Kellevision

Outrageous! The Psychology of Self-Righteous Indignation

This seems to be Self-Righteous Indignation Month.  Apparently I did not receive the memo.  I'm seeing so many clients this month who are filled with self-righteous indignation about the behavior of other people.  They really get themselves worked up over it and come in totally frustrated and angry.  What is this all about?

Happy Endings

Americans require happy endings.  In our movies, in our books, in our lives.  We don't allow for suffering or unhappiness.  We don't tolerate unhappy stories from others.  We don't tolerate "negative" moods.  Everyone is supposed to be happy, all the time and everything is supposed to turn out right, all the time.

Staying on a Budget

I thought putting myself on a budget would be painful.  But I found quite the opposite to be true.  When I put myself on a budget I found that I really liked being in control of my money.  I felt less out of control.  I felt less incompetent.  I felt better about myself and about my ability to control myself.  I also like knowing there was excess money in savings if I needed it.  There was also the day at the grocery store when the card reader denied my debit card.  "Uh, no", I thought.  "That's just incorrect.  There is plenty of money in that account."  And I was right.  It was a glitch in the system.

Tit for Tat

In working with married couples I'm always amazed at how far people will carry the game of "Tit for Tat".  What I mean by this is the exchange of hurts.  She hurt me, so I hurt her back.  He hurt me back, now I will hurt him back again.  And on it goes...

Overcoming Resentment

Resentment is a powerful emotion that sucks our energy, our creativity and our joie de vive.  Someone says something hurtful and we carry it around with us for hours, days, weeks, sometimes years.  A wise man once said, "staying angry is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die."  How do we overcome it?

Newer Bipolar Medications May Cause Sudden Cardiac Death

CNN Health reports on new research showing that the atypical antipsychotics (i.e. Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Geodon, Abilify and Clozaril) may cause sudden cardiac death. Research shows that these medications can double the chance of sudden cardiac death possibly by causing "disturbances in heart rhythms".  This is in addition to all of the other warnings that have come out recently about this class of drugs.  Yet doctors still continue to diagnose everyone who complains of "mood swings" with Bipolar Disorder and prescribing this class of drugs to them. 

Sunday Night Syndrome

Sunday Night Syndrome, or Sunday Night Blues are experienced by different people in different ways, but they usually indicate a dread of going to work on Monday morning.  Some people become very anxious, lose sleep, worry about assignments due the next day, feel anxious without knowing why, have a knot in their stomach, fret, or worry about interactions with the boss or office politics.  For others it is a feeling of sadness that their free time is over. 

When Gasoline was $4.00 per Gallon

When gasoline hit $4.00/gallon I resolved to walk more and drive less.  I started to take the bus to work (which burns natural gas instead of petroleum products - an added bonus for the ozone).  I started to walk across the street to the pharmacy and down the block to the grocery store.  I started to run a mile with my dog instead of driving to the gym to "work out".   I walked to the video store rather than driving two blocks.  What happened?

New Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year when a lot of us make resolutions for the coming year.  Dieting programs and gyms have peak membership at this time of year.  But it rapidly falls off as people drop out.  What can you do to stick to your resolutions?