• How to become Depressed – or NOT

    Learning how to intentionally become depressed can teach us the steps we need to know in order not to be depressed

    Who wants to be depressed? No one!

    But suppose you did? How would you go about it? Actually, it’s not that hard. Here’s how you would start:

    • Eat loads of carbs.
    • Avoid exercise.
    • Don’t socialize.
    • Drink to excess daily.
    • Watch the news, 10 hours minimum.

    That should do it, for most of us.

    Not there yet? Okay, keep going:

    • Dwell on the past. Pick each negative thing that has ever happened to you, and rehearse it in your head. Try to figure out how to blame yourself.
    • Never look closely at your emotions. Learn to block them out if you can. This may take practice. 
    • Resist naming, expressing or sharing these emotions with anyone.
    • Spend impulsively on things you don’t really want or need. Try to draw down your savings and any retirement.
    • Work yourself into a foul mood, then get snarky with your best friends, one at a time. If they’re not upset, try again.
    • Practice cognitive distortions:  ‘’Everything in the world is either good or bad; I’ll never learn to do the right thing; the few things I’ve accomplished don’t count; everyone hates me; this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to anybody in the world;”  (see David Burns, 2020, “Feeling Great.’’)
    • Never try to do anything enjoyable; it won’t work and then you’ll feel worse than ever.
    • Getting involved in any kind of groups or causes is a waste of time.
    • Never forget: anybody acting nice just wants something.
    • Hobbies are a foolish waste of money. Same for art and literature.

    OK  –  That’s 10 strategies.  Give yourself a score:  ____ /  10.

    If you get tired of being depressed, that’s easy too: just do the opposite of all the above.

    Retake your score:  ____ / 10.

    Rollin S Rhodes PhD

    Licensed Clinical Psychologist

    https://www.rsrhodesphd.com Ask for a free Consult – We’ll talk

    Learn more;

    https://www.webmd.com/depression/default.htm

    https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20356013

    Disclaimer – This site is for informational and educational purposes only. The information is not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical or mental health condition. Reading these articles does not constitute a patient-therapist relationship. Any decisions or actions taken by a reader are fully the responsibility of the reader. If therapy is required, see a qualified licensed provider. If there is a risky or emergency situation, contact your provider, Emergency Room, or call 988.

  • SELF CARE – How to Avoid Anxiety and Depression

    Our whole country has gone through incredible stress in the last two years. We have dealt with Covid, inflation, high gas prices, political division, Supreme Court controversies, supply chain shortages and foreign wars.

    It’s no wonder that psychologists and other mental health workers have been inundated with people seeking therapy for anxiety, depression, trauma and other mental health issues.

    Practicing good self-care is essential to prevent these emotional problems.

    Some areas to focus on include:

    • Health – One of the most important areas is staying physically healthy. This means being physically active, eating healthy foods, sleeping well, spending time outdoors, and keeping regular physician follow-ups.
    • Role – What is your role in life, and is it the one you would choose? Are you the pleaser, the caretaker, the problem solver?
    • Boundaries – If we are not setting appropriate boundaries in our lives, it is very likely that others are taking advantage of that, intentionally or not.
    • Solitude – As humans, we all require interactions with others. No one wants to be alone. However, we all need some periods of solitude, where we get to tune out the rest of the world, at least for a while.
    • Relations – Take a look at your closest relationships. If any of these are toxic do what you can to minimize them. Spend more of your time with others who are affirming.
    • Structure – Having structure to your day can reduce stress. We can be flexible, but at least have a plan of how we intend to spend our time.
    • Self-Esteem – A realistic view of yourself is essential. No one likes grandiose, selfish people. However, dwelling on any negative self-traits is harmful.
    • Contributing – Making others happy, and doing for others unselfishly makes us happy and in turn, content.
    • Rewards – When we have worked hard, accomplished difficult tasks, and fulfilled our responsibilities, it’s important to feel confident about rewarding ourselves.
    • Spiritual – We all differ in our views, but it is important to have a sense of spirituality and meaning in life.
    • Goals – What are you working toward? How do you know when you’ve gotten there? Having goals gives us a sense of purpose in life and provides motivation.

