How Do You Manage Stress?

Meditate? Breathe? Medication? Take a nap? Exercise? Just muscle through? Reframe? Camomile tea? MoodSurfing has explored several approaches to stress over the years.  We consider it a serious problem, since stress can exacerbate illnesses, both physical and mental, and even cause diseases such as hypertension. In general, our findings over the years support the idea that mindfulness is key.  Mindfulness …

Learn How to Pay Attention to the Positive

Patients in recovery from major depressive episodes may need help learning to process positive information and stimuli.  Researchers found that people with a history of major depressive disorder spend more time processing negative information than healthy controls, and they may have less control over which information they process. This negative bias suggests that people recovering from depression may need to …

Cognitive Issues and Bipolar Disorder

Does bipolar disorder cause problems with memory, attention focus, speed of thinking and cognition?  Does depression cause dementia, or does it just feel like it?  Are memory problems and cognition issues caused by the medications that control mood episodes?  Is there anything one can do about troubles in thinking and memory related to mood issues? “Suddenly becoming demented” is a …