Lani Chin
PsyD
Psychologist
Los Angeles, USA
Answers questions in Addictions · Anger Management · Anxiety
What I do
West Los Angeles psychologist providing individual, couples, and group psychotherapy to adolescents and adults.
Treatment Offered
Specialties
Therapy approaches
Patient population
Modalities
Answered Questions(46)
Diet Pills & Panic Attack
If I had a panic attack after taking herbal diet pills do I have to go see a doctor?
Read answer →Anorexia criteria
What causes an eating disorder? I am a little confused about what causes an eating disorder. Is an eating disorder caused by trying to be skinny and then having that get out of control and causing changes and malfunctions in the brain? Or is an eating disorder caused by trying to control your emotions and control the world by controlling what you eat? I am trying to understand a family members anorexia and I find that it is hard to get a clear answer what it’s really caused by. Can you help to shed some light on this for me?
Read answer →Technique to decrease oral fixation
My son is constantly chewing or sucking on things. He is 12. His shirt, pens or pencils, his fingers, bottle caps – whatever he can get his hands on. I tell him to stop and he stops for 5 seconds and then his hands just go back to his mouth. You can see that he trying to fight the impulse but it just keeps coming every few seconds and then he forgets and does it. We got some spray on deodorant and sprayed it on his hands so he would taste it and remember so he would be more conscious of the problem and that helped a bit but it has not solved the problem. I am worried that people will make fun of him for sucking on his fingers in class. What can we try?
Read answer →Depression and Exercise
Is something like yoga better for a person who battles with depression or something like aerobics classes better, assuming you could only pick one to do?
Read answer →When to intervene
My boyfriends parents are both giant alcoholics. He says he wont ever drink because he never wants to wind up like them. Good for him I say because I don’t drink either. He does smoke a lot of weed. He says weeds not addictive. I think my boyfriend has a problem but I do not know how to convince him that he might have a problem. He so badly doesn’t want to end up like his parents but when I see him baked at the end of every night and I see them drunk on the couch at the end of every night watching TV I can see that there is definitely something more the same than different about it.
Read answer →Nail Biting
I have an addictive personality. I am in cocaine recovery. I have had a problem with chewing my fingernails since I was a kid. Are these things related in the brain somehow? Seems weird that I can stop smoking crack but I can’t stop biting my nails.
Read answer →Smoking and Self Hynotherapy
Stop smoking self hypnotherapy programs yay or nay? Is it actually possible to self hypnotize and it is actually possible for hypnosis to help me beat a 15 year smoking habit?
Read answer →Help for depression
hello doc! I am 18 years old and studying in college. for the past several months I am feeling depressed and definitely depressed maybe because of this college life. That when i'm alone I'm thinking about my problems but when i'm with the crowd I just show them that I am happy eventhough I'm not. I don't know what to do and I don't know how to tell about this to my parents because they're expecting too much from me that if maybe i'll tell them i'll disappoint them. Sometimes, I'm thinking about suicidal but I know that it is not the best solution. Right now, I am lazy to go to school and I can't sleep early always. Can you please help me? Hope you could answer.
Read answer →Trichotillomania treatment recommendations
My daughter has Trichotillomania (she is a hair puller). My daughter is 15 and she was able to hide it from me for a long time. I would see her pulling her hair while watching TV but I never knew it was a serious problem, I just thought it was a bad habit and I would scold her to stop. I have only known about it that it was a serious problem for a few weeks. I took her to our family doctor and he said if she couldn’t stop doing it on her own he might prescribe antidepressants to her. I do not want her to start off on drugs so young. I have a solution but my husband thinks it is wrong. I would like to ask you about it. What if we just shaved her head completely and kept it shaved for long enough for her to break her bad habit? I know this sounds extreme but I think she could pull it off looks wise and she could think of a reason to tell her friends and it would be better than starting her off on a lifetime of needing drugs.
Read answer →Is it time to go to therapy?
I am not a happy person. How do I know if I need therapy or not?
Read answer →Grief Support
My mom spends hours a day on forums about grief and depression since my dad died 8 months ago. I am glad she has this social support that she finds comforting but I am a little worried that she is spending too much time and that it is now actually preventing her from moving forward. If she is online on these sites for 6 to 8 hours a day should I be very concerned. She is retired.
