The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and AstraZeneca conducted a really interesting survey on the impact of bipolar depression on people’s lives.  There were a couple of points in the study that really caught my attention:

The greatest concerns among people living with bipolar disorder are that their symptoms will have an impact on daily life, such as family, relationships, or job (73%), and that they will have long periods of depressive episodes (63%).
Ninety percent of people living with bipolar disorder said that they have difficulty managing or completing day-to-day …

I can’t remember the last time I saw “economist” and “bulimia” in the same headline — I usually don’t put the two together.  However, this article (Eating-Disorders Experts Challenge Economists’ Conclusions About Bulimia) made some pretty interesting statements:

Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is an addiction rather than an eating disorder
Black females are 50% more likely to be bulimic than white females
“Bulimic behavior” is less likely among wealthier, better-educated families.

You should definitely read the article, but I have a couple of things to add to these points:
1. BN is an addiction
I always compare …

Once in awhile, my therapist assigns me homework — usually for one of several reasons:

We only had time to touch on a subject in therapy and she wants me to keep thinking about it to flesh it out.
She wants to keep better track of my symptoms and I’m not very good at bringing up bad days (not because I’m manipulative and want to hide it from her, but because I never feel it’s “bad enough” to bring to her attention).
There’s something that I’m not able to say in person, and …

I’d never heard of a “Sober Coach” until watching VH1′s “Sober House.” In the last episode (I think), Will, who is Seth’s Sober Coach, accompanies him to his first concert and make sure that nothing happens to jeopardize his sobriety. While watching this I thought, “Well that’s convenient — I could use someone protecting me from anything eating disordered.”
Upon thinking about it a little more, though, I wasn’t sure what this Anti-ED Coach would protect me from. Would he make sure no one served me diet coke? …

Coloring aside (and other “active meditation,” I guess), there is something that I hate about meditation (guided imagery especially). Deep breathing maybe helps me when I’m starting to freak out, but I think that’s because I’m telling myself “chill, take a moment, calm down, relax, collect yourself, you’ll be okay.” However, breathing deeply does stop my heart from beating so quickly.
Meditation is different though. I think it’s frustrating and I feel so impatient with it. It’s supposed to be calming, but really it just wears on …

Dr. Wilson: House! Why the hell did you let an unstable patient wander the hallways?!
Dr. House: His leash broke.
I’ve always found the transition between “treatment” and the “real world” fascinating. One minute you are a “real adult” — you can drive your car, eat what you want, walk the dog, go to work, go on a vacation, make bad choices, make good choices… but as soon as you walk through those treatment-center doors, all of these adult “privileges” are revoked. Your purse and coat is locked up …

This is, by far, the most interesting article that I’ve read in a long time: Caring for the Chronically Remitting Anorexia Nervosa Patient
According to Dr. Michael Strober, most people who develop anorexia nervosa will not remain in an acute malnourished state throughout their entire lives, although a significant minority of people have varying levels of illness over decades.

I think this highlights an important point — that you can’t be severely malnourished for years. There have to be points of better physical health in there… why? Because something is …

I have just been waiting to write about this article all day!
“The [UK] government has earmarked £173m to increase the number of cognitive behavioural therapists in the NHS.””Professor Mick Cooper, an expert in counselling at the University of Strathclyde, told the conference at the University of East Anglia that although he welcomed the increased funding for psychological therapies, the focus on CBT was not logical.
He and three colleagues from the UK and US issued a statement saying there had been more studies on CBT, but that did not necessarily mean …

Choosing a therapist these days can be like ordering a drink from Starbucks:
I’ll have a grande CBT lite DBT Gestalt-free psychotherapy with two shots of psychoanalysis and breve IPT.
This image came to mind have after dinner with a friend last night. She’s been in therapy for several years, and has decided to switch to someone with “a little more of a CBT focus… who still integrates interpersonal therapy but spends less time talking about family.” Hmm… good luck with that search, Rach.
The reality of it is, there are …

7 Challenges of Psychotherapy

It can take awhile to find the “right” therapist and you shouldn’t stop at Therapist #1.
Therapy is a strange, unnatural combination — an extremely personal, intimate relationship in a professional setting.
Therapists leave and therapy ends.
It’s only 50 minutes a week.
Sometimes a friend will work just as well.
“Side effects” of psychotherapy are unpredictable.
Therapists can be just as crazy as any of their clients

This is by far one of the best articles that I’ve read lately. It directly addresses one of my biggest pet-peeves — the …