Archive for July, 2010

Increase Semen Volume – Is There A Way to Increase Semen Volume

the dozens of companies making unfounded claims about their semen-volume-increasing pills seem to focus on three reasons why men should care enough to buy their products: more semen makes you more masculine, more semen increases your sexual pleasure, and more semen can make you more fertile. Let’s consider each of these claims.

via sexuality.about.com

A very good article explaining how Marketing has prayed on our insecurity as gay men. And an answer at to why porn stares cum so much, all smoke and mirrors.

Posted via email from rmarcandrews’s posterous

Bristol-Myers Squibb National Survey Finds a Disparity Between Health Care Providers and HIV Positive Patients Perspectives on the Emotional Barriers to Seeking HIV Care and Treatment

today presented results from a national survey which found that emotional barriers, such as stigma, fear, denial and shame, and structural barriers, such as lack of knowledge, transportation, and insurance coverage, can prevent people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) from seeking care and treatment.

via businesswire.com

As gay men growing up in a Heterosexual world, we still harbor the deep wound of shame. This is often the root of our denial. Even when we come out sexually we want the world to see us as the successful homosexual, braking away from the stereotype that the culture has of us. When we contract an illness that has been demonized it taps in to that shame and we often go in to denial. The work we need to do is to start to understand our internalized homophobia and separate it from the medical care we need.

Posted via email from rmarcandrews’s posterous

Vista Lateral: Signs of Discrimination’s Demise

When U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro ruled last week in Massachusetts that the federal law banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional it reminded me of something. There comes a moment in every struggle for equality when the arguments for maintaining discriminatory laws and practices suddenly seem absurd to reasonable people.

via vistalateral.blogspot.com

Despite every thing we hear there is always hope both from with in us and out side of us. The conservatives are showing their hand with their irrational behavior and people are beginning to see this.

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OHBoyMagazine » 9 New ways to Masturbate

So with all that self- pleasuring going on how do you keep it interesting?

via ohboymagazine.com

I love this, always more ideas….

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Psych Central – Love, Lust or Loser? Quiz

Do I Have a Love, Lust or Loser
Relationship? Quiz

via psychcentral.com

Go to his site and take this quick Quiz. A good start to taking a look at your relationship.

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Survey: Talk Therapy as Good as Antidepressants

”What we found is, if you can get yourself to talk therapy, and if you stick with it for at least seven weeks, you are going to get results as good as you would if you just popped a pill,

via healthmanager.webmd.com

More research on how Psychotherapy is just as effective as medication and the two together is even better.

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Proclamation of Psychological Independence | 360 Degrees of Mindful Living

This chronic deficit of self-acceptance becomes a matter of national deficit and undermines the socio-political independence of our society. Long-term sovereignty of a nation rests with psychological independence of its constituents. A nation of psychologically insecure denizens is at war with itself, and is, thus, divided.

via blogs.psychcentral.com

This is a very good article that talks about how our individual drive for more and more has lead to a country with an obsessive need to for bigger, better, faster, smarter and a drive to attain the unattainable. As the individual drive is motivated to fill an emptiness, so is the need of our country. As the article states “Long-term sovereignty of a nation rests with psychological independence of its constituents. A nation of psychologically insecure denizens is at war with itself, and is, thus, divided.”

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Getting along with difficult people – life beyond therapy | Out in America Features

No matter how wonderful your life is, it’s impossible to avoid difficult people.

via features.outinamerica.com

Good article with some very concrete pointers on how to get along with those challenging people in our life. And remember some times those challenging people in our life are the ones that we care the most about. Use these tips any where in your life.

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Dear Living life as a girl

Dear Fabulous Marc;

I was just wondering if u could give me some advice or some help on a certain topic of mine. I’ve been struggling with who I am as a person, as in my sex. Always felt more female, living life as a girl. I don’t know where to start about asking one for help or how to go about it? I know someone needs to see a therapist for a good yr or so before they ok someone to start transitioning. If u could lead me in the right direction with a little help on where I should get started or where to go for the help and guidance that would be greatly appreciated. =]

Thank you for your time.

Living life as a girl

 

Dear Living life as a girl;

There is a process of psychotherapy therapy involved in Sex Reassignment Therapy (SRT), which is an umbrella term for the process involved in 1. psychotherapy,  2. hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to modify secondary sex characteristics, 3. sex reassignment surgery to alter primary sex characteristics, and 4.permanent hair removal for trans women.  The standards of care where this is outlined comes from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) the first and fore most accepted standard for Sex Reassignment Therapy.  Many individuals going through transition are not in favor of the psychotherapy component. Feeling that it causes them to have to admit to pathologies just to get the SRT. There is a reported higher incident of mental health disorders among Transsexual individuals than the general population. My clinical experience leads me to believe that this is more of the result of living in a society that has very limited and rigid sex roles than from being Transsexual.  The rationale given for the need for psychotherapy during the process of transition is the "lasting personal comfort with the gendered self in order to maximize overall psychological well-being and self-fulfillment."

