Loading Page
Sarah Jean Paper, PsyD, LP, RDT is a child psychologist in Minneapolis, MN specializing in child psychology. Sarah Jean Paper, PsyD, LP, RDT is affiliated with Allina Health.
2430 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404
407 W 66th Street
Richfield, MN 55423
Connecting with a therapist can be difficult. BetterHelp can help with that. They have an online network of licensed and accredited psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and counselors. You can connect with their therapists via online video, phone, real-time chat, or asynchronous messaging. Easily switch therapists until you find one that fits you. Sign up through DocSpot for a discount on your first month's subscription.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is one of the most common disorders diagnosed in children. Nine percent of children in the USA have been diagnosed with ADHD. Symptoms, which include hyperactivity and difficulty maintaining focus or paying attention, can last into adulthood for some patients. Boys are four times as likely to be diagnosed as girls, although experts don't know why this is.
There are three main types of ADHD:
When diagnosing ADHD, it is important to rule out other issues that may be causing the symptoms. Seizure disorders, hearing loss, anxiety, and domestic problems are some examples of problems that can cause behaviors similar to those seen with ADHD.
Treatment can include stimulant medications, behavioral therapy to teach patients ways to navigate their world and control symptoms better, and accommodations at school or work. A structured environment (with lots of organization and well-defined rules) seems to help most kids with ADHD function at their best.
ADHD is mainly thought of as a disorder that affects children, but symptoms can last into adulthood for a third to half of those diagnosed. In adults, ADHD has similar symptoms as when it is seen in children: impulsive behavior, difficulty maintaining focus, being easily distracted, or a tendency to fidget. These symptoms can cause problems in a patient's careers and relationships. Additionally, adults with ADHD are at increased risk for substance abuse. Medications can be an important part of treatment for adults, as well as stress reduction techniques and organization skills training. Specialized ADHD coaches can help adults with ADHD manage their symptoms and succeed in all areas of their life.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are mental and physical illnesses that impact behavior, emotions, and thoughts about eating, food, body appearance, and weight. These disorders are characterized by preoccupations with food and physical size, resulting in dramatic lifestyle changes and adverse health effects. In the past, eating disorders were often diagnosed using BMI (body mass index), or by assessing someone's weight. Eating disorders specialists now recognize that eating disorders may occur in people of all sizes. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder (BED).
Anorexia nervosa, frequently referred to as anorexia, is a disorder where people severely restrict the types and quantity of food they eat. Those with anorexia have an extreme fear of eating and gaining weight and may repeatedly weigh themselves or engage in harmful behaviors such as excessive exercise or starvation. Those with anorexia often find themselves preoccupied with food, but unable to consume a healthy amount of it. This results in symptoms such as abnormally low BMI, vitamin deficiency, fatigue, fainting, and amenorrhea (lack of menstruation in women). Anorexia may cause bluish discoloration of the hands, brittle and falling out hair, yellowish skin, and lanugo (fine, downy hair). Left untreated, anorexia can lead to organ failure, brain damage, and even death.
Bulimia nervosa, typically called bulimia, is a disorder where people binge (eat large quantities of food) and purge the food that they just consumed by vomiting, laxative abuse, fasting, or excessive exercise. This behavior is usually motivated by a feeling of powerlessness over eating and a fear of weight gain or desire for weight loss. Bulimia can occur in underweight, normal weight, and overweight people. Symptoms of bulimia include acid reflux, intestinal distress, dehydration from purging, amenorrhea, and dental erosion from vomiting. Some people with bulimia have swollen parotid glands (salivary glands near the cheeks) and red scars and marks on the backs of their knuckles. Electrolyte imbalance from bulimia can be particularly severe and may lead to heart attack or stroke.
Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder. People with BED feel that they are unable to control the amount of food they eat and may continue to binge after reaching a point of fullness. BED binges (consuming large amounts of food) are often accompanied by feelings of sadness, guilt, and shame. Symptoms of BED include obesity, acid reflux, weight gain, and dissatisfaction with one's body. People with BED tend to experience cycles of negative emotions and binges. Binges or BED episodes can be provoked by stress, boredom, restrictive dieting, depression, and other triggers.
Other common eating disorders include:
Many people with eating disorders do not consciously develop them, and have difficulty seeking treatment. For this reason, it's important to detect and treat eating disorders as early as possible. Treatment for eating disorders can vary from therapy visits to inpatient treatment, depending on the disorder and its severity. Treatment aims to not only restore physical health and correct negative behaviors, but to also promote psychological well-being and self-confidence.
Self-Harm
Self-harm occurs when people hurt their own bodies on purpose. People who self-harm may feel an emotional or psychological release after hurting themselves. This release can become a coping mechanism to deal with negative thoughts and feelings. While not a mental illness in itself, self-harm may be a response to abuse, trauma, or other mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Those who self-harm typically do not have suicidal intent, but are at a greater risk of attempting suicide. They may also conceal their self-harm from others, making their behavior and injuries all the more risky. Self-harm frequently arises in adolescence or adulthood. Some self-harm once, while others may self-harm more frequently and for longer periods of time.
People may self-harm by a variety of means, including cutting themselves with sharp objects, burning themselves with matches, or hitting and bruising themselves. Symptoms and signs of self-harming include:
Therapy can treat patients who self-harm. Therapists ask people to explore current and past experiences and emotions that may contribute to the desire to self-harm. Cognitive behavioral therapy, a specialized form of therapy, can also reduce self-harm by encouraging patients to identify negative patterns of thought and to develop coping strategies that do not involve self-inflicted injury. Those suffering from more severe self-harm may require in-patient hospitalization to recover mentally and physically.
Sarah Jean Paper, PsyD, LP, RDT is associated with these hospitals and organizations:
Sarah Jean Paper, PsyD, LP, RDT does not have any reviews yet, be the first to leave a review of Sarah Jean Paper, PsyD, LP, RDT here: Leave a Review
Dr. Sarah Paper's specialty is child psychology. These areas are among her clinical interests: self-harm, attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), and pregnancy. She speaks German. Dr. Paper is affiliated with Allina Health.