    Good self care can be a buffer from all that is going on around us.  Now that you know how, begin today to take good care of yourself.

    Rollin S Rhodes PhD

    Licensed Clinical Psychologist

    Ask for a free consult:

    https://rsrhodesphd.com/contact/

    https://blogs.webmd.com/webmd-doctors/20180702/when-theres-just-no-time-for-self-care

    https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/the-importance-of-self-care-during-difficult-times/

    Disclaimer – This site is for informational and educational purposes only. The information is not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical or mental health condition. Reading these articles does not constitute a patient-therapist relationship. Any decisions or actions taken by a reader are fully the responsibility of the reader. If therapy is required, see a qualified licensed provider. If there is a risky or emergency situation, contact your provider, Emergency Room, or call 988.

  • PHOBIAS – What Can Psychologists Do?

    How do psychologist provide treatment for the anxiety of phobias?

    Did you know that phobias are one of the most common mental health disorders in the U.S.? According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 18% of people have phobias,  an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal. This form of anxiety, along with the depression it can lead to, is a common focus of psychologists in therapy.

    How does this happen? Let’s make up an example: as a boy, “Joe” became stuck in an elevator in a tall building. Others in the elevator panicked and began screaming and even fighting to get out. Joe was convinced that he was going to die. It was hours before they were rescued.

    Fast-forward to 10 years later. Joe is developing a successful career in his own small home town. However, with several kids and unexpected expenses, Joe and his wife are going under, financially. With some searching, Joe was able to find a high-paying job in his field, in a nearby city. Unfortunately, his office would be on the 15th floor, accessible only by elevator. (You see the problem).

    What can Joe do? He sees a clinical psychologist, and they get to work. Relaxation training could help, but Joe must start work soon. The psychologist has Joe take a number of steps, in his imagination, known as in vitro exposure. Joe gets relaxed in a comfortable chair, closes his eyes, and imagines standing across the street from the building. He continues until he feels calm. Next, he imagines standing at the door to the building, in the lobby of the building, next to the elevator, getting on and off the elevator, riding up one floor, riding several floors, and then to the 15th floor, successfully.

    Next, Joe takes the same steps, but in reality. This is known as in vivo exposure. This phase requires a couple of precious days, but by the end of the second day Joe visits his new office. He is sweaty and somewhat shaky, but successful. His wife is happy.

    This same process has been used with many specific phobias such as snakes, spiders, heights, bridges, planes, and crowds.

    Want to see how you score? Try: https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/rm-quiz-fears-phobias

    Rollin S Rhodes PhD Licensed Clinical Psychologist

    Ask for a free Consult:

                    

    https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/understanding-phobias-basics

    Disclaimer – This site is for informational and educational purposes only. The information is not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical or mental health condition. Reading these articles does not constitute a patient-therapist relationship. Any decisions or actions taken by a reader are fully the responsibility of the reader. If therapy is required, see a qualified licensed provider. If there is a risky or emergency situation, contact your provider, Emergency Room, or call 988.

  • Emotions – Express Yourself

    Recognizing, naming, and expressing emotions helps us to address them constructively rather than need therapy for anxiety or depression
    ”I feel ……”

    Emotions play a crucial role in every part of our lives; art, music, dance, relationships, politics, work, sports, – you name it. It makes sense that emotions also affect us psychologically, from anxiety and depression to trauma, to name a few.

    It is common for people going through extreme stress to actually tune out their emotions. Maybe the brain even helps us. This functions to protect us in the short run. Being less aware of emotions means being less distracted. It doesn’t mean the emotions go away; in the long run, blocking emotions becomes a severe problem. Issues can’t be shared or addressed, and can’t be resolved. The anxiety, depression, and trauma continue.

