by Christine Hammond on December 26, 2021
Ever wonder why depression seems so much worse during the holiday season? Some of the reasons may be a surprise, while others seem very obvious. Each one of these is based on real personal struggles. Humbuggery. This word is made famous in Charles Dicken’s story, A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge frequently says, “Bah-Humbug.” The pure… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on November 24, 2021
The first Thanksgiving and Hanukkah without her husband of 47 years, nothing seemed right. For the first time, Nikki was not hosting either celebration, her daughter and son took the holidays over to relieve her stress. But without the rituals and traditions, she felt more isolated and alone. Nikki took a deep breath to hold… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on July 19, 2019
“Depressed” is a combination of ‘de’ which means down and ‘press’ which is to flatten. Thus the meaning is a deep flattening down. It is stronger than sadness which is a short-term condition. Rather, depression lasts for a notable period of time and is present regardless of surroundings, people, lifestyle, and abilities. Contrary to some… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on June 7, 2019
For the last ten years, I have made working with people who have a personality disorder and their family members the main part of my practice. I made this choice for several reasons. First, there are numerous family members within my own family that have a personality disorder and I have a natural talent for… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
Amy’s anxiety was through the roof. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt at peace. Her mind raced obsessively with thoughts of worst-possible outcomes, reliving past hurts over and over, and fortune-telling what everyone around her was thinking. She found herself going to dark places of imagining what would happen if her husband died,… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
Are your clients exhausted from doing too many things at once? Some research suggests that multi-tasking is impossible — when done, a person is actually giving only partial attention to many things. With all the advances in technology, it seems that life doesn’t stop long enough to give full attention to anything. Many find they… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
Not all depressions are created equal. Some depressions are major, chemical, hormonal, cyclical, seasonal, chronic, psychotic, persistent, or medical with each having a level from mild to severe/suicidal. But another common type of depression is situational, better known in counseling as adjustment disorder with depressed mood. Adjustment disorder happens when a change in lifestyle, loss… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
Too much attention is given to narcissistic behavior with little consideration offered to the victims of it. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is clearly defined in the DSM-5. Many subtypes have been offered, books were written and seminars were taught. But what about the abuse some victims have suffered? Several names have been tossed around to… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
Feeling lonely is bad enough but add the holidays to the mix and instead of helping, the feeling intensifies. This strange phenomenon tends to isolate even further and can bring about a deeper depression. In some cases, the hopelessness many lead to suicidal thoughts. The contrast is shocking. Everyone else seems to be happier. There… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
Sixteen years ago to the date, my best friend committed suicide. She was beautiful inside and out with a compassionate heart too large for her physical body. As one of the smartest people I knew, she loved to engage in passionate discussions about her favorite subject: politics. She had more energy and could cram more… (more…)