New parents tend to put the needs of their babies above their own, sacrificing sleep to nurture and nourish their newborns. But even superheroes come down with the sniffles or a cough every now and then. When you do, you want to get back to your best as soon as possible so you can be there for your little one. One question many new parents have is whether they can take cold medicine while breastfeeding....
Being pregnant is a truly transformative experience—for your body, mind, and life in general. And although it can be a magical experience, it’s easy to get bombarded with the barrage of dos and don’ts that come with the baby-brewing territory. But not all of them fit neatly into either a yes or no category. This is especially true when it comes to your beauty and skincare routines. The waters of self-care while pregnant can become murky, even when it comes to popular products and treatments....
If you have difficulty with overeating, you may wonder whether cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you stop your problem behaviors and food addiction. This example puts you in the place of a fictitious person who has characteristics and circumstances often seen in people who come for treatment for food addiction. This can show you what happens in CBT and how it can help people stop overeating. Overeating and Binge Eating Behaviors You are a person with a binge eating disorder who binges on candy, cookies, and chocolate several times a day....
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder in children. And as ADHD already affects a child’s ability to plan, pay attention and regulate emotions, a global crisis can exacerbate the everyday challenges these individuals face. Key Takeaways Everyday challenges for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been exacerbated by the pandemic.Difficulties in managing virtual learning can feed a vicious cycle of frustration and anxiety.It’s crucial that parents take an active role in providing support and seeking treatment if necessary....
Craniopagus parasiticus is an extremely rare type of parasitic twin that results when twins are joined at the head but one does not fully develop. The skulls are fused together but only one twin develops a body while the other does not. The twin who develops is referred to as the autosite twin and the one that doesn’t develop is called the parasitic twin. Causes of Craniopagus Parasiticus Conjoined twins occur when the process that separates most identical (monozygotic) twins doesn’t result in a complete separation....
Potty training with underwear is likely one of the multitude of methods you’ll hear about from other moms when planning for this important milestone. Some parents swear by this effective (yet messy) approach while others prefer the pull-up route. What works and what doesn’t when it comes to potty training is entirely up to you and your child. Still, it never hurts to learn about the pros and cons of using various undergarments during potty training....
Emotion regulation therapy (ERT) is a type of psychotherapy that has been successfully tested in adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and those with co-occurring GAD and major depressive disorder (MDD). Born out of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) tradition, ERT integrates components of cognitive, acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches. Preliminary studies of the mechanism of the intervention (i.e., the possible ways in which it is impacting change) support the idea that this type of talk therapy helps people better attend to emotional conflict and become less reactive to it....
Estrangement, as it is most often referred to, is when family members cut off contact with their close relatives. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including discrimination (such as homophobia and transphobia), trauma, and a radical disconnect when it comes to someone’s values. Key Takeaways Estrangement is a common occurrence in American families.Spending time with chosen family and creating space for new definitions of family can help alleviate those challenges....
It probably comes as no surprise to you that kids love pets—especially if your own kids have been begging you for a dog or a cat. After all, pets offer a special kind of companionship that children seem to instinctively know they won’t be able to find anywhere else. Not only do animals love unconditionally, but they are always ready to listen without judgment. In fact, studies show that pet ownership may benefit kids in a number of ways....
Children with learning disabilities may also exhibit behavior problems or have co-occurring behavior disorders. In some cases, learning disabilities can lead to behavior problems such as acting out, avoidance, and emotional outbursts. In order to help kids succeed, it is important for parents to watch for signs that their child is struggling with learning and behavior. Interventions that account for both learning and behavior challenges can help improve academic achievement and outcomes....
If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, it’s natural to wonder how many weeks pregnant you are and/or how pregnancy is calculated. There are a number of different ways to calculate your due date, including using the: Conception or ovulation date Date of your last period Measurements taken during an ultrasound Transfer date (if you had in vitro fertilization) Calculating Due Date Your due date is considered to be 40 weeks (280 days) after the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP) or 38 weeks (266 days) after ovulation....
First things first: If you’re currently receiving care from a mental health professional, please take a moment to celebrate this feat. It takes a lot of courage to acknowledge you need some support. Finding a therapist who is a good fit for you can be challenging given the therapist shortage, racial disparities in the field, and ever-increasing costs of care. Despite the hurdles crossed to find a therapist, it isn’t uncommon to realize you may not be working with the right provider for you....
Every parent wants nothing more than for their child to be healthy and happy. That is why it can be scary if you start to see signs of disordered eating. Maybe your son is obsessed with his weight and runs to the bathroom immediately after dinner. Or your daughter is afraid of gaining weight and refuses to eat certain foods. Regardless of what you are seeing at home, having a conversation is an important first step....
Everyone has opinions. How those opinions are influenced by others has intrigued researches for decades. Key Takeaways Social influence often plays into how people create opinions and make decisions.Researchers analyzed the brain activity of people evaluating the trustworthiness of faces.People tend to conform to the opinion of those they trust most and who are like them. “Social influence is a powerful phenomenon. It’s sometimes casually called peer pressure, herd mentality or groupthink,” Deborah Serani, PsyD, psychologist and professor at Adelphi University, tells Verywell....
The kid who makes everyone laugh and has a great sense of humor may also have a high IQ, according to a new study conducted in Turkey. The study, published in the journal Humor earlier this year, found that children with strong senses of humor were more likely to score well on IQ tests and have strong verbal and reasoning abilities. Key Takeaways A new study says that intelligence is related to humor in children....
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is frequently associated with other personality disorders. A common disorder that those with BPD may also experience is a dependent personality disorder (DPD). What Is Dependent Personality Disorder? DPD is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of. In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the manual used by mental health professionals to establish diagnostic criteria, DPD is classified as a Cluster C, the cluster made up of anxious and fearful disorders....
Every Monday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life. Meet Tracy McCubbin Tracy McCubbin has always loved to create clutter-free spaces, so she turned her organizational skills into a full-time business called dClutterfly, where she helps people organize their homes. She’s also the author of two books....
“The color of my skin and shape of my eyes makes me different & incapable of finding love.” I’ve always believed this lie I’ve told myself over the years. It’s strange how brief moments or memories from our childhood can impact our internal narrative and the way we view ourselves. This notion that I was unlovable and different was so deeply positioned in my mind that it affected most of my relationships....
While new parents prepare in many ways for the baby they are about to meet, they often find themselves feeling surprised by how disorienting and overwhelming caring for a newborn actually is. Although there is certainly joy, the first few months can feel fragmented, unbearably exhausting—and the relentless needs of a newborn can make parents feel like they never get a break. You can blame much of this on a little phenomenon called the fourth trimester....
Many parents may worry that their children are not getting enough physical activity each day, particularly during the stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. While research has long illustrated trends that physical activity has declined in children (especially as they grow older), there is evidence that the converse is true for many adults. Key Takeaways Several studies show that kids are not being as physically active, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic....
