The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Christine Hammond, LMHC A diagnosis doesn’t have to be negative. The very thing that makes a person unique, special, different, and an individual might just fit within one of the diagnostic codes. A gift of music or a talent in sports is celebrated, but aren’t these also things that separate out people from the norm? By definition, a diagnosis is a group of characteristics that are one or more standard deviation from the norm. But so are high intelligence, greatness, excellence, and champions. I would propose that every disorder can have some benefit. Depression can turn a person inward causing them to be more reflective and self-analytical. It also releases strong emotions of disappointment, grief, and rejection. This can be a cleansing process. Anxiety when seen as a warning signal instead of something to fear can heighten the senses and alert a person of impending danger, a triggered memory, or overload. Used properly, anxiety can become a guiding friend instea...

By Chris Hammond, MS, IMH I don’t know about you, but every year I struggle with finding the perfect gift for my family and friends. It is almost a mission to seek out the right gift balancing between the person’s needs, wants, and talents. When the right gift is discovered it is pure joy to watch them open it and it is in moments like that when it is truly better to give then to receive. This year as finances have become tighter, I find myself less interested in all of the bargains, deals, extra shopping hours and countless searches on the internet. Rather it has become a time of self reflection onto the meaning of Christmas rather than the gift giving of Christmas. When I recall the best gifts I have received during the year, it is the rare moment when a friend tells me they have been praying for me without my prompting and without any knowledge of my present circumstances. Those moments are precious to me and I can remember every one of them with great clarity far better th...