tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61280814593389928892011-10-29T05:53:18.307-04:00The purposes are to present self-help tips, some behavioral research findings, book reviews, as well as to give people a sense of who I am, and to write about what it means to be human. Mike Miller, PhDMike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.comBlogger361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-25017825123054013482011-09-07T20:28:00.002-04:002011-09-07T20:32:57.043-04:00

Psychologist Reid Wilson states that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other anxiety "Wins," i.e. maintains and gets stronger, by making the rules of the "game." By making the rules, it always wins. He sees the rules as: 1. Be careful or you might cause a horrible problem OR you have already harmed someone. 2. If a fearful thought ("content") occurs, take it seiously. 3.

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-32188566161159241072010-01-26T08:01:00.003-05:002010-01-26T08:05:07.109-05:00

If nothing else, the recent earthquake in Haiti should give us perspective with all that we have in our lives. We can focus on the stock markets correction or other negative things. But, we are alive. Our economy didn't collapse. We have clean water and food. We didn't lose our homes.Most of us were born in the United States. Perhaps by accident? Why weren't WE born in Haiti? Or in Darfur

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-6180623272330504942010-01-14T06:19:00.006-05:002010-01-14T06:30:59.967-05:00

An article just published in The American Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) questions the efficacy of the use of anti-depressant medications (ADM) with mild to moderate depressions. The article is not an easy read! Here is an abstract from JAMA.It looked at six studies with randomized control groups. Three of the studies evaluated imipramine (an older anti-depressant) and three evaluated

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-49606224783804565362010-01-08T09:56:00.003-05:002010-01-08T10:06:21.201-05:00

This morning, there was a segment on depression treatments on our local public radio station (WCPN). It was 99% about medical (brief reference to exercise at end) treatments, i.e., anti-depressants, deep brain stimulation, etc. This unbalanced and shallow report bothered me enough to email WCPN. Below is the email I sent to them. I am interested in how YOU feel about this.Your brief report on

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-68414053472706792722009-12-05T17:27:00.003-05:002009-12-05T17:40:41.222-05:00

While some may be put off by the “For Dummies” series title, I have found most to be excellent starting points. Seasonal Affective Disorder for Dummies by Laura Smith and Charles Elliot is where I would suggest you begin if you have questions or interest in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It references up to date research in a practical, readable manner. It is very well organized and

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-22375737784294368362009-11-24T07:44:00.004-05:002009-11-24T09:20:24.716-05:00

Winter Blues (Revised 2006) by Norman Rosenthal, MD is THE classic book on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Rosenthal started his psychiatric career as a research fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and was one of the original researchers. In this addition, he also references his own experiences with SAD and what has been helpful to himself.While the main thrust is on

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-4025670258335787432009-11-18T08:11:00.004-05:002009-11-18T08:34:46.197-05:00

Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for those under 65! A study in Philadelphia showed that recent suicide attempters treated with cognitive therapy (CT) were 50 percent less likely to try to kill themselves again within 18 months than those who did not receive the therapy. People were recruited for this study in the emergency room, following a suicide attempt. One hundred and twenty

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-2838097123391609522009-10-11T23:31:00.008-04:002009-10-11T23:55:11.078-04:00

Directed by Robert Redford, this is an unusual tale of a champion golfer who comes back from WW I a broken man after all of his men were killed in one battle. Retreating into the bottle for over a decade, he is rescued by a golf exhibition, the support of Savannah (his hometown), and the life lessons from Will Smith. Smith plays Bagger Vance, who is the mystical caddy who helps Matt Damon's

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-57464696663728146232009-10-10T10:06:00.005-04:002009-10-10T10:19:12.720-04:00

Watch this and then try to NOT count your blessings. I don't think that can be done.To all of you who feel like giving up. VideoBest wishes,Mikehttp://drmikemiller.com

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-13531357415193966052009-09-29T09:16:00.001-04:002009-09-29T09:19:00.099-04:00

If you get something from these posts, subscribe to my eletter "Peace of Mind." Send an email to drmike@drmikemiller.com.

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-65230331817228263062009-09-29T09:13:00.003-04:002009-09-29T11:17:36.135-04:00

The most powerful change strategy for children's behavior problems is the parents increasing the focus on positive behavior and reinforcing those behaviors. A powerful strategy of improving your mood and self-esteem is increasing positive self-talk. Human nature is such that most of us look for when we make mistakes and then be self-critical. Much of the time, that is automatic and under our

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-18525844315161885232009-08-24T17:32:00.006-04:002009-09-02T22:33:24.866-04:00

Online therapy or “eTherapy” has been provided by some therapists in a number of different ways, ranging from email, to computerized therapeutic programs (one to be posted here soon), to real time video, for over 10 years. A brief history from 1972-2002 can be found at http://www.metanoia.org/imhs/history.htmA number of questions remain fully unanswered. Probably the most critical question is

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-52381759713433499862009-08-20T19:06:00.004-04:002009-08-20T19:12:08.467-04:00

