Gudrun Frerichs, PhD

Overindulgence and Impulse Control

It is no secret that a lot of what people do is motivated by their need for being happier. There are those who indulge in excessive eating, drinking, using drugs, shopping, exercising, or ranting and raving at every other person around them, to name just some examples. All in the service of making good feelings stay longer and/or bad feelings to go away.

They overindulge in a 'pet-activity' not for the activity's sake, but in a vain attempt to regulate their emotions, to feel better - often to the detriment of one's health, financial situation, or relationships.

Keep Romance Alife in Your Relationship

A common perception is that after a while relationships lose their romantic touch and turn into something more akin companionship and friendship. However, a group of researchers have investigated a large number of studies to find out whether this common perception is true.

They found that we don't have to settle for 'luke warm'. Indeed, they say it is perfectly possible to have lifelong romance and passion in your relationship. More so, people who report more romance in their relationship are usually more satisfied and happy. A key to romantic love seems to be the feeling that "...my partner is there for me".

So, don't settle for less, don't restrict your expections. You can have longlasting romance in your relationships. It is attainable. However, you have to work with focus on devotion on having lasting romance in your life!

Read the original research article here

 

The Impact of the New ACC Pathway on Survivors

 Survivors have spoken out about their experiences with the new clinical pathway introduced by ACC in October 2009. We are still collecting responses, so if you haven't taken the survey yet, go to the survey page and fill it out. The results from this survey will be presented to the Review Panel appointed by the Minister for ACC, Nick Smith. In total 103 survivors have filled out the survey. In the following you can read their answers to the question "Comment on your overall experience with the New ACC pathway": 

Read more here

Client Survey About the New ACC Pathway

Almost three weeks have past since ACC has implemented the new clinical pathway and the concerns are already mounting. Inspite of a widespread protest by survivors, counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, doctors, and social workers ACC has, supported by the Minister for ACC, Nick Smith, been enabled to ignore the concerns and push through with their new pathway. Upon demand from the Minister, this new pathway will be reviewed by ACC in 6 months time.

To make sure that the review will reflect actual data and not wishful thinking, we have designed a client survey about the impact on the new pathway for survivors. The survey is suited for existing, returning, and new clients. Make your voice count by taking a few moments to fill out the online survey. Please, forward the link to the survey or to this blog post to other survivors. Here is the link:

The Art Of @#$&&*@!)>>*^%

I think our Universities have a lot to answer for - or do politicians learn to talk a lot without saying anything of substance in a political-party-membership-bootcamp and not at varsity?

This is what the member of parliament Patsy Wong had to say when questioned about ACC

A Model Of Change

Many people want to make changes in their lives. Change can have many faces, but no matter what change people aim for, it's always a difficult process. Whether you want to loose weight, stop smoking, exercise regularly, stop eating sugar, or leave a relationship changing is always much more difficult than people anticipate. 

Often people get angry with themselves for not sticking with 'the programme' or they suffer criticism or 'friendly' teasing from friends and family members who can't understand that the person won't stick with their decision.

I thought the following stage model of change from Prochaska and DiClemente  might be a useful piece of information to help people in their process of Change. My advice: don't be too hard on yourself. Change is a process that often goes back and forth. It may have distinct stages, but don't expect to manage them in a clear line. As always: Self-compassion goes a long way.

Stage of Change	Characteristics	How can you help and encourage the person ?
Pre-contemplation	Not currently considering change: "Ignorance is bliss"	Validate lack of readiness Clarify: decision is theirs Encourage re-evaluation of current behavior Encourage self-exploration, not action Explain and personalize the risk of not changing
Contemplation	Ambivalent about change: "Sitting on the fence" Not considering change within the next month but getting emotionally ready to implement change	Validate lack of readiness Clarify: decision is theirs Encourage person to look at the pros and cons of behavior change Identify and promote new, positive outcome expectations that will come with change
Preparation	Person has some experience with change and is trying to change: "Testing the waters"  - preparation could be f.e. looking up information, saving money, Planning to act within 1month	Identify and assist in problem solving re: obstacles Help patient identify social support Verify that patient has underlying skills for behavior change Encourage small initial steps
Action	Change has been made and new behavior needs to be practiced. This takes about 3-6 months. People need a lot of support and encouragement in this phase.	Focus on restructuring cues and social support Bolster self-efficacy for dealing with obstacles Combat feelings of loss and reiterate long-term benefits
Maintenance	Continued commitment to sustaining new behavior Post-6 months to 5 years	Plan for follow-up support Reinforce internal rewards i.e. feeling better, more self-confidence etc. Discuss coping with relapse
Relapse	Resumption of old behaviors: "Fall from grace"	Evaluate trigger for relapse Reassess motivation and barriers Plan stronger coping strategies

Mental Health Diagnosis Causes Poor Medical Care

A recent research has caught my attention, because it reflects experiences that I have made in my clinical practice many, many times about the discrimination clients experience when they need medical care.  The University of Leister was involved in a research programme that investigated the quality of care. They found out that

The study by a team of researchers led by Dr Alex Mitchell from the University of Leicester Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, warns that medical care delivered across most branches of medicine to those with a mental health or substance abuse diagnosis is of inferior quality to the usual standard of care. This important systematic review showed widespread inequalities of care in those with mental health problems.

If this is your experience as well, how about sending a note/email/letter to your health ombudsman or even Minister of Health with the link of this research attached?
People With Mental Health Problems Receive Inadequate Medical Care, Study Suggests

The Importance of Reflective Practice

In the context of client work the reflective practitioner has to ask him/herself continuously: “Who is the person behind the professional label and what does he/she bring to the table”? Such self-reflections are necessary to assure that practitioners do not get caught up in their own past experiences when approaching those they are working with.

To do so practitioners have to thoroughly question what their contribution to a certain incident is. This ability to step back and into the ‘observer’ position is also known as becoming the observing ego. It allows practitioners to closely examine the interactions between themselves and the client. How are your affective, behavioural, and cognitive experiences contributing to a problem situation?

Get Yourself a Contientous Neurotic Man

ScienceDaily (2009-05-06) -- Conscientiousness is a good thing in a mate, researchers report, not just because it's easier to live with someone who washes the dishes without being asked, but also because having a conscientious partner may actually be good for one's health. Their study, of adults over age 50, also found that women, but not men, get an added health benefit when paired with someone who is conscientious and neurotic.

Read more about this research by following this link!

Love is a Human Need

“From birth to death, love is not just the focus of human experience but also the life force of the mind, determining our moods, stabilizing our bodily rhythms, and changing the structure of our brains. The body’s physiology ensures that relationships determine and fix our identities. Love makes us who we are, and who we can become”. (A General Theory of Love, by Lewis, Amini, Lannon, p.viii)