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Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia may negatively affect your ability to get pregnant. Fertility issues can occur in the midst of the disorder or may arise years after remission. One study found that women with a lifetime history of anorexia nervosa or bulimia were almost twice as likely compared with the general population to have sought out a doctor to discuss fertility concerns. However, other studies have found that women with eating disorders aren’t necessarily more likely to experience infertility....

Why Getting Enough Sleep Is Important Sleep disturbances are extremely common throughout the population. Many individuals have trouble sleeping at night, which impacts their quality of life and psychological well-being tremendously. One study explained that “sleep disturbances encompass various potentially overlapping symptoms and disorders including insomnia, hypersomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, circadian rhythm disturbances, and extrinsic sleep disorders (related to insufficient sleep and sleep hygiene)”. People find it difficult to fall asleep and remain asleep throughout the night....

Most are familiar with the short-term impacts of insomnia. Its long-term impacts are of particular concern in a recent study abstracted in the journal Sleep, which found that trouble falling asleep was linked to cognitive decline. Key Takeaways Trouble falling asleep predicted poorer episodic memory, executive function, language, and processing speeds.Depression and vascular disease mediate this association.Proper sleep hygeine is an important part of keeping the body and mind healthy into advanced ages....

Aquaphobia, or fear of water, is a fairly common phobia. Like all phobias, it may vary dramatically in severity from person to person. Some people are only afraid of deep water or strong waves, while others fear swimming pools and bathtubs. Some are afraid of entering the water, while others cannot bear to even look at a large body of water. Occasionally, aquaphobia is so pervasive that even being splashed or sprayed with water can cause a phobic reaction....

Dear Verywell Family readers, It is a very uncertain time in many of our lives. Whether you’re pregnant (or trying to get pregnant) and feeling stressed, a new parent learning to care for a newborn amidst the chaos, or a more experienced parent now adjusting to a new schedule at home and just trying to make it through each day—we get it and are right here with you. We know the developing information about coronavirus (COVID-19) can feel overwhelming—especially for parents dealing with the new realities of social distancing while caring for their children....

For many people trying to conceive, taking multiple early pregnancy tests becomes a habit. However, taking them before your period is expected is not recommended because even if you are pregnant the test may not produce an accurate result. Instead, it’s best to wait until at least 14 days past ovulation (DPO) before doing a pregnancy test. This is typically when enough hCG hormone would be circulating in your body for a positive reading, Holding off to 15 DPO is even better....

Family holiday gatherings can be emotionally difficult when you’re coping with infertility. The holidays may remind us that our family building has not gone the way we imagined. Seeing your siblings and cousins with their children can remind you of what you don’t have. That’s never easy. If you’re feeling stressed out just thinking about your next holiday get-together, here are some coping tips that may help. Don’t Go You’re probably thinking that is the most negative tip to start with, but it’s an important one....

Compulsive hoarding is more than really having lots of things. It’s a specific type of behavior that can have a severe impact on a person’s life. Although hoarding treatment is often very difficult to undertake, new types of cognitive-behavior therapy offer hope. Let’s explore more about hoarding treatment. What Is Compulsive Hoarding? Compulsive or pathological hoarding is a problematic behavior characterized by: Acquiring and failing to throw out a large number of items that would appear to have little or no value to others, such as old magazines, containers, clothes, books, junk mail, receipts, notes, or listsSevere cluttering of the person’s home so that the home is no longer able to function as a viable living spaceSignificant distress or impairment in work or social life Treatments for Hoarding Hoarding, either alone or in the presence of OCD, usually does not respond well to medical or psychological treatments....

What are the effects of smartphones on the brain? Given the prevalence of smartphones today, it is a question of interest for healthcare practitioners, mental health professionals, educators, parents, and anyone who happens to use a smartphone on a regular basis. If you were asked to go a day without your smartphone, do you think you could do it easily? Researchers who have asked participants to go without their phones for various periods of time have found that breaking the technology habit, even for a relatively short interval, can be exceedingly difficult....