While this is aimed at teens, it is relevant for ALL of us.Do you tend to assume the worst in how you will be treated? Do you often have thoughts like “People are ALWAYS mean to me,” “NOBODY likes me,” “EVERYBODY is mean to me,” “Why bother? NOTHING EVER goes my way,” etc? None of these thoughts are true and any of these thoughts are guaranteed to make you MISERABLE!Do you look for being

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-44440259544440615552009-08-09T17:23:00.001-04:002009-08-09T18:15:04.318-04:00

There is a long told Native-American tale that I will paraphrase a little.There was a wise grandfather who was speaking with his grandchildren about life. He told them that he had two wolves battling inside of him. He went on to explain that Everybody has these two wolves.He said that the first wolf stands for love, peace, charity, kindness, forgiveness, and letting go of past wrongs that were

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-19717571869206468342009-08-06T14:55:00.002-04:002009-08-06T15:00:29.240-04:00

Medical insurance is increasingly being priced out of what many feel they can afford. It can be argued that ever increasing health insurance costs have largely decimated the US car manufacturers. What if there was a way to save 20% of medical costs? What if I told you that is such a way? It has been reported that when numerous rigorous studies were examined on medical cost savings after

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-45683730467694155342009-06-25T19:47:00.002-04:002009-06-25T19:50:34.654-04:00

Michael Jackson (50) and Farah Fawcett (62) both died today (6/25/09). Whether you liked them or not, both were fairly young. Deaths like this remind us that life can be short. After I turned 50, my experience is that mortality slaps me increasingly harder every year.Presently, I have two friends (ages 66 and 36) who are fighting cancer. My parents have been dead for years. My wife has not

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-1154032007528892332009-06-24T19:09:00.003-04:002009-06-24T19:17:36.490-04:00

It has been widely reported that anxieties have greatly increased as the economy has declined. This has sent many to their family doctors for medication and others seeking psychological services. With so many foreclosures, which has yet to bottomed out, many have valid reasons for concerns. Many have lost jobs, through no fault of their own and worry about paying their bills, being employed

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-61592248776001777152009-05-24T11:20:00.003-04:002009-05-24T11:25:10.871-04:00

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic condition, affecting about 2.2 million Americans. People have intrusive, distressing thoughts that are relieved by engaging in compulsive behaviors. Most people receive at least some benefit with behavior therapy and/or medications. Some, however, are treatment resistant. The FDA recently approved Medtronic’s Reclaim Deep Brain Stimulator

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-1293403935065015512009-05-17T18:07:00.003-04:002009-05-17T18:26:44.053-04:00

There have been many claims for restricted diets to eliminate ADHD. I remember Dr. Lendon Smith on the Phil Donahue 40 years ago (yikes!) who claimed that all ADHD and learning disabilities were the result of food colorings and food allergies. When these claims were put to rigorous studies, very few kids improved significantly. For a very few, it made a huge difference.Since then, there have

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-49028257132026066962009-05-03T18:49:00.004-04:002009-05-03T19:00:01.491-04:00

An affirmation is simply any positive statement that you say to yourself. Repeating these statements can help facilitate reprogramming your brain away from automatically going to and accepting negative thoughts. Affirmations are something that you use when you aren't especially anxious. Coping statements can be very similar, but are used more when you are especially anxious. Read through the

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-32322068513685075452009-04-28T09:31:00.005-04:002009-04-28T09:37:20.921-04:00

Mark Twain said, “I’ve had a lot of problems in my day - most of which never happened.” It has also been said that worry is interest paid in advance on a debt you may never owe. Worry is a significant problem for many people. It is the major component of all anxiety disorders. It is also something that all of us do, to varying degrees.Some talk about "good" and "bad" worry. I feel that a

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-89580903785690194192009-04-15T22:52:00.001-04:002009-04-15T22:55:25.191-04:00

A six year (6.17 average) follow-up was reported from Queensland Australia for anxious children and teens who were treated with CBT. Fifty-two clients (aged 14 to 21 years) who had completed treatment an average of 6.17 years earlier were reassessed, using diagnostic interviews, clinician ratings, and self- and parent-report measures. After receiving CBT, 85.7% no longer had any anxiety

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-9289781294000232152009-03-13T07:54:00.001-04:002009-03-13T07:57:11.195-04:00

We are now in the Lenten season. This is when Jesus went into the wilderness, fasted for 40 days, and resisted temptations. Many Christians have emulated this and give up chocolate and the like during this time. Most of the other religious traditions also have times of fasting. Many find this a meaningful spiritual. Regardless of whether you are Christian or an athesist, consider a fast in

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-25639312824578182282009-02-16T10:18:00.007-05:002009-02-16T11:04:27.370-05:00

Historically, it has been reported that the overall effectiveness of the newer and older anti-depressants were all about equally effective, differing in their side effects. A very recent article in The Lancet disputes this, comparing the effectiveness of 12 of the newer anti-depressants for Major Depression in adults. It looked at side effects, as well.A summary of their findings found the

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-22088864563324666132009-02-09T07:17:00.004-05:002009-02-09T07:36:11.541-05:00

