DISCLAIMERS

This website is intended to offer general information only and recognizes that individual issues may differ from these broad guidelines. Personal issues should be addressed within a therapeutic context with a professional familiar with the details of the problems.

RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

MyShrink does not provide online counseling.

This site provides general information only. Information provided is not a substitute for professional advice. In other words, the information is not a substitute for the knowledge, expertise, skill and judgment of psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, naturopaths or other healthcare professionals. Furthermore, information presented is not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment. If you feel that you may need medical advice, please consult a qualified health care professional.

Editorial Content

MyShrink makes every reasonable effort to ensure that all posted information is accurate at the time of posting, but we do not guarantee its reliability or accuracy.

It is our opinion that the counseling profession is in the midst of a paradigm shift based on the results of thousands of experiments using new technologies. Although the facts about the brain and how it works are getting clearer, the interpretation and implications of those facts (i.e. the theory) have not been definitively verified.

Therefore, please note that many ideas and suggestions on this site are derivations, interpretations or conjecture based on recent and the best I could find child development and neuroscience research. They have not necessarily been rigorously tested. They are a best-guess hypothesis based on what researchers have discovered to date. In other words, not all content on the site has been researched or evidenced to the same degree. However, references to research studies will be cited where advisable.

There are two ways that I distinguish content that is more speculative, the New Way of Looing at and My Personal Musings.

External Sites

MyShrink is not responsible for the material and opinions presented on external sites. Links to external sites will open in a new window.

Humour is Job Two!

We take humour seriously.

We believe that a sense of humour is not only a sign of mental health, but also a significant resource for personal change.

Not everyone has the same sense of humour so you may find our approach confusing and maybe even challenging. Nonetheless, we admit our fallibility-- we might overshoot the mark sometimes, but it is not our intent to be demeaning.

That being said, we urge you to reflect on what your reaction might tell you about yourself. If anything confuses or offends you, we invite you to post your comments and concerns on the community forums or in our guestbook.

Please don't mistake our intent. We're not advocating the use of humour to shield ourselves from (yikes!) uncomfortable feelings. Humour is a powerful way of validating our common humanity, but it's wasted when used merely as a diversion from looking at ourselves clearly and honestly.

In fact, I believe humour is one of the fastest ways to be ruthlessly honest with ourselves if we so choose to look.

So what's Job One?

At MyShrink our primary goal is to provide our readers with relevant, quality information and content that is grounded in science, well referenced, and reviewed by knowledgeable professionals.

We respect the intelligence of our readers and believe that with the appropriate tools and resources, perhaps with the assistance of a health care professional, they can make informed decisions in their best interests.

Read our Terms of Service for more detailed information.

Our Policy on Pharmaceutical Company Advertising

MyShrink takes the position that drugs (e.g. anti-depressants, anxiolytics) are prescribed far too often for emotional -and other mental health complaints in cases where psychotherapy or other non-drug approaches would be more effective and long-lasting. In particular, MyShrink is dedicated to educating the public and mental health professionals regarding the natural healing powers of the body, and advocating the use of holistic, body-based approaches whenever possible in lieu of pharmaceuticals.

Consequently, MyShrink does not accept advertising or any form of sponsorship from any company that manufactures or promotes the use of these products for the treatment of mental health concerns. We hope that this measure will offset the overwhelming presence of pharmaceutical ads on other counseling websites. Owing the the limitations of the Adsense program (from Google) we cannot always be assured that our policy is followed. (For more information see: Questioning Medications)

Warning!

We strongly advise that anyone wishing to go off their medication, to do so after careful consultation with your physician or an appropriate health care professional.

Please be aware when trying to withdraw from many psychiatric drugs, you can develop serious and even life-threatening emotional and physical reactions. In short, it may pose problems not only to start taking psychiatric drugs (i.e. side effects) but it can also be hazardous to stop taking them.

(For more information read: Many Suffer from Antidepressant Withdrawal)

From the BBC here's a transcript from a show on the potential withdrawal effects of Paxil: The secrets of seroxat (the name of paxil in Britain).

Therefore, withdrawal from psychiatric drugs should be done under clinical supervision.

References:

Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome by Donald S. Robinson, MD

Sincerely,

Dr. Suzanne LaCombe and the MyShrink Crew
Last Updated: March 25, 2007.