Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect? –Neff, 2018 (1) If you are like most Americans, you often view your body as an object, rather than… Read more »
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Over the holiday season many people travel via trains, planes and automobiles to see friends and family. The holidays are already challenging for many of us, stress and anxiety are two traveling companions we’d rather leave at home. One of the things that can help with stress and anxiety is to slow down to become present, to… Read more »
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To be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing its best, day and night, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~ e.e. cummings Each individual faces a struggle against powerful odds to retain a unique selfhood and personal… Read more »
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Good cheer, happiness, family and a spirit of giving are a big part of the holiday season. But for many people, stress and loneliness are major players that upset plans to stay positive. If your tension level rises when the decor goes up, you are not alone. It is common for some people to feel… Read more »
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Research shows that expressing gratitude is good for your mental health. It increases happiness and decreases depression. It also enhances empathy and reduces aggression. It promotes social interactions and fosters new relationships. Gratitude counteracts other toxic emotions, such as envy, resentment, victimization and cynicism. It not only reduces stress, but research indicates that it may also play a major role in overcoming trauma. All good things, but… Read more »
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A few years ago, my husband and I were having a late dinner at a café in Paris on a vacation when people started to shuffle and panic around us. An older man leaving the restaurant stopped to tell us that something terrible was happening; there was a terrorist attack a couple of miles away, and several… Read more »
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In 1938, Harvard researchers began to study a group of sophomores at the then-all-male school. The goal of the study was to “identify the psychosocial predictors of healthy aging.” Today, the longitudinal study, known as the Harvard Study of Adult Development, has gone on for 80 years and has even expanded to include some of… Read more »
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Most people assume the remedy for recovery involves detox and abstinence from the drugs/alcohol. The truth is, this is only the beginning. Recovery is a lifelong process, one that requires discipline and most importantly intensive treatment and therapy. Addiction is usually a symptom of an underlying issue such as trauma, abuse, grief, and many other… Read more »
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“Pain in this life is not avoidable, but the pain we create avoiding pain is avoidable.” ~R.D. Laing Millions of people turn to addiction for escape only to find it a prison. One of the reasons an addiction is such an effective trap is that it’s constructed on contradiction. The lows chase the highs, the… Read more »
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Psychological First Aid can help support family and friends through a crisis. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus noted that the only constant is change. We currently live in an era of unprecedented personal, social, economic, and political change. While change can often be uplifting, it can also be distressing. Due to current events, or… Read more »
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