#ocd treatment center for women

[athenaokas]

Mental Health Treatment Center in Gurgaon for Women | Athenaokas

A lot of stress and tension is taking a massive toll on women’s health. This, in turn, is leading to several mental health issues among women. If you are looking for a mental health treatment center in Gurgaon for women, Athena OKAS can help. Contact us today at 9289730444 and we will help you with the best treatment plans at our women mental health treatment center in Gurgaon.

Read More : https://athenabehavioralhealth.blogspot.com/

[sapph1cyearning]

Wilhelm's Mental Health; Autism or Borderline Personality Disorder?

Wilhelm’s mental health status is a complex issue that has been heavily commentated on by the fandom, from what I've observed within the YR fandom, a large number of fans headcanon Wilhelm as having autism but I hope to explore autism and it's symptomology outside of the white male perspective that is defaulted upon in autistic representation by overviewing symptoms that contribute to the interpretations of Wilhelm having either Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These two disorders can show up in similar forms, and often get misdiagnosed (especially women and non-white people are immediately pointed toward the BPD diagnosis rather than ASD due to assessor’s prejudice and society's higher expectations for minority groups to mask autistic traits while in public but that’s another story). A key difference between the two is that ASD is a genetic disorder while BPD is a disorder that develops due to childhood trauma. Both disorders have a high likelihood for comorbidity with other mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Content Warning: Frank commentary of symptoms associated with Borderline Personality Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, including: self-harm, substance abuse, and emotional dysregulation.

Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional but I am autistic, and I’ve known quite a number of people with either BPD or autism [Years ago, I stayed at a long-term DBT-based treatment center, a therapeutic specialty for created to address BPD that has been expanded to treat other mental health struggles and disorders that go hand-in-hand with BPD symptoms (Substance abuse, self-harm, OCD, etc.)]. This is also solely based on what is seen in the show, not actors' interpretations that are expressed through interviews.

Throughout the series Wilhelm (W) is seen engaging in a multitude of behaviors and experiences feelings that he expresses verbally that could be interpreted as fitting as symptoms of both.

Notably the scene where W is seen smacking his temple with his palm (1x05) can be interpreted as either: purposeful self-harm (a common self-destructive coping mechanism for overwhelming emotions in BPD; his alcohol and drug use could be described similarly) or a self-stimulatory behavior (stimming), a characteristic of ASD to aid in regulating or expressing intense emotions (while W is only seen engaging in this with a “negative” emotion, stimming can be used with all emotions), other example include his chest-rubbing, and frequent caressing of different textures.

Intense mood-swings, anger, and difficulties with emotion processing, this is quite evident in W's actions, emotional responses, and feelings he expresses verbally. Both disorders have been observed to have intense changes of emotions at a “drop of a hat.” ASD mood-swings are typically related to exposure to sensory input that is quite uncomfortable, overstimulation, and/or meltdowns (breakdowns due to a culmination of intense feelings, sensory input and/or overwhelming experiences). BPD mood-swings and impulsive actions are more related to triggers of trauma responses, and a lack of regulatory measures

Symptoms Specific to Each Disorder:

BPD:

Attachment to Favorite Person (FP), a symptom of BPD where one idolizes one person in their life to an extreme degree, wanting to spend all their time with their FP, and intense anger and despair with perceived betrayals/slights against them/mistakes. W goes through 2 FPs (Erik and Simon). He adores Erik, and feels betrayal when Erik leaves him at Hillerska. Simon quickly becomes a FP, seeing him as perfect and feeling betrayal when Simon messes up (drug dealing) and the utter despair and hopelessness when Simon needs space and starts dating Marcus; “It feels like I’m going to die” (2x04) (Could be a consequence of being utterly isolated due to being Royal and latching onto anyone who shows care to him)

Unstable / Ineffective Relationships (Simon, Kristina, Minou, and other hierarchy figures): BPD is often associated with people with the disorder lashing out against "completely innocent" people for "no reason", while this can be accurate, it does not account for the triggering of such episodes (See above)

Substance Abuse: People with BPD may utilize alcohol and/or other substances to "numb themselves" from BPD symptoms or distance themselves from harmful memories (autistic people also experience substance abuse and addiction at higher rates than the general allistic population but it is often seen as a crutch to cope with the constant stress of existing in an allistic world which is not implied in what draws W to substance use throughout the show)

ASD:

Expansion on Sensory Issues: W seemingly wears the same sweater-button up combo often, just with different sweater colors — Grey, teal, and that god-awful bright orange — ensures safe textures when buying new items but he might just have a clothing stylist with horrid taste. W's struggles with the suffocating feel of the suit (2x05). He rarely utilized the overhead lights in his room, instead relied on his string lights, lamps or natural lighting (Florescent and LED lights can trigger light sensitivity and contribute to sensory processing difficulties in autistic people)

Preoccupation with the concept of normalcy (1x01), as a kid being autistic often ostracizes you from your peers, being deemed the “weird kid” is very damaging thus W may have been enticed by the prospect attending a regular high school to like "normal people" (this concept is intrinsically tied to social class throughout the show, W wants normalcy of a lower class while Sara wants conform to a higher class but that's a different spiel). This can lead to masking; the act of forcing oneself to hide their autistic traits in order to fit into Allistic norms. (My one dispute to this interpretation is he's seemingly more disgruntled by the pomp and circumstance of being Royal that "others" him rather than peers judging him)

Lack of social cues (Not even going to waste my time explaining this one, the man had no game, absolutely none, it’s a wonder that he pulled Simon)

This far from a full list of symptoms seen in W's characterization but it's a broad overview of the signs I saw from an autistic lens. I lean towards Wille having Borderline Personality Disorder based on the fact that significant aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder can be correlated to his unfortunate circumstance of being royalty.

