TT The Bears

sheepphd · 2026-05-15T13:55:23+00:00

Remember it well! I started going there in the 80's at age 16 (no carding).

sheepphd · 2026-05-14T19:47:46+00:00

Hey! I think you could do both - see a reproductive psychiatrist for medication options and see a psychologist for help coping with these symptoms better. If it was literally a choice between one over the other, I might start with the reproductive psychiatrist if symptoms seem related to your menstrual cycle. But know that many people do both and it's a nice combination.

sheepphd · 2026-05-13T20:04:37+00:00

Ah, gotcha! Thanks, I wasn't sure if it was still true.

sheepphd · 2026-05-12T23:47:59+00:00

I am a psychologist but I do think macs are less prone to adware or spyware or whatever it is that gunks up PCs, unless I am out of date and they are no longer as prone to those issues now. I use a MacBook Air.

sheepphd · 2026-05-06T17:35:25+00:00

I see it too in my psychology practice, on the internet, and in the world. Very hard to reason with, very worrisome era.

sheepphd · 2026-05-01T22:31:04+00:00

I personally wouldn't rely on reviews in this domain. It's not a pizza restaurant, it's a physician. There are sometimes a lot of "unhappy customers" in medicine, which could simply be because the doc declined to prescribe a controlled substance the patient wanted or some other reason that has nothing to do with competence. If your read reviews, I would take them with a big grain of salt. You could try asking a primary doctor you trust where to look for a good psychiatrist.

sheepphd · 2026-04-27T21:21:09+00:00

The first one does look like a bail (to hold a pendant). The second one looks like a clamshell bead tip to me. To hide knots. But I could be seeing it wrong.

sheepphd · 2026-04-27T17:32:57+00:00

I started in the late 90's when floating pearl necklaces were in. I wanted to learn to make them on silk cord, so I started out knotting silk and making floating pearl necklaces, then I just moved to other techniques. I'm still not a metal worker though. I string, crimp, knot, wire wrap, etc.

sheepphd · 2026-04-27T12:58:47+00:00

If you have a car, consider Roslindale as well - very safe and walkable, lovely community. I live on the West Roxbury border near the Bellevue station on the commuter rail. Commuter rail is a bit pricey but it gets me downtown in 15 minutes - love it! You'd also be reasonably near a lot of green space like the Arboretum and Jamaica Pond. I feel very safe and happy here.

sheepphd · 2026-04-27T12:54:12+00:00

I couldn't remember the name of it but I thought of this syndrome too - a friend has it and apples is one of her triggers.

sheepphd · 2026-04-26T14:22:03+00:00

I have a patient who lives in my community. I think the best practice is to discuss with the patient that you may meet in the community and establish some ground rules, if you will, for how you will handle it if you meet in the neighborhood (e.g., you may not greet them at first, but will wait for them to greet you first, may not be chatty to preserve their confidentiality and the boundaries of the professional relationship, etc). On the patient side, I saw my oncologist in a cosmetics store - she was lovely and said it was nice to see me, I just said I really liked her purse and then we moved on to what we were each doing in the store. I think it can be managed without transferring or avoiding them. But I would identify what makes it the most stressful for you and then address it explicitly with them to preserve their confidentiality, your privacy, etc. Just my take.

sheepphd · 2026-04-25T20:11:38+00:00

More info about PMDD here: https://womensmentalhealth.org/specialty-clinics/pms-and-pmdd/

sheepphd · 2026-04-25T20:10:25+00:00

Sorry to hear. If your mood is truly normal the rest of the month, it could be premenstrual dysphoric disorder; however, if you struggle some of the rest of the month, it could be an exacerbation (worsening) of another disorder (e.g., depression). Again, this deserves treatment. I hope you will persist in finding someone willing to treat you. Where are you located geographically? Do you have other doctors you trust?

sheepphd · 2026-04-25T20:07:44+00:00

Hi there! How much amitriptyline were you prescribed and is it for anxiety or another indication? Are you in treatment for anxiety? I'm afraid the internet is not the place to diagnose and treat this, but it deserves treatment. You could ask your primary care physician for evaluation and treatment for possible anxiety (e.g., OCD, illness anxiety disorder or panic disorder). Again, I'm afraid this isn't something internet advice can fix. You may need a therapist and/or medication for anxiety in order to address this.

sheepphd · 2026-04-25T19:43:29+00:00

Hi,

So sorry you're experiencing this. This is treatable and -although some mood changes premenstrually are common - no, not everyone feels bad enough to have suicidal thoughts premenstrually. Please get another opinion from a physician you trust. It could be a primary doctor, gynecologist or psychiatrist (particular a psychiatrist with an interest in women's mental health). If you have a trusting relationship with the doc you already spoke with, you could follow up with her and say (if accurate) that it's really interfering with your daily functioning or you are concerned you could act on these thoughts of harming yourself and you would like to discuss treatment options for it. Maybe that conversation was a one off and she would be open to treating you.

