thejana/Elective_dataset huggingface dataset:
Topic: parenting

Question: How should we punish our son for peeing his pants because of laziness?
He is an adolescent. He has peed his pant multiple times over the last few years, all at times when he is too wrapped up in a video game or video. We have taken away games and videos for long periods of time as punishment, but after a few months of having then back, he pees his pants again.

Answer (from Sherry Katz, LCSWCouples and Family Therapist, LCSW):
Sounds as though your son is "pissed off" about something.Punishment will most likely result in more of the same, not less of the peeing you would like to stop from happening."Laziness" is more of a social judgement than it is a characteristic of its own merit.Is this your description of your son or his description of himself?First step always before addressing any of the family dynamics, emotions, and psychology of the people involved, is a medical rule out as to why your son pees at times he plays video games.If he has medical clearance that there is no physiological  problem, then talk with your son on his opinions as to why he pees, if he is aware of the urge to pee and ignores it, or that his attention gets so absorbed he doesn't notice the urge to pee.See what modifications you can create by cooperating with your son.Maybe it is as simple as each two hours, he sets a timer and when it goes off, he takes a bathroom break.
Topic: anxiety

Question: Can I control anxiety without medication?
I had a head injury a few years ago and my mind races all the time. I have trouble sleeping and have a lot of anxiety. Every medicine I have been on my body rejects; I get sick to my stomach and get blisters in my mouth. How can I calm my self down? I'm a wreck.

Answer (from Rebecca DuellmanMA, Applied Psychology, Specializing in Forensic Psychology issues.):
You didn't say what or how many medications you've tried. Certain anxiety medications can make you feel nauseous, but I haven't heard of any that cause mouth blisters, so there may be some other underlying medical issue there. I would definitely talk to your primary care physician and whoever has prescribed the medication as well as a neurologist if you've suffered a severe head injury. There are so many medications available for anxiety or insomnia or even depression that there may be others with lesser side effects.But beyond that, have you tried any other treatments such as deep breathing or meditation? Meditation can be very effective, but it takes practice and you don't have to sit cross-legged for hours chanting "Ohm" to meditate. It's about focusing on your breath, rather than all the thoughts that are racing through your head. And when they do take your mind off your breath, simply refocus (and refocus and refocus). Like I said, it takes practice, so don't give up. You can find many sites offering different ways to meditate, so look around and see what works best for you. Like medication, you just have to find the one that works best and that might take some experimentation.I hope this helps and best of luck to you.
Topic: anxiety

Question: I'm feeling overwhelmed
My two adult sons live with me. One has been having panic attacks and hasn't been able to work for over 6 months. He doesn't want to get help. I'm feeling so overwhelmed. What can I do?

Answer (from Kaileen McMickle, MS, LPCLicensed Professional Counselor):
My very first thought is this is so much to carry on your own!  A mother's instinct is to care for her children so I can imagine how hard it must be to see your son in pain and struggling.  I hear a ping of helplessness in there as well.  That's heavy.My question is: who is supporting you?  I know nothing about the context, but I wonder if the role you hold often is that of caretaker.  It may not be that the end-all-be-all answer is to be cared for, but the absence of care (or even self-care) can seem like we are only existing for others.  Sometimes having someone to rely on can help take off some of the edge--the pressure--of all that is overwhelming.Despite that, it may be that the situation continues to be exactly what it is, providing a steady stream of stress for you (which would be so difficult).  I don't think anyone can tell you what to do because no one here has to live with those consequences, good or bad.  Just a note that sometimes with men it is harder to reach out for help.  Perhaps he feels comfortable enough for you to know he's struggling (which means you have provided him a safe space to do just that) but not comfortable enough to interact with a stranger about those same struggles.  Men often avoid therapy because it's seen as weak and/or means you need help.  Planting seeds here is sometimes all you can do, as hard as that is.As far as supporting goes, there's much more you can do there if he is ready to receive that.  If you are seeing him in the midst of panic, the best thing you can do is let him know you are there for him.  Maybe that means being there physically, or continuing to give him encouragement along the way (e.g., "You got this", "I know this is hard", etc.).  If you aren't present for the attacks but he's telling you about them, you can ask what you can provide for him in those moments or how you can help him afterward.  Panic attacks can be taxing on the body so sometimes people need time to recover.  Remember that you also need to recover here, too.  It's very painful to watch someone you love panic.  What might you need there?Of course, counseling can be a great place to work through that stress and overwhelm.  That time is all for you to be heard and understood.  You deserve to have someone there for you, too!
Topic: lgbtq

Question: I'm going through dysphoria
I have always wanted to have a transition from male to female for some time now. This issue has persisted for 10 years already but I don't know where to start. I do not have the soundest information either.