[banyan-pompano]

"Women Competing in Ultra Running to Combat Addiction"

Ultra marathon running has become increasingly popular in recent years, and one woman has turned it into her own form of personal therapy. For Diane Van Deren of Colorado, ultra running has been a powerful way for her to battle the demons of OCD, alcoholism, and drug addiction that she faced for years - all without the assistance of medication. Van Deren’s story is as remarkable as it is inspiring. After her struggles with drug addiction, she hit a wall one night - after a night of hard drug use, she needed to remove herself from temptation. So, the solution that Van Deren arrived at was to run. In the summer of 2002, she started running a few miles a day, which eventually turned into ultra marathon running. Now she has run in several hundred-mile races, and through those she has been able to see what her mind and body are capable of. One of the more difficult parts of Van Deren’s struggles were her addiction and OCD. It was tremendous struggle that eventually led to a 30-day rehab program, in which she completed the difficult admission process and finished the program. That program, however, didn’t solve the problem - Van Deren was still searching for a way to battle her addictions and OCD. So, she defaulted to the only thing that gave her any solace - ultra running. Van Deren’s story is proof that addiction is a difficult struggle, and that recovery requires a holistic approach - one roller coaster ride of a life lesson.

Diane Van Deren of Colorado used ultra marathon running as a way to battle her addictions and OCD.

Van Deren's story is an inspiration to those who are facing similar battles.

Van Deren's story is proof that holistic approaches - like ultra marathon running - can be effective in confronting addiction.

Though it may seem unimaginable for many of us, Diane Van Deren persevered through unimaginably difficult battles. But her story has a bright side - that of personal courage and the capability of the human body and mind to adapt and overcome. To read more about the inspiring story of Diane Van Deren, click here. If you or a loved one are looking for professional assistance for drug addiction or OCD, consider visiting one of our addiction treatment centers.

[quillify-tries-to-talk]

"I don't really care if there's representation. I just read for fun."

I've seen a thousand variations of this comment on any talk of representing PoC, LGBTQIA+ community, disabled people, mental health rep.

Here's my two cents on why people don't care:

You're used to being represented in media

This goes for every white, able-bodied, straight person. I'm not saying you haven't faced problems. I'm just saying that you're used to seeing people like you in media. In books, to be more specific, you have a main brunette/blonde/red-haired girl with gemstone eyes and pale skin who lives in a Eurocentric society (if it's fantasy). Easily relatable. Maybe this girl could be a friend of yours. Maybe this girl could be you.

(For guys, this relatable-ness can be hard to come by since body standards for them are extremely rigid: 6+ feet, six pack abs, able-bodied, great in bed and a great fighter. Or a clumsy idiot whose character was just created for the laughs)

(For women too, media can be hard to relate due to the same rigid body standards: a badass who dresses skimpily, for example, that cater to a virtually impossible fantasy)

But they all have happy heterosexual relationships and are given nuance and thought (when written well) and are at the center of their stories. Love them, hate them but you can't ignore the fact that the story's about them.

2. You've grown desensitized

With the world crashing to hell, it's not a surprise that people have stopped caring and just want to get away from criticism, which can be extremely harsh at times.

In addition, you've accepted this as normal: only a certain type of people will be shown in media and you've grown used to it. For allies, it's confusing and hurtful because how will they know more about who they're supporting? For the people who need that representation, maybe you're angry at first. Maybe you were initially happy with people like you being side characters (like me) because at least it was something. Later, you were angry at the bare minimum being praised. And later, maybe we were tired. Sure, it hurts when you realize that their normal is not your normal, but then people ask, "Why can't you just enjoy it?"

So you stay quiet.

But the thing is, media has always been able to influence perception. People think Africa is a wasteland (it's not) because that's the only pictures circulating around. People think that anxiety is nothing but "excessive worrying." People think that rearranging things, an obsession with cleaning is OCD. People think that psychopathy is equall to being a villain and not something that you need treatment for.

And this is all because of what we consume. So consider, next time, if you really don't care for representation or if you've grown complacent of the fact that you have ample amount of it (or you've grown desensitized, which is also understandable)

P. S: this was not made to offend anyone. These are just my thoughts on the bare minimum being done in media and expecting a gold star.

[psychology-job-bank]

Postgraduate Positions at Child Study Center at Yale University

The Sukhodolsky lab at the Yale Child Study Center is looking to fill two postgraduate/ post-baccalaureate positions associated with studies of brain mechanisms and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. One position will be primarily responsible for studies of behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder, including cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and behavioral therapy for irritability. The second will be primarily responsible for coordinating a multisite, longitudinal neurogenetics study of gender differences in autism. Both post-bacc positions will have responsibilities in study coordination, running subjects through clinical assessments, collecting fMRI and EEG data, and managing study databases. In addition to current studies with children on the autism spectrum, the Sukhodolsky lab conducts clinical research in the areas of childhood disruptive behavior disorders, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome and OCD. Post-bacc associates will gain deep knowledge of developmental psychopathology and will benefit from a collaborative environment by contributing to all projects.

The post-bacc associates will be trained in a variety of aspects of clinical research and will gain experience in childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. The position includes the following learning opportunities:

Learn about autism and developmental psychopathology and behavioral treatments for anxiety and irritability in autism. Train on how to guide children and families through clinical studies of behavioral therapy. Learn to administer, score and interpret measures of social behavior, anxiety and neurocognitive functioning to children and adolescents.

Become familiar with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG). These techniques are used in the Sukhodolsky Lab to examine brain mechanisms of response to cognitive-behavior therapy in youth and gender differences in autism. Post-bacc associates will learn the importance of the interface with families during all parts of the research process.

Learn about behavioral, neuropsychological and neuroimaging research conducted with children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Post-bacc associates will have an opportunity to learn about psychological assessments of symptoms, intelligence, and adaptive functioning as well as neurocognitive tasks for evaluating brain mechanisms of cognitive and emotional functioning.

Additional learning opportunities include: attending weekly grand rounds devoted to various topics in child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry; aiding in preparation and possibly co-author manuscripts based on research studies conducted; learning about data management and analysis procedures in clinical trials.

