Psych With Mike

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders edition 5 Text Revision (DSM 5-TR) is the current version of the diagnostic manual for mental health professionals in the U.S. The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association. Codes in the DSM 5-TR have been revised to be compliant with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) published by the World Health Organization (WHO). There are over 70 diagnoses in the DSM, however, only 15 are routinely used by mental health professionals. The top ten most frequently diagnosed mental health disorders of 2023 are listed in the Definitive Healthcare article below.

Introduction to the DSM and ICD https://nbcc.org/exams/dsm#:~:text=The%20preface%20to%20the%20DSM,%2D5%2DTR%2C%20pp.

Includes list of the top ten diagnoses in mental health in 2023 https://www.definitivehc.com/blog/most-common-mental-health-diagnoses

The US Surgeon General recognized loneliness as an epidemic in 2023. The report is linked below. Why is this the case? People are more connected through electronic media than ever before, yet they feel more isolated and lonely. Clearly, these online connections cannot take the place of real in-person experiences. This is a lesson that is important for us to understand and accept to be able to work towards a resolution to the epidemic of loneliness.

https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/connection/index.html

Self-esteem is clinically defined as the global perception of self—that is, how one sees oneself. It is difficult to access/change self-esteem itself because it is a global perception. So when therapists work with clients on issues of self-esteem, what we do is work on issues of self-confidence, or as Albert Bandura called it, self-efficacy. Self-confidence/self-efficacy is the domain-specific perception of self. For example, an individual may have played a sport from a very young age. In high school this person may be fairly confident in their ability in the domain of the sport they play but still have low overall self-esteem because in the majority of other domains, the individual operates in, they feel very insecure. When any individual has high confidence in the majority of domains they operate in, their self-esteem will rise significantly.

Brett and I have discussed existential psychology and Viktor Frankl many times. Every time, I say, "We need to do a show about that." Well, today is that day! We will discuss Dr. Frankl and his experiences in the concentration camps. We will also explore how Dr. Frankl's theories help inform us as therapists to help clients deal with/process their pain, trauma, and frustration.

In a recent episode, Brett and I talked about ethics in the practice of counseling. A corollary topic is that of boundaries. Helping clients find their own boundaries is a fundamental task in therapy. However, therapists need good boundaries themselves to create a healthy therapeutic environment as well as model boundaries for the client. In this episode, Brett and I will explore how to help clients find their own boundaries.

How are ethics different from statutes and/or laws? Why do ethics matter? How do you know if your interpretation of ethics is correct? This episode will answer all those questions and more!

Adolescence has only been considered a stage of human development for about 125 years. H Stanley Hall is credited with defining this stage of development in 1904. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most societies viewed individuals as adults when they were able to procreate (were going through puberty. In what ways is the adolescent brain different from that of a child or an adult?

Death and dying is difficult for most people to talk about or even think about, even though it is the only experience other than birth that every human is guaranteed to experience. In this episode, Brett and I share our thoughts about having an empathic conversation about this difficult topic. We also share our views on how to treat/work with those who have experienced loss.

Empathy is defined as the ability to feel the emotions of another as if they were your own. It is a powerful tool for understanding and improving our relationships. It is also an essential quality in the therapist-client relationship.

Emotional Intelligence is a concept in psychology that describes the capability to regulate one's own emotions and to accurately interpret the emotions of others. The four pillars of Emotional Intelligence are:

1. Perceiving emotions
2. 2. Reasoning/labeling emotions
3. 3. Understanding emotions
4. 4. Managing emotions