Cultivating Joy

April 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment
joy

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:16-18).    That's a tall order St Paul lays on us.  It can be hard to remain joyful even when times are good, but it's especially challenging when life becomes complicated or downright difficult.  The first thing to remember is that while joy and happiness are related, they aren't the same thing.  Happiness is more fleeting and dependent upon our environment, while joy is a state of being that allows us to hold … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Depression, Health, Popcak, self-help Tagged With: Leave a Comment

Ignorance is…Just Plain Ignorance (Or, Why Catholics Need to Stop Promoting Scientology’s Stigmas About Mental Health)

April 16, 2013 By 24 Comments
ignorance

Earlier today, I posted a video that offered a cautionary view of medication.  The point of the video was that while medication can sometimes be helpful, it can also be problematic if it used to mask other relationship or personal problems that are actually causing the depression. In these cases, medication can actually keep a person depressed longer because the person may experience just enough relief to lose the motivation to solve their underlying problems.  They may get better, but never … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Church, Counseling, Health, Mental Illness Tagged With: 24 Comments

How do you make a man disappear?

April 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
ossy

Put him on trial for capital murder. The way reporters are handling the case of Kermit Gosnell (by not handling it at all)  is a travesty even considering the travesty that constitutes journalism today.  I'm used to the Liberal Ministers of Truthiness(TM) downplaying the March for Life or other Pro-life stories.  I've even largely come to accept that is just the way it is. But THIS?  This is an unconscionable conspiracy of silence.  We're talking about a man who was … [Read more...]

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It is Not Good for Man to be Alone

April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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Genisis 2:18 tells us, "It is not good for man to be alone."  The theology of the body builds on this idea to assert the donative meaning of our body and science has ample examples of why people are social by nature.  Add this one to the list. According to new research, if you're struggling with self control, the best way to achieve it is to surround yourself with strong-willed friends. We all desire self-control -- the resolve to skip happy hour and go to the gym instead, to finish a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Counseling, Health, Mindfulness, Personal Wellness, self-help Tagged With: Leave a Comment

You’re not fat. You’re Happily Married.

April 8, 2013 By 1 Comment
happy married

(H/T PsychCentral) “It’s pretty well-established that marriage is associated with weight gain, and divorce is associated with weight loss,” said Dr. Andrea Meltzer, assistant professor of psychology. “But the extent to which satisfaction plays a role hasn’t been examined until now.” The outcome of the study, found in the journal Health Psychology, was uncertain from the start. Prior research has found that satisfying relationships are actually helpful in promoting good health … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health, Marriage 1 Comment

Savior of the Week

March 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment
supercape

Pope Francis offers a helpful reality check to the self-help culture. We need to “go out”, then, in order to experience our own anointing, its power and its redemptive efficacy: to the “outskirts” where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight, and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters. It is not in soul-searching or constant introspection that we encounter the Lord: self-help courses can be useful in life, but to live by going from one course to another, from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Church, Counseling, Health, Mental Illness, Personal Wellness, self-help Leave a Comment

Post-Partum Depression: More Common than Previously Thought

March 19, 2013 By 2 Comments
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A new study finds that 1 in 7 moms experience post-partum depression, many of whom are not identified with traditional screening.  Being a new mom is a tough job.  If you aren't feeling what you think you think you should toward your baby, yourself, or your life, don't hide it.  Talk to your doctor or a counselor.  Seeking help doesn't mean you're crazy or a bad mom.  Transitions to new states in life are always difficult--especially transitions that involve wildly fluctuating hormonal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Counseling, Depression, Gender, Health, Popcak, self-help Tagged With: 2 Comments

Can Celibacy Be Healthy?

March 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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With the conclave and election of the new Pope, celibacy was front and center in the news.  Will it change?  What's it all about?  Can it be healthy? Why is it so hard for the world to "get" what Catholics are trying to say through the witness of celibacy.  Dr. Wanda Poltawska of the Pontifical Academy of Krakow argues that the world struggles with the possibility of a healthy celibacy because for the lay person, celibacy is usually imposed but for the priest or religious, celibacy is … [Read more...]

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Catholics and Mental Illness: Are we doing enough? The Conversation Continues…

March 13, 2013 By 3 Comments
St. Dymphna, Patroness of Mental Health, Pray for Us.

Research tends to show that Christians–especially pastors– struggle to know how to support those struggling with depression, anxiety and other mental health problems.  Catholics tend to fare a little better than evangelicals in this regard (because we tend to be less suspicious of psychotherapy), but it tends to be a mixed bag. As part of Faith on the Couch's ongoing look into how well we, as Catholics, support those who are struggling with depression, anxiety, and other mental health … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Anxiety, Counseling, Depression, Health, Mental Illness, Popcak, Relationship, self-help Tagged With: 3 Comments

The Mindful Catholic

March 11, 2013 By 1 Comment
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"Mindfulness" is a quality psychologists define as the ability to be (1) present in the moment and (2) consciously able to choose the best response out of a number of emotional possibilities.  Mindfulness is the opposite of being reactive.  For instance, if my kid was getting on my nerves and I was being reactive, I would feel angry and yell at him  But if my kid was getting on my nerves and I was being mindful, I would feel angry, be aware of that anger, and be able to decide whether this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Anxiety, Counseling, Depression, Health, Mindfulness, Popcak, Psychology News, Spirituality 1 Comment