Perfectionism is defined as refusing to accept anything except flawlessness. At first glance, this may seem like an admirable trait that will lead to, if not perfection, at least much higher quality in everything we do. However, perfectionism doesn’t work that way, it makes sufferers fearful of attempting anything that may turn out to have flaws. Human life being what it is, we already know that nothing is, in reality, perfect, and if we fear errors and imperfections too much, we can find our whole lives paralyzed by fear and indecision. A recent study1 on the treatment of perfectionism noted that there are various facets to the experience of perfectionism, including, unrealistically high personal standards, self-doubt, and an unnecessarily high ...
Read More
Electronic screens of all kinds emit light, especially from the blue end of the color spectrum, and blue light is known to increase insomnia and disrupt circadian rhythms. Our ancestors woke up when the sun rose, and went to bed when it set, with maybe a brief lengthening of waking times using firelight or lamplight. Nowadays, however, we have light, lots of light, in our homes for many hours after dark has fallen outside. We need to work harder at establishing and keeping to circadian sleep-wake patterns because of the wide-ranging effects they have on our physical and mental health. Blue light blocking glasses, either alone or in combination with complete darkness in the bedroom have been shown to have ...
Read More
The actress and singer Selena Gomez has just released a documentary: “My mind and me”, available on Apple+ TV. In the documentary, Gomez describes her struggle with the autoimmune disease, lupus, in parallel with severe bipolar disorder. For several years, she suffered from extreme mood swings and dangerous manic episodes followed by depressive episodes when she couldn’t get out of bed. Only after being hospitalized with psychotic symptoms did she receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and only after some time of coping with that did she find a doctor who could help her find a workable treatment system that allowed her to get on with her life. Gomez shares that she was very reluctant to release the documentary, which ...
Read More
Abundant evidence shows that exercise is helpful in depression and anxiety, in fact, some specialists suggest that exercise should be the first intervention attempted in cases of mild to moderate depression. However, research into the relationship of exercise and bipolar has been spotty, at best. The available studies have used very small study groups, and have not considered different types of exercise, or compared an exercise program, such as a gym or group with physical activity in daily life, such as walking or stair-climbing. Also the studies have been weak in considering confounding factors, like race and socioeconomic status. Nonetheless, there is reason to believe that exercise regimes and recommendations should take a larger part in treatment of bipolar. For ...
Read More
As the global Covid-19 pandemic winds down and people return to work and school, many are experiencing feelings of discomfort with face-to-face interactions that, once, were normal everyday occurrences. People are feeling “weird” about being in public spaces and interacting with teams, workgroups, staffs, or classes full of people. Data from the “Understanding America Study” an ongoing internet panel at the University of Southern California shows that key personality traits have shifted across the country, no matter the age, ethnicity, or other demographics. The panel first began collecting survey answers in 2014, drawing upon publicly available data from about 7,000 participants who responded to a personality assessment administered before and during the pandemic. Current scores show declines in key personality ...
Read More
Growing evidence shows a strong correlation between poor diet and mental illness. People suffering from severe mental illness consume more calories, more salt and sugar, and fewer nutrient dense foods like vegetables, nuts and fruit. Evidence also shows that the poor diet is not a result of mental illness, but is discernable in the months and years before diagnosis. Furthermore, binge eating is a recognized pattern with mental illness, and can become comorbidity as well. Correlation is not causation, meaning that we can’t yet say that poor diet causes mental illness, but there is a clear connection within the extremely complex relationship between physical and mental health. Diet and nutrition are critical components of care and treatment of mental health ...
Read More About MoodSurfing
Welcome to MoodSurfing.com, the site that highlights strategies for living creatively with moods and coping with depression. This site is for people with bipolar, depression, cyclothymia, and others who experience powerful moods and want to figure out how to integrate these experiences into successful lives.
Although most of us are mental health clinicians of one kind or another, this site is not about providing people with medical or clinical advice (see below). We hope that we can help you cope with depression, maybe even allow you to live well with moods.
If you like what you see here, be sure to sign up to get updated with new posts.
We have done a series of interviews with people who have interesting things to say about different aspects of living creatively with moods. You can find those under the heading “Conversations.”
DISCLAIMER
This site is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and linkages to other sites, Moodsurfing provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. Moodsurfing is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or product you obtain through this site.
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CALL 911 OR YOUR PHYSICIAN. If you believe you have any other health problem, or if you have any questions regarding your health or a medical condition, you should promptly consult your physician or other healthcare provider. Never disregard medical or professional advice, or delay seeking it, because of something you read on this site or a linked website. Never rely on information on this website in place of seeking professional medical advice. You should also ask your physician or other healthcare provider to assist you in interpreting any information in this site or in the linked websites, or in applying the information to your individual case.
Medical information changes constantly. Therefore the information on this site or on the linked websites should not be considered current, complete or exhaustive, nor should you rely on such information to recommend a course of treatment for you or any other individual. Reliance on any information provided on this site or any linked websites is solely at your own risk.
Moodsurfing does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, products, procedures, opinions or other information that may be provided on the linked websites. The linked websites may contain text, graphics, images or information that you find offensive (e.g., sexually explicit), Moodsurfing has no control over and accepts no responsibility for such materials.
