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After a nine-plus-month hiatus from menstrual bleeding, your first post-baby period can come as a surprise. Without having a recent last period, it is hard to guess when the next one will arrive. And if you’ve had unprotected sex after the baby came, you may be nervous about getting pregnant again before you are emotionally and physically ready. Menstrual Changes After Childbirth During pregnancy, you learn a lot about your body and get lots of guidance from other women....

Missing someone hurts. The ache of yearning for another person can cause you to experience sadness, emptiness, despair, or a deep sense of absence. Most people understand that these feelings are normal following the loss of a loved one or when a close friend moves away. It can be a lot more confusing to feel this way when you find yourself longing for someone after ending your relationship with them. Why would you still miss someone you don’t want to be with anymore?...

Mental health resources for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are essential today with the rise of hate and discrimination directed toward these communities. According to a report issued by Stop AAPI Hate, a group that works to track incidents of racially motivated harassment and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise. Between March 19, 2020, and February 28, 2021, almost 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents were reported....

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by problems with attention, impulse control, and hyperactivity. It usually develops in childhood, but may not be diagnosed until adolescence or adulthood. Approximately 9% of children in the United States between the ages of 13 and 18 have ADHD, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). It is four times more likely to be diagnosed in boys than in girls. The struggles that children with ADHD face, such as difficulty paying attention, may become apparent once they start school....

The actor-observer bias is a term in social psychology that refers to a tendency to attribute one’s own actions to external causes while attributing other people’s behaviors to internal causes. It is a type of attributional bias that plays a role in how people perceive and interact with other people. Essentially, people tend to make different attributions depending upon whether they are the actor or the observer in a situation....

There are two options for legally ending a marriage or domestic partnership, divorce and annulment, and there are similarities and differences between the two. For example, the type of evidence required to obtain an annulment vs. a divorce is different. The biggest difference between a divorce and an annulment is that a divorce ends a legally valid marriage, while an annulment formally declares a marriage to have been legally invalid. Divorce: A legal dissolving, termination, and ending of a legally valid marriage....

Let’s face it. Pregnancy can be stressful, especially if you let your mind wander to “what if” questions and scenarios. Stress also can rear its ugly head in terms of obligations and conflicts too. Having other kids to care for, juggling a demanding career and pregnancy, or navigating challenging family dynamics, can all make you feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Even the nightly news and your social media feeds can tax your mental reserves....

If you think you or a loved one may have borderline personality disorder (BPD), it can be very helpful to educate yourself about borderline personality disorder diagnosis. Being armed with some information can help you to take the next important step: making an appointment for an assessment with a mental health professional. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) The DSM, which is published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the official source of diagnostic information for psychiatric disorders, including BPD and related conditions....

The list of things to avoid while pregnant is so daunting, it can make you suspicious of nearly every food, activity, or product in your life. And when it comes to skincare and haircare ingredients, it can be downright confusing—and surprising. Even some of the ones taken straight from Mother Nature herself are hard no’s or come with their own set of risks. Consider something seemingly as innocuous as tea tree oil....

If you are trying to get pregnant, you’re likely aware that fertile cervical mucus and a sustained rise in temperature are two important signs that it’s time. But what does it mean if you have days of fertile cervical mucus but your temperature seems to be all over the place? What could be causing this and what are the next steps? Mucus, Temperature, and Ovulation Usually, fertile cervical mucus—a watery to raw egg-white like vaginal discharge—will precede ovulation....

Racial disparities often lead to poor mental health. Now, a study published in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may not be the best fit for Black patients seeking therapy. Key Takeaways Therapists found cognitive change strategies to be more therapeutic with white patients than Black patients.Therapists reported validation techniques to be more therapeutic for Black patients than white patients.Especially since racial trauma often negatively impacts the mental health of Black individuals, culturally safe treatment approaches are needed for psychotherapy....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance for childcare programs during the pandemic, replacing the advisory documents that were published in the summer of 2020. Key Takeaways Updated guidance from the CDC aims to help childcare program providers prevent the spread of COVID-19.The guidelines include a recommendation for mask wearing for everyone 2 years of age and older.Providers are also encouraged to take steps to improve ventilation and hygiene, and keep children in separate “cohorts” as much as possible....

We want to believe that all little kids are complete angels, incapable of inflicting harm on each other, but the unhappy reality is, they are. While it’s unlikely that you’ll find a 3-year-old stuffing his classmate into a cubby, sadly, preschool bullies are very real and have lots of methods of inflicting emotional and physical harm on their pint-sized classmates. Teasing, taunting, exclusion, and even hitting, kicking and other forms of bodily injury can certainly exist in a preschool classroom....

You’re probably aware that prenatal vitamins are important for the health of a developing baby during pregnancy, but can they also help prevent miscarriage? While research shows the clear benefit of taking prenatal vitamins to lower the risk of neural tube defects and support fetal development, the data on prenatal vitamins and miscarriage have not been so conclusive. What the Evidence Shows A 2011 review of studies with more than 96,000 pregnant women, found that “taking any vitamin supplements prior to pregnancy or in early pregnancy does not prevent women from experiencing miscarriage or stillbirth....

As the United States approaches nearly 80 million Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, it’s likely that you, or someone you know, has had it at some point. And while we know the symptoms’ impact in the short-term, the virus’ lasting effects still remain somewhat of a mystery. Key Takeaways A new study suggests even mild cases of Covid-19 can cause changes in the brain.Researchers examined brain scans to determine that those who’d been infected with Covid-19 showed greater loss of gray matter and abnormalities in brain tissue....

Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / RSS Every Friday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, shares the “Friday Fix”—a short episode featuring a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern. Friday Fix: Episode 208 There’s more than one way to tackle the same problem–especially when it comes to mental health problems. Some therapists focus on problems and all the things that contribute to emotional pain and suffering....

Every Monday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life. Meet Michael Baldwin and Deborah Korn, PsyD Michael Baldwin has worked in advertising for more than 35 years. He’s also a firm believer in EMDR treatment. After seeing several different therapists and trying different types of treatment, he says EMDR saved his life....

Eating disorders can be extremely dangerous and potentially deadly illnesses. People with eating disorders frequently experience medical complications, which can affect all systems of the body. As a result, sometimes people with eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, may require treatment in a hospital or residential treatment center (RTC). Both inpatient hospitalization and residential treatment centers for eating disorders provide patients with additional support, structure, medical care and monitoring....

Sleep and fertility. Have you ever thought about how they relate to one another? Sleep plays a vital role in all our lives, affecting the quality of life, overall health, and, importantly, fertility. Getting a good night’s sleep helps refresh and restore your brain and organ systems and regulate important hormones in your body – including fertility-related hormones. Lack of Sleep Can Affect Fertility-Related Hormones Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of Americans don’t get enough sleep....

Many mental health disorders show similar symptoms. However, there are important differences that mental health professionals look for in order to provide an accurate diagnosis. Provided here is a brief look at the differences between phobias and other mental health disorders. Psychotic Disorders Some of the psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia and delusional disorder, can cause fears that resemble phobias or another anxiety disorder in many ways. However, those with psychotic disorders typically believe that their fears are well-founded and based in reality....