Read answer →Married, but I think about having sex with hookers all of the time
I am not sexually aroused by my wife anymore. There is nothing wrong with her and she still looks great but it is very hard for me even to get an erection with her any more. The problem is I have started using pay for play services and I love the rush of an anonymous sexual encounter. I am paying for it twice or three times a week and I am fantasizing about it all of the time. I think about having sex with hookers all of the time and it’s hard for me to resist my urges when I start thinking about meeting with someone. Things are getting out of control and I am worried about my marriage but I can’t seem to stop myself. What do I do? Right now it is so hard on my wife because she just blames herself and I don’t know what to tell her so that she will feel OK. I feel like such an ass and then a few hours later I will go out and do it all over again.
Read answer →Local Depression Treatment
Helloe Ive read the page about depression but Im not sure this facility treats it. Im looking for something in Orange country to treat my severe panic disorder and depression. It s gotten so bad that ive turn to prescription drugs and alcdhohol to try and stop the noise in my head. a couple weeks ago i took two ml of morphine an a handfull of ativan. . Im still here but I dont feel anybetter, Danielle Hill
Read answer →Depression and Natural Supplements
My son has depression. He is on Paxil but he is finding some of the side effects troublesome. Do you recommend taking omega 3 supplements as well as taking medication? From what I understand a diet low in omega 3 can cause some people to get depressed so probably a diet high in omega 3s might do the opposite. Are there any other natural supplements that might be effective. He tried St. John’s Wort but he said that it didn’t seem to help him very much.
Read answer →Dreams and Depression
Is it true that depressed people dream far more than non depressed people and this is something that tires out the brain and perpetuates the problem? I just read this and it makes a lot of sense to me because my wife often complains about how her dreams make her tired and she has been dealing with depression for years. If it is true is there anything she can do to let her mind rest a bit more while she is sleeping?
Read answer →Marijuana Detox - Common to become depressed?
I smoked between 1 and 2 grams per day (good strong weed) for the past 5 or so years. 6 weeks ago I decided to quit cold turkey because I was going nowhere in life and I could see that my habit was limiting my motivation and energy. But even with all that, I was pretty happy most of the time…I guess I was pretty stoned most of the time :). Quitting wasn’t that tough but now I find that still have no energy and I feel depressed a lot of the time. All of the things I used to really enjoy doing are totally blah to me now. Is it common for people who quit heavy marijuana habits to become depressed? I am not sure if I should start smoking again or not?
Read answer →Ketamine Treatment and Depression
I have read more and more reports that seem to indicate that Ketamine helps people with major depression and that it can work almost instantly. My sister has life-threatening depression and nothing has worked for her. She has attempted suicide twice in the past and she is in a bad place right now. I know this sounds extreme but that’s really where we are with this. Do you know if anyone is offering Ketamine treatment yet? I would not like to see her do this without a psychiatrist’s supervision.
Read answer →Treatment for Depression
I think I have dysthmia (sp?). I just haven’t felt really happy or really like myself for a long time, but it’s came on so gradually that I guess I never really noticed when I started to feel DEPRESSED. I guess I am ready to go see a doctor but I am sure he is just going to give me some drugs. Do you think I should try St. John’s Wort first? Is there any reason why I should not do this?
Read answer →Marijuana Use
I’m a hard core weed head. I have smoked many bowls a day for many many years. I can see that the weed is having a negative affect on my life but there are parts of it that I still love so much so I can’t imagine trying to give it up completely. I have tried to slow down on my own on multiple occasions but it never really works. Is it possible that there is some sort of professional help that I could get to help me cut down, even though I do not want to quit entirely. I am not looking for an AA or an NA experience and I am not looking to get lectured on my choices.
Read answer →Genetic Predisposition to Disorders
I am 17 and I live with my aunt and uncle because my mother committed suicide when I as 4 and because my father left after I was born. From what my Uncle and aunt say it sounds like he had mental illness also like manic depression or something like that. He was also an alcoholic. If both my parents had depression or manic depression what % chance do I have to also get depression or manic depression? According to my aunt, my mom was fine until she turned about 20 so I am getting worried that in a few years I am going to end up like them.
Read answer →Substance Abuse and Therapy Boundaries
How important is it for someone who was diagnosed with bipolar to quit smoking marijuana. My brother is a heavy marijuana smoker who was just diagnosed with what we in the family have suspected for a while. My brother does not want to quit but because I expressed concern he agreed to slow down to a joint or two per day, instead of 5 or 6 per day. I think he needs to tell his psychiatrist that he is using marijuana as well. My brother disagrees. Do you think I should tell his psychiatrist if my brother won’t? Is that overstepping some patient doctor confidentiality boundaries?
