Clinical Psychologist. Former Army 🇺🇸 Here to Educate and Entertain.
Flavortown, OH
Joined June 2012
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Hello new followers! I am a psychologist in the great state of Ohio. I learned to be a therapist treating Vietnam Veterans. My dissertation is on positive change after trauma. My clients are Veterans, police officers, emergency care workers, and first-responders. And I make memes
Been tweeting about this since I left the APA in 2018
I joined the APA as a postdoc, and resigned a few years ago. This article explains why: The Inmates Run the Asylum at the Psychological Association by @SwipeWright and @Hartz_PhD wsj.com/opinion/the-inmates-… via @WSJopinion
Prayer is one of the oldest and most research-supported interventions for trauma and mood disorder symptoms across cultures and faith, but y’all aren’t ready for that conversation yet. The human brain likely adapted to mindfulness and biofeedback since we worshipped the sun.
I heard this sentiment a lot in therapy school, especially around secular mindfulness practice. My argument remains: There is a difference between being non-judgemental and having no judgement.
I barely call much of present-day psychotherapy: “consultation.” When people use a diagnosis as their finishing line, they only received assessment.
Edward A. Perin - Psychologist retweeted
Arguably, more paying customers want to avoid meaningful conversations than want to have them.
Blasting music may be a feature not a bug.
EMDR is a top five recommended treatment for recalibrating the physiological symptoms of PTSD that can occur in the absence of actual threat. But even Skinner confessed the limit of behavioral intervention lies in language. Integrating the experience is something else entirely.
EMDR works but it's incomplete:
- Erasing a trauma takes two steps: extinguish the old response, then relearn a new narrative and attach reward to the old event
- EMDR taps into the first step only. Deliberate side to side eye movements reduce activation of the threat reflex while you retell the event
- Standard retelling starts with a huge amplitude response that drops with each repeat. EMDR sneaks around the corner of that
- Attaching reward requires high amplitude arousal, a feeling of victory. EMDR has no active component for that
Many people get great relief from it. On its own it is not the whole therapy.
@hubermanlab
Edward A. Perin - Psychologist retweeted
My friend and colleague @DoctorPerin made a great post of an article about suicide prevention, and it’s extremely important and timely.
In my first job as a suicide crisis interventionist, all my close coworkers knew that the shift into fall brings a taller wave of suicidal thoughts and attempts along with it, and there can’t be too much help at this time of year.
I posted this comment in his thread to shout out an incredible suicide prevention organization called Walk the Talk America. Please check out the quote to learn more about what @walkthetalkUS and @mikesodini are doing to bridge the gap between the Pro 2A crowd and suicide prevention.
May I also shout out friends over at @walkthetalkUS?
If anyone seeing this would classify yourself as “Pro 2A”, and especially if you feel leery about reaching out for support because of concerns over losing access to firearms in a mental health crisis, please check out WTTA.
@mikesodini started the organization in an effort to bridge the worlds of gun ownership and mental health care, and they’re doing amazing things!
Check em out!
walkthetalkamerica.org
My middle school counselor told my parents I would never go to college. I acknowledge them in my dissertation.
We are approaching the winter solstice, so I should probably share my suicide season post for gun owners
Edward A. Perin - Psychologist retweeted
Le dije a una compañera del trabajo que el psicoanálisis era como ir al monte a agarrarse a machetazos con el diablo.
Y descubrir que tú eres el diablo, el monte y el machete.
Edward A. Perin - Psychologist retweeted
“I do not doubt that it would be easier for fate to take away your suffering than it would for me. But you will see for yourself that much has been gained if we succeed in turning your hysterical misery into common unhappiness. With a mental life that has been restored to health, you will be better armed against that unhappiness.”
--Sigmund Freud, Studies on Hysteria (1895)
