When considering the word “trauma,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? I’d wager that most people equate this word with PTSD and military personnel. Still others might associate trauma with physical or sexual abuse or assault. All of these are correct. However, these examples are only three out of many types of traumatic experiences. Other types of traumatic experiences include: emotional abuse and psychological maltreatment, neglect and abandonment, forced displacem

The fields of neuroscience and mental health seem to be on the rise… And if you don’t know all of the fancy-sounding terms that are being batted around, then don’t despair! Most people would be hard pressed to explain the differences between a psychologist and a psychiatrist, much less describe the role of a neuropsychologist. So today, my goal is simply to remove any assumptions and start from the very beginning. PSYCHIATRY. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.)

Having spent the better part of 2016 working with professional athletes- many of them being NFL players- I was pleased to read an article in this month’s Monitor on Psychology highlighting an initiative that was launched by the National Football League to improve the mental wellbeing of it’s players. Called the Total Wellness program*, NFL players are being provided with education about topics such as stress management and healthy relationships in order to minimize the possib

Can you remember the first time that you flew in an airplane? How about the first time that you drove a car? Or what about the first day of your job? These events all have at least two things in common. By using the word “first” in my descriptions, I have hinted that they were once novel experiences, things that you had never done before. And the other commonality is that they provoked at least some degree of anxiety. As I mentioned last week, anxiety is a perfectly normal re

If you suffer from depression, or you have suffered an episode of depression in the past, then (hopefully) you've already spoken with your doctor to rule out the possible medical conditions that could be responsible for your symptoms. The list of possibilities is longer than you might think! However, this is a GOOD thing because knowing the cause of your symptoms can help you identify the most effective treatments. It is important that you see your doctor for annual physical

"But I don't feel that depressed..." Is it possible to be clinically depressed and not even know it? The answer is YES. As I mentioned last week, a feeling of sadness is only one component that makes up the criteria for a diagnosis of depression. Sometimes people don't acknowledge that they are feeling down because they are unable to provide an explanation for it. First of all, it's important to understand that you don't need an excuse to feel depressed! Although it could be

We've all had moments, or even days, when we've felt sad... So at what point does sadness turn into clinical depression? I can promise you that this is not a silly question. In fact, many people often wonder whether they have depression or whether the emotion they are experiencing falls within the range of normalcy. It is important to understand that, in order to qualify for a formal diagnosis of depression, other criteria (in addition to feelings of sadness) must be met. For