This is part of a series where I answer interesting questions that come up in my search terms, that are not already clearly answered in this blog.

I feel less able to write some of the personal topics here that I used to discuss. You may have noticed that in the past I commented about how small the field of psychology seems, but it seems the more I am immersed in it the more it shrinks. This blog still gets a lot of search engine traffic so I will try to help out in a small way with some interesting search terms.

“is it okay to go back to the same therapist”

Yes. You can go back to the same therapist. A professional should not see this as a problem. But do carefully consider the reasons you left before when you choose to return. Often when I returned to previous therapists similar problems which led me to leave the first time around caused me to leave the second time.

Of course many people have left their past therapists on good terms and might want to return for a “tune up”. This is not a problem and it’s very normal to choose to come back for a couple of appointments or to return for a longer period of time if things in life have become more difficult.

“i miss my appointment today”

This search term and variations of it are pretty common reasons for how people end up at my blog (Second to the ones looking for help self-harming or hiding SI. If you want to SI I’m sure you can find a way without my help).

Missed appointments happen. It’s not a good thing for you to do, but if it has already happened call the clinician as soon as possible to reschedule. This is something that happens all the time. Don’t drop out of treatment over fear of their reaction. Just call, apologize and reschedule. If the clinician gives a reaction that seems out of proportion, then this is probably a warning sign that you should seek treatment elsewhere.

Some clinicians may charge for missed appointments if you didn’t cancel in advance, so check with your provider for their policy. Remember, when you no-show you have taken away a billable hour from their day which may impact their ability to support themselves.

“do psychology majors require you to do alot of presrntations”

As an undergrad, I don’t think  psychology majors do more presentations than any other major. This all really depends a lot on the professor more than the subject mater. If you do decide to purse a PhD in psychology though part of that involves research which involves presenting findings of that research. But these are not every day events. However, if you have a public speaking phobia, treatment for this may be beneficial for many careers (Not just psychology) because in most jobs there will be some need to talk in front of groups from time to time.

“self mutilation included in dsm?”

They’re calling it Non-Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI), but yes it will be in the new DSM. There’s concern in the field that use of the term mutilation may be stigmatizing so it’s generally not used now in academic circles.

ritalin cancels out adderall

This sounds like it might be less about one drug canceling out the other and more that high doses of stimulants can cause paradoxical reactions which make people sleepy. So mixing the two together may not double the effect.

“is plucking armpit hair a sign of trich”

It could be, but remember it needs to also cause impairment and/or distress. If you have a symptoms that does not cause impairment and/or distress it’s probably more of a personality quirk.

“methamphetamine triggering trichotillomania”

It’s very possible that methamphetamine could exacerbate existing trichotillomania or create symptoms that resemble trichotillomania since stimulants can cause problems with compulsive behaviors.

However  in the DSM IV for Trichotillomania criterion D is: “The disturbance is not better accounted for by another mental disorder and is not due to a general medical condition (e.g., a dermatological condition). ”

Current Methamphetamine abuse would likely exclude a trichotillomania diagnosis if the behavior only occurred in association with the drug use. If the symptoms remained after withdrawal criterion D would no longer be applicable. Whether Methamphetamine could create trichotillomania after the drug use is open for debate. It’s difficult to tease apart if it is something that was underlying before the drug use or something created by the drug.

“how do you know if you are grade obsessed”

If you are googling this it is probably a hint that you might be.

“should i date a pysch major”

Psych majors come in many forms. Ranging from crazy people like me to people who had no idea what to study. If you think you want to date the person, do it. Their academic major isn’t very informative for determining whether you should date them.

“is it normal to go through many therapists”

It’s a good question. I’ve certainly gone though an above average amount, but I’d love to know what amount is typical. I think it’s very normal to go through more than one. It can be really hard to find a good fit. At a certain point (like the point I’m at) you should think about the ways you contribute to going through so many therapists (too picky, trust problems?)  but some therapists may just not be very good and there’s no reason to stay with someone who can not help.