When Stress Is Good For You: The Hormesis Effect

The three types of ADHD are inattentive, hyperactive, and combined. Inattentive is most likely to be overlooked or misdiagnosed. Although ADHD medications are controversial, they can benefit some children, allowing them to focus and complete work. Kids with ADHD can hyperfocus when they're engaged in a topic or activity, giving...

The hidden dangers of processed foods have been uncovered quite some time ago, due to the fact that they contain various agents that lead to decaying health. One of the main culprits that they commonly contain is palm oil - an ingredient linked to increased risks of cancer and heart disease. While consuming whole food is the safest way around this issue, many modern diets rely heavily on highly-processed options leaving their consumers unknowingly vulnerable.

Cancer of the brain and nervous system accounted for over 250,000 deaths worldwide in 2020. A new cancer vaccine repurposes living tumor cells instead of using inactivated tumor cells. Researchers used gene engineering to repurpose living cancer cells as therapeutic tumor cells to release an agent that terminates cancer cells.

Even if you've already failed in your New Year's Resolutions, don't be discouraged. With some careful planning, a do-over can be more successful. Understanding what kept you stuck in your old habits, and planning accordingly, is crucial to changing them. By taking the time to reflect on yourself, your habits,...

Anger is a common automatic reaction to an unpleasant event or circumstance. Powerlessness might be hiding beneath a self-protective shield of anger. Anger can be resolved through a process of awareness, grounding, and compassion. When was the last time you were angry? Ten minutes ago, two days ago? As you...

Some are prone to self-blame on their fertility journeys, confusing their behavior with their character. Studies find that optimism has a “protective impact” against anxiety and self-blame during fertility treatment. Permit yourself to act less than perfect, especially while taking hormones, waiting for results, or being deluged with...

Escapism, a way of avoiding an unpleasant or boring life, can be adaptive or maladaptive. Adaptive escapism is motivated by self-expansion; maladaptive escapism is driven by self-suppression. Runners motivated by a self-expansion mindset tend to have higher subjective well-being scores. Escapism is marked by "a habitual diversion of the mind."...

As important as having a positive self-image is being realistic about how others perceive you or don’t perceive you at all. Having a warped sense of being "special" might couple itself with tendencies of narcissism or entitlement. Not being "special" should be considered liberating. In a recent post on...

Wu Wei is the idea that by doing "nothing," we can accomplish more. Wu Wei is not about doing nothing and giving up, but observing where things are going and how we can best fit into existing momentum. Start practicing Wu Wei by accepting your current reality exactly as it...

Many people have depression symptoms at some point in their life, but that does not mean they are experiencing a major depressive episode. Not all people who experience depression have major depressive disorder. Depression is often the tip of the iceberg; the specific contributing factors of illness can help to...

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based modality found effective in reducing anxiety and mild-to-moderate depression. CBT has its limitations, and it does not address the complex nature of trauma. If you have experienced trauma or adverse experiences, there are other types of therapy that may be more appropriate. Many...

Having high expectations is one thing, but expecting perfection only sets us up for failure and disappointment. There are three fundamental types of perfectionism: self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed. Demanding too much and being too critical can be harmful to the parent-child bond. Ever tried to do everything perfectly?. Maybe...

Human moods and behaviors are complex because they interplay our biology, psychology, and day-to-day interactions. AI is proving adept at understanding natural language, picking up on patterns and sentiment in text and large bodies of data. Applied to psychiatry, AI may provide tools to measure and detect patterns and associations...

Social media plays a major role in today’s cancel culture. We can think of a public cancellation as a large-scale form of estrangement. Research on the evolutionary psychology of estrangements shows that these experiences have many painful outcomes. The list of celebrities and other public figures who have fallen...

A study on an outdoor education class assessed self-reliance, self-regulation, curiosity, risk-taking, motor skills, and connection to nature. Observations of students, parental surveys, and interviews with the students were all included to enhance validity. Children scored highly across several of the categories, so it will be important to compare them...

Some clinics emphasize ketamine as a purely chemical antidepressant. Other clinics specialize in combining talk therapy with ketamine. Still others emphasize working with the psychedelic properties of ketamine. Generic ketamine is not yet FDA approved to treat mental health conditions, and is used off label in treating resistant depression, bipolar...

Parents play a significant role in mediating the disappointment of losing, of not being number one. Given the right tools, children can learn to bounce back from setbacks and failure. Parents can foster a growth mindset in which kids are made aware that the ability to learn is not fixed...

The emergence of ChatGPT in education forces us to think more carefully about student motivation. AI in education will turn standard educational tasks into busywork. The purpose of education may come to be seen as furthering human meaning. The student experience has always involved a combination of work and play....

Mixing opioids with benzos ups the risk of an overdose. Many people take benzos while in treatment to handle withdrawal from opioids, which is also a dangerous combination. Doctors ideally work with patients to taper down the benzos. Benzos, anti-anxiety drugs including Klonopin and Xanax, are widely prescribed. But they...

The metaverse is promising for the delivery of personalized mental health care. The metaverse could solve the problems of accessibility and affordability. The metverse could provide community and consciousness transformation. The metaverse could be a venue for creativity, beauty, and safe treatment while reducing stigma. At the World Economic Conference...