The Difference Between a Feeling and an Emotion

Despite the fact that the two words are utilized...

Discovering Hope and Healing Through Online Therapy: A Guide to Teletherapy for Improved Mental Health

Mental health challenges can be overwhelming, but there is hope and healing available through online therapy. Teletherapy, also known as online therapy, has gained popularity in recent years, allowing individuals to receive mental health support from the comfort of their…

5 Types Of Depression And Anxiety Revealed By Research

Psychologists typically find that anxiety and depression share many overlapping symptoms. Instead of being ‘depressed’ and/or ‘anxious’, new research suggests five different types of depression and anxiety. The five are tension, anxious arousal, general anxiety, anhedonia — the inability to feel pleasure — and melancholia. Each type has its own particular symptoms and effects on the brain. The researchers describe the types as follows: 1. Tension This type is defined by irritability. People are overly sensitive, touchy, and overwhelmed. The anxiety makes the nervous system hypersensitive. 2. Anxious arousal Cognitive

Woman in the Workforce and Mental Health

  When you think about it, modern women are...
People Prone To This Emotion Are Better At Reading Facial Expressions

People Prone To This Emotion Are Better At Reading Facial Expressions

Some good can come of this emotion — not so much its close cousin, shame. People who are more prone to feeling guilt are better at reading other people’s emotions, a new study finds. The guilt-prone were able to read all types of facial emotions better, tests revealed. They were particularly good on relatively low-intensity emotions. Subtle facial expressions are (obviously) the most difficult to detect. This is not the first time guilt has been linked to empathy, as the study’s authors explain: “[there is] a large body of prior

10 Recent Psychology Studies On Children Every Parent Should Read

10 Recent Psychology Studies On Children Every Parent Should Read

Whether parents are happier than non-parents, why siblings are so different, the perils of discipline, bedtimes, TV and more…
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10-Minute Exercise That Will Reduce Your Worries

10-Minute Exercise That Will Reduce Your Worries

Escape from worries about past and future and find it easier to focus on the present moment. Just ten minutes of mindfulness each day is effective against repetitive anxious thoughts, new research reveals. The practice can also help stop your mind from wandering. People in the study who meditated for only a short period found it easier to focus on their present-moment external experience rather than their internal thoughts. Mr Mengran Xu, the study’s first author, said: “Our results indicate that mindfulness training may have protective effects on mind wandering

How Your Smartphone Can Make You Smarter

How Your Smartphone Can Make You Smarter

Researchers tested how the mere presence of a smartphone affected cognitive capacity. The mere presence of your smartphone makes you more dumb, even when it is on silent, new research finds. It doesn’t even matter if it is turned off! So, leaving your smartphone in another room actually makes you smarter. The study found that when people had their smartphones with them, their cognitive capacity was reduced. Cognitive capacity is the ability to hold and process information in the mind. Dr Adrian Ward, the study’s first author, said: “We see

The Drink That Really Is A Rapid Antidepressant

The Drink That Really Is A Rapid Antidepressant

The most well-known effect of this drink confirmed by research. Alcohol produces the neural and molecular changes of a rapid antidepressant, new research concludes. The drug lifts depression for up to 24 hours due to its effect on the brain’s chemistry. Naturally, the study’s authors were quick to warn against self-medication. Dr Kimberly Raab-Graham, the study’s first author, said: “Because of the high comorbidity between major depressive disorder and alcoholism there is the widely recognized self-medication hypothesis, suggesting that depressed individuals may turn to drinking as a means to treat

This Sleep Pattern Accelerates Memory Loss, Possible Link to Alzheimer’s

This Sleep Pattern Accelerates Memory Loss, Possible Link to Alzheimer’s

Sleep pattern lowered levels of an antioxidant that helps fight cellular damage, such as that caused by Alzheimer’s. Sleep disruptions similar to jet lag could cause memory problems linked to Alzheimer’s disease, new research finds. It’s well-known by scientists that there’s a link between Alzheimer’s and sleep, but not what causes what. Professor Gregory Brewer, who led the research, said: “The issue is whether poor sleep accelerates the development of Alzheimer’s disease or vice versa. It’s a chicken-or-egg dilemma, but our research points to disruption of sleep as the accelerator

Four Types of Depression Revealed By 1,100 Brain Scans

Four Types of Depression Revealed By 1,100 Brain Scans

Brain scans of four different types of depression could aid in the diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Four types of depression have been newly identified by researchers using brain scans. The brain scans revealed distinctly different types of brain activity in each sub-type. The finding may eventually lead to treatments targeted to the particular sub-type of depression. Dr. Conor Liston, who led the research, said: “The four subtypes of depression that we discovered vary in terms of their clinical symptoms but, more importantly, they differ in their responses to

Feeling Blue? Listen To This Type of Music

Feeling Blue? Listen To This Type of Music

“Where words leave off, music begins.” ― Heinrich Heine Beautiful but sad music can help improve mood when people are feeling blue, research finds. For the study 220 people recalled something depressing that had happened to them. They then recalled what type of music they had listened to afterwards. Choosing beautiful but sad music emerged as the only strategy that people thought had cheered them up. Dr Annemieke van den Tol, the study’s first author, explained the results: ”We found in our research that people’s music choice is linked to

Ten Things to ask for when Your Child is Diagnosed with Autism or Developmental Differences

Ten Things to ask for when Your Child is Diagnosed with Autism or Developmental Differences

As a pediatric psychologist I know that families’ journeys can be fraught with unexpected challenges. Discovering that your child has differences can be daunting. And sometimes, making sure that your child’s needs are properly met by the outside world can be even more stressful. One aspect I am especially passionate about as a psychologist is supporting the social and emotional lives of children with developmental differences, including those on the autism spectrum. The good news is that we now know more than ever why it’s essential to nurture strengths and

How To Use Social Comparisons To Motivate Exercise

How To Use Social Comparisons To Motivate Exercise

If you want to run more, use social comparison as motivation. Running is socially contagious, new research finds. Data from 1 million runners collected over five years suggests that the running bug spreads from person to person. Just knowing other people who run is enough to boost your motivation, it seems. Professor Sinan Aral, a study author, said: “Knowing the running behaviors of your friends as shared on social networks can cause you to run farther, faster, and longer.” The study’s authors write: “On the same day, on average, an