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Meet Dr. Jud Brewer Dr. Jud Brewer is a psychiatrist and a neuroscientist. He’s spent more than 20 years researching habit change and the “science of self-mastery.” He developed a deep understanding of how our brains work and he uses that knowledge to help other people create lasting change in their lives. He’s the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center, associate professor in psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University, the executive medical director at Sharecare and a research affiliate at MIT....

Changes in the seasons can affect our moods. For example, we might associate summer with family vacations and trips to the beach. We therefore have positive expectations when the season arrives. The danger is we might fall into the expectation vs reality trap. When we meet with bad weather or obstacles such as lack of money to travel, we can become stressed. The reality doesn’t match up with what we had anticipated....

SAD is characterized by an intense, chronic fear of social situations. People with this condition often worry that they’ll feel self-conscious, embarrassed, scrutinized, or rejected while in public, which may cause them to avoid social situations. While in public, they may have symptoms like: Avoiding eye contactBlushingHeart pounding or racingNauseaRigid body postureShakingSpeaking too softlySweatingTrembling voiceTrouble breathing Benzodiazepines like Xanax are often prescribed as support alongside a primary treatment, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)....

Do you still love and have strong feelings for your ex-spouse or partner? Don’t fret, after you’ve finished this article, you’ll be well-equipped with the tools needed to move forward with your life. If you still have feelings for an ex and/or still love an ex, don’t feel shame. You are not alone, many people struggle to get over an ex and it may take a while because every relationship is different....

Though not exclusive to people with borderline personality disorder (BPD), if you have BPD, you may find yourself struggling to manage impulsive behaviors. From making hasty decisions to getting into fights, impulsivity can cause harm to yourself and those around you. In addition to undermining relationships and your overall sense of well-being, impulsive behaviors can also lead to financial and legal harm if left unchecked. Fortunately, there are treatments that can help bring impulsivity under control, including psychotherapy, mindfulness training, and pharmaceutical drugs....

Marijuana Of the 57.2 million illicit drug users reported by 2019 NSDUH, 48.2 million of them note having used marijuana within the past year, making it the most widely used drug in the country. Marijuana is sometimes called a “gateway drug” because it tends to be the first illegal drug young people use. The legalization of marijuana for medical purposes and recreational use in some states may have influenced an increase in the number of people who use the drug because its use is now viewed by many young people as less harmful....

Women also view porn, yet men are still the biggest consumers. Pornography can be an acceptable way to explore and express sexuality, but for some people, it can become a problem that harms their well-being and relationships. Pornography use can negatively impact marital intimacy and reduce relationship satisfaction. This article explores what you should know about porn and marriage, including how porn affects relationships and why people may utilize pornography....

He believed that our individual learning styles emerge due to our genetics, life experiences, and the demands of our current environment. In addition to describing four different learning styles, Kolb also developed a theory of experiential learning and a learning style inventory. Overview of Kolb’s Cycle of Learning In his experiential theory, learning is viewed as a four-stage cycle. First, immediate and concrete experiences serve as a basis for observation....

Throughout the pandemic, a common refrain became “when this is all over.” Used to discuss everything from when you’ll see loved ones to when life will be better, it firmly declares that everything will improve post-pandemic. While danger levels will subside and people will have greater control over their lives, the pandemic’s end will not flip a mental switch, telling fear and sadness it’s time to go. Even as we so desperately seek out happiness and a greater future, these emotions have become comfortable....

While research on behavioral inhibition and its reliability for predicting anxiety later on in life is still in its infancy, studies completed to date suggest that this could be an important indicator that could enable earlier treatment. Social anxiety can be an overwhelming mental illness with severe negative effects. Early identification and intervention are important to improve quality of life and to prevent other conditions like depression. Onset of Social Anxiety While scientists have not identified the specific cause of anxiety disorders like social anxiety disorder (SAD), many believe that it is linked to biological, psychological, and social factors....

Since there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, each person has a unique experience with treatment. However, there are certain things that you can expect in terms of how you will begin treatment, the approaches a doctor might recommend, and the results you might experience. Here are some of the effects you can expect during major depressive disorder treatment. How to Start Treatment Treatment usually begins when you see a doctor concerning possible symptoms of depression that you may be experiencing....

A particularly unpleasant experience of anxiety-related physical sensations can come in the form of a ​panic attack, the main symptom of panic disorder. These attacks are characterized by distressing physical feelings, such as ​chest pain, accelerated heart rate, shaking, trembling, and shortness of breath. Anxiety can become such a regular part of your life that you may not even notice how it is physically affecting you. For example, anxiety tends to increase bodily tension, leading to tightness in specific areas, such as the back, neck, and shoulders....

However, recent research has shown that weed withdrawal symptoms can and do occur when regular, long-term users discontinue its use. As a result, diagnostic criteria for cannabis withdrawal are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Causes of Marijuana Withdrawal After smoking pot heavily for a few months or longer—whether as a regular pattern, in binges, or due to addiction—you may experience withdrawal symptoms when abruptly stopping its use....

It is called a “trip” because your perceptions of the world change so dramatically, it can feel as if you have taken a trip to a strange, new land. Most people hope that the trip will be a pleasant experience, and it might be, but it can also quickly turn unpleasant. Sometimes, it is unpleasant from the beginning. It is common for unpleasant sensations, hallucinations, and thoughts to occur during a trip....

A recent study published in Mass Communication and Society by researchers from Ohio State University aimed to analyze that impact by examining the impressions left by meaningful films. The findings show that poignant and moving films can actually help us deal with life’s challenges. The Research The study focused specifically on the effects of films with eudaimonic narratives—in other words, films that portray characters achieving happiness through self-actualization and meaningful purpose in life....

Researchers recruited 82 participants, mostly women, predominantly in their mid-40s, who experienced between 4-20 migraine days per month. This is representative of migraine prevalence—more women than men get migraines, and one study found that after age 42, the condition is two-fold higher in women. Migraine is the second-leading cause of worldwide disability, and two-thirds of patients don’t find relief through medications, according to Rebecca Erwin Wells, MD, of Wake Forest Baptist Health, the lead author of the recent study appearing in JAMA Internal Medicine....

A recent analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics looked at the lyrics of 125 songs from 1998 to 2018 with the intention of finding a correlation between music and the increase in mental health concerns in young men, mainly young Black men. What they found is that many popular songs reference anxiety, depression, stress, suicide, or used a metaphor to describe mental health. According to the study, “Rap artists are among the most recognizable celebrities in the U....

The first season of “The Sandman,” Netflix’s adaptation of the comic book written by Neil Gaiman, introduces Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), the mythical Sandman and the king of dreams and nightmares. Morpheus is responsible for creating and controlling the dreams that people experience when they sleep, an essential function of humanity. However, the dreams and nightmares he creates can also go rogue in the waking world, as the personification of a nightmare, with teeth where his eyes should be called The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook), does in “The Sandman....