The process involves a recommendation letter from a mental health therapist that documents the individual’s psychosocial history to a medical provider before any medical interventions, another letter recommending hormonal replacement therapy and two more recommending genital surgeries.  While these requirements may seem very strict, there is a very low rate for individuals with post surgerical regrets.  With the current revision of the WPATH standards of care there are no set time frames for psychotherapy.

There are three web sights I would suggest you check out. Wikipedia’s Sex Reassignment Therapy site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_reassignment_therapy WPATH Standards of Care web site http://www.wpath.org/publications_standards.cfm, a great site for general info. http://www.transsexual.org/ and Laura’s playground http://www.lauras-playground.com/gender_therapists.htm for a list of Therapist that works with transgendered individuals including a listing of those in Oregon.  Finding a therapist that you feel you can work with is a very important step, regardless of the recommendation letters.  This person will be helping you make the social and emotional transition from being one sex in society to another.

"Growth can stem from the most surprising places"

R. M. Andrews & Associates
Marc Andrews LCSW, DCSW, MS, President
Counseling & Clinical Supervision

W: RMarcAndrews.com
P: 503-583-2037
E: RMA@RMarcAndrews.com

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Dear 20 years old and depressed

Dear Fabulous Marc,

I am an unfortunate individual trapped in the awkward age range of the 18-20 crowds. Most people just don't realize just how awkward it is for us to want and crave to have a social life away from college when there is literally nothing to do and nowhere for us to go. Where are all the gay hangout spots for the 20 year olds like myself who want to hang with other LGBTQ people without being forced to hang out with 16 year olds? Why can't certain LGBTQ clubs host an 18+ night so that we can go out, too? It's absolutely frustrating to spend summer after summer with no evening social life as a LGBTQ person, having to wait until the dreadful year that I turn 21. Seriously, if I can smoke, vote, pay taxes, pay student loans for college, and have consensual sex and be married, how come I can't have an active nightlife as well? Are there any LGBTQ nightclubs that would be willing to host a night like this for us desperate awkwardly aged people who really crave to meet other LGTBQ people our age? I mean, the only way I'll be entering a gay nightclub this year is when I leave this country-what a shame.

Signature:
20 years old and Depressed

 

Dear 20 years old and depressed

Aww to be 18 again and realize that their are just as many challenges being LGTBQ at that age as their are at any age.  I hear this from many of my clients, both under 20 and over 20.  There are just not allot of other options other than the bars to get together with other LGTBQ.  Now I am not badmouthing the bars, they have always been part of our history and supportive in being a place where we can feel safe and meet others.  And I think just about any one in Portland can speak of how the gay bars in town are almost like “Cheer’s” where every one knows your name, and the bartenders are the best in the country. But what about other options to belong?  Just like in the strait world we want more choices of places to socialize.

So “20 yrs old and Depressed”, you started by coming to the right place Fabulous PDX  is the place to find any thing gay to do in Portland and around.  I also would suggest the Outreach section in Just Out, under the section Social.  Now even though I suggested these resources, I will admit that there is not much available for the under 21 crowd.  So I did a Google search and found the following: The Escape 333 Sw Park Ave, Portland OR., is an under 21 club in Portland and are open on Friday and Saturday nights. Many of my readers say the music is very good and have a good time there.  SMYRC  http://www.smyrc.org is the best place to find things to do for the 21 and under group. They are doing the “Gayest Day of the Year Ride” on June 19 @ 12:00 looks like it is going to be a great time.  The Q Center has a great calendar and includes events for the under 21 crowds:  http://www.pdxqcenter.org/q-centers-calendar/public-calendar/ that list what’s going on there and around the community.  Stuff like “Karaoke Superstar”, the “4th annual T*Party, Glee Night, and Just out, Gay Skate.” Since you mentioned being old enough for consensual sex. “Steam Portland” has a freshman class party the 4th Thursday of the month from 7p.m. to 12a.m. for 18 to 23 year olds, http://www.steamportland.com/pop_up_red_freshman.htm just remember to play it safe.

Well that is for what I have come up with and I am sure that there is even more.  So I put it out there to my readers to suggest other possibilities.

"Growth can stem from the most surprising places"

R. M. Andrews & Associates
Marc Andrews LCSW, DCSW, MS, President
Counseling & Clinical Supervision

W: RMarcAndrews.com
P: 503-583-2037
E: RMA@RMarcAndrews.com

Posted via email from rmarcandrews’s posterous

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