Category Archives: Psychology

The First Amendment and conversion therapy

Posted on February 1, 2019 by mamamara

According to an article on LGBTQ Nation, a federal judge in Tampa has ruled against the city’s ban on conversion therapy, using a First Amendment argument that conversion therapy is protected speech. My first and unfiltered response to this news … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, Psychology, Quackery, Speech | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Toku as the antidote to toxic masculinity

Posted on January 16, 2019 by mamamara

Between the razor company Gillette daring to suggest that maybe men shouldn’t be assholes and the American Psychological Association suggesting that maybe men acting like assholes isn’t good for anyone, least of the all the men themselves, it’s been a … Continue reading →

Posted in Gender, Psychology | Leave a comment

Thoughts on impostor syndrome

Posted on April 25, 2014 by mamamara

I know I’m hardly the only person in my circle of acquaintances who suffers from an occasional frequent constant bouts of imposter syndrome, so I’ve had it on the brain lately. Just so we all know what we’re talking about, … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Whining writers annoy me more than “wimpy” children

Posted on June 8, 2013 by mamamara

I was just linked to “A nation of wimps” over at Psychology Today and I was extremely underwhelmed. (Shocking, I know.) This wasn’t anywhere near the worst thing I’ve read on their website, but…that’s not exactly a high standard. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Parenting, Psychology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Why “you need a better attitude” pisses me off

Posted on February 10, 2013 by mamamara

I’m sure everyone with a mental illness, whether mild or severe, has dealt with some variation of the “You just need to cheer up!” admonition. Whether it’s “You just need to stop worrying” to someone with an anxiety disorder or … Continue reading →

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Social phobia: Because if you hide at home, nobody can laugh at you

Posted on January 6, 2013 by mamamara

One common error when it comes to social phobia is assuming it’s the same as shyness. (See: This survey from NIMH.) When I tell people I have social phobia, they often look amused, like I’ve told a joke. I can … Continue reading →

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Motherhood has been placed on a pedestal

Posted on June 2, 2012 by mamamara

It’s disturbing to many people to read research showing that mothers tend to be unhappier than non-mothers. Why? Because we’ve put the concept of being a mother up on a pedestal as a shining example of humanity. Not the mothers … Continue reading →

Posted in Parenting, Process of Science, Psychology | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Hire a veteran today

Posted on January 26, 2012 by mamamara

I heard something appalling this morning while taking my son to school, and I need to rant a bit. It was in an NPR report about hiring fairs for military veterans. (No, those aren’t appalling, they’re great.) One veteran reported … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology | 2 Comments

Would you care for some panic and social anxiety with a soupcon of depression?

Posted on November 25, 2011 by mamamara

It’s funny…I thought I had already written a post talking about my mental illness but it turns out I hadn’t. I’ve touched on my issues a bit (talking about being an ambivert, for example), but I’ve never really done a … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Psychology | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Say goodbye to the not-pology

Posted on October 9, 2011 by mamamara

Along with doing less lying, I think an admirable goal for everyone is to erase the not-pology from the face of the Earth. What, you might reasonably ask, is a not-pology? Well, it has some variations, but it generally comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology | 3 Comments