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Despite Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, not everyone is on the same page when it comes to socializing safely during the pandemic. Individuals can make their own decisions, but there’s an added stress when their consequences can affect more than just the decision-maker. Key Takeaways Not everyone’s COVID-19 safety views will align when it comes to socializing, so clear communication is necessary.Having a conversation about consent and boundaries ahead of a date or hangout can mitigate discomfort or misunderstanding and allow you to relax in the moment....

While race has always been extremely relevant in this country, there have been more discussions about it in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder at the hands of Derek Chauvin, and the protests that followed. Unfortunately, given how little the American public education system has invested in developing the skills to explore topics of race ethically, such discussions risk exorbitant emotional labor demands of BIPOC folx. With that in mind, this article will explore some strategies for talking about race in a way that is mindful and prevents further harm to BIPOC folx....

I’m someone who has always had a positive relationship with drugs. In my early 20s, I used psilocybin as mushrooms to move through major teenage trauma. What I experienced in a week accomplished more for me than two years of previous therapy did. I Tried It is a series that features accounts of real experiences with innovative new treatments, techniques, or practices that are making waves in the mental health world....

Learning style inventories are designed to help respondents determine which learning style they have. These inventories typically take the form of a questionnaire that focuses on how people prefer to learn. Respondents choose the answers that most closely resemble their own preferences. Overview Learning style inventories are based on the idea that people have different strengths and preferences when it comes to learning. Many theories exist suggesting that people can be classified based on their predominant learning ‘style....

Sigmund Freud’s theory of life and death drives evolved throughout his life and career. Initially, he described a class of drives known as life instincts that he believed were responsible for much of our behavior. Eventually, however, Freud came to believe that life instincts alone could not explain all human behavior. With the publication of his book “Beyond the Pleasure Principle” in 1920, Freud concluded that all instincts fall into one of two major classes: life drives and death drives—later dubbed Eros and Thanatos by other psychologists....

Other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED), formerly known as eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) in previous versions of the DSM, is less well known than higher-profile diagnoses like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Despite its lack of public attention, as a catch-all category that includes a wide range of symptoms, OSFED is actually the most common eating disorder diagnosis, representing an estimated 32% to 53% of all people with eating disorders....

From March 2020 onwards, my brain focused on one thing: survive the pandemic until the vaccine is available. Life was undeniably miserable, terrifying, and isolating, but the long-term goal was clear. Common rhetorics were “Once we have the vaccine, I’ll do this” or “After I get the vaccine, I’ll go there.” This clear marker of when life would go back to normal made the waiting—almost—bearable. Key Takeaways With the pandemic still going strong even after widespread vaccine distribution, it can feel never-ending....

Determining how much screen time a child should get is one of the most guilt-inducing decisions we make as modern parents. We constantly ask ourselves how much is too much, or if we are “bad” parents for relying on screen time. Mona Amin, DO is a board-certified general pediatrician, the founder of Peds Doc Talk, and a mother to 2-year-old Ryaan. For our Ask Dr. Mom series, Dr. Amin is sharing how she approaches screen time as both a doctor and a mom....

Psychology’s most famous figure is also one of the most influential and controversial thinkers of the 20th century. Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist born in 1856, is often referred to as the “father of modern psychology.” Freud revolutionized how we think about and treat mental health conditions. Freud founded psychoanalysis as a way of listening to patients and better understanding how their minds work. Psychoanalysis continues to have an enormous influence on modern psychology and psychiatry....

A great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your preschooler is to have a leprechaun visit. It’s a fun little prank you can play in the house and a bit like having the tooth fairy stop by, only leprechauns tend to cause a lot more mischief. Build the Excitement for Leprechauns Leprechauns are mythical figures in Irish folklore. While they are best known for hiding a pot of at the end of the rainbow, they are also supposed to be very, very naughty, playing lots of tricks on unsuspecting humans....