Answer (from Lisa ShouldicePsychotherapist MA, RP, CCP):
Wonderful!  I am so excited for you.  What a huge decision.  I am writing from Toronto Canada so it is hard for me to direct you specifically.  I would start with two things 1) Find a doctor that is comfortable perscribing hormones and 2) find a Counsellor or Therapist that is transgender specialized.  They will know how transitioning works in your health care system and other supports as well.  Google is a wonderful way to find these resources.   I wish you well. Thanks for writing!
Topic: anxiety

Question: How can I be less afraid of rape?
Why am I so afraid of it? I don't understand.

Answer (from Sherry Katz, LCSWCouples and Family Therapist, LCSW):
Your fear is somewhat reasonable.  No one wants to be raped and I imagine everyone is afraid of what being raped would feel like.Do you mean that this fear is on your mind more often than you would like?If this is the case, then try understanding the reason behind your fear.Is it because you personally know or know of someone who was raped?  One general direction of what would help is to regain confidence in your decisions of keeping yourself safe.  The more you trust yourself to avoid social situations with lots of drinking, isolated physical surroundings, and being in isolated locations with someone with whom you're not very familiar, probably your fear will decrease.The other general direction to understand is if in your family history, people have been violated severely, either emotionally, mentally, or physically.In families in which people have suffered severe violations of themselves, often the emotional patterning of expecting to be hurt by others, plants itself very deeply and transmits to the younger generation.Its possible then, that you are suffering from fears established in other family members who have not yet been able to fully understand and accept their own suffering.The good news is that individual therapy, with a credentialed and licensed therapist, is ideal for a safe place to open and clear this type of emotional burden.
Topic: anxiety

Question: Do I have some type of anxiety?
Sometimes, I'm fine and can go out or meet people, but other days, my heart races and words physically cannot come out of my mouth. I've always thought it was normal and I was just nervous, but the other day, it took me almost 30 minutes of sitting in my car to find the courage to enter Target by myself.

Answer (from Nicole StoneAnxiety, relationship crisis, and the separation/divorce experience.):
It is possible that you could have or be developing an anxiety disorder. There isn't really enough information provided here to suggest a particular disorder, but it might be worth meeting with a counselor or therapist to do a formal assessment. Some of the questions they might ask could be what other kinds of physical symptoms you experience, how frequently these physical symptoms happen, what's going on for you when they tend to happen, and how frequently/intensely you find yourself worrying in general. Anxiety itself is a really natural thing - it's just when it starts interfering with your ability to "do life" the way you want that we start to consider potential disorders. It might be that for the most part, the anxiety you feel is normal and you simply have some triggers that intensify it more than usual. Working on your own or with the support of a counselor/therapist to both address those triggers at the root and also to develop ways of managing the actual anxiety symptoms. This two-fold approach can be really helpful for not letting anxiety keep you from engaging in life the way you'd like.
Topic: trauma

Question: Is it possible for a person to stop feeling emotions?
I was raped a couple months ago, Since then, along with other unfortunately events that have occurred, I have been having trouble feeling emotions. It's almost as if I'm a sociopath lacking any feeling. What can I do to change this?

Answer (from Catherine Cleveland):
Hi!This is a great question!The term you are looking for is alexithymia, the inability to identify and describe emotions in the self. However, just because you are not able to feel or express emotions, does not mean that you do not have emotions.After such a traumatic event that you experienced, your central nervous system goes into defensive mode (dorsal vagal nerves) that protect you from any further harm. What this means is if you were to feel your emotions related to your rape, you would have a sense of being overwhelmed, possibly re-experiencing the traumatic event.Not feeling emotions is your body's way of protecting you from any further trauma. Unfortunately, when the (parasympathetic) dorsal vagal system (shutting down feeling) is activated and suppresses your painful emotions (pain, shame, guilt, sadness, anger), it also shuts down your positive and relational emotions (love, joy, contentment, connectedness, happiness).I am very sorry that you had to go through such a traumatic experience as being raped. No one knows what is going on inside of you as a result. You don't know what is happening to your emotional wellbeing! The best (and at times, difficult and scary) thing is to process your emotions related to your trauma. This processing is done carefully, with a trained counselor, in a place that you feel safe, heard, and not judged. Although the thought of proceedings (addressing) emotions may be anxiety-inducing, it brings on a huge sense of relief and validation.What you are going through is normal, considering what happened to you! I hope you reach out for more help.If you have any questions feel free to contact me, Catherine at clevelandemotionalhealth.com
Topic: domestic-violence

Question: How do I overcome the nightmare from the domestic violence of a past relationship?
I am a survivor of domestic violence from a past relationship. Even after seven years, I still have horrible nightmares. I wake up in sweat, and the dreams feel so real.

