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Cognitive restructuring is an essential part of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It is considered to be one of the most effective treatment options for mental disorders like social anxiety disorder (SAD). Also known as cognitive reframing, cognitive restructuring is a useful process for identifying and understanding unhelpful thoughts and for challenging and replacing our automatic thoughts. These thoughts are called cognitive distortions. The average person usually brushes off cognitive distortions within a few minutes....

From Madonna: Truth or Dare to Jennifer Lopez in Halftime, many celebrities have offered glimpses into their lives through documentaries. Today, more than ever, many celebrities are using documentaries to deliver intimate looks into aspects of their lives with a nuance that social media and traditional celebrity journalism don’t allow. Two recent examples are Apple TV+’s Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me and Netflix’s Stutz, directed by Oscar-nominated actor Jonah Hill....

What Is Trauma? Trauma can affect people in many ways and its effects may look different from person to person, says Jenna Hennessy, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and instructor of medical psychology (in psychiatry) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Trauma Trauma is an emotional reaction to a distressing event that causes significant fear, confusion, helplessness, or dissociation. Examples of traumatic events include war, natural disasters, assault, abuse, violence, and witnessing death, among others....

Psychiatrists and researchers once categorized depression using a pair of terms derived from Latin: endogenous (meaning “from within”) and exogenous (“from without”). These names were intended to indicate whether someone’s depression came from internal causes (such as genetics) or external causes (like a stressful or traumatic event). The old belief was that the distinction was necessary and that each type of depression had to be treated differently. Today, depression formerly referred to as “endogenous” is known as major depressive disorder (MDD)....

Health psychology, also known as medical psychology or behavioral medicine, focuses on how biology, psychology, behavior, and social factors influence health and well-being. It’s a diverse and rich field worth exploring if you’re studying to be a health professional and have an assignment that requires doing research or writing a paper. Health Psychology Research and Paper Topic Ideas Next time you’re looking for a research topic for your studies and would like to focus on health psychology, consider the suggestions that follow....

Valerian root (valeriana officinalis) is derived from a plant that originally comes from Europe and Asia. Valerian root has sedative effects and has been used for thousands of years to remedy various conditions such as arthritis, digestive problems, and headaches. Its most common use is to treat sleep problems and anxiety. While the supplement is not FDA-approved for any medical use, it is generally considered safe for adults for short-term use....

Tweens experience a variety of cognitive changes, including an increase in logical thinking. According to the American Psychological Association, children between the ages of about 7 and 12 develop more concrete logic and problem-solving skills in three main ways: conservation, classification, and reversibility. The cognitive processes of older tweens, in particular, transition from child-like reasoning to a more adult-like way of thinking, which is increasingly complex and abstract. Conservation: Outward Appearance Less Important Eminent psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) theorized that until around age 6, children lack a clear understanding of how two things with different outward appearances might actually be the same....

If you’ve been on TikTok in the past month or so, you might have heard of ‘quiet quitting,’ something that’s rising in popularity among Gen Z and millennial professionals in particular. With millions of views across all videos with the #quietquitting hashtag, it’s erupted in popularity of late. Key Takeaways The trend of ‘quiet quitting’ has been rising in popularity on TikTok and social media in recent weeks.It doesn’t actually involve quitting a job, but doing less at work—perhaps refusing to work overtime or answer emails outside of work hours....

Blushing is a normal physiological response that results in the face, neck, and/or chest becoming red. It is also a common symptom of social anxiety disorder (SAD), which involves a fear of being in the spotlight or negatively evaluated or judged by others. Blushing that is troublesome can be a source of emotional pain and misunderstanding, as others may assume that you are embarrassed or hiding something when it’s just your anxiety acting up....

All across the country, families are waiting to hear what schools are going to propose for the 2020–2021 school year. Will kids be attending school full-time, learning remotely again, or engaging in a hybrid model with both online and in-person elements? No one knows for sure at this point—especially as the coronavirus continues to surge in many states around the country. Why We Feel So Much Uncertainty According to a survey conducted by AASA, The Superintendent’s Association, 94% of superintendents nationwide said they weren’t ready to announce whether their school districts will reopen or resume in-person schooling as of June 2020....

