The psychology of relationships addiction
Addiction is a complex behavior characterised by an intense desire for the substance which eventually becomes the center of one’s life to the point that work and relationships are ignored for the...
An international day for autism
A five-year-old was brought to the clinic by his parents who were concerned about his speech delay and unusual behaviour.The parents explained that he has limited eye contact and rarely responds to...
How is your Ramadhan?
Ramadhan is that time of the year when fasting Muslims go through purification of the body and soul.When fasting one is surrendering to Allah who ordered Muslims to fast so they can feel the suffering...
How to be assertive
I recently attended a talk about assertiveness and its impact on our mental well-being. The presenter started by listing the five types of interpersonal communication styles; the passive, the...
Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder
The couple who attended my clinic a few weeks ago were in their early thirties. The wife spoke first “I am only trying to keep the house clean, all I am asking is that he showers every time he gets...
The man who would not leave the house
A twenty-six-year-old man came to the clinic with his father. The son was studying at a local college five years ago but developed a dislike for attending college which gradually included a total...
When parents are emotionally unavailable
A twenty-eight-year-old man came to my clinic with anxiety, being more irritable and unable to relax.He told me that his wife gave birth to a healthy boy and despite his excitement about being a...
Can therapy save a troubled marriage?
A couple came to my clinic seeking marital advice as they were reaching the end of their marriage and considering divorce.The husband explained that his wife is no longer emotionally available for him...
Are you watching your screen time?
I sometimes have the habit of watching people coming out of the mosque and seeing who would reach out to his mobile phone first and where.To my surprise, I have noticed that more people are checking...
The boy who was raised as a girl
In 1965 twin boys Brian and Bruce were born to a Canadian. Unfortunately, a circumcision procedure at the age of two resulted in a tragic accident, causing Bruce to lose his male organ.The couple felt...
How to be mentally strong
I recently came across a book titled “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do” by the American psychotherapist and mental strength trainer Amy Morin.The book provides the readers with tips on...
We need closure
A middle-aged man comes to the clinic and tells me about his frustration after a virtual friend with whom he was communicating daily blocked him following an argument, he describes feeling sad and...
Self-care is not being selfish
Recently, I attended a webinar about self-care and how to look after yourself while you are busy looking after others.The content was meant for people providing therapy such as psychologists,...
Do we need a career guide?
If your children are toward the end of their high school education, then you would probably struggle with them to select what major to study at college or university. In my case, the challenge was...
Should I stay or should I leave?
One of the things I love about my job as a psychiatrist is that I often meet intellectual patients who talk about books they read and in doing so motivates me to read them too and possibly discuss the...
Ditching the New Year resolution
Each year many people around the world busy themselves with preparing new year resolutions such as keeping fit, learning a new language, or being more organised at work even though very few people...
GreenMent S:04 E:02 - Marriage & Grief
What could be the impact of grief on a marriage?Find out more by joining us on GreenMent with our guest - Dr Hamed al Sinawi, Senior Psychiatrist.Title - How damaging can grief be?Season 4 Episode...
Learning resilience from Gaza
The current genocide in Gaza teaches the whole world about resilience as we see people digging out their loved ones from under the rubble with their bare hands and fighting for their lives trying to...
I have bad news for you
Last week I had to break bad news to a patient and tell her that her sad mood is not a result of her husband’s attitude but it is part of bipolar disorder.A long period of silence followed that...
Trust me, I am a doctor
The TV documentary “Bad Surgeon, Love under the Knife” tells the story of Dr Paolo Macchiarini, the Italian surgeon and researcher who was known for his regenerative experimental transplantation...