Brian Thompson Ph.D. Although OCD is commonly used to describe someone who is overly tidy, this stereotype doesn’t capture the common struggles of someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Perhaps as a consequence of stereotypes such as this, many people with OCD suffer for years — knowing that something is wrong but being uncertain how to even describe what they’re … Read more
Have you ever heard of trichotillomania or the wonderful organization called the Trichotillomania Learning Center (TLC)? See below to learn more. What’s Trichotillomania? Trichotillomania—or “trich” for short—is a problem that’s a little obscure even for professionals, but it impacts a lot of people. People with trich pull at their hair so often that it causes … Read more
Unfortunately, mental struggles are often given scant attention in the media. Many people are surprised to learn that others struggle with the same difficulties. Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been getting more media attention lately because of the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, I was pleased to learn that the secretary for Department … Read more
Not long ago my girlfriend stumbled across a YouTube video from Animal Planet’s show “My Extreme Animal Phobia.” It features a segment from the show involving a tough-looking, heavily tattooed man who is terrified of pit bulls. The fear is so intense the man breaks down in tears when a psychologist takes him to a … Read more
There have been some articles on the National Public Radio (NPR) website about the use of the drug ketamine as a fast acting treatment for depression (See here and here). Originally developed as an anesthetic, ketamine is better known to the public as the club drug Special K. Beginning with a study published in 2006 … Read more