Read answer →Social Anxiety Disorder
I have this problem where whenever I am in a public or social situation I get this feeling like I am pissing in my pants and I have to be constantly checking to see if actually is happening and actively trying to hold it in. It doesn't matter if I just went to the bathroom or not, I will get this same feeling again no matter what. It is very distressing and it's embarrassing. Is this a common thing? How do I stop feeling like this? I have been feeling like this for a few months now and t seems to be just getting worse.
Read answer →Recreational Drug Use
How dangerous is for someone with high blood pressure to do cocaine recreationally, like once or twice a month. My husband is 46 and his blood pressure is bad enough now that he needs medication but he will still go out with his buddies every now and again and drink and do coke all night like he was still a 20 year old kid. I am telling him he’s going to have a heart attack but he says that a little every once in a while is not a big deal. Who is right?
Read answer →I masturbate at work everyday... something wrong with me?
I masturbate at work everyday. I have a private bathroom and there is no way I am going to get caught. Part of me thinks it's no different from being at home since I am not bothering anyone else but another part of me wonders why I act like this and whether this is very abnormal behavior. Is there something wrong with me?
Read answer →Panic Disorder
Sometimes when I am in a public place like a mall I start to feel like the earth is moving under my feet, like a small earthquake and it makes me feel weak but it also makes me feel scared because no one else notices what I am feeling and now when it happens I just don’t say anything to anyone else because I don’t want to sound crazy. I just had a physical because I thought it was my blood pressure or something but everything is fine and I am only 32 so I don’t think I should be at risk for stuff like that. Is this some sort of sign that I am going crazy?
Read answer →Pet Bereavement
Dear Dr. Chin. I put our golden retriever down yesterday because I didn’t have the money to pay for another surgery and because she was already 10 and the vet said she didn’t have much time left in her. I made the decision to do it and my wife agreed with me that we did not have any other choice. She tried to borrow money even though I told her not to but was not able to. Now she is taking it really badly. She loved that dog more than she loves almost any person and she hasn’t stopped crying since she said goodbye. It happened really fast so she didn’t have any time to prepare herself for this. She took today off work but she can’t take any more time but I don’t know how she is going to be able to work since she is really falling apart. I’m sad too. She was a great dog but I need to help my wife now so she can get past this. Most people don’t understand how hard she is grieving. What can I do to help her?
Read answer →Expressing your needs in a relationship
I have been dating on and off again this man for four years he 41 never married no kids. here is the problem i feel used & hurt of course the first few years good but he has a webcam sex addiction he even likes me to sit watch him talk to women whom don't know im in room watching this i did to make him happy but now the last 2 years he sleeps in other room and we don't never have sex but maybe 2xs a month i'm a very sexual women and torn with this i tell him it is cheating he said its not, when we do have sex it takes him a long time but if he jerks off it fast and the last few times we did its been bad i know this is not normal what to do how do i over come his problem. we get along good but it seems to me that we are just roommates with benfits & i'm to old for this but i do care for him maybe its cause i'm a care giver and i feel the need to fix him any input would be nice
Read answer →Defining Sexual Addiction
I am a very sexual person. I like sex a lot with men and women and I have worked as an escort and exotic dancer at different times and I even enjoyed that. I crave sex daily and am always looking for new partners and fantasizing about men I see all around me, to the point where it's hard to focus on getting any work done! This has never been a problem for me. I always thought the idea of sex addiction was hilarious and ridiculous and that I was just free from societies expectations and doing what I wanted to do to have a lot of fun in my life. But now I am trying to stay in a monogamous relationship with a person I really care about and do not want to hurt and I have cheated on him 4 times already in the past 3 months and in addition to this I am doing sex chats on Fb and other sites pretty much every day. I don't know if that is cheating or not but I am sure he would be hurt if he found out. I do not want to cheat but it keeps happening. Am I just a person not built for monogamy or is it possible that there is something wrong with me that make me act like this?
Read answer →Compulsions and OCD
Do I have OCD if I have compulsions to do certain things but I don't really have any excessive anxiety. I don't know how to explain really, but for example, one thing I have to do all the time is whenever I am traveling by car I have to click my teeth whenever I pass a streetlight or electric pole. Or whenever I walk on a side walk I have to tap the side of my leg whenever I walk over a crack. It gets embarrassing and hard to explain to others so I'd like to stop but I can't and I don't understand why I do this? Is this some form of compulsive disorder?
