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“Shame” Makes a Compelling Case for the Legitimacy of Sex Addiction as Psychopathology
No matter how compelling their arguments are, attempts to legitimize “sex addiction” as bona fide psychopathology are most often met with dismissive eye rolls at best and sheer outrage at worst.
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A Dangerous Method? Film Tells the Story of the Rise of a Controversial Practice
Based on the 1993 nonfiction book by John Kerr entitled A Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud, and Sabrina Spielrein, the film chronicles the early days of psychoanalysis.
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You Make Me Sick! Review of Factitious Disorder by Proxy
Most people have heard terms like depression, anxiety, even schizophrenia; diagnoses that seem to receive a lot of attention in the general public. But little public awareness seems to exist about one of the most lethal forms of child abuse, known as Factitious Disorder by Proxy, formerly termed Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
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Engagement…in therapy!
Most people think of the word engagement and automatically start imagining a tiny box, a diamond ring, and someone down on one knee. I think of engagement and start thinking about therapy. Strange, huh? Well, if you think of what the word actually means, it’s not too strange. The noun engagement is “the act of…
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“Psychology on the Big Screen” Panel, May 25th
Psychology in Action is proud to announce a panel discussion in collaboration with the UCLA Theater, Film, and Television Department to take place on Friday, May 25th, 2012, from 4 to 6pm in UCLA’s Bridges Theater (Melnitz 1409). The discussion will focus on the intersection of the science of mental illness and the art of filmmaking. The event…
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Is all risk taking bad?
He that is over-cautious will accomplish little.Friedrich Von Schiller German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright Individuals who psychologists describe as “risk takers” are generally identified as being at-risk for a number of dangerous or maladaptive behaviors, including high risk sex, gambling, substance use disorders. However, frequent or high risk takers may be a heterogeneous group,…
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Recent Film Provides Insight into the Terror and Complexity of Prodromal Schizophrenia
No film in recent memory has as disturbingly, accurately, or meticulously characterized the descent into psychosis as last fall’s overlooked gem Take Shelter.
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Changing How We Look at Mental Illness and Changing Lives
One in five children in the US suffers from mental illness, but less than 25% of those children actually receive mental health services. That’s absolutely terrifying, especially if you consider all the kids who have other psychological struggles but don’t meet diagnostic criteria for a psychological disorder. How many children then aren’t getting the help…
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Pharmacogenetics in Psychiatry: Towards Genetically Informed Personalized Medicine
Twin and adoption studies have consistently demonstrated significant genetic contribution to psychiatric disorders ranging from roughly 30% for major depression to approximately 80% in bipolar disorder. While modern research is far from explaining the precise mechanisms through which genetic variations account for psychiatric disorders, it is clear that biological factors are critical in the development…
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Stress Affects Risk Taking Differently for Men and Women
by Andrew Sanders and Kate Humphreys Making decisions can be a difficult task. How do we choose to get from point A to point B? Does our decision change whether we are running late for an important engagement? Does stress facilitate our decision making, and if so, does it matter whether we are trying to…