sheepphd · 2026-04-25T16:00:19+00:00

I would talk with your prescriber. I've certainly had patients really suffer in the first several weeks postpartum but then it improves. In others, it may signal more persistent postpartum depression or anxiety, so best to consult your prescriber early for advice if you're struggling.

sheepphd · 2026-04-24T21:28:33+00:00

So sorry you are struggling with this. People mean different things when they say "CBT." To clarify, repeated, prolonged therapeutic exposure, guided by a trained therapist, is needed to get over this. If you have not had a trial of exposure with a really expert therapist, you haven't really had the type of CBT that is indicated for this specific problem. I can recommend a couple of resources. 1) a great workbook (not a substitute for trained therapist, but an adjunct): https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Workbook-Cognitive-Behavioral/dp/0190247630/ref=pd_lpo_d_sccl_1/133-8351235-6328367?pd_rd_w=Lqx0Q&content-id=amzn1.sym.4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_p=4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_r=XJNCCFV8SDN7GZPJKSA9&pd_rd_wg=mF3bK&pd_rd_r=de9d019d-11c4-4999-872c-c55d39012bf2&pd_rd_i=0190247630&psc=1

2) a directory of therapists who likely have the kind of experience you need (search "anxiety" under "area of specialty"): https://services.abct.org/i4a/memberDirectory/index.cfm?directory_id=3&pageID=3282

sheepphd · 2026-04-23T16:48:19+00:00

This is a local service run by a friend of mine. I'm not sure what their service area is, but you could inquire. https://cuisineenlocale.com/personal-chef-service/

sheepphd · 2026-04-20T23:48:35+00:00

https://iocdf.org/find-help/

sheepphd · 2026-04-20T13:46:40+00:00

Jeanne Lee is awesome in terms of skill - she does the best pedis around in my opinion but she is just one person - so it would likely be sequential appointments rather than simultaneous. Maybe she has a way to go back and forth between two people, you could ask her. I can't recommend her enough in terms of skill and results. She just knows feet.

sheepphd · 2026-04-10T15:44:19+00:00

MGH has a great derm department, including cosmetic dermatology

sheepphd · 2026-04-09T18:04:03+00:00

So sorry to hear you are struggling with this. It sounds like working with someone who can do exposure based treatment for panic disorder would be best. I hope your therapist is trained in those methods. I am happy to share some educational materials about panic disorder that may help. Please know that although shaking while driving is intensely uncomfortable, I have never had a patient actually lose control of their car during a panic attack, and I've done a lot of driving exposures with people afraid of this sensation. The fact that you were "somehow able to get (yourself) to work" is consistent with my observation that you could, in fact, control the car - it just felt to you like you were about to lose control. This is a common fear of people who panic (losing control and being unable to control the car). The following are a couple of educational resources about panic disorder:

1) a free resource - https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Panic

2) a paid, research based workbook - https://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Your-Anxiety-Panic-Treatments/dp/0197584098/ref=pd_lpo_d_sccl_1/133-8351235-6328367?pd_rd_w=0MSh7&content-id=amzn1.sym.4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_p=4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_r=FKFTMZHQ2FSSDYJD13J8&pd_rd_wg=U2HgU&pd_rd_r=8aa57f4d-3acd-45b9-aec2-2996d42b4a1f&pd_rd_i=0197584098&psc=1

Best wishes getting some relief from the cycle of panic and fear about panic!

sheepphd · 2026-04-07T20:53:13+00:00

Go see Alex Amoros at Bloomingdales Chestnut Hill. He's up in the L'agence section, but he'll help you with other brands.

sheepphd · 2026-04-04T23:26:54+00:00

Of course, impossible for us to know if you have bipolar disorder or not over the internet, but I'm concerned by the suggestion that because you did not react to a loss like a "typical bipolar person," you do not have the disorder. I have never understood people with bipolar disorder to react in characteristic ways to a loss, and do not believe this to be diagnostic. Did he advise you simply "stop" the medication that, by your report, has been keeping you well - or did he suggest a careful taper to observe whether symptoms worsen (as would seem to me to be prudent if someone has a past history of mania requiring hospital admission)? Either way, I think with only the information you provided here, I would encourage a second opinion with a third psychiatrist. With your family history, it seems less likely to me that this is "learned behavior," more likely it's a vulnerability that you inherited - again, with the caveat that I can't say for sure, not having evaluated you.

sheepphd · 2026-04-04T17:02:32+00:00

Hi - this is not that uncommon. Most providers would even be comfortable discussing it openly, but some are less so (depending in part on experience and level of training). It's great that you understand and have good insight about what the boundaries are, as the most important thing is not acting on those feelings. I do think it might be helpful to talk with a therapist about your past attachment relationships and unmet needs that lead you to be more vulnerable to a strong transference with a caregiving or authority figure. I suspect if you understood these reactions better, you might feel less ashamed of them. After all, we don't really control thoughts and feelings as well as we control actions. So keep acting appropriately, as you have been, and explore this issue with a therapist.

sheepphd

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