Taking those first steps into the “real world” can be an anxious time for college graduates. The thrill of achievement can be overwhelmed by new responsibilities as collegiates take their first fledging steps into adulthood. Finding a job, renting an apartment, managing finances, moving away from friends and family — college graduation is a time […]
Is Your Child Addicted to Computer Games?
School is out and the long summer stretches ahead. It should be a time for outdoor fun, playing with friends, baseball games, reading, craft projects and lemonade stands; but many children spend their summers glued to the computer, playing games on the Internet for hours on end. Gaming, which seems to be particularly appealing to […]
Postpartum Depression Overwhelms New Moms
Postpartum depression interferes with a new mother’s ability to care for her baby. Despite the joy that accompanies their child’s birth, 10% to 15% of new moms feel overwhelmed by the stress and responsibility of caring for their child. They may experience negative emotions and anxiety, have trouble sleeping or lose their appetite. Depression can result […]
Can Insomnia Be Inherited?
A new study presented at Sleep 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Studies, suggests that insomnia may be inheritable. The study of 1,436 eight- to 16-year-old twins found that the same genes that impact depression and anxiety affect adolescent insomnia. Study results are consistent with the results of similar studies connecting insomnia […]
Combating Dangerous Pattern Perceptions
Perceiving patterns where none exist, a psychological phenomenon called pattern perception, is a mental coping mechanism used by many people to combat uncertainty when events spin their lives out of control (see our June 10 post). It’s a phenomenon that’s on the rise in these times of economic uncertainty where rising unemployment, catastrophic investment losses, […]
Is Uncertainty Making Us More Superstitious?
The need to feel that we are in control of our lives is so basic to our sense of well being that many people may be finding safe harbor from uncertainty in superstitious thinking. When any aspect of our life spins out of control, as it has for many during these uncertain economic times, our […]