Are you in “an obsessive state” to avoid sex? If you are, you may have Sexual Anorexia. But, if you only lack sexual desire and would rather do without sex, you may be diagnosed with Hyposexuality. Or, even yet, you may have Sexual Arousal Disorder (rarely or never sensing a desire to engage in sex). The labels do not matter, as they all refer to low sexual desire as a problem, and there appears to be no consensus among researchers or practitioners as to what constitutes low sexual desire. Regardless of what category you may belong in or how that category is defined, low sexual desire is often described the “most common sexual complaint by women.” [read post]
We all know that exercise leads to weight loss. But is there something else involved? A research study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology found that exercise creates changes in tension and depression and that it is the changes in tension and depression that contribute to weight loss, not the exercise. Exercise accounted for only 17% of the loss in weight. In other words, exercise leads to changes in mood and changes in mood contribute to weight loss.
Scholars have noted that a lack of pleasure in life leads to particular emotional and mental states. Depression, schizophrenia, addiction, anxiety, obesity have been reported to be indicative of a “missing ability to experience pleasure.” appears to be necessary for a healthy and happy life. Endorphins are released when we engage in pleasure. Endorphins are a crucial component of emotional well being, they are the body’s natural opioids. Endorphins decrease pain, increase euphoria, release sex hormones, and enhance the immune response. They are the body’s natural pain medication. In his book, “Eat to Live,” Dr. Furham states that endorphins have an equal effect to Valium. The more endorphins we produce, the better we feel, and the less depressed or mentally ill we get. The body releases endorphins when you eat chocolate, exercise, laugh, orgasm, get moved to tears, meditate, think positive thoughts, rest, connect with nature, sunbathe, eat a chili pepper, get scared – to name a few things. What these experiences have in common is that they promote feelings of pleasure. Feeling pleasure is so powerful that just thinking of something pleasurable will trigger endorphins. []
In my interactions with other therapists, I have often heard them remark on the superficiality and temporality of self-help books. There is a definite belief in the therapy world that the “real” therapy is done by and in the presence of a therapist. Scholars believe that the lack of regulation in the self-help industry is concerning and that caution should be taken. They profess that self-help books should be written to follow professional standards and guidelines and not because someone wants to make a buck. It is disturbing that these scholars believe that they are above the need to secure a profit, and that the intent of research is always, or routinely, purely academic. Even more disturbing is the idea that we—people who read self-help books—are idiots who cannot discern a good book from a bad book. [read post]
According to post-structuralists (Derrida, Lacan, Foucault), it is not my fault whether I am screwing up my life. Post-structuralists say I am not solely to blame. Instead, they say that everything that is external to me determines how I behave. So when I can’t stop drinking and my wife wants to leave me, it is not only my fault. Rather, everything that has happened in my life up until this point has led me to drink or behave in the way that I do. [read post]
Some women are not able to have anything inserted into their vaginas. This proves to be problematic when they want to have penetrative sex or when they want to have a vaginal exam. They fear the insertion of anything into their vaginas. Clinicians and researchers have speculated as to how a woman develops Vaginismus. Some have stated that Vaginismus originates from a bad sexual experience, which could include anything from watching someone having sex and understanding it as painful, to having a painful sexual experience, to being sexually violated. Others believe that Vaginismus is due to a lack of communication regarding sexual expectations and realities. For example, in cultures where it is more of a taboo to talk about sex, Vaginismus is more prevalent. Still some other researchers argue that relationship factors contribute to the existence of Vaginismus, meaning that the quality of the relationship is something to be considered in the treatment of Vaginismus. [read post]
The Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science recently published a study reporting that OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is linked to a low sense of control over the self and the environment. Current treatment for OCD involves working on confronting obsessions in alternate ways, or changing thought processes, rather than on the sense (or even the reality) of having little control of oneself or of one’s surroundings. The results of this study encourage us to work on the sense of control the person feels they have over themselves and their surroundings.
Source: Moulding, R., Kyrios, M., Doron, G., & Nedeljkovic, M. (2009). Mediated and direct effects of general control beliefs on obsessive compulsive symptoms. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue Canadienne des Sciences du Comportement, 41, (2), 84-92.
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is generally considered to be an emotional disturbance. This recent study found that “despite psychological vulnerabilities that may predispose individuals to self-injure, episodes of NSSI may also be socially influenced.” The study found that a great number of individuals in their study learnt about NSSI from social sources (including media) and performed NSSI within peer groups. The results highlight the influence of social venues on NSSI.
Source: Heath, Nancy L., Ross, S., Toste, J. R., Charlebois, A., & Nedecheva, T. (2009). Retrospective analysis of social factors and nonsuicidal self-injury among young adults. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue Canadienne des Sciences du Comportement, 41(3), 180-186.
