Justin’s Blog: “The Jog”

The Bible has a lot to say about fear and anxiety.  In fact, some variation of “do not be afraid” is the most common directive in Scripture, occurring in some fashion more than ‘do not steal,’ ‘do not kill,’ and even ‘love your neighbor.’ How Does Anxiety Work? When we study these constructs in research, […]

Addiction is confusing.  It is confusing to seasoned professionals.  Let’s just admit it. It is not a specified diagnosis under the DSM or ICD; it’s only broadly referential to a sometimes amorphous categorization. Under the DSM-IV in 1994, only one vote separated the task force on substance abuse from using the term “addiction” instead of “dependence.” […]

  The Myth of Disappearing Distress. If I do the right things, I won’t have to face suffering, right? It’s easy for me as a therapist to exhort my clients to stay focused on the prize DESPITE the distress they feel. How easy it is to get off track! And while it’s also easy for […]

  What is Exposure Therapy? Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that is practiced in Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  It is indicated as a first line treatment for a number of disorders such as Panic PTSD BDD GAD Even recent evidence for depression It is considered the “gold standard,” or best treatment for […]

In Vivo Exposure Directly facing feared objects or situations, examples include: Getting on a flight, touching a doorknob that feels “contaminated,” not going back to check a lock, or going to a social gathering. Good exposure attempts to match the content and detail of a person’s fear as close as possible. So, for example, if a […]

$1.6 Billion.  That’s 1,600 x 1 MILLION Dollars.  For the person who won roughly that amount in South Carolina (and the rest of us): Would it surprise you that your emotional well-being really doesn’t improve by becoming wealthy?  There’s been a host of research in recent years that look into happiness and money.  Possibly the most […]

Do I want this, or do I not?  Is this my actual desire, or what I don’t want?  Does this thought or desire define me?  What if it’s terrible or horrible? Sometimes the things I think about are because I value them or desire them. Sometimes the things I think about are because I don’t […]

Photo by Dhiva Krishna on Unsplash Yesterday and today both I witnessed bad car wrecks.  I haven’t seen a car wreck in over two years. Not only have I been more cautious driving since, today I caught myself telling my wife possible reasons for seeing two crashes in a row. “Hey babe, maybe people are absent-minded […]

Photo by Jonatán Becerra on Unsplash Incredibly sad is the news that in a matter of days, two revered, loved, and famous celebrities committed suicide.  This morning I was hit by discovering that after Kate Spade ended her life, Anthony Bourdain also ended his.  After I prayed for their families, I knew I needed to send out this blog. Suicide […]

Photo by Owen CL on Unsplash Did your anxiety increase over flying after news of the engine failure on Southwest Flight 1380?  Even a little? I have booked plane tickets twice since the incident in mid-April 2018, and when choosing seats, I hovered precariously as I decided whether to select my favored window seat, or if I go […]

Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” – Helen Keller I don’t want to live […]

You may have just gotten an activity tracker over the holidays, or maybe you’ve already jumped on the bandwagon of wearable tech.  Not only do activity monitors like Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Spire track steps, heart rate, sleeping, and more, you can turn your tracker into an ally for mental health. Here’s how. Being able […]

Thomas Plets on Pexels This post was originally published on 05/26/2016 on my wordpress and is newly updated. You’re surrounded by setpoints every day.  They literally keep you alive.  One of them is your set body temperature.  If your body drops or rises a mere 15% beyond your core temperature, death occurs.  Think of a setpoint like […]

While purchasing my Kung Pao Chicken with steamed rice yesterday, the young lady at the counter put on gloves to handle money (she normally doesn’t).  Though I always appreciate an extra measure of hygiene, she stated she was nervous about Ebola.  This week, the nation discovered that the first U.S. case of naturally occurring Ebola […]

No relationship is the same.  People are extremely complex- a marriage multiplies that intricacy.  How can a marriage work?  Amazingly, we really know a lot about what makes marriages function on all cylinders.  But there is a gap between knowing and doing, and this is in large part what I work with in counseling. Instead […]