Monthly Archives: June 2015

23 Jun 2015

Asking the right questions about gaming addiction

Posted by James Driver, With 0 Comments, Category: gaming addiction, Tags: , ,
When I completed my Master’s dissertation on gaming addiction, I noted that a majority of research on the topic focused on defining it is as a disorder, assessing the aetiology or causes of gaming addiction,  assessing how prevalent it might be, and identifying the problems that arise from gaming addiction.  Daria Kuss and Mark Griffiths, two UK-based researchers noted the same thing in 2011 when they stated that “It appears that the current scientific knowledge of Internet gaming addictio ...

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19 Jun 2015

How to Take Effective Risks

Posted by kerronz, With 0 Comments, Category: managing feelings, self-help, Tags: , , ,
I was speaking recently with a colleague about the psychotherapist Irvin Yalom, and the idea that clients benefit from taking a risk in every psychotherapy session.  I believe there’s a lot of value to this idea, and that it goes beyond the therapy session itself – I believe it is just as, if not more important for clients (and therapists!) to take risks outside of sessions and in our personal lives.  After all, without risk there is no change.  When we take a risk, we learn what our capa ...

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09 Jun 2015

Understanding Antidepressants

Posted by James Driver, With 0 Comments, Category: medication, Tags: , ,
I figured it made sense to start a detailed discussion about psychotropic medications by beginning with antidepressants since they’re probably the most common.  Apparently, as of 2014 one in nine adults and one in six women are taking antidepressants.  I want to briefly discuss the four most commonly used types of antidepressants in New Zealand (SNRIs, SSRIs, MAOIs, and TCAs – you’ll get used to the acronyms, psychiatry is full of them) but first of all start with a brief and really impo ...

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01 Jun 2015

The Care in Managed Care

Posted by James Driver, With 0 Comments, Category: managed care, Tags: ,
In one week’s time, Relationships Aotearoa will close due to a funding shortfall.  3 years ago, the country’s only 24/7 sexual abuse support line, HELP, nearly closed for the same reason.  In a couple of month’s time, the Problem Gambling Foundation will hear the results from the court ruling that will determine whether they will keep their contracts, or whether they will be forced to close as well.  These situations arise out of our current culture of ‘managed care’, whereby health ...

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