Mindset | Blog

Hearing about gratitude and joy can sometimes deepen your feelings of gloom, especially if you’re facing emotional and mental health challenges. You may find yourself asking: “Why do others seem so happy? Why do they appear to manage life better than I do? Don’t they have their own struggles? Am I the only one feeling this way?” When grappling with issues like depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, perfectionism, or other conditions, it can be tough to focus on life’s positive aspects. Although it may feel isolating, remember that you are not alone! The stigma surrounding mental health issues persists, often making you feel like you’re alone in your challenges because few people discuss them openly—especially when unpleasant

After Sally’s clinician conducted a comprehensive assessment of her clinical condition, she said, “Your symptoms suggest that your challenges are linked to religious scrupulosity OCD.” Sally’s immediate response was, “I’d rather have a faith crisis than OCD!” Sally’s reaction was completely understandable amidst the enduring stigma and misconceptions surrounding OCD. It was natural for her to feel upset and overwhelmed, and the next step was for her to decide whether to pursue therapy or take a different path. Can you relate to Sally’s predicament? When doubts arise, has your mind ever hinted that they might be linked to a faith crisis? When individuals are deeply devoted to thei

More than a decade ago, college administrators placed a huge emphasis on entrance test scores. However, this is no longer the case as colleges have realized that academic scores do not tell the whole story about a person’s true potential. Just like students are more than a test score upon entering college, you are more than your anxiety. Many individuals grappling with anxiety tend to define their days and weeks solely based on their anxiety levels. “It’s only a good day if I’m not feeling anxious.” Do you resonate with this sentiment? In reality, you are more than the symptoms and challenges linked to anxiety. Your Life Pizza Imagine ordering your favorite pizza and discovering a slice with an ingredie

By Kathleen Ririe What if I told you that there was something you could do almost any place, any time, and at any or no cost that could help with your OCD? You would likely be excited to try it right away! Well, the great news is that there IS something that researchers are finding could possibly be just this beneficial. What is it- you ask? EXERCISE. Now wait just a moment- I know you may be thinking “I hate being sweaty”, or “My body doesn’t like to run”- but did you know that some of the positive effects of exercise can be seen in even just a few minutes of physical activity? Of course, as with all treatments, results will vary from person to person and researchers are not claiming a cure-all, but here is the scoop on why exercis

Holding Anxiety Gently Expectations What’s the first thought that comes to mind when you wake up in the morning? Is it an anxious thought—maybe about all the things you should do today? Or maybe you’re setting expectations for yourself about what your day should look like? As soon as you notice your anxiety, what do you do? Do you start dreading the day and wonder whether your anxiety will ever subside? Have you noticed how the word expectation implies rigidity? When we place high or unrealistic expectations on ourselves, whether emotionally, physically, or even just about what we think we should accomplish today, our emotional well-being suffers. Now, that’s not to say you don’t need to have goals and dreams about your career

By Kathleen Ririe Ever since I was little, pie has been my most anticipated part of the Thanksgiving feast. Pie and Thanksgiving go hand-in-hand. In fact, it is documented that pumpkin pie became a holiday staple beginning at the Pilgrim’s second Thanksgiving in 1623. In 2022 alone, 50 million pumpkin pies were purchased for Thanksgiving. Clearly, we have nailed it on the pie production scale, but how are we doing on the gratitude production scale? A recent Gallup poll reported that since 2020 the percentage of Americans who report being “very satisfied” with their personal life has dropped from 65% in 2020 to only 50% in 2023 (Gallup, January 2-22, 2023). Why has satisfaction declined so much and how can we reverse that in our own

“Why can’t I get rid of these horrific thoughts? I’m supposed to have pure thoughts according to my faith. Will God ever forgive me?” Jon’s incessant thoughts were evoking extreme anxiety, doubt, and guilt in his daily life. He would excessively pray to ask for forgiveness. When the unwanted and unpleasant thoughts would show up, he would try to replace them by singing or repeating verses from his holy books. When he chose to confess his perceived sins, his religious leader told Jon that he had not sinned and to not worry about those thoughts. The faith leader reassured him by telling him that he was a good person. Despite his faith leader’s reassurance, Jon’s thoughts kept coming back. Jon blamed himself. He fe

In your darkest times… Stay hopeful. Stay faithful. Even when you think God is not there. God is there and your scrupulous mind might just be getting in the way. Remember that your scrupulous mind is not in charge of your life or what you choose to do and believe. You are imperfectly good and God loves you unconditionally. You are enough. Keep the hope!

Fears about the Present Moment Like many, you may be scared to pay attention to the present moment. It may feel impossible. This is normal as this is a new experience. Few are those who can naturally notice their attention drifting and softly bring it back to what is going on in the present. Lucky them! Most people’s minds are constantly drifting, and that’s okay. In Imperfectly Good I share several exercises to help you connect to the present moment. Try them one at a time at your own pace, slowly working through all of them. Find the ones that you like and that make sense to you. These exercises will enhance your mental flexibility. You can use your senses to help you anchor/focus on the here and now. Notice what you see, sm

Treating anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder became personal for me years before I became a psychotherapist. Unbeknownst to my husband and me, our youngest son’s early childhood stubborn streaks were an indication of his anxiety challenges. By the time he was in elementary school, his “just so” behaviors were evident, but we hoped he would grow out of them. By middle school, we realized he needed professional help. Long story short, we literally “took the tour” around the different cities in our state in search of a therapist who knew how to treat anxiety disorders and OCD, to no avail. It wasn’t until our son was in his early twenties that he himself found a specialist from California. Our experience motivated me