Read answer →Treatment for Addiction, Anxiety, and Depression
Hello Dr. Chin, I apologize that this message is so long. But I will try to summarize the best I can. I have a 24 yr old son, who we've been trying to help for the last 10 years with his mental health issues and addiction problem. My husband and I have never had drug/alcohol addiction, however my dad and my grandfather have been alcoholics. My son's problem started when his older brother (who had an opiate addiction) relapsed and tragically died of an overdose at the young age of 20. Our remaining son who at the time was 14 spiraled into a deep depression and debilitating anxiety kicked in shortly after (prior to this, we did notice that he had anxiety issues, but exaserbated). He isolated himself and threw himself into an online game that he used to cope. He would stay up all through the night playing and would have little communication with anyone. Despite our efforts of counseling, drug therapy prescribed by a psychiatrist, SPECT scan by the Amen Clinic, (which showed that he had anxiety disorder and mood disorder) etc. nothing seemed to work. He would have out of control rage and take it out on my husband and I. After a 1 1/2 years of this he went back to school, but when he did he started using alcohol first and then it turned into other drugs. He eventually was arrested at the age of 18 for posession of ecstasy and stolen property. He was ordered to a 6 month program, which he did and seemed to be doing better once he was out. Unfortunately, he soon got back into the drug scene and started using opiates. He has been on suboxone, which he has weaned himself off of just recently. He is sober now, but his addictive behavior goes into other areas of his life. Prior to giving notice, he worked in Las Vegas for a well known magician. After 8 months he decided to leave because of addiction to gambling and anxiety issues. He's now home with us (in California) and needs help to get his life on track. My husband and I have depleted all our savings, retirement, etc. to try to help our boys. My husband left his lucrative position when Aaron was 16 because we felt that we were losing him, too. Now we are at a point where we both are without work and financial means to help him. If you have any suggestions of low cost group home for young men who have mental health issues along with addiction issues to get some life coaching and possibly medication to help with debilitating anxiety would be so much appreciated. Or if you have any other suggestions? We are at a point where we know there's not more we can do, but want to try to reach out to other experts in this matter. Thank you so much - CC
Read answer →Pornography Addiction
My fiancee has an addiction to pornography. I do not know if I can deal with this or not and so I am unsure about whether or not I should break of our engagement. We have had a problem about this issue in the past and I eventually told him that he needed to get help or I was going to leave him and so he did arrange to get some counseling with our pastor who is also a counselor and he is still going to see him once a week. I am happy that he is trying and I believe that he is making a real effort to get better but I found out yesterday that he has found some way to override the porn blocking software on our computer and has been looking at it again while I am doing shift work in the evenings. He can spend hours and hours doing it. I do not know what to do. I love him and I beleive that he is trying to change and I want to support him, but based on the evidence I am not sure if he ever can. What I really want to know is if he cannot control his urges to look at porn will he also not be able to control his urges to have sex with another woman if the opportunity ever presents - or is this a separate thing. I do not really understand sex addiction. Can a person be just a porn addict or are they a sex addict and that also looks at porn? I guess I am fortunate that our physical relationship is still OK and the porn has not affected his desire to be with me physically.
Read answer →Fear of the Dentist
I don't know if this anxiety or not or what to call it but I am so scared to go to the dentist that I have not gone in 11 years. I am starting to have some loose teeth that are getting worse and worse but the thought of going to the dentist scares me to death. Is there some medication I can take or how do I get over this fear?
Read answer →Habit Reversal Therapy
Is habit reversal therapy the best approach to take for skin picking? Is there any need for me to work with a professional on this or should I just read up on the habit reversal and try it on my own?
Read answer →Paying for sex once a week: Sex addiction?
If I pay for sex about once a week does that make me a sex addict? I would not want to stop my little 'hobby' but I am not married and I do not think I am causing anyone any problems. I also think that there is nothing at all immoral about prostitution. I have decided that whatever goes on in private between consenting adults is OK with me.
Read answer →Medical Marijuana and Addiction
Is medical marijuana a safe medication for me if I have history of drug addiction and alcoholism. I have tried very hard for 15 years to stay clean and sober and I don't want to compound my health problems now with anything that will get me back to using. Of course my doc also wants me to consider opiates, but I am not going down that road until the pain is more than I can stand. I know where opiates take me and it's nowhere I want to go back to.
Read answer →Children Learning OCD Behavior
My ex wife has custody of our children. She had OCD when she was younger but it was pretty under control when we were together but it seems to be quite severe again now. Our children are 4 and 6. How worried should I be that they will pick up on her obsessive and compulsive behaviors and start imitating them as their own behaviors? I have already seen worrying signs that they are very overly concerned with germs and getting dirty, which is not something a 4 year old should be very concerned about in my opinion.
