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Adrenaline is a stress hormone known as epinephrine. Produced by the adrenal glands and released into the bloodstream, adrenaline is part of the “fight or flight” response. When facing a perceived stressor or threat, this hormone stimulates the nervous system. Imagine you’re riding your bike, and a person appears suddenly, causing you to swerve. Your body will produce adrenaline, which leads to an immediate physical reaction. You may sweat, feel your heart racing, or your body shaking....

What Is the Chameleon Effect? The chameleon effect is a phenomenon that finds us mimicking the mannerisms, gestures, or facial expressions of the people we interact with most often. It causes you to subconsciously make behavioral changes to match the behavior of people in your close social circles, or even strangers. The phenomenon gets its name for the chameleon, an animal which changes the appearance of its skin to blend into any environment it finds itself in....

Texas Governor Greg Abbott considers me an abusive parent. I raised a sweet, brilliant human being who cares deeply about other people, consumes information voraciously, and who her synagogue leaders describe as “a firecracker” and “destined to change the world.” She dotes on her pit bull mix, Cap, and loves playing League of Legends with her dad. She sings to herself while folding laundry, filling the house with “Jack’s Lament” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and needs to learn to leave the door to my office closed....

Thick winter coats or snowsuits can keep your baby warm but they can compromise your child’s car seat safety. In order for car seats and boosters to function properly, the straps need to remain tight against the child’s chest. Winter coats and snowsuits change the way a child fits into the car seat. When the car seat straps don’t fit the child properly, there is a chance they will move more than they should during an accident....

If you or someone you know is trying to get pregnant, you may have heard well-meaning advice like, “Just relax, and it will happen!” But the truth is a bit more complex. Whether stress itself can make getting pregnant difficult is still a matter of debate. What is definitively known, however, is that there are stress-related factors that can make it harder to conceive. Research on Stress and Fertility There have been studies that link stress to lowered fertility, but there is also research that suggests otherwise....

The jury is still out on whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for infertility, but some studies show promising results. In a 2019 meta-analysis (a study that combines the results of smaller studies), acupuncture treatments given along with in vitro fertilization (IVF) resulted in increased pregnancies and live births, as well as fewer miscarriages. Acupuncture treatments are also known to reduce stress levels and improve relaxation, which is beneficial for anyone dealing with fertility issues....

What Is ‘Fexting’? It’s common to communicate by way of text, and that works well for everything from setting plans with a friend to asking your spouse to pick up a grocery item. However, we may have taken communication by text too far. Ahead, we’ll examine what fexting is, why it’s a problem, and how you can avoid it. Fexting Fighting over text, which is also known as “fexting,” is a potential pitfall to relationships that can cause problems and can even break up friendships or partnerships....

From grades and friendships to heartbreaks and hook-ups, there are a lot of important experiences that happen in a teenager’s life. Figuring out how to get teenagers to open up about what they’re going through gives parents a chance to offer guidance and support, and a new study in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology has found evidence for a technique that works: attentive listening. Key Takeaways New research shows that teens are more likely to open up when parents practice attentive listening....

Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment formed in the liver by the breakdown of red blood cells. High levels of bilirubin can lead to jaundice, which is characterized by yellowing of the skin and eyes. Mild jaundice is a common condition in newborns because all babies go through a period of rapid red blood cell breakdown after birth. Under these normal circumstances, mild jaundice typically disappears on its own, leaving no lasting effects....

Defining the term gifted is no easy task. Numerous definitions have been suggested and vary from state to state—but there is no universally accepted definition of giftedness. Because so many definitions and interpretations exist, people are often confused about what it really means to be gifted. Not only that, parents and teachers may find it difficult to communicate with one another because what they say is often based on different definitions....

Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that may wax and wane in severity, but it does not typically worsen with age. For some people, the symptoms of schizophrenia will improve over time while for others the symptoms will stay the same or get worse. What Causes Schizophrenia to Get Worse? There are many reasons why schizophrenia may appear to worsen over time. The symptoms of schizophrenia can make it difficult for people with the illness to follow their treatment plan, and this can cause a worsening of the illness over time....

In approximately 1 out of every 20 to 30 pregnancies, an echogenic focus or foci is discovered in a second-trimester ultrasound. These bright spots seen in the heart are called echogenic intracardiac foci (multiple) or an echogenic intracardiac focus (singular), which is often shortened to EIF, a cardiac echogenic focus, or echogenic focus. This condition is considered a normal variation and generally doesn’t affect the baby’s heart or its functioning. On ultrasound, there might be one or more bright spots found, usually in the ventricles, which pump blood....

People with diabetes can have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. The key is to keep diabetes under control to minimize or prevent complications. The more complicated diabetes is, the more problems it can cause. While gestational diabetes needs to be followed closely, if it is controlled well with diet, exercise, and medications if necessary, it is not usually as serious as having pregestational diabetes (having type 2 or type 1 diabetes before becoming pregnant)....

Dancing is a great form of exercise to improve muscle tone, strength, flexibility, mental health, and coordination—and it’s also great fun. But it may also have a positive effect on brain performance—if you dance to the right type of music, that is. Key Takeaways Listening to music with a groove rhythm can boost brain performance for those who are familiar with itResearchers found that groove music improved “executive function"Executive function is is a set of cognitive skills related to memory, organization, self-control, following directions, and multitasking Researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan found that this universal human activity may boost the “executive function” of the listener....

Librium (chlordiazepoxide) is a type of sedative known as a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety disorders and alcohol withdrawal, among other things. It was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1960, but its popularity has waned in recent years due to the high risk of dependence and addiction. As with other benzodiazepines like Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), and Valium (diazepam), Librium has a relatively long half-life, and the time it takes to eliminate the drug from the system can vary from one person to the next....

There may be several reasons a doctor recommends a planned cesarean instead of labor for your upcoming birth. Medical situations including placenta previa, maternal health conditions, or a baby with some known health concerns are a few of the potential reasons. Needing a planned cesarean does not mean that you must give up all your wishes for your upcoming birth. There are things that you can request in advance that can make the cesarean birth of your baby meaningful and special on his or her birthday....

A curfew establishes the time you expect your teen to be back home in the evenings. It’s a way for you to keep your teen safe and for your teen to demonstrate respect for the rest of the family. Overview You should establish a curfew based on what’s best for your teen and what’s best for your family. If you have to wake up early for a job, or your teen has to wake up especially early for school, you may want to establish an earlier curfew....

INTP means introverted, intuitive, thinking, and perceiving. It is one of the 16 personality types described by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). People who score as INTP are often described as quiet and analytical. They enjoy spending time alone, thinking about how things work and coming up with solutions to problems. INTPs have a rich inner world and would rather focus their attention on their internal thoughts rather than the external world....

If you struggle with depression, you may have encountered a friend or family member who insists that you’d feel better if you just got out of your room more often and tried to change your life. These notions are not only untrue for many people with depression, but they can be harmful. Many misconceptions surround depression, but suggesting that it is a choice is particularly damaging. It’s very important for you to realize that depression is not your fault....

‘Tis the season for summer camp. Each year, more than 14 million children and adults flock to camps around the US to spend time outdoors, make new friends, learn new skills, and get away from their parents. But as with so many other things, this American pastime was brought to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic. Key Takeaways After two years of crickets during the pandemic, summer camp is once again an option for the mental benefit of both children and parents....