Anticipated start date June 2021. BA or BS required. Psychology, Pre-Med, or Neuroscience background required with research experience and experience of working with children. Please submit a letter of interest, resume, a copy of academic transcript, and at least two letters of reference to Denis Sukhodolsky, Ph.D., at Denis.Sukhodolsky@yale.edu.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from women, minority candidates and individuals with disabilities.

[creaturebehavior]

watching this episode of hoarders where the lady is also a germaphobe and i really feel it

a lot of people think if you’re a germaphobe you’re super clean in every aspect but in most if not all cases germaphobia is marked by having certain compulsions based on beliefs regarding “contamination” that are quite specific. so where you may be overly sanitary in one aspect, you may be perfectly normal or even super unsanitary in other aspects

if youve ever met a germaphobe or met someone with contamination OCD (which is the same thing) you'll notice how often their beliefs and behaviors contradict themselves

the other interesting thing is every germaphobe is different, as everybody is. but to see more than one person with contamination obsessive compulsions inhabiting the same environment, it becomes all the more obvious how little their compulsions really have to do with germs in general.

as someone with contamination OCD, and as someone who has gone to multiple dual-diagnosis treatment centers, i have experienced living with other women who have the same kind of OCD but we all exhibited our symptoms and behaviors differently. i’ve even had conflict with some them at times, or been unable to fully understand where they’re coming from with certain things and them unable to fully understand me, because our beliefs and compulsions, while still based around “contamination,” were completely different from one another’s.

i know a lot of what i’m saying is pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people misunderstand the disorder and are confused and surprised by the conflicting behaviors and beliefs of someone who has it.

[workscounselingcenter]

Nashville Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, images, and sensations (obsessions) and engage in behaviors or mental acts in response to these thoughts or obsessions. Often the person carries out the behaviors to reduce the impact or get rid of the obsessive thoughts, but this only brings temporary relief. Not performing the obsessive rituals can cause great anxiety. A person’s level of OCD can be anywhere from mild to severe, but if left untreated, it can limit his or her ability to function at work or school or even to lead a comfortable existence at home or around others.

OCD affects about 2.2 million American adults, and the problem can be accompanied by other anxiety disorders, depression, and eating disorders. It strikes men and women in roughly equal numbers and usually appears in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. One-third of adults with OCD developed symptoms as children, and research indicates that OCD might run in families.

There are subsets of OCD identified by the particular areas in which someone has obsessive thoughts. These include:

Harm OCD (intrusive thoughts of unknowingly causing harm to self or others), Pedophilia OCD (intrusive thoughts of harming a child sexually), Religious OCD, also called Scrupulosity (fear of having blasphemous thoughts or actions), Contamination OCD (fear of being contaminated or causing contamination), Somatic OCD (fear of having a disease or problem with one’s body), Sexual Orientation OCD (involves obsessions about one’s sexuality), Relationship OCD (leaves people completely unable to tolerate the uncertainty of intimate relationships, giving them obsessions about the “rightness” of their own relationship and the countless other possibilities that daily life brings).

OC-Related Disorders:

Skin picking disorder (excoriation) Hair-pulling disorder (trichotillomania) Body dysmorphic disorder

This is not an exhaustive list but provides an idea as to the many presentations of OCD. However it manifests itself, OCD is best treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT) and Exposure Response and Prevention (ERP). ERP teaches you the skills you need to manage the disorder.

What is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)?

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a cognitive behavioral technique that is used to effectively treat a number of Anxiety disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Phobias and others.

The EXPOSURE involves exposure to feared stimuli such as, thoughts, images, or real life objects. The RESPONSE PREVENTION involves modifying the old response to the feared stimuli such as to prevent escape or avoidant behaviors.

The purpose of ERP is to foster inhibitory learning and habituation. The inhibitory learning model offers the patient an opportunity to generate new cognitive learning that forms new relationships, which override the fear-based associations. This is known as “excitatory meaning.” The goal of the inhibitory learning model is to successfully contradict the old associations to the feared stimuli and achieve a decrease level of anxiety and avoidant behavior. Habituation occurs when you no longer respond to the stimuli in the same way.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)?

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of behavior therapy. It is action based and focuses on personal values and principles. ACT offers an existential, philosophical, and “big picture” perspective on life and presenting issues. ACT teaches the patient to use value-based choices to motivate and promote positive change. Additionally, ACT integrates mindfulness, consciousness, and awareness to help guide the work the patient does in treatment. ACT sets out to teach the patient how to commit to change and accept the distress and discomfort life inevitably provides.

Here at the Works Counseling Center we regard the therapeutic relationship as a collaborative one. Our commitment to you is to respect your intelligence and wisdom, and to honor the forces of positive growth already present within you. We will support you to grow beyond negative patterns of the past, and empower you to move forward with freedom in your life.

Many people describe therapy as a journey, and welcome the opportunity to become more conscious about their inner world, and their potential to open doors to new opportunities in their intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. Here at the WCC we challenge you to face the fears and lets us walk with you.

Click here to schedule an appointment.

[media-on-the-mind101]

Split : Dissociative Identity Disorder (Movie)

*May contain spoilers*

I’m starting off with one of my favorite movies about a disorder that is very controversial. Split, the sequel to Unbreakable and prequel to Glass, stars British actor James MacCavoy as Kevin Wendell Crumb who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). The existence of DID, formerly called Multi-personality Disorder, is controversial though it is listed in the fifth and current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM -Five).

The DSM-Five defines DID as “the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states, each with it’s own relatively enduring pattern or perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self.” Other symptoms include those similar to depression; lack of appetite, suicidal ideation, and some that resemble other dissociation disorders: being out of touch from environment, having blackouts, and selective amnesia. Some even resemble Bipolar II or Borderline Personality Disorder, such as extreme changes in mood.

In the movie, Kevin shows many of these symptoms including having two or more distinct personalities. But were the personalities portrayed accurately? And was his treatment portrayed accurately?

