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If you were asked to go a day without your smartphone, do you think you could do it easily? Researchers who have asked participants to go without their phones for various periods of time have found that breaking the technology habit, even for a relatively short interval, can be exceedingly difficult. Walk into any public venue and you will probably find people using their phones for a variety of purposes, from conducting business calls to checking their email to updating their Twitter....

Unlike the problems with mental functioning that happen during intoxication or with a hangover the morning after alcohol use—that pass fairly quickly—mild neurocognitive disorder continues to cause difficulty with mental functioning on an ongoing basis. For some people, it can impact their day-to-day functioning permanently. Family and friends may be the first to notice problems with paying attention, remembering important things they need to do, and planning properly to manage their lives....

The process of prenatal development occurs in three main stages. The first two weeks after conception are known as the germinal stage, the third through the eighth week is known as the embryonic period, and the time from the ninth week until birth is known as the fetal period. Germinal Stage The germinal stage begins at conception when the sperm and egg cell unite in one of the two fallopian tubes....

The sensorimotor stage is the earliest in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. He described this period as a time of tremendous growth and change. Overview During this initial phase of development, children utilize skills and abilities they were born with (such as looking, sucking, grasping, and listening) to learn more about the environment. In other words, they experience the world and gain knowledge through their senses and motor movements. Through trial-and-error, children discover more about the world around them....

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. While it’s not unusual to feel this way during particularly trying times, this is a situation that you and your loved ones need to take very seriously. Wanting to give up on life can be a fleeting feeling, but it can also be a precursor to suicide. That’s why it’s important to reach out to a hotline, health care provider, social worker, clergy member, teacher, friend, or family member when this feeling arises....

According to theory based on cognitive therapy, one’s thinking can play a major role in developing stress and mental health conditions. Many people with depression and anxiety use should statements when describing themselves and their life situations. This type of faulty thinking typically surfaces in phrases that include the words should, ought, or must. These statements are used by the negative thinker as a way to take on a pessimistic view of their life....

Over time, however, things start to change. Challenges occur, flaws emerge. The rose-colored glasses come off and reality sets in. This is when love begins to morph a bit. In this more established stage of love (ideally, the longest part of your relationship), saying loving things toward each other takes a bit more effort. Love takes more effort, but practice makes perfect! As you weather storms together in life, you develop a deeper love and appreciation for each other than ever before....

Make a positive changeCreate somethingGive yourself a giftGet outsidePlan to be entertainedGive to othersTake a staycationPlan a virtual party If you find yourself alone on your birthday, consider starting a new tradition by making it a special day for yourself. This article discusses what to do on your birthday alone, along with 18 ways to spend your solo birthday that can leave you feeling happy and fulfilled. Make a Change Your birthday can be a great time to reflect on your life and think about goals you might want to work toward in the year ahead....

In fact, rumination can exacerbate your stress levels, so it helps to have healthy strategies for coping with emotional stress as well as redirecting yourself away from rumination and avoidance coping and more toward emotionally proactive approaches to stress management.​ Causes of Emotional Stress Relationship stress carries a heavy toll on our emotional lives and creates strong emotional responses. Our relationships greatly impact our lives— or better or for worse....

For whatever reason, you might not feel a genuine connection to certain therapists. Or you might start seeing a therapist only to discover that this professional doesn’t specialize in the area suitable for your mental health history and background. In some cases, it can be difficult to determine exactly why therapy isn’t going well, but the nagging feeling that you’re not making much progress in your sessions won’t go away....

For example, in an experiment on sound detention, researchers may present a sound with varying levels of volume. The smallest level that a participant is able to hear is the absolute threshold. However, it is important to note that at such low levels, participants may only detect the stimulus part of the time. Because of this, the absolute threshold is usually defined as the smallest level of a stimulus that a person is able to detect 50% of the time....

Adderall vs. Concerta: How They Work One way these two medicines are similar is that they are both stimulants, meaning that they are designed to increase brain activity. Adderall gets its stimulant effects from a combination of two drugs, amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, while the stimulant in Concerta is methylphenidate. For people with ADHD, stimulants can help increase focus, reduce hyperactivity, and improve inhibition control. For people with narcolepsy, stimulant therapy helps to improve their feelings of wakefulness and alertness during the daytime hours....

To understand why impulsivity is a characteristic of ADHD, it’s important to understand the science behind how impulses happen and how the brain typically controls them. The Neurobiology of Impulses and Impulse Control The human brain uses a complex system of “happy” hormones to make decisions about what to do. These hormones reinforce behaviors that make you feel good, but they each function in slightly different ways, triggering different kinds of responses....

“There is compelling evidence that early life adversity may lead to oxytocin dysregulation that can have consequences for longer-term social experiences,” said Dr. Cleopatra Kamperveen, a fertility strategist and executive director of The Fertility & Pregnancy Institute. What the Study Found A total of 128 participants ranging from ages 18-62—the majority being Caucasian women—were recruited. Of the participants, 35 indicated that their parents were divorced. The main goal of the study was to see if there were differing levels of oxytocin between people with and without divorced parents....

If you live with social anxiety disorder (SAD), you might be unknowingly projecting a number of different nonverbal cues of anxiety. Some of your behaviors might also turn other people off. Though you might feel awkward at first, learning different cues can help you practice becoming more confident and approachable. Social anxiety can also make it harder to read the body language of others. Learning to interpret the signals people are sending can make you more confident and comfortable in social situations....