Aggressive personalities are fundamentally at war with anything that stands in the way of their unrestrained pursuit of their desires.

Almost all the principles of traditional psychology are based upon the attempts of various theorists to explain a phenomenon rare for its time and almost totally unheard of in modern times. Character disturbance — not neurosis — is the pressing psychological reality of our day and simply can’t be understood or dealt with using traditional paradigms.

The answer? At least God knows he is not a psychiatrist. Dinesh Bhugra, the new President of the Royal College of Psychiatry, UK, has recently stated that he would not himself use an acute psychiatric ward, nor allow any of his family to be placed there.

Psychiatrist Candida Fink and freelance author Joe Kraynak, co-authors of ‘Bipolar Disorder for Dummies’, have launched a new blog at Dr Fink’s site. They share self-help tips, treatment strategies, and more. It’s well worth a visit if you or someone you love has been affected by bipolar disorder.

While depression and anxiety are often considered to be “diseases” of the affluent, new studies find them to be just as common in poorer countries. Can a Western model of interpreting and treating mental distress be applied to other cultures?

The shocking mortality rate for anorexia — higher than for any other psychiatric disorder — is not due just to starvation or physical deterioration, says new research, but to sufferers committing suicide in the most violent and determined of ways.

Although a therapist is a professional, this does not mean that being deferential to them is in your best interests as a client. If you feel that you are not making progress, or that your therapist does not ‘get’ you or what you are saying, it is time to speak up.