One of the best meals I have ever eaten was just an unripened avocado. Pulled off a tree in Peru en route to Machu Picchu, feet dangling off a train bridge at the base of this beautiful wonder. A simple avocado. Or hot dogs when camping with best friends. An almond when “starving” on a […]
Why does my granola bar taste so amazing at the top of a 14er or a long bike ride? Or Ramen noodles taste like a 5 star meal when camping? A much more enjoyable experience compared to that same granola bar while sitting in traffic? The view, low stress, and mountain top sure have an […]
The Next Right Decision (AKA the NRD) is a tool designed to help people understand the influence their decisions have on the way that they feel. The quiz gives points for healthy decisions that a person can make. It is designed to encourage better decision making through awareness. You merely take a very brief survey […]
This article originally appeared in the Summit Daily News on December 26, 2016 in the Dear Drewbie column regarding the importance of gratitude. It has been updated since. A few years ago, Dave Askeland, fearless leader of Summit’s Colorado Mountain College, showed our crew a Soul Pancake video about the value of gratitude. (I am […]
This article was originally published in the Summit Daily News as part of the Dear Drewbie column on February 27, 2017 by Drew Mikita. My favorite class to teach is Abnormal Psychology, a class based on diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. I always hate the word “abnormal” it is outdated, offensive, and indicates that […]
This article was originally written for the Summit Daily News and ran in the March 19, 2016 edition, it has been edited. The placebo effect is generally defined as a treatment that has no known effect on a person’s health and well being, other than the fact the person believes it does. Usually, we think […]
If you tell people that you think the moon and mental health have a relationship, they immediately assume you are a crazy-crack-pot-conspiracy theorist. However, the moon does have an impact on mental health, maybe slightly, but an impact nonetheless. This phenomenon is often referred to as the Lunar Effect. As many counselors, psychologists, or even […]
There is an ongoing, fundamental debate in psychology that has to do with the topic of nature and nurture on development. This debate pertains to factors of development. Nature are the biological factors like DNA, body chemistry, and human biology. Nurture on the other hand are all the external, or environmental factors influencing development. This […]
When studying the diagnosis of mental illness it is essential to remember two crucial elements. First, the context of the abnormal behaviors. Second, there is a vast continuum of mental health disorders pertaining to severity. When looking at the diagnosis of mental illness it is paramount to understand that disorders generally fall on a spectrum, or […]
When making a diagnosis of a mental illness it is extremely important to look at the entire context of a person’s life. People often want to simplify down a person’s behavior to just DNA, learned behaviors, relationships, life events, pandemics, trauma, health issues, etc., etc., etc. Truthfully for virtually all people it is a combination […]
Abnormal Psychology, Addiction, Psychology, Technology Addiction
Are you technology addicted? Take the following technology addiction quiz to determine if, or how addicted you are to technology. Read more about Technology Addiction from Free Psychology Help! This test is currently be updated, check back soon for an improved version of the quiz.
Abnormal Psychology, Addiction, Psychology, Technology Addiction
Technology Addiction: Tech, the New Drug. As a licensed professional counselor who has worked in the field of addiction for over a decade, I am concerned about a relatively new drug. This drug is not smoked, injected or drank. It doesn’t have the direct physiological effects of alcohol, cannabis or other drugs. It doesn’t even […]