Self-help from SelfhelpMagazine.com

The Use and Abuse of the Psychopath Test

Everyone has an image of a psychopath, and to most people that image is terrifying. Psychopaths, in the popular consciousness, are remorseless criminal maniacs who put us all in danger and who can't be rehabilitated. On a recent episode of NPR's popular show This American Life, host Ira Glass and his staff each took a shortened version of psychologist Robert Hare's infamous psychopath test. A few of the test-takers scored higher on the inventory than they expected to, contributing to an ongoing debate about the use, validity, and potential misuse of the psychopath test.

The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Posttraumatic Stress

When people think about posttraumatic stress (PTSD), they often envision a soldier struggling to cope with the physical and psychological ravages of war. Many PTSD outreach campaigns focus on this very image, but a person doesn't have to travel to a foreign land to experience trauma. The domestic violence rate in the United States is extremely high, with about 21% of women experiencing some form of intimate partner violence each year. Intimate partner violence is a leading—and often overlooked—cause of PTSD, and some people with PTSD may not realize they’re experiencing it.

Discrimination and Weight: The Social Effects of Obesity

There's no denying that obesity, an issue that afflicts about 36% of Americans, can cause serious health problems. A larger body does not, however, always mean that a person is unhealthy, and misconceptions about obesity can lead to social and mental health issues for people with larger figures.Some advocates have termed the abuse and discrimination that some obese people experience “fatphobia.” The term might seem offensive, but it's an attempt to reclaim a potentially offensive term and remove its hurtful power.

Talking Back to Dr. Phil: Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology

By David Bedrick, J.D., Bipl. PW

Caregiving is rapidly becoming a central part of the lives of millions of Americans. A recent RAND corporation study found that 1.1 million Americans are caring for wounded war veterans in their homes, and as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, more and more families are caring for ailing parents. The unconditional love of providing care ranging from running errands to round-the-clock assistance is undeniable and should be lauded. But the costs of caregiving on caregivers can be high.

Soul Songs

For fans of the Chicken Soup series, Soul Songs reflects on the same positive perspective, but delves deeper into how an average person can find joy and positivity. Unlike so many Big Box feel-good books, it’s a realistic route to happiness and mindfulness that everyone has the power to obtain. Through a warm tone and narrative approach, Soul Songs is thoughtful and engaging at every turn, making the entire reading experience feel like a much-needed call with a long-lost friend.

Adoptive parents frequently wait years to adopt their children and may struggle with infertility, failed promises of available babies, and the stress of years of paperwork and thousands of dollars in adoption fees.

For some parents, the joy of a long-awaited child is tempered by a cloud of depression.

Infidelity can have an immediate, devastating effect on a relationship. Many couples never recover. Infidelity is among the leading causes of divorce, but even when couples choose to stay together, the pain of an affair can haunt their marriage for years.

About 40% of all marriages experience at least one instance of infidelity, making it a common weed in the landscape of marriage. But infidelity doesn't happen in a vacuum. A variety of relationship, personality, and lifestyle factors can increase the likelihood of infidelity.

Despite years of work by doctors and advocacy groups to obliterate the stigma surrounding mental health issues, some people feel a deep sense of shame because their brains work differently. The decision to take psychoactive medications can be a tough one, and fears about side effects, health insurance consequences, and a radical change in personality can compound the difficulty. But when therapy's not enough and lifestyle changes aren't doing the trick, medication can be the shakeup you need.