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Better Than CuredThe three components of Better than Cured, psychotherapy, psychiatric medication and life coaching, play different roles. Psychotherapy includes replacing old patterns that have caused problems in the past with new behaviors; looking at the world with less fear and more courage; taking apart painful situations and ill-advised decisions of the past to learn from them so as to adopt healthier thinking and attitudes based on newly found confidence, knowledge and wellness. One exercise I often do with my patients is reframing the problem by creating a paradigm shift. For example, I suggest they watch financial guru Suze Orman’s shows and substitute the word “emotions” for the word “finances.” This gives them a crash course in how to avoid an emotional crisis, not just a financial one. Here’s how this may work. Orman talks about how to build financial (emotional) capital, how to make good choices with your finances (emotions), how to look at the financial (emotional) environment to make the best decisions which will influence their short and long term financial (emotional) health. The “manage finances: manage emotions” analogy is just one example of reframing. Finding that “angle,” weighing various choices and mapping out steps to solve even the most…
Psychiatric DisordersAlso See – Modalities of Treatment Panic DisorderCharacterized by panic attacks of different intensity and frequency. Panic attacks are highly uncomfortable episodes, manifested through a range of symptoms, from sweaty palms and a sensation of a “knot” in the throat, to intense fear that something dreadful is about to happen to even symptoms that mimic a heart attack. Specific PhobiasCharacterized by intense, irrational fear, with or without panic attacks, in specific situations like riding in elevators, flying in planes, walking or shopping in wide open spaces, seeing blood, spiders, etc. Social AnxietyVery common problem, characterized by fear of being negatively judged by other people in social situations: parties, public speaking, job interviews, meeting new people, etc. Generalized Anxiety DisorderCharacterized by a constant, heightened state of fear or excessive worries; fear of losing control; disproportionate worries about life events, which end up interfering with one’s quality of life. DepressionCharacterized by progressively losing interest in activities one used to enjoy, followed by inability to “see light at the end of the tunnel,” low energy, sleep disturbance, feelings of hopelessness or helplessness. Bipolar Disorder Type ICharacterized by dramatic, clearly defined “highs and lows” of one’s mood. Bipolar Disorder Type IICharacterized by…
- Modalities of Treatment
About Dr. Forest Christine D. Forest, M.D., Psychiatrist,completed her postgraduate training at Los Angeles County – University of Southern California in 2002. From residency she transitioned directly into her own private practice and became attending staff at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. While developing her practice, Dr. Forest worked in the Consultation Liaison and Inpatient Unit of the Psychiatry Department at Cedars Sinai. From the beginning of her career in Psychiatry, she integrated and expanded therapeutic techniques based on “here and now.” which included Cognitive Behavior, Solution Focused, etc., with medication management. Dr. Forest’s focus is initiating and fostering successful transitions for the mentally ill, as well as for the fully functional. Further trained in Life Coaching, she initiated the program Strategies for Winning, which utilizes Guided Transformation to design effective interventions for people without mental illness, but who are at the crossroads in their careers or relationships. Guided Transformation is based on the belief that we do have what it takes to reach our dreams if we learn how to transform our positive and negative qualities into powerful vehicles that take us to where we would like to be. Dr. Forest’s life path has well prepared her for for giving such guidance.…
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