Answer (from Candice Conroy, LMHCFind relief from anxiety, depression, and trauma.):
Nightmare are actually very common for survivors of domestic violence. If they are affecting you the the point where you feel like you need to do something, you may want to consider processing your memories of the events with a trained trauma therapist. Another good option, may be to attend a support group for survivors where you could process your memories in a safe space where others will be able to provide support and understanding for what you went through as well as encouragement for the strength it took you to get out of that relationship. You may also want to consider completing a screening or assessment to rule out post-traumatic stress disorder as well.
Topic: eating-disorders

Question: Am I anorexic?
I have been obsessed with food and my weight so much that it consumes my daily activities. I weigh myself 2-3 times a day and cut down on my food intake.

Answer (from Ian Palombo#ThoughtMediator & #LifeUntangler):
Anorexia Nervosa involves severe restriction of food intake, which can cause the body to go into survival mode. This process slows down important functions of the body to conserve energy. The consequences are dangerous and can be fatal.Some symptoms of anorexia are: Fatigue and faintingSlow heart rateLow blood pressureHeart failureOsteoporosis (reduction of bone density)Muscle loss and weaknessDehydrationKidney failureLanugo (layer of downy hair all over the body)Amenorrhea (loss of menstruation in women)Pregnancy complicationsThis Questionnaire Could Help:Do you feel guilt and remorse when you eat?Are you terrified of being overweight?Do you isolate so that you can eat?Do you avoid eating when you’re hungry?Do you continue to eat even after you feel full?Do you take medication or exercise instead of eating a meal?Do you weigh yourself at least once a day?Do you evaluate yourself based on your body size and shape?Do you eat large amounts of food in a brief amount of time?Do you feel out of control when you eat?Do you make yourself vomit to avoid gaining weight?Do you regularly take laxatives or diuretics to lose weight?Do you exercise no matter how tired or sick you may feel?Do you skip meals in order to lose weight or to avoid gaining weight?Do you diet often?Do you exercise more than once a day?Do you hide food?Do your emotions affect your eating habits?Are you preoccupied with food or your body size?Do you avoid close relationships or social activities?Do you feel as if food controls your life?If you have answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you should seek professional help. This screening is NOT a diagnostic tool, and does not replace an official assessment. If you need help finding an eating disorder specialist in your area, please contact us at denvermhc.com
Topic: family-conflict

Question: Is it wrong that I don't love or even like my sister?
I don’t love my sister. I would never wish her harm, but if I could, I would wish for us not to be related. Is this cruel? Why must blood mean we have to be friends? Am I being unreasonable and is there a way to fix this? I do care about her, like I do every human being, but I’d rather be with my friends than be with her at all. It’s not just a "teenager phase." I still love my mom and dad, and I’m very close to them. However, it’s my sister I don’t love or have ever really liked at all.

Answer (from Sherry Katz, LCSWCouples and Family Therapist, LCSW):
No one can force emotions.   Its fine to not love your sister.You may make some discoveries about yourself and your relationship with your sister by studying the reasons for why you're not close.Usually this has something to do with how the parents positioned the kids.  Some parents obviously favor one child over another, and this would heavily influence how the kids view each other once they are grown people.The patterns of interaction set down during our growing up years stay with us until we change them consciously.Its possible your sense of not loving your sister started in your early years.You now have a chance to know your sister through your grown up eyes, or not.Either way, you still may decide you don't love her.
Topic: counseling-fundamentals

Question: How does someone approach a counselor?
How does a person start the counseling process?

Answer (from Cory Ian Shafer LPCPsychotherapist, Jungian, Hypnotherapy):
Usually people call me by phone, they introduce themselves, we chat for a bit, then we schedule a time for their appointment
Topic: workplace-relationships

Question: Why do I feel like I'm always wrong in everything in my relationship?
My wife is always accusing me of cheating and telling me that I'm doing things she finds disrespectful even when I don't mean it like that. For example, she gets offended when I call someone at work "sweetheart." I wish I had a penny for every time she accused me of cheating on her. She doesn't, and never will say she was wrong. How do I get her to understand?

Answer (from Gayle WeillSpecializing in relationships and parenting - additional certifications in Child-parent psychotherapy, Circle of Security-Parenting program, adoption competency, hypnosis, and EMDR):
It sounds like you feel your wife doesn’t trust you and it’s frustrating for you because you aren’t cheating on her and you aren’t trying to be disrespectful towards her. It must be really difficult to constantly be faced with accusations and misunderstandings from your wife. I am so sorry you are going through this but I’m really glad you are trying to seek assistance with this.I don’t know your wife, in fact I don’t know you either for that matter, but from what little I know from what you wrote it sounds like your wife has some insecurity and maybe even self-esteem issues. People that present as very sensitive and accusatory like your wife are often not acting that way to purposely frustrate their loved ones- they act that way because they are feeling unloved and hurting. Having that perspective in mind about your wife- that she is hurting when she makes those accusations- I am wondering if that changes your perspective about this? Your wife needs your sensitivity towards her feelings, your  love and your reassurance of your commitment to her. Be very loving in your actions and words towards her. Don’t call other women sweetheart. It sounds like your wife is a sensitive person which means she needs her husband to be sensitive to her feelings. These are just some things to think about.
Topic: depression

Question: Do I have too many issues for counseling?
I have so many issues to address. I have a history of sexual abuse, I’m a breast cancer survivor and I am a lifetime insomniac.    I have a long history of depression and I’m beginning to have anxiety. I have low self esteem but I’ve been happily married for almost 35 years.
   I’ve never had counseling about any of this. Do I have too many issues to address in counseling?