Read answer →Trying to regain control
Do extreme stressful events ever trigger obsessive compulsive disorder? My house was broken into a few months back and after that I got a lot more careful about checking to make sure all the doors and windows were secured and locked at all times. After a while it became like I couldn’t stop checking them even when I knew for sure that I had just checked them and everything was all right. Now I will check everything 3 times and get into bed and this voice will start nagging in my brain and I will have to get out of bed to check them again. Sometimes I do this 4 or 5 times before I can fall asleep. This crazy, I know, but I can’t control myself. What can I do?
Read answer →Managing Anxiety with Alternative Treatments
Someone told me that apple cider vinegar helped with anxiety. Is this true?
Read answer →BMI and Anorexia
Is it possible to have a bmi of 13 and not be an anorexic? I just did a calculation of what my 15 year old daughter weighs and how tall she is and she is a 13.2 bmi. I am worried about her and but I am not sure how to know if she has anorexia or not.
Read answer →Managing Anxiety
When I was little my parents said I always used to have a problem pulling my hair out and eating it (gross). I can barely even remember doing it but now I am 21 and all of a sudden I can’t stop picking at my scalp and pulling my hair out. I am getting little bald patches. Help! What do I do to stop?
Read answer →Sexual Expression and boundaries
A guy I am going out with and I really like a lot revealed to me last night that he is into sadomasochism. He kind of broached the subject of whether I would like to do some role playing with him. I am not into pain at all and the whole idea just freaks me out! I said no and he said it was no big deal. Now I am thinking though if he is into this and I am never going to be is this a deal breaker? Is he ever going to be satisfied with me if I am never going to put on those leather ropes or whatever he wants? I am also having a hard time understanding how this sweet guy that I know gets off by giving pain to other people. Is that a warning flag I should be seeing?
Read answer →Sleep Apnea and Anxiety
I have a really stressful job and I am also a new parent. I was just diagnosed with sleep apnea and I will have to wear a breathing apparatus now when I sleep. I am worried about his as I hear they are uncomfortable, but I will not get one until next week. I am 33 and I am not overweight. I exercise regularly and I would say that other than a very high stress load, I have a healthy lifestyle (I do not drink to excess or use drugs). Is stress causing my sleep apnea. My doctor says he can’t find any real physical reason for it.
Read answer →Self Medicating Anxiety with Alcohol
My brother started having panic attacks last year. I was out of the country and was not aware of the seriousness of the problems he was having. Now he pretty much stays at home all day and drinks. He is not in good shape and he obviously needs to get help. I am confused about what kind of help does he need. He seems to be an alcoholic now so I think he needs to go to rehab. But since it was the panic that started things off does he need to get that treated first?
Read answer →Impulse Control Side Effects
My husband has early onset parkinsons and is taking pramipexole. We were warned that one of the possible side effects of the treatment was a risk of impulse control disorders and we were told that we were to be on the lookout for certain types of behaviors. Well, my husband is now showing real differences in eating and sexual behaviors (his appetites are insatiable) and this is a difference from before. I told him that he should tell his doctor about it but he says that he feels good now and he doesn’t want to change his medication around. He says that if these side effects are the price he has to pay he is glad to do it. I am not sure. Should we be worried that he is having these ICD symptoms? Are things going to get worse or is he right to decide whether or not he finds the side effects acceptable?
Read answer →Addiction or Association?
This seems like a frivolous question but I want to know it coffee is a trigger risk for addiction. I used to smoke a lot of pot and drink a lot of coffee, often together. I really liked the buzz I’d get after a good joint and 2 or 3 strong espressos. I went on a cleanse and stopped smoking marijuana, cigarettes and drinking coffee. It was very difficult for me and quitting marijuana was by far the hardest. I had been smoking for a long time and was definitely addicted. It was getting to be too much in a bad way. This afternoon I decided to have a coffee with some friends at the coffee shop I used to frequent. After a couple of coffees I had this almost overwhelming urge to light a joint, and since everyone in that place smokes it would have been very easy to get one. It scared me and I left before I smoked but the cravings haunted me all night and I almost left a couple of times to go and buy some pot. Because I used to always smoke marijuana and drink coffee together that I will always associate drinking coffee with smoking? Do I have to stop drinking coffee for ever or will this association go away at some point? I can’t believe how tough it’s been for me to stop smoking pot…and just when I thought I was in the clear here we go again…
Read answer →Exercise should decrease your anxiety
Can exercise make anxiety worse? I get panicky sometimes and sometimes after I exercise really hard and my heart gets pounding I get panicky feelings even though there is no reason for any anxiety.
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