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What is a Personality Disorder?

Our personality encompasses many aspects and makes us unique. Put simply, it describes: how we view the world; how we relate to other people; and how we respond to problems in our lives. Personality is formed by a combination of genetic (inherited) character traits, and the experiences we have in childhood. Generally, after the teen years, our personality becomes largely set. Further life experiences may change our behaviour (the way we do things and react to them), but our … More...

Female Arousal Problems

Local media recently published an invitation for women to participate in a Women's Health Research Program at Monash University, to test a treatment that would act like "Viagra for women". The question “do women need Viagra?” probably needs to be preceded by the question - “What are women's (and their partners') expectations of themselves around sexual function?” Sex therapy in the 70’s set up a cultural construct that persists today, around performance and expertise, dictating … More...

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (or ODD ) is recognised as a recurrent pattern of negative, defiant, disobedient and hostile behaviour towards authority figures that persists for at least 6 months. Unlike the challenging of authority figures that is more common in adolescence, ODD emerges earlier – usually before the age of 8 years. ODD is characterised by the frequent occurrence of at least four of the following behaviours: Losing temper Arguing with adults Actively defying or … More...

Conduct Disorder in Teens

Teens with conduct disorder exhibit behaviour that shows a persistent disregard for the norms and rules of society; conduct disorder is one of the most frequently seen mental disorders in adolescents. Because the symptoms of conduct disorder are closely tied to socially unacceptable or violent behaviour, many people confuse this illness with either juvenile delinquency or the turmoil of the teen years. However, young people with conduct disorder often have underlying problems that have been … More...

Trauma in Children

When a parent knows their child has experienced trauma, it can become extremely difficult for them to see their child suffering, and at times feelings of sheer helplessness can pervade their very being. Not knowing how to support and protect your child from further psychological or physical harm can be heart-wrenching. Parents need to keep in mind that there are thousands of different types of events that can be experienced and determined by a child as traumatic. What might be traumatic for … More...

Sleep, Performance Anxiety, Xanax and Stilnox

Abraham Garfield is a psychologist specialising in helping people with issues surrounding sleep, anxiety/stress/depression, and pharmaceutical dependency. Abra is experienced in working with sports people and can provide a on-pharmaceutical model to enhance one’s sleep, reduce psychological symptoms, and reduce dependency. The Issue… These three factors can easily combine and lead to an unhealthy cycle: Stress, Depression, and/or Anxiety Sleep Disturbances and/or … More...

Sexual Addiction

Symptoms of Sexual Addiction Is there such a thing as sexual addiction? Whether or not behavioural addictions are "real" addictions is a central controversy within the addiction field. However, it does appear that behavioral addictions are increasingly becoming recognised as a real problem and sexual addiction is no exception. Behavioral addictions are patterns of behavior, which follow a cycle similar to that of substance dependence. This begins with the individual experiencing … More...

Couples Therapy

Being in a couple relationship is an aspect of life which spans across countries and cultures. Being part of a satisfying relationship with your partner has been shown to bring about happiness, life satisfaction, the ability to manage illness better, as well as an overall sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. Having a satisfying relationship with your partner would also make you less likely to be depressed or anxious; it also lowers your risk of cardiovascular and immune system difficulties. … More

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Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a very natural human state of highly focussed attention, otherwise known as a trance. We naturally go into brief trance states several times throughout each day. Think about when you are: watching a favourite TV program; daydreaming or zoning out for a moment; reading a good book; enjoying some gardening; exercising; or watching the sunset; It is highly likely that you will be in a natural state of highly focussed attention – a trance. Clinical hypnosis is a … More...

Help for Eating Disorders

Food plays a crucial role in our lives, not just as a physical necessity, but also as a social tool. The types of food eaten, how we eat it, the time of day and in what company, are largely determined by our culture and the society we live in. An eating disorder can be roughly described as a pattern of eating which is abnormal for the culture and society in which we live. For example, fasting in a religious community is viewed quite differently to fasting amongst members of the general population. Signs and Symptoms It can be difficult to … More...