This Week in News You Can Use

When initially diagnosed, it can feel like a race against the clock to find the right dose of the right medication(s).  New imaging techniques prove hopeful in identifying which types of depression don't respond to an SSRI...the most commonly prescribed anti-depressant. This means doctors could immediately select a different medication, reducing the amount of time the patient spends "starting out" on a medication that is unlikely to treat symptoms. Here's a quick read on how Brain Imaging Study IDs 3 Types of Depression.    Image courtesy of Inna Jacquemin/123RF.com

Psychopathy or Sociopathy?

Just about every form of mass media has done an excellent, but erroneous and misguided, job in distorting and stereotyping the behaviors of Sociopathy and Psychopathy. The terms are tossed about in everyday conversation, often without understanding the meaning or realizing they are not synonymous. Because these are complex conditions, these articles help explain some of the basics.            Image courtesy of 123RF.com

• Differences Between Psychopathy and Sociopathy
• 16 Key Differences

NAD IV Therapy

Anyone interested in where new addiction treatments might be headed will find these newsworthy. While the NAD therapy approach has not yet met the standard for evidence-based, Harvard Medicine finds it promising, and its ability to repair cell damage makes it unique.

• Hunger Hormones Offer Promising Avenue for Addiction Treatment
• NAD Therapy

Words and Thinking

Much is written about how certain phrases or conversational styles gives a clue to our emotional state. These articles help us be more aware of when someone's words might signal depression, and to recognize and move away from entrenched patterns of black-and-white thinking as a strategy to improve coping skills.   Image courtesy of iqoncept/123RF.com

• These Common Words and Phrases May Signal Depression
• Moving from Black-and-White to Dialectical Thinking

Youths, Bipolar, Treatment

A parent who has bipolar disorder is often on pins and needles, constantly worried and on guard for the earliest signs of the illness in his/her child. Early intervention is always the best course, and a newly developed algorithm provides guidance to clinicians about which interventions and medications will be most effective. From the Psychiatric Times, Treatment Options for Youths at Risk for Bipolar.

Break Myths of Borderline Personality Disorder

In a world that still harbors various degrees of stigma toward mental illness and behavioral issues, few are more misunderstood or maligned than Borderline Personality Disorder. One of the best ways to better understand the condition is to use our human perspective and get a peek into a person's experience of it. Three talented individuals give you that opportunity in Break the Myths of BPD.   Image courtesy of melpomen/123RF.com

Healing from Toxic Shame

Living with a feeling of toxic shame about one's self can be described as living in a "trance of unworthiness." Going beyond the basics of guilt vs shame, psychotherapist Tom Moon helps us understand the paradox of toxic shame and the underlying mechanism of healing from it in his 2-part series on Overcoming Toxic Shame: What Is It? and Tools for Healing.    Image courtesy of Eduardo Huelin/123RF.com

Help Your Child Manage Anxiety and Intrusive Thoughts

Anxiety is a shady character, often appearing in ways not immediately recognizable for what they are. This can especially be true for kids, who typically express anxiety in all sorts of ways other than saying, "I feel anxious." Here are two articles to help you and your child.

• 15 Things Kids or Teens Say That Could Mean "I'm Anxious" and How to Respond
• Intrusive Thoughts: 5 Ways to Help Your Child Take Back Control​

Tips from Therapists

A sign of a good therapist is one who helps you learn skills to navigate what's going on in your life. And the results of good therapy don't usually happen in the office...they show up in your day-to-day life. So, while a list of tips is no substitute for therapy sessions, here are 11 Little Mental Health Tips That Therapists Actually Give Their Clients.

Know Before You Go

You've decided to start seeing a therapist. Great! You have your list of what you want to work on. You might also have a vision of how certain aspects of your life could be different. But getting to this point and preparing to walk into the first appointment can be stressful. Help remove some of the stress about the "unknowns" of the therapeutic process and the business relationship with your therapist in 12 Incorrect Beliefs About Psychotherapy.      Image courtesy of 123RF.com