Ask the Psychologist: Online Clinical Psychologist

Q: My Mother Manipulates Me, A: Close the Gate

Dr Misty Hook, PhD — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:16:31 +0000

Q: I’m caught in a cycle of manipulative behavior with my mother and my brother, and I don’t know how to break it. They live close to each other. I live 1500 miles from them. Mom: “When is your vacation time this year?” (Warning lights, but I can’t find a way not to talk about [...]

Tags: boundaries, guilt, parenting and children, relationships, self awareness, siblings

Dealing with My Daughter’s Suicide

Dr Misty Hook, PhD — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:14:33 +0000

Q: I recently lost my eldest daughter to suicide, and am now almost convinced that I will lose one or all of my surviving three daughters in the near future. Is this a normal, if irrational, part of grieving, or possibly a mental health issue? (FYI: I have bipolar disorder.) I also believe that I [...]

Tags: bereavement, parenting and children, suicide

Is This a Depression Rebound?

Dr Misty Hook, PhD — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:45:13 +0000

Q: Someone I was in love with for over a year visited me yesterday. I had long given up hope, but last night we kissed. I don’t recall ever feeling so happy, not necessarily because I still had feelings for him, but because something I had wanted for such a long time had finally happened. [...]

Tags: depression, neurology, self awareness

I Was Raped; How Can I Forgive Myself?

Dr Misty Hook, PhD — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:54:28 +0000

Q: I am a 22-year-old undergraduate. I have been raped twice by people I loved. Since then, I have found no reason to love anyone again. I tried getting into two other relationships but they did not work out. I hate myself so badly for all that is happening to me, and I can’t seem [...]

Tags: abuse and trauma, guilt, responsibility, sexuality

18-Year-Old Girl; I Lied to My Parents

Dr Misty Hook, PhD — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:02:06 +0000

Q: I am an 18-year-old Polish girl living in South Africa. This means that my parents view everything differently than the parents of my friends. I have strict rules; I’m not allowed to sleep over or go to my friend’s house for parties if boys will be there. My curfew is 11 pm, and my [...]

Tags: child development, parenting and children, responsibility

I’m Scared of Getting Sick Again

Dr Misty Hook, PhD — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:43:11 +0000

Q: I am scared of being ill. Two years ago I suffered from Chlamydia pneumoniae and I spent six weeks at home. At that time I was attending high school, so my absence at school was not a big problem. According to a doctor I was healed properly and it was recommended that I have [...]

Tags: anxiety and stress, CBT

I’m 19 and Never Had a Girlfriend

Dr Misty Hook, PhD — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:31:02 +0000

Q: I am having a hard time in my life. I am 19 years old and going to university. My problem is fear. I have never had a girlfriend and, because of my age, I am already afraid to commit myself. I am afraid that I would not be a good kisser or lover. I [...]

Tags: love, relationships, sexuality, social skills

I Fear That I Sexually Abused Someone

Dr Shailagh Clarke, PhD — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:46:06 +0000

Q: I am an openly gay male in my early twenties, and have been struggling with a regret for quite some time now. When I was a teenager, I babysat several children. When I babysat, I used to play games with the children where they would sit on my head or my hands, which they [...]

Tags: abuse and trauma, boundaries, OCD, responsibility, self awareness, sexuality

I Move My Fingers, Nose and Eyebrows a Lot; Do I Have OCD or ADD?

Dr Misty Hook, PhD — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:14:22 +0000

Q: I am a 19-year-old girl from California and I am not sure if I have OCD, ADD or both, or if I am just overreacting. I have hypermobility in my fingers and thumbs and I always do that with my fingers and thumbs, most of the time without realizing it. I also have a [...]

Tags: ADHD, anxiety and stress, OCD, self awareness

He’s 45; She’s 20 — Is That Wrong?

Dr Misty Hook, PhD — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:13:13 +0000

Q: I have a concern for a friend of mine. He is 45 years old and is starting a relationship with a 20-year-old woman. I keep telling him this is wrong. My therapist says it is wrong. His therapist tells him to “be careful” and “take your time.” He tells me that he feels it’s [...]

Tags: love, relationships