If you are dealing with anxiety and/or depression, exercise is something that you should begin, increase, or continue. There is 40 years of research that exercise is not only be very helpful, but some studies indicate they work better than anti-depressant medications, especially in follow-up studies! The self-help group Recovery, International (formerly Recovery Inc.) has taught for over 70

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-21525623181350600432009-02-08T23:27:00.005-05:002009-02-14T14:30:36.757-05:00

What is your recovery plan? What is it that you will do to get past your depression, anxiety, or whatever? This may be a foreign concept to you. Many may wonder, “What is it that I CAN do to improve my anxiety, mood, or whatever? Non-medication possibilities include (but are not limited to) exercise, self-help reading, tracking and challenging negative thoughts, self-help group involvement,

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-7847465545676613142009-01-23T18:56:00.004-05:002009-01-25T21:41:41.375-05:00

With the New Year, many of us have decided to make changes.  Losing weight is probably the most frequent goal.  A problem that prevents many of us from achieving that goal is the failure to spell out HOW we will do that.  We may have general goals like exercise more and eat less.  These are generally too vague to be effective,  Instead, we need to be more specific.  What will we do? How many

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-90185658944653029612008-12-22T14:47:00.006-05:002008-12-22T15:01:33.524-05:00

Below is my wish to everyone. To print out, go to http//drmikemiller.com/peace.htmlMay You DevelopSIGNS and SYMPTOMS ofINNER PEACE* Frequent overwhelming periods of gratitude* A tendency to react spontaneously rather than inreaction to fears* An increasing tendency to go with the flow and letthings happen * A lessening inclination to interpret the actions of others* A decreasing involvement in

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-662376388112812232008-12-13T19:57:00.008-05:002008-12-17T09:23:50.406-05:00

The Holidays are difficult for many - missing lost ones, anniversaries of deaths around those times, dealing with job loss/financial difficulties, not being where you want to be in life, etc. Even when life is in the groove, many of us stress over finding the "perfect gift," dealing with difficult family members, and/or being unable to afford what we would like to do for our loved ones.For many,

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-35492594800005396492008-11-16T20:10:00.002-05:002008-11-16T20:14:58.256-05:00

Included as part of the recent financial rescue/bailout bill signed by President Bush, was the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. This will end health insurance benefits inequity between mental health/substance use disorders and medical/surgical benefits for group health plans with more than 50 employees. This means that equity in coverage will

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-9185277972626719532008-09-26T22:56:00.008-04:002008-09-27T19:12:58.022-04:00

There has been a relatively recent and growing movement referred to as "Positive Psychology." Much of this has grown from the work of Martin Seligmann, PhD author of Learned Optimism and other books. Historically, most psychology studies focused on depression and other problems. There was a movement beginning in the late 50's called "Humanistic Psychology." Positive Psychology focuses more on

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-69997188593255512512008-09-05T12:50:00.008-04:002008-09-07T17:34:38.134-04:00

As I touched on in my previous posting about depression, there are interesting studies comparing the treatments of medications and psychotherapy/counseling. One sees medication ads almost any tie you turn on the TV, look in a magazine, etc. Research proves that the advertising works. Increasing numbers of people are taking medications for depression, stress, etc. The number of people seeking

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-41677063802362068292008-08-24T11:11:00.007-04:002008-08-25T15:46:58.118-04:00

Today I ran my first road race, a 5K (3.1 miles) in perhaps 4 or 5 years. I fully anticipated doing some walking. I surprised myself by managing to run the whole way. I further surprised myself by being able to pick up the pace the last 50 yards or so and passing several people. My time was 31:03 (a VERY pleasant surprise).There are several points of this posting. All too often, we limit

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-47185104127331418622008-08-22T11:16:00.004-04:002008-08-22T12:00:28.417-04:00

My name is Dr. Mike Miller and I want to introduce you to my blog. The purposes are to give people a sense of who I am, as well as to write about what it means to be human, present some behavioral research findings, book reviews, and who knows what else! I hope that you will enjoy and benefit from the variety of postings that I am envisioning. Suggestions are welcome. Go to http://drmike

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-20073701232069630642008-08-22T09:41:00.012-04:002008-09-07T17:32:47.488-04:00

"Using brain imaging, NIMH researchers have produced direct evidence that people prone to depression -- even when they're feeling well -- have abnormal mood-regulating brain circuitry. This makes them vulnerable to relapse when levels of certain key brain chemical messengers plummet.To test this directly and identify any brain circuit abnormalities, the researchers studied 15 un-medicated

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128081459338992889.post-28893059383216724332008-08-21T09:40:00.011-04:002008-08-24T19:20:15.886-04:00

Yesterday, we took our son to the University of Toledo. The idea and then reality has been somewhat difficult to deal with. It seems that only yesterday (more like 15 years) that even when he was around people he knew, he would still be hugging my leg. I accept (and somewhat celebrate) his being able to leave is evidence that my wife and I have done a decent job and helped him become more

Mike Miller, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14554780239874855504noreply@blogger.com2