New York City Voices Column - Ask the Therapist

ASK THE THERAPIST

Rita Seiden, C.S.W., Ph.D.

A column that addresses the questions and concerns of consumers relating to seeking therapy. Dr. Seiden is the Executive Director of the Park Slope Center for Mental Health and its programs, including New York City Voices (consumer-run), Institute Latino, Elder Care Services, The Hypnosis Institute, and the Spectrum Program for HIV/AIDS patients. She has a distinguished career as a therapist and can address a wide range of questions. Fax questions to her at 212-957-6763, or send them to New York City Voices, Box 2618 Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163

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» I feel guilty that my life is going so well while the aftereffects of 9/11 are still affecting so many people. What should I do?

: Certainly, the world doesn't need anyone to pretend to suffer. There is enough real suffering. We...

» I have a terrible time getting up in the morning. I feel cold and grumpy. Is this part of mental illness?

: I have a terrible time getting up in the morning. I feel cold and grumpy. Is this part of mental...

» I moved into a supportive apartment with two roommates. One is wonderful. The other one drinks and sleeps a lot and doesn't do his share of the chores. This person also gets very drunk and sometimes verbally abusive. What can we do?

: The other one drinks and sleeps a lot and ... gets very drunk and sometimes verbally abusive. What...

» I'm 28 years old and live at home with my parents. I suffer from manic depressive illness. My parents expect my therapist and doctor to share everything about my therapy and my medication with them. Don't I have any right to privacy?

: I'm 28 years old and live at home with my parents. I suffer from manic depressive illness. My...

» I've fallen in love with my therapist. I don't know what to do. Should I tell her?

: I've fallen in love with my therapist. I don't know what to do.

» My girlfriend is a fan of violent police/crime television series and she jokes sometimes about being mentally ill and being able to commit a violent act and not be punished for it. She says since she's diagnosed with a mental illness she'd only go to a hospital. These statements are becoming more frequent. What, if anything, can I do to stop her from thinking this way? Should I tell someone? If so, who?

: You have probably heard the expression 'a danger to self or others' ... both types of behavior have...

» My Shrink Likes Me Too Much!

: Our initial attraction to someone is almost always based on the previous love experiences of our...

» What do I do when someone important to me dies?

: Mourning helps us to deal with loss, even though it may feel so painful as we do it.

» Another Rx Recovery Story

: Wilma's thoughts and speech were more organized; the voices were at first diminished, and then they...

» Care for Caregivers

: Caregivers need to take a break. Mental health workers need to take their vacations, leave the...

» Getting Into the Holiday Groove

: How do I get through holiday dinner with relatives if I have just gotten out of the hospital?

» How Am I Doing? How Are We Doing?

: in the aftermath of the World Trade Center debacle ...What do we feel when something this enormous...

» I am a 23 year-old mental health consumer diagnosed with schizophrenia. I am interested in women, but homosexual men seem attracted to me. Sometimes I wonder about my sexual identity. Is this wondering part of my illness?

: Sometimes I wonder about my sexual identity. Is this wondering part of my illness?

» I am a parent of a mental health consumer. He's 45; I'm 75. I have looked after him since he became ill at age 19. I am beginning to worry about what to do if I should die and he continues to need "protection."

: Aging parents of disabled adult children are often in a quandary. They want the child to be...

» I am going to a therapist for the first time. Are there any questions I should ask? What should I look for in a therapist?

: I am going to a therapist for the first time. Are there any questions I should ask? What should I...

» I don't like my therapist. What can I do?

: If you are a consumer of many years of illness and treatment, then we need to trust that you may...