Answer (from Ashley "Ashton" BernalRenewed Hope Counseling):
I commend you for taking such a brave step in talking about everything you have been through. No one ever has "too many issues" to seek therapy and I would be willing to bet that many of these concerns are intertwined and once unraveled great relief is to follow. Best of luck on your journey toward healing. Most times our wounds lead us to the best parts of ourselves.
Topic: parenting

Question: I think my daughter is stressing too much
When my daughter is stressed about a silly thing from school, she starts crying and freaking out. She is a bright student, always has a 4.0, but I am afraid she is stressing too much. I’m afraid it’s going to break her. I don't know if I should get her to a doctor or someone because this is not normal.

Answer (from Toni Teixeira, LCSWYour road to healing begins here):
Worrying about our children seems to be part of the job of parenting. I think you are wise to consider helping your daughter around this particular issue. I think encouraging her to talk to a therapist is a really good idea. It is great that she is a high achiever, however, the down side could be high levels of stress that she may find difficulty managing in the future. A therapist can help her with skills to manage her stress levels.
Topic: depression

Question: How can I get my husband to listen to my needs and talk to me?
I tried telling my husband I was depressed, and he ignored me. He said "you're always sad or depressed." And he picked up his phone and ignored me. I said, "Please don't exaggerate, that isn't true." And he said, "Whatever babe. You just want to be sad."
   How can I get through to him so he will take me seriously?

Answer (from Dr Traci KochendorferTime for you to " Claim IT" with over 15 years in health and wellness, Ph.D Psy.D D.D. F.P.L.C. recognized on TV and Magazines,):
What he hears and what you say or think he hears maybe the issue.  You could be on different wave lengths.  He might see how you act when not understanding emotional support.  There are ways to communicate differently to get a different reaction.   How is it worded.  There are energy medicine techniques to test what type you are and what he is.  How to connect through energy work.  💕💕
Topic: depression

Question: Why am I experiencing dfficulty maintaining an erection?
A few years ago I was making love to my wife when for no known reason I lost my erection,    Now I'm In my early 30s and my problem has become more and more frequent. This is causing major problems for my ego and it's diminishing my self esteem. This has resulted in ongoing depression and tearing apart my marriage.    I am devastated and cannot find a cause for these issues. I am very attracted to my wife and want to express it in the bedroom like I used to.    What could be causing this, and what can I do about it?

Answer (from Marissa TalaricoSex and Relationship counseling):
For starters, know that this is a normal experience for many men at some point in their lives. While this can certainly cause some embarrassment, a diminished sexual esteem or relationship problems, it is important to know you are not alone. I am going to move forward assuming that you have already checked with a medical professional to rule out any medical problems that may be related to this. Assuming that is the case, for most this happens for two primary reasons. It is either a short term biological shortage of blood flow to the penis. This can be caused my diet, lack of exercise, even stress. Another primary reason for loss of erections are anxiety. Have their been recent relationship issues? Are you feeling as though you aren't satisfied in the bedroom? These are just a few aspects that can cause subconscious anxiety and loss of erection. My suggestion to you would be to seek out a counselor that specializes in sexuality that can assist you in moving forward with this.  Best of Luck!
Topic: parenting

Question: I think my daughter is stressing too much
When my daughter is stressed about a silly thing from school, she starts crying and freaking out. She is a bright student, always has a 4.0, but I am afraid she is stressing too much. I’m afraid it’s going to break her. I don't know if I should get her to a doctor or someone because this is not normal.

Answer (from Carol MelvilleYoung adult and teens therapy):
In addition to academic stress, teens are facing multiple stressors in their lives, it can be social stress. Teens place a high value on their social lives. It’s part of their developmental stage. Finding friends, keeping their friendships can be stressful at times. World events such as school shootings, acts of terrorism, and natural disasters also worry teens. If there are major lifestyle changes or traumatic events that can also be overwhelming and confusing for the developing teens. As parents, it is important to show your emotional support for their struggles. Having open communications can also help them process distressed emotions. In many cases, it can be helpful to have a therapist they can talk to. By teaching them resilience and self-care, you’re teaching a toolbox for any stress they may face.