Above: Kevin’s many personalities

Kevin has a total of 23 personalities (excluding the beast which appears at the end and his normal personality) but the movie only focuses on five : Hedwig, Barry, Jade, Dennis, and Patricia. Each personality is exaggerated, cartoonish, and completely different from the others. Hedwig is a nine-year-old boy who can’t pronounce his Rs, while Jade is a stereotypical teenage girl. Patricia is a posh British lady, while Barry is a levelheaded artist. Finally, Dennis is the angry man who kidnapped the girls.

Based on the definition of DID, there is no doubt that Kevin has this disorder; the symptoms would not fully match any other diagnosis. But just how realistic are his personalities portrayed?

The main thing I questioned while watching this movie, was how some of Kevin’s personalities had different abilities. I noticed that one wears glasses and one has a speech impediment, but the rest do not. Biologically, this would not make any sense, because the personalities are coming from the same body. So can people with DID really have personalities with different physical abilities? The answer is, surprisingly, yes.

In 2015, a 37 year old German women who had gone blind twenty years ago from brain damage, regained her eyesight in some of her split personalities. The case study was fascinating, and I felt chills run down my spine while researching it. Indeed, brain scans confirmed that the recovery of her vision was real; the visual cortex was inactive in her blind personalities, but active in her seeing personalities. One explanation for this phenomenon was psychogenic blindness, a conversion disorder (disorder that cannot be explained by damage) which is often developed after experiencing a traumatic event. So is it realistic for Dennis to wear glasses while the other personalities don’t? In rare cases, yes.

The same case revealed that some of her personalities spoke German while others spoke English. Other DID patients have been known to have similar experiences. Some also report foreign accent syndrome, in which they take on an accent different from their own. So if this is possible, then a personality with a speech impediment should not be that surprising. 

While researching the brain areas that are tied to speech, I came across information that could help answer this question. According to jneuro.com, there are about five different areas which control speech. These include the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and others. The theory behind foreign accent syndrome is that patients have damage in their abilities to program their sequence of movement and position of muscles in which they speak. The same concept applies to people who develop speech impediments. I could not find any information about speech impediments in DID, but based on the information about speech and foreign accent syndrome, it certainly seems possible. So that explains Hedwig’s speech impediment and Patricia’s British accent.

Another thing I was skeptical about, was weather or not a person with DID can take on a personality of a different age and actually have the cognitive abilities of that age. In a sense, do they truly regress, and how? According to healthyplace.com, this is indeed possible, however the cause is not certain. According to the National Center for Biotechnology information (NCBI), the frontal lobe is main center for planning, impulse control, and working memory in the brain. The development of this area is what causes a person to be more careless during adolescence, and more careful as the get older. Damage to the frontal lobe causes people to regress back to childhood behavior, as seen in the famous case of Phineas Gage who developed behavioral problems after getting his head impaled by a tamping rod. In people with DID, their entire brain has problems in functioning, including the frontal lobe. So it seems plausible that a person with DID could revert back to childhood behaviors. However, the changes in cognitive abilities and level of knowledge have not been explained.

Finally, I want to discuss the personality that we’ve all been waiting for: the beast. Considered the phoniest personality of them all, the “monster” is also the scariest. The other personalities are trying to protect Kevin from the “beast.” The reason he is seen as phony is because he possesses inhuman abilities, such as the ability to climb up walls. He also becomes cannibal. I could not find any evidence that this personality is actually possible. However, I did find many other blogs which addressed the same issue about the movie. The “beast” personality implies that a person with DID can change their strength and physiology to be able to defy gravity, and scientifically this is not possible.

While climbing up wall is not possible unless you are Spider-man, some of the monster’s trait might actually be plausible. Physiological arousal happens even in healthy people, and this arousal can cause a person to become more aggressive and develop physical strength they did not have previously. In disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the physiological arousal is triggered by memories of the traumatic event. According to the NCBI, a case study showed that a woman with DID had a tendency to switch personalities when under stress. 

 DID is usually caused by traumatic events, and the personalities can be brought on by triggers, so it makes sense that the person would already be aroused, and thus, lose control. However, the beast’s behavior is extreme and more similar to possession. I found a book called “Born Evil” which tells the real-life story of a serial killer who was cannibal and had DID. While there are a handful of serial killers who are known for cannibalism, most of them were diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, or were not diagnosed at all. Jeffery Dahmer was diagnosed with Borderline Personality disorder, according to Wikipedia. So the cannibalism part of the monster’s personality is possible but not well known to happen.

The part that got me most was the fact that the “beast” was a probably a metaphor for Kevin’s harsh past. In people with DID, their personalities stem from a traumatic event to protect the person from the memory of that event. So in a sense, the “monster” should actually have been Kevin’s overbearing, Obsessive-Compulsive mother. This is clear because his other personalities were trying to protect him from it. 

Kevin’s “Dennis” personality showed some obsessive compulsive tendencies as well. While there is no evidence that people with DID can actually have a personality with OCD, studies have found a phenomenological overlap between the two. According to the NCBI, one study showed that in rare cases, people with OCD can have higher levels of dissociative experiences. These people feel that alternate personalities are responsible for their obsessions and compulsions. However, this sample size of this study was too small to determine any strong correlations or causations. I think having the “beast” turn out to be Kevin’s mom would have made a much more realistic and meaningful ending, and would have been educational about DID and how traumatic events can effect people.

Now that we’ve discussed how the disorder was portrayed, I want to discuss how the treatment was portrayed as well. According to psychcentral.com, the main treatments for DID are therapy, medication, and hospitalization. The types of therapies used include; cognitive behavioral (CBT), dialectical behavioral (DBT, a type of CBT), hypnotherapy (hypnosis), and sensorimotor psychotherapy (becoming aware of physiological signs that personality is about to change, and controlling the change). Medications include selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), other anxiety medications, and antipsychotics. Some take benzodiazepines which were originally made for people with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Therapy for DID is unique in that it comes in three stages. Stage 1 is reducing self-destructive or suicidal behaviors, learning coping skills, regulating emotion, and relaxation techniques. In stage 2, patients begin to process their traumatic memories. Finally, stage 3 includes reconnecting to themselves and others and refocusing on life goals. Patients may achieve a more solid sense of self and, thus causing their personalities to fuse back into one. The three stages are not linear, so patients may alternate between them, or they may overlap. Some patients don’t make it through all three phases.

