Archive for June, 2008
New Year’s Resolution Stick
Lose weight? Check. Start exercising? Check. Stop smoking? Check. It can be daunting when your list of New Year’s Resolutions is as long as your holiday shopping list. In addition to the post-holiday slump, not being able to keep your resolutions by February, March or even late January may increase your anxiety. When your holiday [...]
Making Stepfamilies Work
The so–called “blended family” is no longer an aberration in American society: It’s a norm. Planning for remarriage A marriage that brings with it children from a previous marriage presents many challenges. Such families should consider three key issues as they plan for remarriage: Financial and living arrangements Adults should agree on where they will [...]
Making Lifestyle Changes That Last
You’re once again feeling motivated to eat better, exercise more, drink less caffeine or make any number of the positive lifestyle changes you’ve been telling yourself you want to make. You’ve tried before — probably declaring another attempt as a New Year’s resolution — but without feeling much success. Making a lifestyle change is challenging, [...]
Learning to Deal with Stress
What is causing people the most stress in the New Year? A recent survey by the American Psychological Association said the following issues are the top vote getters: – 63% of those surveyed said money issues; – 44% said national security; and – 31% said job security. Younger Americans were more worried about money (74%) [...]
About Your Health Care Coverage
You often don’t discover what your managed care plan or health insurance plan covers until you need services. This is especially true for mental health care and substance abuse treatment. You can find out what is covered — and not covered — by asking the benefits manager in the human resources or personnel department where [...]
Loved One Suffering Chronic Illness
If someone you love is diagnosed with cancer or a life-threatening disease, you may feel desperate and completely helpless. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Research has shown us that family and friends can play a huge role in helping patients deal with a chronic illness. When a person is suffering from a [...]
Help Through Psychotherapy
Millions of Americans have found relief from depression and other emotional difficulties through psychotherapy. Even so, some people find it hard to get started or stay in psychotherapy. This brief question-and-answer guide provides some basic information to help individuals take advantage of outpatient (non-hospital) psychotherapy. Why do people consider using psychotherapy? Psychotherapy is a partnership [...]
Psychotherapy Helps People Recover
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 18.8 million adult Americans suffer from depression during any one-year period. Many do not even recognize that they have a condition that can be treated very effectively. This question-and-answer fact sheet discusses depression with a focus on how psychotherapy can help a depressed person recover. [...]
How Does Stress Affect Us?
The subject of stress has become a favorite subject of everyday conversation. It is not unusual to hear ourselves talk with friends, coworkers, and family members about the difficulty we have with managing the stress of everyday living. We talk about being burned out, overwhelmed and “losing it.” We also hear and talk about our [...]
What’s stressing you out this holiday
If you’re like most Americans surveyed by the American Psychological Association this year, it’s money. Americans list lack of money (61%), the pressures of gift giving (42%), lack of time (34%) and credit card debt (23%) as top causes of holiday stress. Survey results also show that younger Americans are more worried about lack of [...]