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When you spend your time volunteering, you’re certainly using your time constructively. Whether it’s building houses for Habitat for Humanity or working at a food bank on the weekends, volunteering also makes you feel good. At the same time that you’re giving back to others, volunteering also gives you a variety of physical and mental health benefits. What Is Volunteer Work and Why Is It Important? When you volunteer, you freely give your time with no expectation of any compensation....

Classical and operant conditioning are two important concepts central to behavioral psychology. There are similarities between classical and operant conditioning. Both result in learning and both suggest that a subject can adapt to their environment. However, the processes are also quite different. To understand how each of these behavior modification techniques can be used, it is also essential to understand how classical and operant conditioning differ from one another. Overview Let’s take a look at some of the most basic differences....

After your son’s circumcision, there will be either a visible incision or a plastibell, which is a small plastic ring. Learn how to care for him when you bring him home. Plastibell Circumcision After a plastibell circumcision, a plastic rim is left on the penis while it heals for the first week. After the first day, you don’t need to use the gauze dressing. You can apply a lubricant to the penis after washing and cleaning the area with warm water....

Many people with alcohol use disorders also have sleep problems. They may fall asleep easily, but excessive alcohol use disrupts their sleep during the latter part of the night. If you drink to excess, even occasionally, you have probably experienced sleep problems. “Three or more drinks will cause the average person to fall asleep sooner than usual,” says Shawn R. Currie of the University of Calgary. “However, falling asleep faster is the only real benefit of alcohol for sleep....

Carrying your phone, cash, and other items in your hands or pockets while running can be annoying and unsafe. Armbands with storage are convenient, but often constricting and can lead to painful chafing. Running belts are a comfortable and hands-free way to carry your essentials. There are lots of style and storage options so you can find the right one for your needs. When shopping for a running belt, you’ll want to consider the type of storage it provides....

One of the most highly claimed benefits of chromium picolinate is that it helps with weight loss, although it’s not clear that it actually works as a diet aid. Chromium picolinate supplements are also thought to potentially serve as a natural depression treatment. Before you head to the health food store and pick some up, it’s helpful to learn some of the research-based chromium benefits. We also answer a few of the most frequently asked questions about this mineral, such as when you should take a chromium picolinate supplement....

If being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) isn’t challenging enough, imagine how it would feel to be faced with a separate mental disorder that affects your very ability to think, feel, or behave rationally. Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder, and it’s estimated that as many as 25% of people with schizophrenia also experience obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). About 12% fulfill the diagnostic criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Schizophrenia and OCD are entirely independent of each other, both in their cause and symptoms, but share characteristics that place some individuals at higher risk of both....

A diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression commonly co-occur. PTSD is characterized by symptoms of anxiety, flashbacks, and reliving traumatic experiences. The condition develops after a person experiences some sort of traumatic event such as a natural disaster, car accident, attack, abuse, or combat. On the other hand, depression is characterized by low mood, loss of interest and pleasure, and changes in energy levels. Information presented in this article may be triggering for some people....

What Is Wellbutrin? Wellbutrin (bupropion) is an antidepressant used to help treat a number of health conditions. It comes as an immediate-release, sustained-release, or extended-release tablet that is taken orally. One factor that makes Wellbutrin especially unique among antidepressants is that it doesn’t tend to affect sexual function or reduce libido, and may even increase it. In fact, Wellbutrin is often prescribed along with other antidepressants to help counter their sexual side effects, like loss of desire....

What Is 4-7-8 Breathing? 4-7-8 breathing is a technique for deep relaxation conceived by Harvard-trained medical doctor and founder of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine Dr. Andrew Weil. Many use this counting technique to manage stress and anxiety through controlled breathing. Specifically, it involves inhaling for the count of four, holding your breath for the count of seven, and exhaling for the count of eight. In May of 2015, Dr....

There’s a difference between being alone and chronically lonely. When you’re alone, it can be an active choice to be in solitude. You enjoy deep, fulfilling connections with others while having intentional time away on your own. Chronic loneliness is a profound aloneness from being involuntarily isolated from meaningful relationships for a long period of time. You may be around others but still feel like you are an island of your own....

One of the most frightening experiences a person can have is hearing a friend or loved one say they want to die. While it can be tempting to cope with this information by labeling it as attention-seeking behavior or clinging to the myth that people who talk about suicide don’t actually follow through (which is simply untrue), it’s important to take all warning signs of suicide and suicidal ideation seriously....

You have done this before, perhaps even more than once. Yet the newest pregnancy always seems to be harder than the one before it. While every pregnancy is different, it is not uncommon to find your second or subsequent pregnancy more challenging. You are coping with the demands of carrying a baby whilst simultaneously caring for the child (or children) you might already have. You will probably find yourself asking if it was always this hard....

Do you ever think that psychology majors might be just a little different than other students? Are there certain characteristics that set you apart? Probably so. Signs That You’re a Psychology Major Here are 15 sure-fire signs that you are a psychology major: People think you are a mind reader. When you tell people what you are majoring in, they ask if you can read their mind. You spend more time on APA format than any other subject....

At 7 weeks pregnant, you may feel like you’re expecting, but you don’t quite look like it yet. You may have gained a couple of pounds or even lost some weight due to morning sickness. You may be “glowing” or struggling with acne. But, no matter your outward appearance, there are certainly some big changes happening inside. Your Baby’s Development at 7 Weeks At 7 weeks, a baby is a little more than 1/3 of an inch long (about 1 centimeter)....

According to experts, the 2020 presidential election is likely exacerbating the mental health crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before COVID-19 appeared, stress around the 2020 presidential election was exceptionally high. According to the 2019 Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association, more than half of U.S. adults reported feeling a significant amount of stress about the 2020 presidential election. Key Takeaways The 2020 election is adding to increasing stress and anxiety many people have felt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic....

Many of us have heard of DHA, which is a common supplement added to formula and other baby nutrition items. And although many of us associate DHA with babies’ health, a 2017 study is questioning whether or not the supplement can help premature babies. What Is DHA? DHA, which actually is a long-chain fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid, has long been associated with boosting health for babies, especially in the brain....

When you find out you’re pregnant, you may immediately begin wondering what kinds of changes you need to make to your diet. If you love cooking with plenty of hot chili peppers in your food, you might start to question whether spicy foods are safe for you to eat now. The good news is that eating spicy food will not harm you or your baby. “There is no inherent harm to spicy food in the health of mom or health and development of the baby,” explains Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD, a Texas-based registered dietitian nutritionist and licensed dietitian....

If you pump, or hand express, your breast milk at different times during the day, you may be wondering if you can combine the breast milk from different collections into one storage container. Well, if you follow the proper guidelines, you can. Here’s what you need to know. When You Can and Cannot Combine Breast Milk When you’re dealing with your child and your breast milk, safety is the top priority....

Fertility drugs have a reputation for causing multiple pregnancies. But for every 20 pregnancies conceived with Clomid, only one will result in twins. Clomid (clomiphene), a pill taken by mouth to induce ovulation, causes twin pregnancies between 5% and 12% of the time. That’s fewer than one in 10 pregnancies. Your odds of conceiving triplets (or more) on Clomid is even lower: less than 1% (less than one in 100 pregnancies)....