Fearful Attachment, Trauma, Social Anxiety, and Depression

Our most developmentally important relationships begin in our formative years and come from our teachers, mentors, friends, and our parents or parental figures. How we connect with others is, in some ways, tied to what we are taught in these early years. Caregivers who themselves have a secure attachment will...

TORONTO, Ontario — Witnessing domestic violence at home is distressing for any child in the moment, but troubling new research suggests these incidents may have a much longer lasting impact. Scientists at the University of Toronto report roughly one-fifth (22.5%) of adults who experienced chronic parental domestic violence during childhood went on to develop a major depressive disorder in adulthood.

Reduce stress by identifying patterns of self-defeating behaviors and choosing healthier alternatives. Decrease the feelings of shame and self-doubt that you've carried around for years by setting realistic, achievable goals. Create rebuttals to the negative, critical voice in your head to lower its volume and influence. Use a growth mindset...

Childhood trauma can profoundly impact children and teens. Emotional, physical, and behavioral factors can serve as indicators of trauma exposure. Childhood trauma can be overcome with the support of trusted and informed adults. When we think of trauma, most of us imagine endless suffering and pain brought forth by events...

Viewing anxious behaviors through a trauma-informed lens teaches us that there is usually a reason for them. Developing an understanding of our anxious behaviors can show us that there is nothing "wrong" with us. Learning not to take things personally can help us understand loved ones with the same traits.

It’s a story many have heard before. COVID-19 enters a household whether through a spouse, parent, sibling or caretaker – but despite extensive exposure, not everyone gets sick. [. SEE:. Latest Coronavirus and Vaccine News ]. And it could be a more common occurrence than some think. The...

Walking at a brisk pace for just 75 minutes every week could cut your risk of depression, a new study finds. The World Health Organization recommends everyone should exercise for at least two-and-a-half hours every seven days. But researchers at Cambridge University, England, found adults who got half as much...

Narcissism and alcoholism are different conditions, but they can occur simultaneously and may share some overlapping symptoms. While both conditions can be challenging, certain approaches can help individuals overcome the potential complications of these disorders. Narcissism is a personality disorder that may cause individuals to display grandiose and self-involved behaviors....

Cynical depression may be the most common form of the many-faceted disorder. It’s usually masked by energizing or sedating coping habits. Sufferers don’t feel depressed; they use adrenaline to raise their mood or illusions to numb it. It doesn’t appear in the DSM, yet cynical depression is everywhere...

Americans' rates of depression and anxiety spiked during the first year of the pandemic, but the increases were much more pronounced among Black, Hispanic and Asian people than among White people, new research shows. From April 2020 to April 2021, the overall incidence of depression or anxiety in the United...

Research indicates that about 25 percent of American adults are living with an active family estrangement. These painful relationships are rarely discussed openly because cultural norms and expectations make estrangement especially stigmatizing. In addition to abuse, toxicity, and bad parenting, mental illness and substance abuse are major contributors to estrangement.

Many people with chronic and difficult-to-treat medical conditions often feel invalidated by the medical community. Due to the high numbers of people with long COVID, it is now starting to be taken seriously. Regardless of what kind of physical condition you have, psychological and behavioral interventions can improve quality of...

Perhaps you just moved to a new city or are gearing up for your first holiday season as a single. Or maybe you have thousands of followers on social media and a phone that won't stop blowing up with text messages and yet, you still feel disconnected. Whatever the case may be, loneliness is a natural thing to experience — and a common one at that, too. In fact, so many Americans have felt lonely over the past years that public health officials started to express concern over a "loneliness epidemic." Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this has only gotten worse.

If you sometimes feel paralyzed by fear, you’re not alone. Paralysis is one of the ways our body responds to stress, and there’s ways to manage it. Living with anxiety engages your autonomic nervous system (ANS), also known as the fight, flight, or freeze response. The “freeze” response...

Navigating social situations can be extra challenging for people with ADHD. In some cases, this can lead to social anxiety. There are three main symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. Each of these symptoms can impact how you communicate and socialize. In some cases, ADHD...

You can calm anxiety by exercising regularly, getting outside, and sticking to a sleep schedule. You can also see a therapist or try meditation.

Middle-aged women (age 40-55) have been found to be at higher risk for depression. Part of it stems from the natural hormonal alterations of perimenopause and menopause. However, it tends to be about more than just hormone changes: Midlife can be a time marked with greater losses, like empty-nest syndrome, ailing and/or deceased parents, career changes, and a loss of former friendships, marital and love partnerships. Additionally, women in midlife have reported higher rates of pain and physical ailments. Coping strategies like excess alcohol, overuse pain medication, and increased food consumption combined with social withdrawal and less activity exacerbate inflammation and associated physical pains and depressive symptoms. Finally, women in midlife may grieve the loss of childbearing abilities and fear their sexual appeal and value have waned. Thus, it is more important than ever for women in midlife to cultivate healthy coping strategies and find new (or deeper) meaning in their lives.

Trauma can lead to deep-rooted beliefs that prevent individuals from moving forward. Belief patterns known as victim mentalities set individuals up to fail and take away their empowerment. Recognizing common victim mentalities can help someone overcome them. A victim mentality—or a belief that one is a victim of external circumstances,...

Experiencing awe has benefits for our psychological and physical well-being. We need not wait for grand events to find awe. We can be intentional about looking for moments of awe in our everyday experiences. The power of awe may extend well beyond the experienced event itself and have more lasting...

A study used machine learning to compare social, health, functional, and cognitive variables as risk or protective factors for depression. The strongest risk factors were self-reported social isolation and poor health. It may be valuable to screen for depression among older adults with those two risk factors. Depression is a...