Mindfully Healing

Are you just shy or is it a social anxiety disorder? The classic sign of a social anxiety disorder is a strong fear of embarrassment or humiliation in social situations, research finds. Bear in mind that many people are apprehensive in unfamiliar social situations or with those they do not know. Social anxiety disorder is more than being shy. To be a social anxiety disorder, the fear should be so great that the social situation can only be born with considerable distress. Either that or social situations are often avoided

First study to find these changes in the brains of depressed people experiencing suicidal thoughts. People experiencing suicidal thoughts have a certain type of inflammation in their brain, new research finds. Microglial cells activate as part of the body’s inflammatory response. The researchers found that these immune cells were more active in depressed people who were also having suicidal thoughts. The study suggests that neuroinflammation could play an important role in suicidal thoughts and behaviour. It may also offer another route to treat this type of depression: through the use

There are 9 risk factors for dementia, which can all be reduced. One-in-three cases of dementia is a result of manageable lifestyle factors, a new report from 24 international experts concludes. There are nine risk factors identified by dementia experts: low levels of education, midlife hearing loss, physical inactivity, high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes, obesity, smoking, depression, and social isolation. These risk factors account for 35% of dementia cases. In other words: changing or managing these factors will help fight off dementia. Addressing high blood pressure, obesity and

The brains and bodies of identical twins were compared over ten years. Stronger leg muscles are linked to better brain ageing, a new study finds. It’s the first time a connection has been found between power in the lower limbs and healthy ageing in normal people. The study suggests that increasing levels of simple exercises like walking or even standing for longer may lead to healthy cognitive ageing. The study followed 324 identical female twins over a ten-year period. Fitness and lifestyle habits were measured by researchers. They also gave

Insomnia is the most common complaint people have about their health. Insomnia is not just “all in your head”, neuroscientists have found. For the first time, seven risk genes have been identified for insomnia. This could be the first step in understanding the biological causes of insomnia. It helps to show that insomnia is not — as is sometimes claimed — just a psychological condition. Professor Van Someren, one of the study’s authors, said: “As compared to the severity, prevalence and risks of insomnia, only few studies targeted its causes.

New study provides insights into how parents pass anxiety and depression onto their children. An over-active network of brain areas is central to how children inherit anxiety and depression from their parents. The network consists of three regions in the brain which work together to control the fear-response. Genes passed down from parents to children influence how these three regions function together, the new study finds. Professor Ned Kalin, one of the study’s authors, said: “Over-activity of these three brain regions are inherited brain alterations that are directly linked to

What makes people stay in relationships and what makes them want to leave? People who are married or just dating give similar reasons for wanting to leave their partner. These are (1) issues with their partner’s personality, (2) a breach of trust (often, cheating) and (3) partner becoming distant or disconnected. People give slightly different reasons for wanting to stay together. For people who are married, the top reasons to stay together are the investment they have already made in the relationship, family responsibilities and the barriers to leaving (e.g.

The link to intelligence is especially strong in women. People with higher intelligence are more likely to use drugs, research finds. The link is particularly strong for women. This is despite the fact that higher IQ is often linked to living a healthier lifestyle. The study’s authors write: “In this, the largest study to date to examine the relationship between childhood IQ and illegal drug use, high IQ scores were associated with increased illegal drug use in adolescence and adulthood. These associations were independent from life-coursesocial position, and associations were