Psychotherapy May Boost Immunity
Psychosocial interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have always been a boon for emotional and mental health, and a new meta analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry suggests it may provide an immune system boost as well.
Researchers conducted a review of 56 clinical trials, representing 4,060 participants that tracked changes in immunity over time during the course of psychotherapy. Shields, et. al, looked at eight different psychosocial interventions, such as CBT, behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, and psycho-education, as well as seven markers of immune system function, including inflammation, antibody le...
Source: World of Psychology - August 1, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Emily Waters Tags: Mental Health and Wellness Research Immune System Immunity psychoeducation Psychotherapy Source Type: blogs
Psychology Around the Net: August 1, 2020
This week’s Psychology Around the Net takes a look at expert opinions on reopening schools for students’ mental health, new research on the impact of text messaging intervention as an add-on to existing mental health treatment plans, the differences in how female narcissists and male narcissists display narcissistic personality traits, and more.
Be well, friends!
Should Schools Reopen for Students’ Mental Health? Experts Weigh In: Mental health experts offer arguments for the importance of school for kids’ developmental health, with CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield stressing, “It is critic...
Source: World of Psychology - August 1, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Alicia Sparks Tags: Psychology Around the Net Adoption behavioral genetics coronavirus Narcissism narcissistic behavior Narcissistic Personality School Success texting intervention Source Type: blogs
Creating a Self-Care Plan to Survive Stressful Times
A super self-care plan will help you feel more like yourself.
A super self-care plan is a must. Especially, during times of stress and uncertainty — like now.
Right now, it’s easy to put everyone else first. But by putting yourself second, you are risking your emotional and physical health.
Practicing self-care and putting yourself first doesn’t mean you are selfish.
It’s important that you take care of yourself. Your friends and family will thank you for it. And you will feel better and happier.
A super self-care plan will also help you feel more like yourself. You will be more alert and aware.
This i...
Source: World of Psychology - July 31, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Psych Central Guest Author Tags: Publishers YourTango Exercise Self Care Stress Source Type: blogs
Harness Positive Energy to Master Your Personal Power
In today’s world, everyone lives at a level of stress and anxiety that destroys the quality of their work, their relationships and their health. People keep striving and struggling, only to be left feeling stuck and frustrated because they can’t figure out how to reach the place in life that they long for.
While it’s often true that going after your goals requires some sacrifice, it’s also true that working to achieve goals shouldn’t leave you stressed and miserable in the meantime. The cornerstone of achieving your goals and, consequently, a successful life, is based on your level of feeling joy and fulfillment ...
Source: World of Psychology - July 31, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Janet McKee Tags: Motivation and Inspiration Self-Help Mindfulness Relaxation Self Care Sleep Hygiene stress reduction Source Type: blogs
Do You Feel Shame about Being Single?
If find yourself single, are you ok with that or distressed by it? Do you feel judged by others — or perhaps judge yourself for your current status?
Growing up in our society, it’s hard to avoid the message that being married is required for happiness. We may feel pressured to believe that if we’re not in a partnership, there’s something wrong with us — that it’s shameful to be single.
But is being single so horrible? Are married or partnered folks really happier than the single people among us?
In a fifteen year study of 24,000 people living in Germany, researchers found that marriage offered a boos...
Source: World of Psychology - July 30, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: John Amodeo, PhD Tags: General Marriage and Divorce Mental Health and Wellness Mindfulness Psychology Relationships Self-Help Source Type: blogs
Podcast: Your Gut Instinct is Bad For Your Relationships
While caring for his wife as she struggled with a severe nervous breakdown, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky put the cognitive strategies he’d long been teaching others to work on his strained relationship. After seeing the incredible impact it had on his marriage as a whole, he decided to write a book to share these relationship-changing communication strategies.
Join us as Dr. Tsipursky explains why going with your “gut” can actually backfire and shares 12 practical mental habits you can begin using today for excellent communication.
We want to hear from you — Please fill out our listener survey by clicking the graphic a...
Source: World of Psychology - July 30, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: The Psych Central Podcast Tags: Communication General Habits Interview LifeHelper Marriage and Divorce Podcast Relationships The Psych Central Show Source Type: blogs
Eye Tracking Evidence Shows that Social Anxiety Changes the Picture
This study determined that most people, regardless of whether they had social anxiety or not, look at angry faces first. However, the participants with social anxiety fixated on the angry faces more often and for longer. Consequently, those with social anxiety may have difficulty disengaging from angry faces, as it took them longer to shift their attention away from the angry facial expression. The results suggest that people without social anxiety engage with the perception of negative individuals less than those with social anxiety. By fixating less on the angry face, they may be able to see other possibilities and inter...
Source: World of Psychology - July 29, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Nicoline Martel & Dr. Erin Lea Tags: Anxiety and Panic Memory and Perception Research Cognitive Psychology eye movement Facial Expression Nonverbal communication Reassurance Social Anxiety Visual Perception Source Type: blogs
Forgiveness: Yes? No? Maybe?
“My step-father abused me, and my mother is always telling me to forgive and forget.” Jodie shook her head ruefully.
“And how is that going for you?” I ask.
“Not so good,” Jodie replies, “I’m not doing a good job at all.”
