Addicted to Shopping and a Messy Home?

I read an article in the Chicago Sun Times http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/television/2160260,CST-FTR-clean15.article today about a family who has the distinction of  having the “messiest house in America.”  The house was cluttered from floor to ceiling .  So a team from  Style  Network’s show “Clean House” will come to their house and do a makeover.

What is this about? How many shows follow a similar format.  We are presented with a person or family that is stuck or can’t get out of a bad situation. It could be about drugs, alcohol, clutter, cheating partners, debt, and anything else one could potentially label as an “addiction.”

For example, in this show,  “Both parents have an addiction to shopping. Ninety percent of the [things] in piles on the floor still have the tags on them. “We then watch in amazement as a team of makeover professionals turns their homes, hair, clothing, apartments, addictions into a vision of beauty. Moreover, as the credits roll, we are left to believe the problem has been resolved and all is well.  Is that all it takes to improve a bad situation in your life?

These shows  want you to believe if you change your behavior, the problem will be resolved. There isn’t much interest or profit in understanding what else is driving the behavior. For example, Donna, the mom of this  “messiest house in America” stated that “after my friend’s passing, I started buying things off the shopping channels to ease some of the pain.”  These shows would have you believe that insight will lead to a cleaner more organized lifestyle.

In my experience, people often know there is a problem. and can draw some connection to the trigger for it. However it takes time to work through the pain. And more often than not, the clean up process, like the therapy itself is a few steps forward and few steps back. What do you think?

Anonymous Confessions-online?

Have you seen these blogs that provide you a space to share an anonymous confession of any sort, without any editorial interference? People express hate, joy, love,pain and  fantasies, attempting to purge their mind of their secrets. On one hand it looks like a community of people expressing their internal feelings to each other, like a therapy group. However it actually seems like a collection of lonely, disconnected strangers sharing a small room not knowing how to connect with one another. What do you think?

How Do You Find a Therapist in Chicago?

Imagine you  just ended a long-term relationship; or you are feeling hopeless as a loved one struggles with addictions; or you are a man who was sexually abused as a child; who would you call for help? For many, the answer is a therapist. But in a large city like Chicago, how do you find a therapist you can work with? Unlike some communities, there are no shortage of therapists in downtown Chicago.

I recently read that as many as 70% of those seeking a therapist will use an internet service, such as Psychology Today. For some people, this is an effective way to find a therapist. While the directories do give all the data most people want to know such as specializations, degrees, locations, costs, and more-how do you know how it feels to sit with them and open up?

I have received many referrals through company EAP’s Employee Assistance Providers. Also since I am a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois preferred provider, clients contact me because their insurance will cover some of our work together. One of the best ways to find a therapist in Chicago is word of mouth. Even in our internet driven age, the people who have come to me due to a personal referral firmly believe there isn’t a better way to find a therapist.

Whether you find a therapist in Chicago through an on-line directory, EAP, preferred provider listing with your insurance company or through a personal referral, it is worthwhile to take some time to talk to a few therapist and see if they feel right to you. There is universal agreement that regardless of the training, if there is a good fit between the therapist and the client, this increases the likelihood of a positive therapy experience.