Trick uh till uh mania… Trichotillomania is traditionally one of the most difficult psychological disorders to say, one that is difficult for many to understand, and one that has been difficult to treat. Research published this month in the Archives of General Psychiatry introduces a possible new treatment that is currently available over the counter as a vitamin supplement.
Trichotillomania is classified as an impulse control disorder in the DSM-IV; however, some consider it self-injury, a tic, or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. When someone suffers from trichotillomania they experience urges to pull out their hair; this can be hair from the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, or any body hair. Generally sufferers experience tension building with a desire to pull that is relieved once they have pulled the hair out. Pulling tends to increase during times of high stress and may disappear entirely during times of low stress. Pulling can result in bald patches or complete absence of hair in certain areas of the body. In some cases sufferers are also driven to bite the bulb at the root of the hair, chew on, or even swallow hair.
Why would a mental health therapist write and talk about nutrition, exercise, and weight loss? Believe it or not, these are very common subjects in group and individual therapy, as well as coaching. One of the reasons I have chosen to use a sliding-fee scale rather than insurance reimbursements in my private practice is to allow my clients to focus on the goals that are most meaningful to them. Weight loss and health improvement are very important goals to many, allowing them to increase energy and improve self-esteem.
Improving physical energy habits, including sleep, diet, and exercise, is often the first line of attack against the most common mental health concerns of anxiety and depression. Often, counselors must address such topics as part of a treatment plan when a client experiences the common side effect of weight gain as a result of taking medications to fight depression, bipolar disorder, psychotic symptoms, etc. In some cases, anti-depressant medication may be an optional tool to allow a client the extra boost needed to do the therapeutic work that can bring him or her out of that depression.
A new study has shown a relation between sugar and addiction. This study, conducted at Princeton University, has found evidence of how sugar affects brain functions the same way as cocaine and heroin do. Bart Hoebel, Princeton psychology professor, conducted this research by examining how sugar effects the brains of rats. The researchers were able to find that a sugar binge alters brain function and fuels the desire for more sweets. These alterations closely resemble the functions of a brain addicted to cocaine or heroin. When sugar was denied, the same withdrawal psychological and physical symptoms were seen in the sugar deprived rats just like the cocaine and heroin deprived rats.
0 Comments
