatigue.
Chronic and hidden emotional stress takes a toll on your body by
overtaxing your adrenal glands. Coming to terms with anxiety and
stress fatigue is a very individualized and complicated issue for
most people. Learning how to deal with it may require a protocol of
rest, supplements, counseling, regular exercise, and various alternative
techniques.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
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