Predicting suicidality using technology

For a long time, researchers knocked Freud's idea of the unconscious because it could not be 'proven'.  However, today, technology makes it possibly for us to quantifiably measure response time to certain associations as a way to determine biases about which a person might not be 100 percent conscious.  A test has been created to examine just this phenomenon.  It's called the Implicit Associations Test and it was developed at Harvard.   Click here to take it and get a better understanding of how it works.

Scientists have developed similar measures to determine if one is suicidal.  Frequently, suicidal people won't admit to being suicidal and thus this kind of measure is very important.  I ran across this article today and thought I would share it, here.  Some of you know that I am an huge techno geek, and applications such as the one described in this article are one way in which technological innovation can be used with psychiatric patients.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/can-technology-help-predict-will-attempt-suicide/

The presence of dogs in the therapy office

Esther

A couple of years ago, we purchased a beagle mix from a nearby kennel.  After reading a lot of information about therapy dogs, I decided to see what kinds of programs were available in English, in Denmark.  I was unable to find anything so I read up about the mere presence of animals in the therapy session.  Not surprisingly, there is a wealth of data about the calming effects of animals.  With the goal of bringing 'Esther' to work, I began training her.  I also took here everywhere-- trains, busses, and my classroom where I teach.   My goal was to get her acclimated to many different sounds, sights, and types of people.  Today, at 2-years old, she is a surprisingly calm dog, and I have ventured into bringing her into the therapy office.  My clients have, for the most part, been appreciative.

Feel free to say how you would feel if there was a dog in your therapy!

Here is a link from someone who researcher this exact issue.  Enjoy!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201501/what-if-your-therapist-had-dog-in-the-office

For those suffering from anxiety...

Most people have suffered from stress and anxiety, at some point in their lives.  I ran across this article today and decided to share it.

http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/health/anxiety-facts-symptoms

When OCD takes a sexual form

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, commonly known as OCD, can be extremely debilitating.  About two percent of adults suffer from this disorder.  In popular media and culture, OCD is often represented as manifesting itself as excessive hand-washing and concern with tidiness.  However, it can also manifest itself in other ways, as is demonstrated in this article and video.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2016/apr/27/my-sexual-thoughts-drove-me-mad-then-i-realised-it-was-ocd-video?CMP=share_btn_fb

New Evidence suggests that Freudian-style Dynamic Psychotherapy is more effective than CBT

For those of you who are interested in therapy-outcomes research, there is some new information about the effectiveness of dynamic psychotherapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy.  I was really encouraged by this article since I tend to practice a mix of the two.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jan/07/therapy-wars-revenge-of-freud-cognitive-behavioural-therapy

Fighting every day Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Did you know that getting a song stuck in one's head is one of the most common symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?  Here's some practical advice, from the research, for getting that tune out of your head?

A number of Beatles songs have been shown to be among the most annoyingly easy to become obsessive about.  Read this article for more information.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/9950143/Get-that-tune-out-of-your-head-scientists-find-how-to-get-rid-of-earworms.html

How is trauma passed down through the generations?

It's well known that children of trauma survivors often experience secondary trauma-- a kind of stress reaction that is 'caught' by someone, simply by hearing about the original trauma.  A substantial amount of literature, for example, has been written that examined Second Generation Holocaust Survivors.  The children of Holocaust survivors often went on to have a unique constellation that seemed to be related to their parents' trauma. Recent research suggests that our DNA may actually store our memories, and pass them down to our children.  Who knows-- perhaps Jung was correct when he postulated a collective unconscious.DNA transmits memories through generations