The word desire is one of the basic terms in psychology that covers a wide range of phenomena such as wanting, needing, craving and wishing. All of these are discussed in connection with theories of instinct and emotion, libido and love, motivation and purpose. All of Us Have Desires AccordingContinue Reading
Take this brief Alcohol Use Quiz that screens for both at-risk drinking (drinking alone) and alcohol abuse, and dependence (heavy drinking) that may interfere with life or cause distress. This screening quiz may suggest seeking the advice of a health professional. While not a diagnosis, this audit (Alcohol Use DisorderContinue Reading
There are three excellent reasons for keeping track of your daily use of chemicals such as nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, and other substances. For one, you may not have the slightest idea how much you ingest on a daily basis. Therefore you are not aware of their potential effect on yourContinue Reading
How we feel about ourselves is very important. And its importance in psychology dates back over 125 years. The father of psychology William James (1842-1910), devoted more than 100 pages to the toipic of self in his book “Principles of Psychology” (1890). Today, the self is one of western psychology’sContinue Reading
Alexithymia, from the Greek meaning “lacking,” is the term for an individual who lacks having or even identifying emotions. While Alexithymia is not a mental disorder it may be the result of masking or co-occurring with other underlying mental health conditions such as depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Continue Reading
We should be thankful for feeling pain once in awhile. Pain is our body’s way of letting us know that something is wrong. It alerts us to pay attention and to change our behavior. Pain will draw our attention to a burn or cut, a broken bone, a rupture, evenContinue Reading
“The purpose of life is a life of purpose” said American author Robert Byrne (1930-2016). This important yet simple statement is the answer to a question that has been asked throughout all of history. Why are we here? What is the purpose of our lives? Underlying these questions is theContinue Reading
How can I tell if I have meaning and purpose in my life? The following short quiz has statements from two different but related scales. One set of statements, 1 through 5, measures meaningfulness and belongingness. The second set, 6 through 10, measures whether you are undergoing a crisis ofContinue Reading
The idea of the Neurotic Self was introduced by psychoanalyst Karen Horney (1885-1952). She put forth the theory that the neurotic self is split between an “idealized self” and a “real self,” and that unhealthy or “toxic,” social environments are likely to create unhealthy belief systems – hindering people fromContinue Reading
If you want to feel positive and energetic, concentrate on your good qualities, your abilities, your strengths and your talents rather than your faults and failures. It is one thing to want to learn and improve but beating yourself up over your faults is negative and leads to depression. AndContinue Reading