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Chronic Interpersonal Abuse: A New Look at Trauma

June 3, 2009

Recently I came across a couple of articles that present a slightly different “take” on trauma, and I thought it was worth summarizing here. It piqued my interest because they examine the effects of chronic interpersonal abuse, which is not really captured in the classic DSM-IV definition of PTSD in which a person is: (1)“…confronted [...]

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The Mind-Body Connection: Stress and The Heart

June 2, 2009

e-pearls newsletter, March 2009: There has been increasing evidence over the years showing a strong association between psychological stress, depression, and physical illness. This rather direct link has been well-established in the literature; this month’s focus is on the relationship between stress and heart disease, which is just one aspect of the so-called mind-body connection. As [...]

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Visual Hallucinations

June 2, 2009

e-pearls newsletter, February 2009: I chose this month’s topic because of a strong personal interest in schizophrenia (in which hallucinations are most often of anauditory nature; however, visual hallucinations may occur in a significant percentage of patients over the course of their illness). In addition, therapists will likely come across clients suffering from hallucinations from time [...]

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Psychotherapy in Clients with Multiple Sclerosis

June 1, 2009

Introduction Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the central nervous system. It results from the immune system “attacking” myelin, the material surrounding the axons of many, if not most, neurons within the central nervous system (which includes the brain and spinal cord). Myelin is essential for the normal transmission of nerve impulses; [...]

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Antidepressants and Migraine Headaches: A Note of Caution

May 29, 2009

e-pearls newsletter, January 2009: As we all know, SSRI’s (as well as SSNRI’s) are often used in the treatment of serious depression. These agents act by inhibiting the re-uptake of serotonin into nerve cells in the brain. This causes serotonin molecules to linger in their synapses (spaces between nerve cells), which in turn allows serotonin [...]

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