Doing Life Together

Every day Sally vows she will not eat herself sick. But today is no different. She is distressed, eating past full and feeling as if she has no control. Sally suffers from Binge Eating Disorder (BED) which has been recognized as a psychiatric disorder. To date, there are no medications approved for treating BED. But…

In the throws of January, college students begin dreaming about Spring Break. Those plans often include partying on a beach with nonstop drinking. Binge drinking is “a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men—in about 2…

My mom used to tell me to put a hat on my baby when the weather was cold. I used to argue, “Mom, babies don’t catch colds from the cold. They get them from viruses. I’m not putting a hat on the baby.” But now it seems that my mom could have been on to something.…

We all know that the number on the scale isn’t suppose to define us, but that doesn’t stop us from thinking about how much we weigh on any given day. And the number often influences our mood. So how often should we weigh? Every day, once a week, once a month? The answer depends on your goal–to maintain,…

It was a usual Sunday and time for announcements. The Associate Pastor announced the women’s meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The focus was on decorating the church for the holidays. The men were meeting Friday morning at 6:30 am. to discuss marketplace ministry. I looked at my husband and whispered. “I wonder if the…

You feel depressed and you know you need help. Where do you begin? First step, make an appointment with a mental health professional. This could include a psychiatrist (able to prescribe medications), licensed psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, or licensed counselor. The first visit is an evaluation. It involves a…

In any year, 1% of the U.S. population suffers with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) according to NIMH. OCD is characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce anxiety (obsessions) and behaviors or thoughts that reduce that anxiety (compulsions). Is is often debilitating. But a five step treatment approach can help. It is called Exposure plus Response Prevention.…

I spent a week in South Florida this Christmas break. Every morning I was up and out the door to do a 2 mile hike to the beach. I simply got out of bed, put on my workout clothes and bolted out the door. I felt motivated, cheery and happy to be in the warm sunshine. I’m…

We are one week in to our New Year Resolutions. If you made family resolutions, it is time to evaluate how you are doing. For those of you losing steam, don’t give up on those areas of family life you know need change. Something prompted you to begin 2015 in a new way. Do not…

It’s a new year. Time to question your thinking, “I might need this someday!” All year long I’ve stared at that cluttered basement–wrapping paper everywhere, half-emptied boxes scattered over the floor, bins of “stuff” that need to be sorted and no sense of order. It is driving me crazy and time to take action. I…

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