In the movie, Kevin has a therapist, and receives talk therapy which is a type of CBT. However, he does not take any medication. Kevin does not get hospitalized. His treatment is not in the three stages, or at least the stages are not mentioned. Like many movies, “Split” focuses more on the symptoms of the disorder then the treatment, so the treatment does not go into detail. While Kevin’s treatment is not untrue to real life, the movie left out a lot of important details that would have educated the audience.

In conclusion, I believe that “Split” did have some errors in it’s portrayal of DID, but was not as far off as people think. Many other blogs are bashing it for it’s inaccuracy, but according to my research, most of the symptoms shown are not impossible. While “Split” may have left out a lot of symptoms such as depression, lack of appetite, each person experiences the disorder differently and does not necessarily show every symptom. As for treatment, the movie did portray it somewhat realistically, but left out a lot of important details, such as medication, hospitalization, and the three stages. 

I think it would be great if movie directors hired mental health consultants, the same we they hire medical consultants on TV shows like House. This way, the portrayal of both the illness and the treatment would be more accurate, and educating to the audience. The movie would also be less frustrating for people who actually have the disorder, because they would feel that people are getting more accurate ideas about the illness. I think the media plays a big role in the stigma toward mental illness, and having more accurate portrayals could potentially change it. Even movies based on real-life stories are not always accurate, as I will discuss in my future blogs.

Thank you for reading, and if you have any questions or requests for future articles, please message me or talk to me in the comments!

[athenaokas]

Here’s What You Need To Know About Autism in Women

Autism in women often goes unrecognized due to differences in how it manifests. Many women with autism develop coping mechanisms that mask their symptoms, making diagnosis challenging. Increased awareness and understanding of autism in women are crucial to provide the support and resources needed for a better quality of life. For more information call us 9289730444

[conquerpcos]

Is PCOS related to mental health?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a complex condition that impacts women's various health aspects, including mental health. Women diagnosed with PCOS are three times more likely to be diagnosed with PCOS depression and anxiety than women without PCOS. It has been proven that women with PCOS are more likely to report PCOS depression and anxiety. Symptoms of anxiety and polycystic ovarian syndrome depression are more likely to be severe.

PCOS depression and anxiety are linked with an augmented risk of (OCD) obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and eating complications.

It is not clear what causes the increased risk for anxiety and depression in women with PCOS. It can be because of hormonal differences allied with the disorder or the combination of several ailments that are still unknown.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome symptoms and treatment

PCOS can cause symptoms like hirsutism (excess facial and body hair), acne, absent or irregular period cycle, or infertility. Women who have PCOS report feeling frustrated and anxious about their inability to become pregnant, their weight, excess body and facial hair, or absence of control over their diet and health.

The doctors are likely to treat the PCOS depression and anxiety by treating the specific underlying cause. For example, if a woman is insulin-resistant, she would be asked to try a low-carb diet, and if she is obese, she might be asked to make lifestyle changes to lose weight. Treating your PCOS can help reduce your depression and anxiety. 

A woman who has a hormonal imbalance, including excess androgen, might be prescribed birth control pills to correct it.

Other treatments might be the common treatments used for depression itself. Talk therapy, or counseling, is acknowledged as one of the most effective treatment options for polycystic ovarian syndrome depression. Types of treatment you might try include:

Treatment Options

Cognitive-behavioral treatment assists in identifying and changing negative thinking patterns and guides you to cop-up with the strategies. This is one of the most common type of treatment.

Interpersonal treatment centers on improving issues related to personal relationships.

Psychodynamic treatment helps in recognizing and understanding adverse behavior patterns from past events and working to fix them.

Support groups give a chance to meet others dealing with the same situation and talk through your issues together.

Antidepressant medications are added standard treatment for depression. However, some antidepressants can also lead to weight gain and are likely to impact blood glucose.

For this reason, antidepressants are not used as a first-line treatment for women with PCOS. If its consumption is necessary, the doctors will have to prescribe several different kinds of treatments to figure out what works best for you.

There may be an improvement in PCOS depression and anxiety among women with PCOS who get acupuncture or women who practice mindfulness for 30 minutes every day. Practicing yoga regularly with poses, guided relaxation, breathing exercises, and meditation may also improve PCOS depression and anxiety. Women who feel anxious because of their facial hair, getting laser hair removal treatment might help them to deal with anxiety and depression.

[im-new-york-city]

I have a lot of feelings, and I don’t think any collection of words could accurately express them. I’m going to try, though.

(tw: ed, trauma, self-harm)

Taylor showed up just in time.

On August 24th, I met Taylor when she surprised the fans at her pop up shop. It was magical. I don’t think I’ve fully processed that it happened. I do know, the support of my girlfriend is everything. She drove me that day, she waited hours with me, she stalled with me, all so that I could stick around on the off-chance I would meet Taylor. She knows what it means to me.

Taylor has saved my life on numerous occasions over the past decade. After 12 years of being at war with myself and landing on death’s doorstep, I admitted into residential treatment for anorexia nervosa at 19 years old. Leading up to when I was admitted, I packed my college dorm and tried not to hit rock bottom (turns out I was already there). I treated myself to a journal from anthropologie. It was less than $20, but I was so accustomed to self-deprivation that it felt luxurious. It is golden with stars on it, and I saved it until I admitted.

It was a cold, January day when I got to the treatment center, but I don’t remember much other than feeling exposed, vulnerable, reluctant, defiant, and alone. I had a meal plan and expectations and a bedtime and EVERYTHING that I hated. I had 13 other women that I didn’t know, I had aches and pains and cramps and dizziness and all of the discomfort. I had sadness and anger and frustration and regret and so much fear. In that, though, I found an opportunity to live what Taylor has taught me, to be fearless.

