Welcome to our little corner of the Internet. Kick your feet up and stay a while.
A well-documented link between media consumption and stress may be exacerbated by a “cycle of distress” in which individuals who feel greater stress and even trauma from watching televised coverage of violent events such as a mass shooting, are more likely to worry about such events re-occuring in the future, and therefore more likely to consume more media accounts of …
Several recent studies are looking at the interaction between bipolar and increased impulsiveness. Impulsivity is often found as a component of bipolar, but researchers remain uncertain whether it is a core trait of the disorder or a separate characteristic. Impulsiveness has different behavioral factors, including: “1) Non-planning Impulsiveness, which refers to a present orientation or failure to consider the future; …
Vulnerability! If your first response is “Ummm, no, thanks”, you’re not alone. Vulnerability sounds like something we want to get away from, not something to cultivate. Yet researcher Dr. Brené Brown of the University of Houston has done considerable study of this topic and her findings are that being or becoming vulnerable to risk, to emotional upset, to shame and …
“What’s the use”. “It won’t work anyway”. Do you find yourself thinking hopelessly and helplessly about your own situation, unable to find any constructive steps to take to move forward? Learned helplessness is what psychologists call it when a patient believes strongly that no action they can possibly take will make their situation better. It’s the “dark side” – or …
Are you trying to be the hero of someone else’s life? It’s surprising how often we fall into this trap. We want to be seen as good and helpful people, and we see that someone we love seems to be struggling. So we jump in and “help” them “solve” their problem. Why doesn’t that make them happy? “Rescuing” people can …
Those of us in the United States tried to remember what happens to the clock with daylight savings time using the phrase “spring forward and fall back.” In California daylight savings time has been accompanied by a week of the sunniest weather in a couple of months. For whatever reason, in our practice at Gateway Psychiatric there has been a sudden uptick …
Can you change your brain? Recent research in the field of “neuroplasticity” suggests that the human brain continues to change and adapt throughout life. Furthermore, there is clear evidence that an individual can affect the changes to their own brain structure by how they pay attention to stimuli around them. The implication of this research is that, for example, a …
More and more studies are finding a link between religious and spiritual practices and improvements in mental health, including significant reductions in anxiety and reduced risk of depressive illness. While it is somewhat difficult to study this field, due to the wide variety of definitions and practices in the field of religion and spirituality, researchers are beginning to find ways …
Parenting is a tough job, and there’s no lack of critics telling you you’re doing it wrong. However, common sense, backed up by research can give some dependable sign posts along the way. A recent study1 of parents of children with anxiety discovered that the mothers of children with social anxiety disorder helped them with tasks more frequently than mothers …
Moodsurfing has been promoting the value of the Mediterranean diet for quite a while. It is linked with better weight control, anti-aging, and reduction of depression. A diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and fish is known to help people lose weight and is associated with longer life expectancies. Eating a lot of refined grains (white …
The human brain is still a mystery in many ways, with much of our brain function difficult or impossible to study under most conditions. What causes worsening moods and why do some people struggle with anxiety and depression while others do not? A recent study at UC San Francisco took advantage of work being done for patients with epilepsy who …
Moodsurfing has reported on several studies and programs in the past that attempt to use smartphone data to improve mental health. Now, an AP report from early January updates some of this research. Smartphone users generate a huge amount of data, which, if correctly analyzed, could provide life saving information about early onset of depression, warning signs for a manic …
Medical practitioners have begun to recognize an eating disorder associated with a concern for healthy eating, “orthorexia nervosa”, in which a zealous concern for healthy food leads to clinical concerns for possible malnutrition, micronutrient and macronutrient deficiencies, inadvertent weight loss and social impairments. Avoidance or refusal of foods due to fear of impurities, processed foods, additives and imagined contaminants, while …
2016 data now available from the Center for Disease Control show that suicide is now a leading cause of death for adults aged 25 – 44, at 16.9 deaths per 100,000, it exceeds the rate of death from heart disease in this age cohort. For those aged 15 – 24, suicide is now the second highest cause of death. It …
Here’s a list of 80 fun or pleasurable things to do. Some of them are simple to arrange and quick to accomplish, and some require some planning and preparation, or even money. But all of them can be enjoyable experiences. Remember that motivation is less important than just doing it. Even if you don’t feel like it, or don’t think …
Insomnia is a significant problem in the United States, and for individuals grappling with mood and/or anxiety disorders, sleep loss can contribute to ill health, including immune function, cognitive functioning, and even cardiovascular problems. However, use of medication for insomnia does not have a good track record. These medications have significant risks and adverse side effects, and often lose effectiveness …
For readers who have children a common concern is what to do with children’s behavior problems. Of course, there’s no one size fits all solution to the problem but over the years we’ve been repeatedly impressed with the effectiveness of the solutions to be found in a series of books by psychologist Kevin Leman entitled Have a New Kid by …
Moodsurfing continues to monitor developments in the field of online help for mood disorders and mental health generally, we have looked at several newly available resources here and here. Of course, there are negatives as well, but overall, we are observing a trend of more and more useful and useable online programs and communities. Here, we share a reader’s recommendation …
Here’s a fun –looking list from Buzzfeed of “Books for anyone who’s had a tough year” – and who hasn’t? We are familiar with a couple of these, but this is not a list reviewed by Moodsurfing staff, it’s just a post we ran across that has some intriguiging reader reviews for each suggested book. I know in my own …
I want to try and start a new proverb this year: Time is not money, time is health. Time is health. If you get a couple minutes’ break, use them for stress management, a few simple breathing exercises, then get back to work. If you get 15 minutes, close your eyes for a real rest. Every work day should have an hour …
