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What Is Chronic Anxiety? Everyone feels anxious from time to time. Most people occasionally worry about things like their work, school, finances, family, friends, or health. However, if you find that you often experience fear or anxiety, or cannot stop yourself from worrying constantly, you may have an anxiety disorder. In fact, according to a 2017 study, anxiety disorders tend to be chronic, long-term conditions, with periods of more and less severe symptoms....

What sets cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) apart from other forms of psychotherapy is the emphasis it places on the interactive role of cognitions—automatic thoughts, images, belief systems—and behaviors. CBT certainly does not ignore emotions, but rather targets problematic thinking and behavior patterns as the entry point to understanding and addressing the difficulties for which people seek treatment. CBT was originally designed as a treatment for depression and research has consistently demonstrated that it is an effective therapeutic approach for mood problems....

Of all the miracles of the human body, amniotic fluid deserves a special place. Essential for fetal growth, development, and safety prior to birth, amniotic fluid is made from the parent’s plasma beginning about the twelfth day after conception. By the eighth week of gestation, the baby’s kidneys begin to make urine. Amniotic fluid is composed of less parental plasma and more fetal urine until birth. For the fluid to properly serve all its functions, there must be a certain volume present throughout gestation....

Antidepressants are among the most frequently prescribed medications in the U.S. From 2015 through 2018, more than 14% of people 12 and older said they took an antidepressant in the last month. Perhaps the most recognizable among them is Prozac (fluoxetine). It’s still the best option for many people, but since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1987, Prozac has been joined by a variety of other antidepressant medications....

Excessive drinking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States, and even though millions of Americans are battling a substance use disorder, only 1 in 10 receive specialty treatment. Alcohol rehabilitation services can be expensive, but health insurance does cover them, partially or in full. Coverage depends on your plan, but chances are you have more options than you think. If you’re in need of alcohol recovery treatment, check your health insurance policy to see what alcohol-related services are available to you....

When you have an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder (BED), it’s not uncommon to have anxiety in situations involving eating in front of others or to have concerns about how others perceive your body in social situations. In some cases, such symptoms could also be signs of another mental health issue, specifically social anxiety disorder (SAD). People with eating disorders can often have another mental health issue, such as generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)....

Some people say that using colored paper or text rather than plain white paper or black font can improve learning and performance. One claim is that printing text on green paper helps students read better, while another is that yellow paper helps students perform better on math exams. How accurate are these claims? Here’s how to design a psychology experiment around this theory. The Foundation of a Psychology Experiment Does the color of the paper or the color of the text really have an impact on how much a student learns or how well they perform on an exam?...

The best snacks for active kids in sports help them support growth while having enough energy to be active in their sport. This involves not just refueling for practice and play, but also refueling to ensure adequate energy stores for the next time they participate. Like with all kids, you want to allow autonomy in food choices and also create snacks and meals that are appealing. The sky is the limit when it comes to what foods are best for pre-game and post-game fueling....

Going to work is part of daily life for most people in the world. A job can provide meaning, importance, and the opportunity to have a desirable standard of living. However, experiencing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can make productive work extremely difficult. Being successful and satisfied in your career is a key reason to manage the disorder, but choosing to disclose your GAD diagnosis to your boss or coworkers can be tricky....

Research indicates that there might be a genetic component to suicide. However, researchers are unsure of how much genetics affect suicidal behavior. This article examines the latest scientific developments on how genetics affects suicidal behavior. Suicide Statistics Suicide is a prevalent global condition. Each year, approximately 1.5 million people across the world commit suicide. Some studies estimate that 1.4% of all deaths are caused by suicide. Even with decades of research, scientists might never really understand suicidal behavior and its causes....

Dealing with depression can make it tough to get through the workday. While some workplaces offer mental health support and accommodations to staff, finding empathy from your manager may come down to their gender, according to a new report from Sweden published in BMJ Public Health. Key Takeaways A Swedish study on more than 2,600 people found that male managers hold greater stigmas against workplace depression than their female counterparts.Depression is a relatively common mental health condition, affecting around 16 million Americans every year....

The negative effects that white supremacy have on mental health are well documented but in order to combat these harms, it’s important to know where racist acts are taking place. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found that Black youth experienced more racial harassment online compared to their white counterparts. Key Takeaways Online racial harassment was experienced by 1 in 2 Black adolescents during the study period....

Learning your child has schizophrenia—or suspecting your child may have it—can feel overwhelming and scary. But early identification and treatment are important in managing their symptoms and improving your child’s long-term prognosis. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that causes people to interpret reality abnormally. It involves a range of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems that impair a child’s ability to function. This article discusses the symptoms, causes, and prevalence of schizophrenia in children....

As you lounge on your sofa with your 8-year-old child, who is hungrily reading through the next chapter of their book, a memory photo pops up on your phone. A wide-eyed 2-year-old stares up at you from the screen, with the same fluffy hair as the school-age child on the other end of the couch. You look up at your real-life child, engrossed in their reading and in an instant the image of the toddler on your screen stretches longer, having aged 6 years....

Second grade is when most kids start to feel more confident as students. For many second graders, this will be their third year at school, after stints in first grade and kindergarten. For others who may have attended preschool, it may be their fourth or fifth year of being in a school setting. School routines, such as group meetings, sharing stories, independent and group work, and transitioning between second-grade activities will feel familiar....

Does parenting on your own leave you feeling exhausted? Burned out? Irritable … even angry? You could be experiencing the everyday symptoms of single-parent stress. And while it’s unavoidable, your need for self-care is something you should never ignore—because taking care of yourself is an important part of taking care of your kids. After all, you’re the most important person in their lives. And if you’re not 100%, you can’t give them 100% of what they need....

When it comes to the raw materials of reproduction, you probably know the basics. The sperm fertilizes the egg, which leads to the creation of an embryo, which leads (eventually) to a baby. Of course, there’s more to it than that. You may even have some questions specifically about the sperm part. For example, how is sperm made? How long does sperm last? Can sperm count be improved? To learn more, we turned to the experts ahead....

Rolling over is one of the first big milestones that babies reach. This is their first foray into the world of mobility, and it’s an exciting development for both them and their parents. As you begin to think about your baby reaching this milestone, you may have questions. If your baby doesn’t seem to be interested in rolling over or seems far away from being able to, you may wonder when babies typically gain this skill and if and when you should be concerned....

Leggings make a classic addition to any workout wardrobe. But once it gets cold outside, you might start craving something a little warmer than your go-to running tights. And in these moments, trading your typical tights for a pair of fleece-lined leggings can make a cold-weather workout much more comfortable. When shopping for fleece-lined leggings, you’ll want to keep an eye out for a few things. “First, make sure the leggings are actually fleece-lined, as some are just thicker leggings with a softer feel,” says Amie Dworecki, head running coach at Running With Life....

The five Ds is a set of tools that can help you quickly respond to the urge to smoke a cigarette. When you quit smoking, your body goes through nicotine withdrawal, an intense phase of smoking cessation. Withdrawal includes everything from unpleasant physical symptoms to feelings of sadness and seemingly nonstop thoughts of smoking. Even after withdrawal, you may feel urges to smoke several months after quitting. No matter where you are in your journey of quitting, the five Ds are healthy coping mechanisms; you can use one of them or a combination that works for you to manage your cravings....