SPace's PsychoHealth Blog

In the mid-1500s, Nicolaus Copernicus theorized the Earth, along with the other planets, rotated around the sun .  This  Heliocentric theory took about 100 years to become widely accepted.  Up until that point, the G eocentric theory  first proposed by Ptolemy in the mid 100s A.D was what was widely accepted.  In this theory, the planets and the sun rotated around Earth.  It took a long time for people to understand and accept this change.  It wasn't a smooth process either; people were persecuted for their heliocentric position.   Why am I referencing something from over 500 years ago you ask?  Two reasons:                      1) It has become somewhat commonplace to question and distrust the validity of science in favor of unscientific, and oftentimes divisive rhetoric.  It appears more widely accepted to believe a talking-head's opinion rather than the methodical,...

  How is Your Mental Health? May is National Mental Health Awareness Month .  Beginning in 1949, Mental Health Month has put a spotlight on the importance of mental health and wellness.  There is such a stigma attached to mental illness or mental health in general, that over 70 years of advocacy and education have yet to overcome.  While 1 in 5 people will experience mental illness at some point in their lifetimes, everyone has faced or will face struggles and challenges that affect their mental health.  You don't have to be diagnosed by a doctor or therapist to know if you're mental health is compromised.   Anxiety:   Intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Some symptoms include: Fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and feeling tired. Stress:    Any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. Stress is your body's response to anything that requires attention or ac...

This year has brought unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, trauma, depression, addiction, suicide, and hundreds of thousands dead, and millions infected with a disease that has no cure as of yet. Our lives have been upended, having to accept this new reality for the foreseeable future.  While difficult, it is not insurmountable.  But we have to do it together.  The time for divisiveness is OVER .  It is not about us vs. them or me vs. you or blue vs. red.  We as a people, Americans, are wayyy better than this, and it is time we as a country recognized it and started acting like it.  It shouldn't have to take a traumatic event to bring us together, but after 9/11/2001, that's exactly what everyone did.  We were all Americans and treated each other kindly and with respect.  Now we are in the middle of multiple crises, and what are we doing?  Taking sides, pointing fingers, and spewing hate the likes we have never seen in decades, if not cen...

Jaws is a classic horror film released in 1975.  It tells the story of a homicidal, Great White Shark, (a Carcharodon Carcharias if you please) who terrorizes Amity Island.  For the first half of the movie the shark was not seen, he was practically invisible.  If it wasn't for the music we wouldn't even know he was on the prowl.  The town council was in denial about the danger of this man-eater, it was a boating accident, a swimmer just got tired and drowned, whatever, they never had a problem with sharks in these waters...Chief Brody knew better, Hooper declared this was no boating accident, that it was, in fact, a shark, and it will continue to kill people unless the beaches are closed and they do something about this shark.   But Mayor Vaughn said Amity is a summer town and they need summer dollars. To further deflect the situation, he implored Brody to go after the vandal who painted a shark fin on their billboard, THAT was the real prob...

Men:  Fatherhood and Family “My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You’re tearing up the grass.’ ‘We’re not raising grass,’ Dad would reply. ‘We’re raising boys.’” –Harmon Killebrew There is nothing that can provide men more of a true meaning of life then fatherhood.  Being a father is rewarding and challenging in ways that most of us probably did not anticipate (prior to having kids).  Our frame of reference was our own dads or father figures growing up.  While our genetics may be similar, our experiences and behaviors may not be.  There are some critical issues that men need to face in order to become responsible and committed dads.    The family of origin influences a father's knowledge, attitudes, values, and behavior about raising and caring for a child.  To gain better insight, fathers should be asked what he learned about being a father from his parents and extended famil...

Men and Anxiety Having anxiety is a normal part of everyday living.  You may have anxiety facing a problem at work or before taking a test in school.  This level of anxiety is temporary and usually situation specific.  The anxiety becomes a problem when it does not go away, gets worse over time, and interferes with daily activity such as job performance , school activities, and relationships. Our culture expects men to be strong at all times, so they are especially reluctant to seek treatment for anxiety.  Even if they acknowledge something is wrong, they will probably just label it as "stress" and try to manage their problems on their own, or look physical causes, such as heart problems.  The idea that men are too strong to experience anxiety can leave some feeling embarrassed and isolated.  With anxiety, too much time alone can often exacerbate emotions and make things worse,  Pride can also get in the way of asking for help. Another mistake...

Men’s Issues: An Introduction (Part 1 of a series on behavioral health issues affecting men) "Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”  -Marcus Aurelius Let me just start by saying  MEN HAVE ISSUES!   We do, we really do and most of us aren’t talking about it.  It’s not manly for guys to talk about their problems, it makes them look weak!  Right??  WRONG!!   Instilled from an early age, boys are told to stop crying, suck it up, “rub some dirt on it!”.  Basically they learn to suppress their feelings because society frowns on men who may not be able to control themselves or be productive members of society.  It is assumed that men will just work and provide for their families, and any problems will be “handled” or ignored. The “Strong Silent-Type” is an image that is admired and attractive.  Admired and attractive to who you ask? Well, other men and women of course!!  Is that what makes...

  Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, and Pain:  The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse I thought this would be a good time to talk about some issues and problems that I know affect each and every one of us at one time or another.  I am willing to bet that 95% of you have had at least one of these four bad boys, anxiety , depression , insomnia , and/or pain .  The other 5% of you are either in denial or self-medicating with enough alcohol or drugs to notice!  In my practice I see people who have at LEAST one of these issues if not all of them and it isn't uncommon.  Often times it is the combination of these issues that results in overwhelming dysfunction in people's lives.  These four issues feed off each other to create a swirling vortex of negativity, sending the afflicted person to a dark place...and often times taking other people (especially significant others) with them.  This may lead to self-medication which could lead to addiction, whi...

'Tis the season to be jolly... Fa-La-La-La Let's talk about the holiday season shall we?  For years I have noticed the day after we put our Halloween costumes away, the Christmas music and decorations start up.  COME ON, REALLY?!?!? I just finished watching Night of the Living Dead and now It's a Wonderful Life?!?!  Can we take a little break and enjoy Fall for a little longer?  I mean, we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet!  And don't get me started about Thanksgiving...Ok, I'm getting started...I understand Black Friday has been around for awhile, but why does it have to start ON Thanksgiving???  The one holiday that traditionally has been a gathering of friends and family to enjoy food (and football) with no expectations other than maybe bring a dish, and keep Uncle Bob from whizzing in the fireplace.   Are the stores really making that much of a difference getting "into the black" by opening ON Thanksgiving Day?? (Yeah I'm talking to...