Whether you’re new to yoga or you practice regularly, having the right clothes for class can help you stay comfortable and distraction-free. “Your yoga clothes should be comfortable and allow you maximum range of motion. You’re going to be bending, reaching, and maybe even upside down during your practice, so you want clothes that will move with you,” says Rebecca Stiles, RD, CYT 500, a yoga teacher and writer in Chicago, Illinois....

You’ve probably heard people jokingly proclaim themselves “OCD” as they straighten an askew picture on the wall or wipe their shopping cart handle down with antibacterial wipes, but are they just perfectionists or do they really have OCD? How common is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)? What factors lead to a diagnosis? What Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by two core symptoms—obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are thoughts, images, or ideas that won’t go away, are unwanted, and cause extreme distress....

Emotional awareness is essentially being able to identify the emotions you’re experiencing at any given time. To manage your emotions effectively, particularly with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you first need to be as sure as possible of what you’re feeling. PTSD and Emotional Awareness Not knowing for sure what emotions you’re feeling makes it harder to control them. That’s why it’s important to learn ways to increase your emotional awareness. You can start by learning to identify where you and others are on the emotional awareness ladder or spectrum....

Nonverbal intelligence is the ability to analyze information and solve problems using visual, or hands-on reasoning. In other words, it is the ability to make sense of and act on the world without necessarily using words. What Are Nonverbal Skills? Nonverbal tasks may involve concepts such as: Concrete or abstract ideas Internalized language-based reasoning Internalized reasoning without language Nonverbal tasks involve skills like: Performing visual analogiesRecognizing causal relationships in pictured situationsRecognizing visual sequences and remembering themUnderstanding the meaning of visual information and recognizing relationships between visual concepts Nonverbal Intelligence as Common Sense In school, nonverbal intelligence enables students to analyze and solve complex problems without relying upon or being limited by language abilities....

Is your diet causing your panic attacks? Studies have shown that people with panic disorder are more sensitive to certain substances than people without the disorder. When people with panic disorder consume these substances, they experience increased anxiety or a panic attack. Get the facts about both known and suspected triggers for such episodes. Caffeine in Your Diet and Panic Attacks Many people enjoy their morning cup of coffee or a midday soft drink....

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around five million adults were living with dementia in the U.S. in 2014. Most of these adults would have been living with Alzheimer’s disease—it’s the most common form, and it’s the one that probably comes to mind for many of us when we think about dementia. Key Takeaways Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a less common form of dementia, and one that not as many people are aware of....

Video gaming has long gotten a bad rap—but a new study shows it may actually be good for cognitive development in children. Key Takeaways A new study found that playing video games may be good for a child’s cognitive development.Children who played video games performed better on working memory and impulse control tests.We still need more research on the positive and negative effects of video games to say how much gaming is okay for kids....

There was a point about two weeks into having my newborn home that I realized I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I had read all the books, made all the checklists, and bought all the online classes—but I still felt like I was failing myself and my new baby, who had a hard time latching and who would sleep for only 20 minutes at a time. I remember feeling so frustrated that my baby would not get into the program that I had carefully researched for her....

Alogia comes from the Greek words meaning “without speech” and refers to a poverty of speech that results from impairment in thinking that affects language abilities. More specifically, it involves using fewer words, answering only what is directly asked, and speaking in a way that may be vague, repetitive, or overly concrete. Alogia can be a symptom of various conditions, but it is most commonly associated with schizophrenia and is considered a “negative symptom,” meaning that it takes away the ability to do something....

Progesterone is commonly referred to as the pro-gestational hormone or the “pregnancy hormone” because of its role in creating an ideal environment for conception and sustaining early pregnancy. Before a woman becomes pregnant, progesterone helps prepare the uterus for implantation. After ovulation, a mass of cells called a corpus luteum forms on the ovary. The corpus luteum produces progesterone until the placenta takes over toward the end of the first trimester....