San Diego Psychotherapy Associates

Most of us are familiar with the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but a term not as widely known is Post Traumatic Growth. When facing a major challenge, we can be permanently changed in either a negative or an amazingly positive way. While struggling through a major crisis, new possibilities can open up to us; novel ways of viewing ourselves, our reactions and our surroundings. For example, having lived through a major trauma, we may value our relationships or even life itself more or tell ourselves If I lived through that, I can live through anything. Experts in trauma evaluation and treatment can be of tremendous assistance to ensure a crisis becomes an opportunity for growth rather than registered as a permanent crisis.

Our wonderful continually changing brain! We all know the brain grows rapidly in the first five years of life. But in order for our brain to continue to develop well in our later years; we need to ensure our diet includes healthy fats, like nuts in their raw states or in oils (almond, walnut, coconut, olive etc) and avocados. Research is now emphasizing that along with diet, even more essential, is for us to exercise daily--not only for our bodies, but for our brain development. The other important element for healthy brain development is social interaction. Let’s eat well, exercise and socialize for healthy brains as we age!

Many of us can relate to the monkey chatter of our busy minds. Unfortunately, there are times when our thoughts start racing at such a pace or the worrying and stressing becomes so excessive that our sleep, concentration, bodies and functioning all are negatively affected. It may be time to seek the consultation of a mental health professional, or at least start finding some more effective coping strategies to relax our minds and bodies. John Hopkins Medicine published the results of a research study that indicated that just 30 minutes of medication/daily can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Are you a half empty or half full type of person? Did you know that by developing the habit of optimism, you are more likely to have less health problems, suffer less from depression and increase your productivity at work compared to your pessimistic counterpart? Furthermore, with proper training (a form of cognitive behavioral therapy CBT) anyone can learn optimism. The American Psychological Association published a study by Seligman and Buchanan that those who participated ...in learned optimism training benefitted by fewer health and depression problems. A study by Peter Schulman indicated that optimistic sales people not only out sold others by 35 percent, the identified pessimistic salespeople were two times more likely to quit in the first year than optimists. Even caretakers of children with difficulties with brain functioning did significantly better if their caretakers were more optimistic (Mark Ylvisaker study). To find out more about CBT and optimism, take a look at www.ritaromerophd.com