To tell or not to tell? It was one of the first questions that crossed my mind during both of my pregnancies. The first time around, I barely waited for the test stick to dry before I was shouting the news to my parents and closest friends—and by closest, I mean those who heard way too much about my menstrual cycle while trying to conceive. Everyone else, however, had to wait....

People have been using marijuana (aka cannabis) for its psychoactive, spiritual, and medicinal purposes as far back as 2500 BC. Nevertheless, research on the side effects of marijuana remains limited because of its illegal status in the U.S. and many other countries. Although the results of existing studies are mixed, some research suggests that the long-term effects of marijuana use might include issues with memory, speed of thought, and other cognitive abilities....

Middle school can be a lot of fun in many ways. Middle schoolers are learning independence, developing new skills and making new friends. Unfortunately, middle school is also drama central. There’s a lot of drama happening in middle school, from gossiping to arguments to bullying. And now that your child is in middle school, there’s no escaping it. But you can help your child minimize school drama. Tips to Help Kids Avoid Middle School Drama Teaching her how to avoid or minimize school drama will help your child not only in middle school but in high school, college, and beyond....

Deciding whether to tell a friend, family member, romantic partner, or even an employer about a sexual assault is completely up to you. There isn’t a right or wrong decision about disclosure, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer either. In fact, trauma can play a significant role in disclosure after the event, and many cases go undisclosed for years. Trigger Warning This article contains information about sexual violence and rape that may be triggering for some survivors....

Alcoholic drinks fit into many of our lives as part of meals and social occasions. While the recommendations are pretty clear as to alcohol during pregnancy, the recommendations during breastfeeding are less clear cut. Traditionally, people were told that alcohol is a galactagogue—a substance that promotes the production of breast milk. However, research shows that alcohol may actually reduce supply. Yet the perception that alcohol is not a problem once the baby is born has been persistent, so parents often make poorly informed decisions about drinking and breastfeeding....

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that affects the person’s memory, thinking, and behavior. “This condition affect the person’s ability to perform daily tasks. It tends to start with more complex tasks, but eventually affects more simple ones as well,” says Richard Marottoli, MD, MPH, a geriatrician at Yale Medicine who specializes in treating Alzheimer’s disease. For approximately 5% of patients, the symptoms first start to appear between the ages of 30 and 60, which is referred to as early-onset Alzheimer’s disease....

Goals matter. Setting the right goals, having a plan to reach those goals, and following through on what is required to reach or maintain those goals may help you feel greater happiness and fulfillment while reducing stress levels. Goals can also be a source of stress. They can create excessive pressure and make you feel bad when you don’t achieve the goals you have set. This is particularly true if goals are unrealistically high or if you don’t have a workable plan in place....

Phototherapy, also known as light therapy and light box therapy, is the use of light to treat disorders. It has been classically used to treat seasonal depression and may also be effective for people with bipolar disorder. How It Works Light therapy generally involves full-spectrum bright light exposure directly onto the eyes using a light source, such as a light box or a light visor. With a light box, the patient sits in front of the light while a visor allows for more mobility....

What can you do when your spouse won’t listen to you? If you think your words are falling on deaf ears, it can take its toll on a marriage. Listening—Is the Door Closed? Think of a marriage as two connecting hotel rooms with adjoining doors. Openness in a marriage is keeping both doors open all the time. This type of openness comes from a willingness to share from one’s heart. If your partner closes the door to his/her room, you can’t open it....

Negative emotions are unpleasant and disruptive emotional reactions. Examples of negative emotions include sadness, fear, anger, or jealousy. These feelings aren’t just unpleasant; they also make it hard to function in your normal daily life, and they interfere with your ability to accomplish goals. It is important to note that no emotion, including a negative one, is inherently bad. It’s perfectly normal to feel these things in certain contexts or situations....

What Are Neurodevelopmental Disorders? Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) are types of disorder that influence how the brain functions and alters neurological development, causing difficulties in social, cognitive, and emotional functioning. The most common NDs are autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Many NDs are not as well known or widely studied. NDs usually onset during stages of development which makes them most present in toddlers, children, and adolescents, but continue to persist into adulthood, or may go undiagnosed until one is an adult....