Category: In the Loop

By Susan Menahem, LCSW Clinical Executive Director Did you just roll your eyes when you saw “Self-Love” in that title? I’m sure you did. The truth is, we’ve all been told that if we just learn to love ourselves everything will just get better. That’s great information, and not only is it true and a vital aspect in depression treatment, but has anyone ever mentioned to you just how to go about doing it? Randomly deciding one day that you are going to love yourself is nothing short of ridiculous. This isn’t a Nike commercial, you can’t “Just Do It”. Besides, if it were that easy we’d all be engaging in the world’s largest self-lovefest and there would be no need for depression treatment anywhere. Here’s the key to real self-love. It has 3 basic stages and the good news is, after you get good at the first stage, the other two stages happen all on their own. They are actually by-products of the first stage!! The first stage is to understand self-acceptance. Notice I did not say self-approval, I said self-acceptance. Self-acceptance is realizing that you are who you are and you are where you are at this moment… Read more »

By Susan Menahem, LCSW Clinical Executive Director   No matter how long you’ve been together, who doesn’t want the excitement and intoxicating feelings of love, romance and intimacy lingering throughout their relationship? Well, have no fear, because if your relationship romance meter is stalled in the dead zone, I’m here to help you revive it. As a therapist, I can’t tell you how many people come in for couples counseling asking me to help fix the intimacy problems in their relationship, so have no fear, you’re not alone! OK, so here goes, the top 10 sure fire romance spicer- uppers…. Ready? Well, the truth is — I don’t know. Wait a second now, don’t click out just yet. The truth is, I don’t know – but you do! Here’s a story…. I was in a couples therapy session with a couple I’ll call Mary and John. Mary was just beside herself. In an effort to spice up the romance in their relationship, she purchased hundreds of dollars’ worth of lingerie from a very expensive shop. Much to her dismay, John barely noticed. When I asked John about it, he said “Lingerie??? I have never been turned on by a woman… Read more »

So, is it “bah humbug,” winter blues, or a full blown clinical depression?  There are many reasons or even a combination of reasons why a person might become depressed, and although the types of depression may differ, many of the symptoms can be very similar and may only vary in their severity and duration.  Some common symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness or hopelessness, changes in sleep patterns or appetite, loss of concentration and focus, loss of interest in social or daily activities, feelings of tiredness and fatigue, irritability and anxiety and even thoughts of suicide.  If you are feeling any of these feelings and think that you may be depressed, it may be important to figure out which type of depression you have since the treatment options may vary. Depression during the holiday season is usually the result of encountering “memory sparkers” or having expectations that go unmet.  A memory sparker is anything that can trigger a previous memory – a smell, a place, a song or even a date on the calendar.  Unless it’s a special day marking a specific event, if I asked you to tell me where you were and what you were doing over… Read more »