    So, what can we do? Some simple steps include:

    • NOTICE reactions, usually from physical signs such as tension
    • LABEL the emotion. This may take practice such as constructing a list
    • EXPRESS the emotion, even if it’s only to yourself
    • LET GO of past emotions, which is a process.

    Some people can name a long list of emotions such as happy, sad, hurt, angry, confused, numb, thrilled, excited, bored and many more. Others get stuck: they can repeat happy, sad and that’s about it. This is not about intelligence; it’s an indication that these emotions have been blocked, probably for self-protection. For these people, sitting down and writing out as many emotions as they can think of is a good start.

    One strategy is to pause, three times a day; lunch, supper and dinner. Review the past few hours. Pick out significant events. Name at least one emotion and put it into a sentence such as “When ____ happened, I felt _____.’’ Don’t be discouraged if this is difficult; that’s an indication of how important it is to learn this. Sometimes, when people first begin, they start out feeling worse not better. That’s understandable, and it helps to know that this gets much better with time.

    Ask for a free Consult;

    check out:

    https://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20021108/emotions-trigger-attention-perception

    Rollin S Rhodes PhD                    Licensed Clinical Psychologist

    Ask for a free consult;

    https://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20021108/emotions-trigger-attention-perception

    Disclaimer – This site is for informational and educational purposes only. The information is not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical or mental health condition. Reading these articles does not constitute a patient-therapist relationship. Any decisions or actions taken by a reader are fully the responsibility of the reader. If therapy is required, see a qualified licensed provider. If there is a risky or emergency situation, contact your provider, Emergency Room, or call 988.

  • How to Help when therapy is needed

    If someone else is struggling, are we being intrusive or caring when we encourage them to seek therapy from a psychologist

    Sometimes we see friends, relatives, or even coworkers emotionally struggling. And yet, we feel stuck;

    • Should we mind our own business instead of getting nosy and intruding on someone else’s private life?
    • Should we take responsibility to show caring and compassion in a way that may make a difference in someone’s life?

    The answer, if there is one, is complicated. We don’t want to intrude rudely, but we do have a responsibility. So, what can we do?

    A lot depends on the type of relationship we have with them, and how severely they seem to be affected. In a long-term committed relationship built upon trust, we can be pretty open. Start with your own emotions, such as concern. In a casual relationship, or with an acquaintance, we have to be careful. Try a light “feeler,” such as “hard day, huh?” and go from there.

    Let’s look at:

    DON’T:

    • act out of anger, impatience, or other negative emotions
    • make threats; “either you see a shrink or I’m out of here.”
    • be controlling or bossy.
    • make critical remarks about their behavior

    DO:

    • pick a quiet, confidential spot
    • start out casually, but show concern
    • self-disclose your own nonthreatening emotions
    • listen more than talk
    • avoid the word “help.” Some (mostly men?) interpret that as meaning they are incompetent
    • if you spot an opening, try a Call to Action; ‘’Hey, I hear there’s a really good doctor in town. Let me give you the phone number.”
    • In a close relationship, offer to go with them
    • Be patient  –  you may be dismissed the first try

    You’ll probably get 1 of 2 reactions: 1) they will welcome the concern, as they were looking for a direction 2) they just aren’t ready yet. I think you’ll know pretty quickly which is which.

    Rollin S Rhodes PhD   https://www.rsrhodesphd.com

    Licensed Clinical Psychologist     Ask for a free Consult:

    See also:

    https://www.webmd.com/depression/ss/slideshow-therapy-myths-and-facts

    Disclaimer – This site is for informational and educational purposes only. The information is not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical or mental health condition. Reading these articles does not constitute a patient-therapist relationship. Any decisions or actions taken by a reader are fully the responsibility of the reader. If therapy is required, see a qualified licensed provider. If there is a risky or emergency situation, contact your provider, Emergency Room, or call 988.

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