That was the first word I wrote in that journal. Fearless. I knew I was afraid then and I knew I was bound to be even more afraid in the coming weeks, but I had to do this anyways. Fearless became a mantra — I now have 5 bracelets that say the word fearless, three of which are gifts from my partners in recovery whom I met in treatment. I played Taylor CDs in the car on group outings, I logged into my Spotify on the communal computer, I just had to have her there with me. My “soul song” (it’s a long story) was Change, through and through. It still is.

What matters is that, since that bitter January day that I half-heartedly scratched the word fearless into a new journal, I’ve had to be fearless. I’ve had to make choices, big ones. I’ve had to live through terrible pain and vivid fear and the type of feeling where I wouldn’t have been surprised if my heart stopped beating. Screaming at the top of my lungs, crying until I couldn’t breathe, falling onto the floor in my new big apartment that I definitely wasn’t ready for. Trying to fathom the idea of my bestfriend’s funeral when she chose palliative care, how to cope with my other bestfriend being in the hospital for weeks at a time when her body just couldn’t do it anymore. Feeling all of the pain, shame, guilt, torture, fear, and agony of revisiting and retelling and practically reliving trauma. And, I had to fucking eat through it all. Every day I had to open my eyes to fight the eating disorder, the exercise addiction, the OCD, the anxiety, the depression, the PTSD, the self-harm. I did my best... Sure, I said fuck it, skipped my fair share of meals, went for a run in 100% humidity, took the stairs when I didn’t need to, but I was aiming for progress not perfection. Fearlessly. I kept Taylor with me, I kept my bracelets on and my headphones close-by.

It’s been a year and a half of that, and I’ve grown a lot since then. I’m not perfect. I am not recovered. I hope I will be one day. This August was a challenge, though, and I knew it. Transitions, anticipatory anxiety over school, more free time, urges to restrict, anniversaries of past traumas.

I tried to do the best I could at release week.

And after I met Taylor several days ago, I walked away from the large group of people hovering around her and just collapsed against a wall. I just felt an unimaginable relief. On a date sandwiched between anniversaries of the worst moments of my life, after months of re-entering the ring with my vices, after weeks of sliding backwards into a very dark and lonely place, there was daylight.

My girlfriend held me as I sobbed on 14th Street that evening, and I’ll never forget it. She told me that this is recovery. This is every meal I didn’t want to eat, every time I wanted to give up, every day I just couldn’t fathom getting out of fucking bed, it was all for this. I will hold onto this forever in the journey on which I’m just getting started. The journey of being an adult, finding who I am after years of fighting my identity, and identifying my values. I have never believed so wholeheartedly that I met Taylor when I was meant to. She showed up just in time, and I will be forever grateful.

“It was all for this.”

And now I see daylight, I only see daylight. 💛

@taylorswift

[dia-morphin-e]

HOTLINES FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT.

National Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be called on 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

National Runaway Safeline 1-800-RUNAWAY

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

•SAMHSA national hotline 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

•1-800-487-4889 is available to people with hearing impairment for information on substance abuse 24 hours a day.

•1-800-999-9999 is a National Directory of drug abuse hotline numbers and crisis intervention centers.

•The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Hope Line 1-800-NCA-CALL (622-2255)

•Alcohol hotline number 1-800-331-2900

•Al-Anon and Alateen crisis line 1-800-356-9996

•The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Hope Line 1-800-NCA-CALL (622-2255)

•Drug Abuse Hotline 1-888-744-0069

MENTAL HEALTH

•The American Foundation For Suicide Prevention 1-888-333-2377

•Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) 240-485-1001

-provides information on prevention, treatment and symptoms of anxiety, depression and related conditions.240-485-1001

•Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) 800-233-4050

-provides information and referrals on ADHD, including local support groups.

•Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)1-800-826-3632

-provides information on bipolar disorder and depression, offers in-person and online support groups and forums.

•International OCD Foundation 617-973-5801

-provides information on OCD and treatment referrals.

•Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America (SARDAA)  240-423-9432

-maintains the Schizophrenia Anonymous programs, which are self-help groups and are now available as toll free teleconferences.

•TARA (Treatment and Research Advancements for Borderline Personality Disorder)  1-888-482-7227

-offers a referral center for information, support, education and treatment options for BPD.

•Sidran Institute  410-825-8888

-helps people understand, manage and treat trauma and dissociation; maintains a helpline for information and referrals.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT

•National Domestic Violence Hotline 1−800−799−7233 or 1-800-787-3224 

•National Coalition Against Domestic Violence 303-839-1852

•National Battered Women's Law Project 212-741-9480

•Safe Horizons Crime Victim Hotline 800-621-4673

-Rape, Sexual Assult & Incest hotline 212-227-3000

-For all hotlines 866-604-5350

•24-hour hotline: 800-621-4673

•National Resourse Center on Domestic Violence 800-537-2238

•National Network To End Domestic Violence 800-799-7233

•RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673

•Planned Parenthood

1.800.230.7526

[pawlingamedical]

Tricho-tillo what????? A big word with a big cause.

What is Tricholliomania?

The BIG T- Word...Most people have never even heard of it. If you ask someone what Trichotillomania is, unless you have been personally effected by it or had someone close to you be effected by it, chances are Trichotillomania is the last thing you’re thinking about when it comes to hair loss.

Trichotillomania (pronounced trick-o-till-o-mania and often shortened to just Trich) is one of many Body-Focused Repetative Behaviors (BFRB) that causes people to have an overwhelming, uncontrollable urge to pull out the hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows and other body parts resulting in noticeable bald patches, scabbing and scarring. Other BFRB’s include skin picking, nail chewing to the point of harm and biting lips/cheeks.

Often times those who suffer with Trichotillomania will report a sense of stress relief when they pull or individuals can pull in an automatic manner in which they are sometimes completely unaware they are doing it at all. Although there are varying degrees to which a Trich patient pulls the hair out, many pull so much and so often that they end up pulling the hair follicles completely out leading to permanent, devastating hair loss.

