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Written by Leonard Holmes, Ph.D.
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Why do some people develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after a trauma and others remain symptom free? We're not sure, but researchers are looking more deeply into this question.
The ability to bounce back from adversity has been referred to as "resilience." It is a key ingredient in good mental health. We have long known that some people handle stress better than others. Why are some Viet Nam combat veterans handicapped for life, while others become United States senators? Why do some adults raised in alcoholic families do well, while others have repeated problems in life? The characteristic of "resilience" is shared by those who cope well with stress.
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Written by Leonard Holmes, Ph.D.
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How and why we eat is affected by many factors: - appetite
- food availability
- family
- friends
- cultural practices
- your own efforts to control your eating
Excessive dieting - dieting to the extent that you lose more weight than is healthy - is seen by some as "trendy" or even necessary to be slim and fashionable. From belly-baring fashions, to gaunt, skeletal runway models; women have taken the idea that "thin is in" to new extremes in the new millenium.
Eating disorders represent a mental health effect of this preoccupation with body weight, shape and diet. Typically, if you have an eating disorder, you'll have unhealthy eating behavior. This may include extreme and unhealthy reduction of the amount of food you eat. Or, you may severely overeat. If you have an eating disorder, you almost always will feel bad about your eating, body shape, weight -- or all three.
Mental health professionals still doesn't know exactly whey some people move beyond normal eating behavior, like cutting back on how much you eat in order to stay healthy, and at some point become out of control, evolving into a full-blown eating disorder. We do know that this is a complex process, and no one factor is the cause or reason.
We also know that eating disorders are not due to a failure of will or behavior. They are, on the other hand, real medical illnesses that are diagnosable and treatable.
What Are The Main Types of Eating Disorders?
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Hoilday Stress - Getting Together with Family |
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Written by Leonard Holmes, Ph.D.
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Getting together with family is something that most of us look forward to. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the biggest family holidays in the United States, but birthdays, Easter, anniversaries, and funerals are also times which bring extended families together. Other cultures have other traditions, but many cultures place an emphasis on the importance of family. Some families have annual "family reunions" which serve to reunite family members who are separated by miles.
These family times are dreaded by some because of the memories which they bring back. If you grow up in a family dominated by an alcoholic, a family get-together may serve as a reminder of all of the bad times you had together. If a family member was abusive toward you, then a "family time" may stir up feelings associated with the abuse.
This can occur long after the abuser is dead.
We are bombarded with images of happy families enjoying each other, especially around the holidays. The smell of a Christmas tree, the sights and muffled sounds of the first snowfall, the smell of candles, carols being sung - like family get-togethers, these seasonal sights and sounds and smells stir pleasant feelings in most of us, as we recall what it was like growing-up. They also stir up less-positive feelings in many people from abusive families. The picture can be complicated by Seasonal Depression which also kicks-in during the winter.
Here are some ways to manage family-related holiday stress:
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