For some, childbirth is a positive, life-changing experience that they can look back on fondly. For others, it can be a difficult, troubling, and even frightening episode in their lives that they try their best to forget. An estimated one in three births are considered to be traumatic, and the lasting effects can be both physical and psychological. As well as causing physical injuries, birth trauma can cause postpartum anxiety, difficulty bonding with your baby, and even postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)....

A baby gate is essential if you have stairs in your home. Baby safety gates can help ensure that your crawling and walking infant or toddler doesn’t fall down the stairs. Some things to consider when using a baby gate with stairs: Use a baby gate both at the bottom and top of the stairs.Use a baby gate that actually screws into the wall at the top of the stairs. Never use pressure-mounted baby safety gates at the top of a staircase; use them at the bottom, if at all....

Amid her busy schedule as an actor, producer, entrepreneur, and parent, Jessica Biel is working on making time for self-care. For her though, the term isn’t about trips to the spa or sheet masks; it’s a high-wire balancing act where the goal is to recharge and emerge as the best version of herself possible. “I can be a better mom if I can take some time alone,” Biel tells Verywell Family, adding she is actively learning to “release the guilt” that comes with focusing on her own needs....

Most of us are familiar with nitrous oxide in the context of the dentist’s office as the mild sedative that makes us feel giggly. But a recent clinical trial revealed that the substance commonly known as “laughing gas” could, perhaps unsurprisingly, serve as an effective treatment for depression. Key Takeaways A recent clinical trial showed nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, alleviated symptoms of treatment-resistant depression.There’s often stigma around “party drugs” as treatment for psychiatric disorders, even after these options are deemed effective....

Medical marijuana use continues to be decriminalized across the country, as marijuana is now legal for medical use in 38 states. A new study published in JAMA Network Open, however, found that marijuana use to treat pain, anxiety, and depression doubled the risk of developing Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD). Key Takeaways In a new study, using marijuana to treat pain, anxiety and depression failed to address symptoms, but doubled the risk of developing cannabis use disorder (CUD)....

As a woman nears her due date it is quite common to start to wonder when labor will begin and to whether there is anything that you can do to influence the beginnings of labor. Sometimes the goal is to simply have the baby. At other times, it is to avoid a medical induction of labor. You will encounter some recommendations that obviously have been passed down through the ages. For example, here are some of the folklore methods of labor induction:...

People diagnosed with anxiety disorders like panic disorder often experience uncomfortable physical symptoms, including sweating, accelerated heart rate, shaking, trembling, and tense muscles. Given the severity of these physical symptoms, it’s not surprising that many people with panic disorder seek emergency medical care. One 2016 study reported that there were 1,247,000 anxiety-related ER visits annually. Unfortunately, panic disorder is often misdiagnosed in emergency rooms due to the complexity of the condition, the wide range of symptoms, and the similarity to other illnesses....

The loss of a significant relationship can be one of life’s most difficult challenges. Divorce or separation, in particular, increases one’s risk of distressful psychological symptoms. According to some studies, it is also a potential risk factor for suicidal behavior. According to the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), which measures the relationship between life events, stress, and susceptibility to illness, divorce is considered one of the most severe life stressors....

An early use of the term “psychopathology” dates back to 1913 when the book General Psychopathology was first introduced by Karl Jaspers, a German/Swiss philosopher and psychiatrist. This new framework for understanding the mental experience of individuals followed a long history of varied attempts at making meaning out of “abnormal experiences.” What Is Psychopathology? How do we currently define psychopathology? In short, this discipline can be understood as an in-depth study of problems related to mental health....

What Is a Sliding Scale? Therapy is expensive, with cash rates in the United States averaging from $50 to $150 per session (and up to $250 or more per session in some parts of the country). Many uninsured Americans live below the poverty line and are unable to pay these rates out of pocket. In order to meet need in an affordable way, many therapists offer sliding scale fees, which means that a client’s fee is based on their ability to pay rather than a standard rate....