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10 Tips for Improving Your Relationships

by Linda Abbott Trapp, Ph.D.

1. Evaluate From a Long Term Perspective

The other person may be tired or preoccupied right now (it's not all about you, after all), and not up for a whole lot of straight talk. Your communication problems may improve on their own over time, or may just not be important enough in the long run for you to demand that today's problem be fixed right now. If it's not earth-shakingly important, and if the other wants to pass on fixing things right now, consider doing so; you can always call in the IOU later on.

2. Listen with More Attention, And More Caring

This is a person you're in a relationship with. Whether it’s your child, your boss, or your romantic interest, more....

Agoraphobia

by Marc D. Feldman, M.D.

Agoraphobia is one of the most common and most debilitating types of anxiety disorders. It often involves the fear of being in situations in which embarrassing - if not incapacitating - where feelings of panic might suddenly strike, out of the blue, and without escape.

The problem has been around for centuries, as proven by the derivation of the term. Agoraphobia is originally a Greek word, and is most often translated to more....

Am I Suffering from Trauma?

by Jasmin Lee Cori, MS, LPC

Alyce didn't understand why, but the thought of getting trapped in the parking lot created a sudden sense of panic. She wasn't always anxious, but when she did become upset or nervous, it was sort of over the top. She also had disturbing dreams of her home being broken into when she was sleeping.

And when her siblings reminisced about family vacations spent with cousins, she found herself with a pounding headache. Other things bothered her too, like leaving her daughter with babysitters. When she saw a movie in which a child was sexually assaulted, she wondered if anything had happened to her. more....

Anger: Are You Losing It or Using It?

by Jasmin Lee Cori, MS, LPC

Things to learn in this article:

Learn how to use the energy;"rush" of anger in a positive way
If something makes you angry, it's because you care- that's good!
Habitual displays of anger shut down communication from others
Anger management is a set of readily available skills, building on simple strategies like time-out
Learn tactful, understanding responses that prevent confrontation from escalating more....

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: The Ugly Syndrome of Imagined Ugliness

by Marc D. Feldman, M.D.

First recognized in Europe over 100 years ago, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is also known as the "syndrome of imagined ugliness." Patients with BDD are convinced that something is, simply put, quite dreadful about the way they look.
Sometimes individuals with BDD are exaggerating a slight flaw of the face, the buttocks, or the hairline, perceiving themselves as grotesquely disproportioned and offensive. In other cases, the object of their self-perceived freakishness is another part of the body: an asymmetry in the eyes becomes a deformity; bulky arms and thighs become horrible and hideous. Some patients say that the maligned body parts feel abnormal as well.
Few of us are really satisfied with the way we look. Liposuction, facial peels, more....

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