Women have a greater chance of being affected than men. About 3% of the population lives with a BFRB; that’s over 10 million people in America alone, yet it often goes undiagnosed and untreated , causing shame and isolation. Symptoms tend to begin around puberty and may come and go over - lifetime, and typically require intervention. The causes of BFRB’s are not fully understood, but new evidence suggests that it is partly a neurological disorder.

How is Trichotillomania Treated?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Research supports certain forms of cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) as the best treatment for trichotillomania along with active engagement with a therapist for help with underlying issues such as anxiety, OCD or depression. Here at Capital Region Hair Restoration we work hand in hand with local Therapist who have extensive experience with BFRB’s like Trichotillomania .

Medications

Currently there are no medications that are approved by the FDA for treatment of trichotillomania. Medications may be useful in treating co-existing problems such as anxiety and depression.

There has recently been some promising new research however using N-Acetylal-Cysteine to help reduce symptoms of Trichotillomania. N-Acetylal-Cysteine is an amino acid which can be found at nutrition stores or pharmacies. This supplement affects levels of glutamate in the brain making it easier for patients to decrease unwanted behaviors. Glutamate is a chemical that nerve cells use to send signals to other cells. Studies found 56% of the subjects experienced a significant reduction in symptoms as compared to the placebo group (those taking just a sugar pill).

Keen Habit-Aware Band

This is exciting new technology created by a woman who suffered from Trichotillomania and it was life changing for her and for others. The Habit-Aware Band is a “smart” bracelet that looks similar to a fit-bit. You use an iOS or Android app to train Keen to look out for your specific behavior and movement such as hair pulling, twisting or tugging or eyebrow pulling. The bracelet vibrates when your custom gesture is detected, “waking you up” and making you aware that you are hair pulling. Once aware, you can make a new choice & move your hand away. Over time, your brain is retrained away from the negative behavior. We are happy to offer these bracelets in our clinic to our patients.

Don’t dispare there is HOPE

The earlier the urge to pull is intercepted and controlled the better the chances of growing (and keeping) your own hair will be. We have clients of varying ages visit our office to help guide them in a multi-faceted treatment plan. Our approach includes creating a support system, providing referrals, offering resources, and providing hair follicle preservation methods.

After the urges of hair pulling are well under control, Dr. Pawlinga can help restore permanent bald patches by doing a hair transplant. At Pawlinga Medical Center for Hair Restoration we are continually trying to raise awareness about Trichotillomania so that more and more people understand and recognize the condition to help those who are suffering find the help needed to succeed.

We strongly believe in catching Trichotillomania as early as possible to help control the long term chances of recovery, and for that reason we offer all children “at cost” and/or free treatments in our clinic, because when you’re a kid, you just want to fit in and be “normal”. Growing up is tough enough without feeling like your bald patches make you different from everyone else. Pawlinga Medical Center for Hair Restoration is here to help kids be kids and help kids restore a sense of self-control & self-esteem so they can confidently do all the things they love to do.

So if you or a loved one is suffering from Trichotillomania give us a call today and let us help you on your journey.

[beenpole]

I don’t like making parallels to myself with my muses but Marcie generally taking no shit from anyone, especially men, absolutely comes from me. Daily life is pretty tough when you are shy and have anxiety, standing up to people doing you and others wrong is hard, a mountain to climb over. The courage to demand to be treated with respect and dignity as a person and as a colleague, a family member, a friend, a romantic partner is difficult. Every situation is like starting over, doesn’t matter how confident I feel now, the next time I might falter. 

Marcie goes through those same moments, needing to reach deep inside herself and say that this is something worth standing up to and worth fighting for. Respect should be given until it’s lost, there is no reason to treat anyone lesser until they show that they don’t deserve basic respect. There is no reason to treat people like trash, yet plenty do it daily. So if anyone thinks I am have made Marcie overly anxious and cautious, it’s based on my own experiences, and what I think plenty of others experience all the time.  Personal story: The other day at work someone above me in rank criticized what time I left (well past what I was scheduled) and joked that I was rushing home to read a book. Its such a small-minded yet personalized insult that I think it is actually effecting me. She could have called me lazy, or a bitch, instead she chose to comment on what she thinks my lifestyle and personality are.  Yes I do have books I have to read, but she doesn’t or shouldn’t know that. I have work to do, and now I am thinking to myself, why is she calling me a nerd of all things? Is it the words I use? Did I mention something about myself in a pretentious way? Sometimes I try so hard to be a nobody wallflower and be as un-excellent as possible that it baffles me when someone singles me out. I hate being the center of attention, even if it’s positive.  Marcie goes through things like this, but differently. Now THIS is going to sound pretentious, because Marcie is generally considered conventionally attractive, but having anxiety AND sticking out like a sore thumb is a bad combo. She doesn’t have much courage, she doesn’t like attention, it makes her sick to her stomach. I am not setting out for anyone to feel bad for a cis white woman that few would call ugly, this is an internal struggle that no one but herself can solve. No one else can make her feel better about herself, in her head. She has very little complaints about herself physically, other than being tall because it’s something that she was made fun of. Tall guys get special treatment too, but for women it is different.  Marcie’s childhood was emotionally negligent and she will spend the rest of her life trying to feel just ok. Sometime I worry when I write about her mental health struggles that someone will tell me I’m wrong no matter how hard I try to be accurate yet not stereotypical, since I haven’t faced the same issues, I can only relate it to my own (specifically with her OCPD/OCD and my ED) because as I said, I don’t like putting myself so much into my muses. Maybe I base a little backstory thing on my own life (I broke all ten of my toes when I was 13, and used that as inspiration for Marcie breaking her leg from falling out of a tree when she was 16, things like that.) 

I think its fucking bonkers how women are treated and invalidated daily, how men talk to us, no matter where we come from or what we do or how hard we try or how smart we are, they treat us all the same and mentally divide us into how useful we are to them. Every time a man talks to me like I’m a toddler I want to scream and cry and fight them, but I can’t do those things, so I try my fucking hardest to run fucking circles around them ethically, philosophically, politically, any way I can. Every single day I am treated lesser than because I muster up the courage to speak up, and Marcie is a part of that. She allows me to express how I feel sometimes. Sometimes when I am sad and feeling down, I can log on here, or write a drabble I will never post and sort out my feelings, and think about how I can do better next time. At this point I am not writing for anyone else, I am writing for me. 

