• New Online Insomnia Program Available
• Are You Tired of Dieting?
• Dear Dr. B.: My Girlfriend is Jealous
• "Starved" for Compassion: New TV Sitcom Not Funny
• Beware of Certain Drugs and Sun Exposure

You are not alone! Approximately 68% of all adults are currently dieting but few are sustaining long-term weight loss. This is due to the fact that over 95% of diets fail.

Read on..

Dear Dr. B.:
I have been dating a wonderful woman for close to a year. Everything is great, except for her jealousy. For some reason, she is obsessed about my being attracted to other women, even though I have no interest in someone else. Whenever I go somewhere by myself, even if it’s just to the supermarket, she will ask me question after question when I get home. Did I see any attractive women there? What about the cashier – was she pretty? Did I smile at her or talk to her? If I say I didn’t see any attractive women, or refuse to answer her questions, my girlfriend will say that I must have something to hide, and become very angry. I feel like I am going to make her mad no matter what I do. Is this normal?
- Andrew S.

Read on...

(AP Photo/FX Network, Eric Lebowitz)

The producers of this new FX series sound as if they are determined to hit a new low in television progamming. The National Eating Disorders Association rightly warns that the show might encourage those with eating disorders to resist treatment, while potentially glamorizing their symptoms.

It should also be pointed out that to anyone with even minimal knowledge of eating disorders, the subject matter just isn't very funny. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are life-threatening problems that destroy the health of millions of people.

No one would dream of creating a television series that spoofed suicide, or showed the lighter side of pancreatic cancer - at least not yet thankfully. Perhaps it is too much to ask TV executives to show a social conscience, but I hope that out of compassion for those who suffer from eating disorders and their families, the FX network decides to pull this distasteful series from its fall lineup.

- Richard Bedrosian, Ph.D. President and Founder, MySelfHelp.com

Many medications - including some prescribed for anxiety, depression, and other mental and physical health problems - can cause photosensitivity reactions (including sensitivity to the sun's UVA rays or tanning devices). This can result in sunburn, skin rash, or other adverse symptoms.

Always read the full instructions that accompany the prescription to see if photosensitivity is a potential side effect. If so, avoid prolonged sun exposure, wear protective clothing, and apply a sunscreen (at least SPF 15) when you spend time outdoors.

To be sure that your ISP recognizes MySelfHelp.com as a trusted and reputable site, please add info@MySelfHelp.com to your address book and trusted/approved sender list.

You are not alone! Approximately 68% of all adults are currently dieting but few are sustaining long-term weight loss. This is due to the fact that over 95% of diets fail. Men and women are frustrated with the constant struggle around food, diet and exercise, but continue to believe that it is their fault they haven’t lost the weight. The next time you say “If only I had more will power” or “Today I will be good”, stop. Remind yourself that it is not you who failed the diet but the diet that failed you.

Why do so many individuals diet if diets do not work? It is an interesting question. Many are influenced by the $50 billion diet industry that bombards us with advertisements promising quick and long-lasting results. In addition, the media promises us that if we get “thin” then we will be “happy”. What many people with eating disorders discover is that feeling good on the inside has little to do with the numbers on the scale.

No matter what your shape and size, if you use food to cope with difficult feelings and problems in your life you will not find happiness in a diet. The good news is that with supportive counseling you can learn to put food in its place and face life’s challenges effectively.

Take a minute to look at the list of “Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders”. If you answered yes to any of the questions, it may be time to consult with a mental health professional who can help you determine if you have an eating disorder and what type of treatment would be best for you. Treatment options include individual counseling, group counseling, and/or nutritional counseling.

Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders:

• Do you yo-yo diet?
• Do you fear you have gained weight even though your friends think you are thin?
• Do you secretly eat?
• Do you use laxatives, vomiting, or diet pills to control your weight?
• Do you eat when you are not hungry?
• Do you skip meals to lose weight?
• Do you limit activity with family and friends when food is involved?
• Do you exercise compulsively?
• Do you wish you had a better body image?
• Do you fantasize about being a better person when you are thin?

If you or someone you love has some of these symptoms, it may be time to get some help.

By Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, LMHC
Co-Author, Weight Wisdom: Affirmations to Free You from Food & Body Concerns

Top of newsletter

Dear Dr. B.:

I have been dating a wonderful woman for close to a year. Everything is great, except for her jealousy. For some reason, she is obsessed about my being attracted to other women, even though I have no interest in someone else. Whenever I go somewhere by myself, even if it’s just to the supermarket, she will ask me question after question when I get home. Did I see any attractive women there? What about the cashier – was she pretty? Did I smile at her or talk to her? If I say I didn’t see any attractive women, or refuse to answer her questions, my girlfriend will say that I must have something to hide, and become very angry. I feel like I am going to make her mad no matter what I do. Is this normal?

- Andrew S.

Dear Andrew,

This kind of obsessive jealousy is hardly normal. It sounds like your partner is being tormented inside and in turn, she is tormenting you. Her behavior is surely indicative of a significant psychological problem. You should strongly encourage her to seek treatment with a psychotherapist. Since most people resist such recommendations at first, you should plan on bringing this subject up every time she starts questioning you.

You are truly in a no-win situation. However, this level of jealousy is not going to be helped by answering all her questions – at some point you will need to stop doing so. You have become locked into what some might call a “codependent pattern” with your significant other. The two of you should also consider couples therapy to help you both disengage from this pattern. This might appeal more to your partner than individual therapy. If your significant other absolutely refuses any form of help, you should seek out psychotherapy yourself, to help you find alternative ways of coping with this stressful problem.

Dr. Richard Bedrosian is a clinical psychologist, president and founder of MySelfHelp.com, Associate in Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and author of Treating Family of Origin Problems: A Cognitive Approach.

Send your questions for Dr. B. to info@myselfhelp.com. You will remain anonymous if your question is printed in an upcoming newsletter.

Top of newsletter