In part one of my series on healthcare providers’ mental health I explored how perfectionism contributes to the disproportionate incidence of depression and anxiety in healthcare professionals. While I mentioned “the fear of punitive consequences” when perfectionist standards are unmet, the article did not delve into their fundamental nature.
As a practicing psychoanalyst and psychotherapist affiliated with several hospitals in Manhattan, I have worked with a diverse array of healthcare professionals. Two decades of work have revealed the unique set of symptoms faced by these individuals.
The Unique Mental Health Problems of Healthcare Providers: The Role of Perfectionism Read More »
In my earlier articles, I state that there are many different causes of and pathways to depression. This commentary focuses on the role anger and aggression play in keeping the depressed mental state alive (i.e., allowing it to persist). It puts particular emphasis on a few ways anger and aggression directly impact one’s mood.
Anger and Aggression: Another Cause of Depression Read More »
In an earlier article, I proposed––and demonstrated with a clinical example––that difficulties with reflection impact the way couples communicate (click here to read that article). In the present article, I expand upon this idea and posit that couples often fight because they have unconscious beliefs and indifference that shape their emotions and experiences and lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications.
In this commentary, I explore warning signs of an abusive personality. I first examine some causes of abusive behavior, then I attempt to address a common question I hear in my practice: “Do you think I am an abuser?” With a few clinical examples, I hope to demonstrate how and why an individual turns to aggression and abuse.
Anger, Aggression, and the Abusive Personality: A Sense of Entitlement Read More »
The goal of this commentary is to provide you with a better understanding of potential causes of anxiety and panic attacks. While the origins of these disorders are complex and often arise from multiple causes, I will focus on the role of separation and loss for the purposes of this article. More information on the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder, can be found here.
Anxiety and Panic: One Cause and a Treatment Approach Read More »
From time to time the question will arise, how does psychotherapy work, or, how is therapy going to help me? The goal of this brief commentary is to look at two quotes that nicely capture, in my opinion, that which leads to symptom improvement. I will attempt to integrate these two quotes into my way of thinking about the mutative process.
How Does Psychotherapy Work and What Leads to Lasting Change? Read More »
The goal of this brief commentary is to provide you with a slightly different understanding of depression, a perspective that you may not necessarily find in your usual internet search. It is important to put my bias up front, I am a trained psychoanalyst, so the perspective I take is solely psychodynamic and is built upon my educational background and years of clinical experience.
What is Causing My Depression: A General Overview on Causation and Treatment Read More »
It is important to discern what is driving the depression. There are many different pathways that cause depression, which are not mutually exclusive, and a thorough assessment with careful attention to one’s history will help guide an effective treatment approach.
What is causing my Depression: A Blow to Self Esteem as a Pathway to Depression Read More »
The goal of this brief commentary is to provide you with a better understanding of what drives depression. I wanted to put this out there now because the relationship between the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and depression has been well documented and rates of depression have been on the rise. I would like to address
COVID-19 and Depression: A Psychodynamic Perspective on Symptom Formation Part I Read More »
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