Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Psychology”
Faking symptoms? Too lazy to work? No! Functional neurological symptoms, such as tremors, limb weakness or numbness, facial functional disorders and tics, gait disorders, blackouts, dizziness and many others that seem to have no physical cause, are the second most common reason for outpatient neurology consultation (after headaches). These symptoms have been described in the medical literature as the 17th …
There is no such thing as an illness that is “all in your head”. Just because the current level of medical science can’t understand what’s happening in the brain-body connection doesn’t mean your symptoms don’t exist. Research is beginning to find more and more ways that “mental” illnesses are caused by “physical” stimuli, and vice versa. This insight leads to …
Is it a mental illness? Is it a physical illness? How will you tell the difference? The concepts underlying our whole approach to medical care and treatment are coming under increasing critical scrutiny. Dr. Camilla Nord of the Mental Health Neuroscience Lab at the University of Cambridge writes in her new book The Balanced Brain that: “there is no separate …
What is catastrophism? Even if it’s realistic to know that there are forces able to wipe out your home, job, possessions, and community in a single stroke, worrying about the catastrophe maybe coming today or tomorrow can harm your health without improving your chances of escape. Anybody going in for medical checks and tests knows the feeling, but now, if …
To mark Mental Health Awareness Month, the American Medical Association (AMA) has released a series of resources for primary health care physicians and other practitioners to improve the integration of behavioral health care into primary care practices. Heavily emphasized in all the resources is training for health care practices at all levels in reducing stigma and prejudice around mental health …
Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death for Americans, especially younger people, where homicide and accidents lag far behind suicide in fatality rates. Budgets for suicide research and suicide prevention are woefully small, and stigma is still a barrier to seeking help, both for suicidal people and for their family members and supporters. However, amidst all the bad …
Loneliness is implicated in shortened lifespans, worsened physical and mental health, addiction, economic disruption and homelessness, among others. Its spread constitutes a true public health crisis in the USA, and intervention is urgently called for. However, at present, only individual efforts are offered as a solution. Reach out. Make sure your elderly relatives are getting a phone call regularly. Join …
We’re coming up on a time of year that for many (maybe even most) people offers significant challenges. Now is the time to plan ahead for the difficulties you typically face during the holiday season, and call to mind coping strategies that have worked for you in the past, or new ones that you want to try. Depression is a …
Who Matters? Do you? Mattering is an important component of well-being Struggling with depression, Isaac slept late every morning, just dashing out in time to be “only a little” late to work each day. His apartment never got cleaned, and meals were a hit-and-miss combination of takeout and supermarket junk food. Then his mom went on vacation and brought her …
It’s Amazing! Managing a chronic disorder or illness can seem like a full-time job. Taking the medication, wondering about the medication, getting to all the therapists’ appointments, watching the diet, getting enough sleep, keeping the house clean and paying the bills each month. Whew! There’s no time in life for stopping and smelling roses. And what about those roses? How …
Why are some illnesses and conditions stigmatized while others are not? Writing in the New York Times, Dr. Aaron Carroll, chief health officer of Indiana University, suggests that stigma arises when we don’t understand the causes of a condition. Mental disorders like bipolar and supposedly “lifestyle” problems like obesity and alcoholism may appear to be more under the control of …
Dependence: Problem or not? Consider the many ways you are dependent on others, on the Earth, and on the invisible structures of society to get by in life. Consider whether our culture’s constant harping on independence is realistic or healthy. Today, let’s explore the positive sides of being dependent. It may turn out to be the more realistic way of …
Activate your psychological immune system Our brains have built-in processes that help us make meaning of adversity, and find ways to pick up and keep going after a shock, injury, or disappointment. Psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Timothy Wilson have been researching our abilities to “weather the storms” of life, and figure out how to make the best of bad situations. …
Why are we too shy to own our wisdom? I’ve seen teenagers and young adults come out with deep, powerful words from the heart, but at some stage, we learn to say anything like that with a self-deprecating giggle: “don’t take this too seriously-I’m just me”. Anybody who’s been through a few decades of life has gained experience, insight, and …
Positive emotions are supposed to be great for you, and of course it feels better to be happy than sad. But so what? If sadness is where you are, what’s the point of lecturing yourself to “be more positive”? Before we start lecturing ourselves or others about what emotions we are supposed to be feeling in any given situation, it …
Researchers looking at people’s perceptions of moral decline have found some curious patterns in a recently published study. Looking back at data collected over the past 70 years, they have found a consistent belief reported by thousands of informants that moral values and moral behavior have declined or decayed over the course of the informant’s life span such that now …
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 …
Loneliness is an important public health issue The American Medical Association has defined loneliness as a public health issue for all Americans. Why loneliness? Why public health? Loneliness is found across demographics, at every age level. It is not a matter of how many friends you have, rather, loneliness is feeling a lack of connection with other people. You may …
Get close to the people you’re close to. We all know how easy it is to take people for granted, and everyone has had the experience of attending a funeral, or just hearing of someone’s death, and thinking “I wish I had told her I love her one more time!” But close relationships can also be draining, stressful, and many …
Depression is awful. It takes all the meaning and joy out of life, it reduces our capacity to care for, or even defend ourselves, and it can lead to an endless downward spiral leading to years of anhedonia and even suicide. So why would anyone want to talk about any value of depression? Scholars who take an evolutionary approach to …
