The moment your body perceives a threat, the brain undergoes striking changes. Communication breaks down between the prefrontal cortex, where rational thought and judgment reside, and the amygdala, where fear rules the day. Your brain gets pumped up on hormones like testosterone and noradrenalin and epinephrine. It’s the latter two that pack the real emotional punch. But they
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger July 24, 2019
Once when I was watching the news, I saw a story about a man in southern California whose house had been destroyed by a mudslide. He was crying, and he told a reporter that he wanted the federal government to step in and help. Down the street, the reporter found
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger June 19, 2019
Try looking at anger in terms of the following 5 reasons for angry behaviors: 1 Seeking revenge. You feel hurt, so you want to get even and make things fair. 2 Preventing disaster. You feel helpless, so you want to take control. 3 Pushing others away. You feel discouraged, so
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger June 19, 2019
4 ways Trump’s presidency has evoked a sense of powerlessness: 1) Marginalization – when an individual or group minimizes or disavows the legitimacy, rights or privileges of others who are believed to be somehow different from the mainstream. 2) Internalizing external reality- themes of loss related to reduced importance, influence,
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger June 19, 2019
There is a long history of women who were told they were hysterical for openly expressing intense emotions. Guest blogger, Laura Brownstone, LCSW has been a therapist for over 15 years. In this post, she shares her thoughts on the shame and stigma that fuels the impulse of self injury. I
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger June 19, 2019
Forgiveness is the ability to let go of the past in order to move forward. Letting go of old wounds is the antidote to hurtful experiences and can dramatically improve your mood in the present. You may imagine that forgiveness is arrived at through a logical, rational sorting-out process. But
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger June 19, 2019
Managing your anger means not saying or doing things you’ll later regret. It means calming yourself, assessing situations with a cool head, and taking sensible actions. It basically involves making choices around four components of your behavior: 1 Expressing yourself 2 Taking care of yourself 3 Building up your tolerance
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger June 19, 2019
We would certainly take objection to parents who are not teaching their children to read or do math because we know how difficult life will be without those skills. Why is responsibility any different? When we do not teach our children responsibility, we send them into the world without a
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger June 19, 2019
As parents, we are probably all familiar with being provoked into a blood vessel-popping rage. We are instantly overwhelmed and any resolution we might have made to stay calm is eradicated. That’s because kids are amazingly good at refining behaviors that they can turn to when they’re disappointed or angry,
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger June 19, 2019
Unfairness arises in situations of powerlessness, disrespect and a lack of reciprocity in your most intimate relationships. Often in relationships you want something or someone to change, but you cannot make it happen, which fuels your desire to defend against this feeling of impotence. Sometimes you cannot even get your
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger June 19, 2019
Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger July 24, 2019