Persons with chronic physical or medical problems face stressors that others may not understand or sympathize with. Everyday activities such as taking a walk or washing dishes may be difficult if not impossible for someone with a chronic physical illness. Along with any physical limitations, there are emotional trials to cope with, and depression, anxiety, anger or guilt may be present.

These feelings can then translate into destructive behaviors. If a person with a chronic medical illness loses hope, he/she will be less likely to follow medical recommendations that may help in the long run. Therapy can help build hope, increase positive thinking, and help a person manage their illness in a way that allows for the most independence possible.

Phobias involve intense fear and/or avoidance of things or situations, such as heights, blood, snakes, medical procedures or flying. Usually, the person is aware that the fear is excessive. Research has shown that behavioral approaches that gradually expose the person to the feared situation are the most effective in treating these disorders.

Personality problems refer to long-standing difficulties in areas such as emotions, relationships, thought processes, and behaviors which cause distress or impairment to the person or to individuals close to the person. Trouble regulating emotions refers to difficulty managing emotions so they neither get out of control nor remain completely unexpressed.

Relationship problems may refer to consistent difficulties establishing or maintaining friendships or romantic attachments, or to constantly conflictual relationships with others. Difficulties with thought processes may involve odd or unusual ways of seeing the world which tend to alienate others, or to suspicious thoughts that others are “out to get” the person or are in some way plotting against the person. Problematic behaviors may include such things as repeated unfaithfulness to a partner, consistently acting in a non-caring way towards others, frequent impulsive actions, constant avoidance of interactions with others, or always seeking to be the center of attention.

Perfectionism is an attitude or standard that demands perfection in all things. This can cause considerable distress and interference in functioning, as extremely high standards are difficult or impossible to maintain. Falling short of perfection results in feelings of failure and even worthlessness, causing self-esteem to suffer. Perfectionistic individuals often have problems with anxiety and depression, due to the pressure they constantly place upon themselves to excel.

Eating disorders are also common in perfectionists, especially in girls and women. Treatment involves helping individuals recognize the link between their symptoms of distress and the high standards they set for themselves. They are also encouraged to re-evaluate how they judge their worthiness as people and to question the assumption that they must be flawless or else others will think badly of them or even reject them.

Many of us find that models of parenting passed down to us from our parents and family are not effective enough to meet the challenge of rearing our own children. Children are exposed to influences and pressures that are often too much for them to understand, manage, or cope with. Sometimes children or adolescents, when upset, act out their feelings without realizing the real-world consequences of their choices or actions. How do you steer a headstrong youth in the right direction with the minimum of battles, power-struggles or childhood anxiety and depression? Discussing your parenting concerns with a clinician may help you improve your parenting skills.

Panic disorder involves panic attacks, which are rushes of intense fear, along with symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, stomach upset, sweating, and trembling. Initially these attacks appear to come from “out of the blue,” but often they become linked with particular places or situations. If the person starts to fear and/or avoid situations because they might trigger a panic attack, the person is said to have panic disorder with agoraphobia (literally, agoraphobia means “fear of the marketplace”). Panic disorder with or without agoraphobia often is treated successfully using cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves repetitive obsessions and/or compulsions that are very time-consuming and/or cause a lot of distress or disruption to one’s daily life. The person usually realizes that the obsessions and compulsions are excessive. Obsessions are thoughts, images or impulses that come into one’s mind and are distressing or difficult to ignore.

Common obsessions include thoughts about contamination, doubts about having turned off appliances or locked doors, and the urge to do certain things in a certain order. Compulsions are behaviors that are performed over and over again in order to reduce feelings of anxiety or discomfort. For example, a common compulsion is repeated hand-washing which is often done in order to ward off excessive anxiety about germs. People with OCD usually feel driven to perform these behaviors, even though they may have a strong desire to stop.

Often the greatest problems faced by nursing home residents involve finding ways to feel meaningfully connected to family and new and old friends, being able and motivated to participate in enjoyable and meaningful activities, and possibly coping with illness and pain. Staying in touch with the world, and coping with limitations in a positive and creative way are important goals.

Many nursing home residents are at a point in their life where reminiscence becomes an important part of their experience, and encouraging connections and meaningful communication with others is essential. For many, it is important that physical pains and illness do not become the person’s sole focus. Additionally, opportunities to continue to participate in the cultural activities with which the person is familiar is very important.

Many men are now finding therapy useful for understanding themselves better. The kinds of questions which are often asked by men include: Am I meeting my own expectations as well as the needs of the people I care about? What does it mean to be a man in today’s society? How can I develop stronger connections with men and women? Do I have my priorities right? How can I deal with life’s limitation? As I become more mature, I am more aware of feelings — what should I do with them? Additionally some men are curious about the forces that have helped shape their lives. Therapy can help to answer these questions.

Memory is the ability to store and retrieve information. It is one of the most frequent reasons that people go to a psychologist for an evaluation. There are different causes of memory problems including medical illness, mood and anxiety disorders, and dementias. The best course of action is to first see your primary care physician to rule out medical causes. If no medical cause can be found, then your physician can refer you for neuropsychological testing, which may determine if there is a memory problem, its cause and what may be done to treat it.