Alex shares, “My counselor told me if I don’t forgive my uncle for raping me, then I’m allowing him to live rent-free in my head.”
“And how is that going for you?” I ask.
“Not so good,” Alex cries, “I feel like I’m failing at recovery!”
Both Jodie and Alex — and countless other survivors I work with — have been instructed that to forgive and to forget is...
Source: World of Psychology - July 29, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Mary Anne Cohen, LCSW Tags: Abuse PTSD Trauma Violence and Aggression Anger Forgiveness Rape Resentment Sexual Abuse Sexual Assault Sexual Trauma Source Type: blogs
From Making Yourself Miserable to Making Yourself Happy
To appreciate how skilled you are at making yourself feel miserable, take this quiz. After completing the quiz, add up your score. Anything more than 15 means you could be a lot happier.
1 = Not typically me
2 = On occasion this is me
3 = Yup, that’s definitely me!
Do you:
Think a lot about what you want but can’t have?
Feel stuck with where you are in life?
Keep ruminating about the worst case scenario?
Can’t decide what you will do or won’t do?
Refuse to accept your limitations?
Keep telling yourself what “should” have been or what you “should” have done?
Distress yourself with useless wo...
Source: World of Psychology - July 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Linda Sapadin, Ph.D Tags: Psychology Self-Help Source Type: blogs
Podcast: Self-Help Cliches Have a Peculiar Value
Take the bull by the horns! Pick yourself up by your bootstraps! Are these cliches condescending for people with mental illness? Or is there a grain of truth to them? Today, Gabe and Lisa debate the pros and cons of the all too common “taking your life back” advice we all get from well-meaning people. Gabe shares his personal story of gaining back control of his life a day at a time while healing from depression.
When you struggle with mental illness, how much of your behavior, thoughts and emotions do you actually have control over? Is it helpful to feel in control of your life, even when it screws you over?
(...
Source: World of Psychology - July 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Not Crazy Podcast Tags: General Mental Health and Wellness Not Crazy Podcast Self-Help Source Type: blogs
6 Goal-Directed Strategies to Help Increase Your Resilience
Friedrich Nietzsche’s adage ‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger’ is the idea of rising above adversity in reaching personal development and growth. The challenging part is actually taking the necessary steps to face adversity and rise above it, when life throws a curveball. It is little surprise that resiliency has been linked to greater well-being for a variety of populations, including those of childhood trauma, those in life transitions, and those in team development and skills-building. Yet, developing and increasing our individual resiliency is often avoided or denied because by developing...
Source: World of Psychology - July 27, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Dr. Annie Tanasugarn Tags: Self-Help Mindfulness Resilience Source Type: blogs
How PTSD Can Cause Learning Disabilities
Conclusion
Researchers are still exploring potential links between PTSD and learning disabilities, but further studies will likely expand on what we know. Understanding how PTSD affects our ability to learn will help treat people with both conditions and lead to better outcomes for these patients. (Source: World of Psychology)
Source: World of Psychology - July 27, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Amanda Levison, M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT Tags: Children and Teens Psychology PTSD Trauma associative learning learning disability Neuroscience Stress Hormones Source Type: blogs
Feeling Overwhelmed? 6 Simple Steps to Get Organized
Move past feelings of overwhelm and get organized to do the task.
Everyone is bound to start feeling overwhelmed from time to time when they think about how to get organized and complete certain tasks.
Personally, when I feel overwhelmed, I avoid doing the task. But avoidance doesn’t complete the task.
Of course, I rationalize my avoidance by working on and completing everything except for the one thing I’m supposed to be doing. I tell myself I’ve been super productive (which is true), but that one initial task remains undone.
I’m also good at focusing my thoughts. The task creating this overwhelming feeli...
Source: World of Psychology - July 26, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Psych Central Guest Author Tags: Habits Publishers Self-Help YourTango anxiety Avoidance Organization overwhelmed Source Type: blogs
Key Strategies to Help Your Child Transition Back to School During a Pandemic
Change is hard for all of us. Since the onset of COVID-19 in the spring, we have been in a constant state of flux. Families went from routines and always being on the go to sheltering-in-place in their homes.
Overnight, work and education went from outside in, shifting from offices and schools to our kitchen tables. Therapy sessions moved home and telehealth became the new normal. We did kitchen kindergarten and remote therapy for a while before transitioning to summer. Now, as the days grow shorter and the aisles at Target are filled with bright yellow Crayola boxes, it’s time to think about school again.
Transitions ca...
Source: World of Psychology - July 26, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Anne Pereira Tags: Children and Teens Parenting Students Back To School coronavirus COVID-19 Masks Source Type: blogs
When Life Isn ’ t About Conquering the Next Big Challenge
“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.” – Andy Rooney
Three months ago, I was blessed with an awesome opportunity — a free weekend break to Snowdonia, Wales.
Having experienced chronic health conditions for the past six years of my life, I had been hibernating.
My days were a black-and-white routine: wake up, drink a smoothie mix, go to work, meditate, come home, lie down, eat, sleep. Yet, my mind was always so busy filled with endless tasks, big dreams, and an expanding sense of pressure as I craved more than what I had.
W...
Source: World of Psychology - July 25, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Psych Central Guest Author Tags: Publishers Tiny Buddha Fear Future Growth Happiness Journey Present Source Type: blogs
