Self-Care Is Critical During the Hectic Holidays


Interview with Dr. Colleen Cira:

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist a trauma and anxiety expert, clinical supervisor, writer, speaker, consultant, and activist. She has been published numerously offering practical advice and tips to those seeking self-help.

Talking Points from Dr. Cira
On Self-Care:

Alone time is beneficial and crucial for everyone! If you’re an introvert (defined as someone who gets their energy from solitude), then alone time is a non-negotiable. Introverts will quickly get drained, depleted, overwhelmed and cranky if they aren’t getting enough alone time.

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Recognizing the 5 Early Warning Signs of Dementia

Available for Interviews: Glenn Matecun.

Glenn R. Metecun, CELA, is certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. Catching the early warning signs of dementia is crucial in helping to get the care your loved one needs.

Talking Points from Glenn Matecun
on Dementia:

Dementia is a term that describes a variety of symptoms affecting a person’s cognitive functioning, including their ability to think, remember, and reason. Different types of dementia affect the brain in different ways, and dementia is progressive, but early detection can greatly improve your loved one’s quality of life. Here are five symptoms to look out for when you are dealing with an older loved one.

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When You’re Just Feeling “Okay”: How to Cope When Life Feels Dull

Interview: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D. on great advice for people who don’t feel excited about their lives.

The feeling of being “okay” or hitting a plateau in your life is something that everyone experiences, but can be taken any number of different ways, but it typically goes in a really positive direction or a more negative one. If folks are able to be more in the moment and accept the plateau for what it is (likely temporary, possibly a break from chaos/drama/business, etc), then it has the potential to be really enjoyable.

Quiet moments in your life can turn into something more exciting and positive

Why Women Aren’t Taking Their Antidepressants

Interview: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D. on the issues surrounding women and antidepressants.

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, so I’ve worked with hundreds of people struggling with depression and the medications that sometimes go along with it. Sometimes women have reservations about antidepressants and this prevents them from taking them regularly and as prescribed by their doctors. There are a few reasons for this:

1) There is still an enormous stigma when it comes to mental health. So someone who has taken the time to find a psychiatrist, make the appointment, go in for the intake and fill their prescription is doing a great job and is ahead of the curve!! AND they are still not immune from feeling that stigma that so many of us do when we acknowledge that we’re struggling with our mental health. So actually taking that pill might make a person, especially a woman, feel “crazy” which might get in the way of taking the medication.

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The 5 Causes of Depression and Actionable Advice

Interview: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D. on The Causes of Depression.

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, so I’ve worked with hundreds of people struggling with Depression. There can be several causes of depression with some accompanying ways to cope with this condition.

Here are some talking points for an interview exploring The Causes of Depression:

  1. Genetic/Chemical: Some of us have a genetic predisposition toward depression due to our family history (yay, genes!) which can make everything seem a little harder especially when you’re in college and have so many new things to figure out.

In this case, research is very clear that therapy and medication are the best ways to manage depression when it seems clear that there is a genetic and/or chemical component. Research has also proven that both exercise and meditation can also be incredibly helpful (possibly just as helpful if not more than medication) as they both directly address the chemical component of depression for the better.

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Living for Today: How to Let Go of the Past

Interview: Carol Barkes on how to let go of the past.
Carol Barkes is a conflict resolution expert, mediator, national speaker, educator and bestselling author who uniquely applies neuroscience to the fields of conflict resolution and negotiations. Her expert perspective is always fresh and relevant.
Some Talking Points from Carol Barkes on 
How to Let Go of the Past:
1. Our brain embeds what we focus on. Consequently, if we stay rooted in the past, so does our brain. Instead, when you find yourself go back over the past, stop yourself and change your thinking to be future focused. We are the only animal which has the ability to observe our thoughts. Consequently, we are given a huge gift of being about to notice our thoughts. Take advantage of that.

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Ariana Grande & Trauma

Interview: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D. on Ariana Grande and trauma.

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, so I’ve worked with hundreds of people trying to cope with traumatic experiences. Here are some of her talking points on celebrity Ariana Grande’s recent response to some traumatic events that she has experienced over the last couple of years.

Ariana Grande has been coping with a multitude of difficult experiences, primarily performing at a venue where a suicide bomber killed 22 people in addition to the death of her ex-boyfriend and the break-up of her engagement. There are a few things that she’s doing that are really helpful and adaptive:

1. Talking about it. Ariana seems to be frequently asked about all of these painful experiences and it seems that at least some of the time, she is actually answering these questions. When you experience a trauma, our instinct is to avoid it, which makes sense! Humans have survived and evolved as a species because we learned to stay away from things that bring us pain. And when that comes to fire, that’s a great thing! But when that comes to emotional pain, avoiding it is just about the worst thing we can do. Fighting to get rid of your emotions is kinda like being in quicksand: the harder you fight, the deeper you sink. So the fact that she’s talking about her experiences, even though that’s a difficult thing to do, is incredibly adaptive.

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Suffering From Summertime Blues? 6 Strategies to Feel Happier

Interview: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D.

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Cira Center for Behavioral Health, PC. She is an anxiety and trauma expert as well as a consultant, supervisor, speaker, writer and advocate.

Talking points for an interview on summer depression:


For people who are vulnerable to depression, summer can make people feel better (sunshine! fun plans! vacations!) BUT Summer can also sometimes make people feel worse, especially if they are comparing themselves to others who seem to be living their best life during these warm weather months.

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Anxiety & Gender: Ways Women and Men Experience Anxiety Differently

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, so she has worked with hundreds of people struggling with a family of origin issues.

Here are some few things that she can say on the topic:

There are basic anxiety symptoms that form the core of anxiety that does not change as a whole much based on gender.

These include: Worry that feels excessive and out of the person’s control, irritability, racing thoughts, and fatigue along with more physical symptoms including some combination of muscle tension, headaches, GI upset, etc.

 

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What Are the Most Common Stressors?

Interview Carol Barkes

According to the American Psychological Association Annual Stress in America report, the most common sources of stress are really not a surprise considering the state of our world at the moment. They are as follows: The Future of our Nation (63%) Money (62%), Work (61%), Current Political Climate (57%), Violence and Crime (51%). It is interesting to note that in 2015, money was the highest stressor to Americans but that has now been topped by worries about the future of our nation—something that is increasingly apparent in the news.
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