[sonofsam-sonofhope]

Overview of Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are ways of thinking, feeling that stray from the persons social norms. Researchers do not know what causes personality disorders, but some belive they are rooted in early life experiences. Most syptoms of personality disorders come after adolescence. The patterns of behavior are inflexible and and inescapable in order to be diagnosable as a personality disorder.

Diagnosis criteria for personality disorders is as follows:

Patterns of behavior must

Affect different parts of a person’s life

Be long lasting and prevalent

Affect two or more of these functions: feelings, thoughts, impulse control, and ability to function with other people

Begin in adolescence

Be unchanging over time

Not a result of other mental illnesses or outside factors

There are three main types of personality disorders called Clusters.

Cluster A is represented by eccentric and odd behavior

Paranoid Personality Disorder is characterized by suspicion and mistrust of other people. 2% of adults in the US have Paranoid Personality Disorder.

Symptoms include:

Constant suspicion and distrust of others

Feeling like they are being exploited, decieved, or lied-to

Trying to find hidden meaning in things (such as another persons body language)

Feeling like family, friends, or parters are untrustworthy

outbursts of anger because of feeling decieved

People with paranoid personality disorder often seem serious, jealous, secretive or cold.

Schizoid Personality Disorder is characterized by seemingly aloof behavior or lacking personality. There is an unknown percentage of people affected in the US, but it is more common in men than women.

Symptoms include:

No desire for close relationships

Rare participation in fun activities

Detached from others

Indifference when confronted with rejection, criticism, affirmation, or praise

People with schizoid personality disorder usually seem withdrawn, indifferent, or cold.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder is characterized by strange thinking and/or behavior. It affects around 3% of the adult US population. While schizotypal personality disorder is on the schizophrenia spectrum, individuals with schizotypal personality disorder do not experience psychosis.

Symptoms include:

Eccentric views, behavior, and thoughts.

Facing difficulties with relationships

Severe social anxiety that does not go away

Belief in reading other peoples minds or seeing the future

Innapropriate reactions

Ignoring other people

Talking to themself

People with schizotypal personality disorder are more at risk of developing psychotic disorders and depression.

Cluster B is represented by erratic and dramatic behavior.

Antisocial Personality Disorder is characterized by patterns of manipulating others. In the United States, 3% of men and 1% of women have antisocial personality disorder.

Symptoms include:

Complete disregard for safety

Deceitful and impulsive behavior

Being aggressive and irritable

Apathetic towards others

Failing to conform to social norms

People with antisocial personality disorder often get in trouble with the law.

Borderline Personality Disorder is characterized by emotional instability, with 1-2% of the US population having the disorder. Borderline personality disorder is more common in men than women,

Symptoms include:

Intense bouts of depression, anxiety, and irritability which can range from hours to day

Impulsiveness

Participating in self destructive behavior, such as drug abuse or eating disorders to manipulate others

Unstable interpersonal repationships

Low self-image and poor self-identity

Histrionic Personality DIsorder is characterised by basing one’s elf esteem on the approval of others. 2-3% of the US population has been diagnosed, with more women diagnosed than men. 

Symptoms include:

Constant need to be the center of attention

Innapropriate behavior that is sexual or provocative

Shallow emotions that constantly change

Easily influenced by others

Thinking relationships are more intimate than they really are

Speaking in a way that has little to no detail and is often dramatic

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is characterized by an intense need for others admiration and attention, along with an inflated view of themselves. Less than 1% of adults in the US have been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder.

Symptoms include:

Inflated self importance

Being preoccupied with fantasies of power and success

Believes they are unique and should only associate and is understood by people of the same status

Feeling entitled and deserving of special treatment

Jealous of others

Believing others are jealous of them

Taking advantage of others for their own personal growth

Apathetic

Constantly desiring praise and affection

Cluster C is represented by feelings and behavior based on fear and anxiety

Avoidant Personality Disorder is categorized by extreme shyness, which can be shown at an early age. People with avoidant personality disorder often only grow more shy as they age. 1% of the US population has been diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder.

Symptoms include:

Feeling inadequate

Being incredibly shy

Sensitive to rejection and critisim

Avoiding social and interpersonal interaction, such as going to work or school

Having a low self-esteem

Wanting to be close to others, but having trouble creating relationships outside of their immediate family

People with avoidant personality disorder have a risk of developing anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder and agoraphobia.

Dependent Personality Disorder is characterized by the inability to be alone. Around 2.5% of the US population has been diagnosed with dependent personality disorder.

Symptoms include:

Being sensitive to rejection or criticism

Low self-confidence and self-esteem

Concentrating on abandonment

Taking passive roles in relationships

Have trouble making decisions on their own

Avoid responsibility

People with dependent personality disorder are often also diagnosed with borderline, avoidant, or histrionic personality disorder.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is characterized by extreme perfectionism, with 1% of the US population diagnosed. Two times the amount of men have been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder than women. Although OCPD and OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Anxiety Disorder) are similar, they are considered seperate disorders.

Symptoms include:

Feeling helpless when not in control of a situation

Preoccupied with order, control, rules, lists, and perfection

Unable to throw things away, even if they have little to no sentimental value

Striving for perfection to the point where it is impossible for them to finish the task

Devoted to work and forgoes other things

Inflexible and resistant to change

Imposes own standards onto their outside enviroment

People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder have a risk of developing medical illnesses caused by stress and anxiety disorders.

Sources: x x x

[athenaokas]

Motherhood and Depression: Navigating the Challenges

Explore the complexities of motherhood and depression in our insightful guide: 'Motherhood and Depression Navigating the Challenges.' Learn how to cope with the emotional hurdles that can arise during this transformative journey. Discover practical tips and support to help you navigate these challenges with confidence. Find hope and strength in our expert advice, designed to empower mothers facing depression. For more information contact us at 9289730444