Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, many of us are on lockdown. We’re self-isolating, which means we’re staying home and avoiding all unnecessary contact with others. Some of us are fortunate enough to have roommates, be it a friend, family member, or significant other, with whom we can spend…
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), autism for short, is a developmental disorder that hinders one’s ability to communicate and interact with others. This can make it difficult for these individuals to engage socially and form, as well as maintain, relationships. Fortunately, if your child has autism, you can take a few…
The other day, I was at an appointment when I overheard an employee talking with the receptionist. The employee’s boyfriend bought her an anxiety cube. Obviously, I was intrigued when I heard her say, “anxiety,” and I questioned if she suffered with it a lot. She answered with a reluctant,…
PTSD and anxiety: Does one cause the other? This question popped up recently when I was speaking with someone who has severe panic attacks, which are “debilitating” and require inpatient care. As this individual was sharing about their experiences, they told me that when they think about how much time…
New research suggests certain positions and longer careers increase an NFL player’s risk of developing cognitive and mental health issues. Researchers analyzed career length, position history, head and neck injuries, concussion symptoms, depression and anxiety symptoms. They found that players with the longest careers were twice as likely to report…
As our loved ones grow older, we tend to worry about physical ailments, such as an increased risk for heart attacks and memory problems like dementia. However, we often fail to recognize threats to their mental health—for example, the elderly often suffers from depression and anxiety. These are common illnesses…
Watching Spiderman and Antman might help you overcome your fear of bugs. Researchers from Ariel University and Bar-Ilan University say that doing so can act as exposure therapy for people who are afraid of bugs. Exposure therapy is exposing oneself to their phobia until they’re no longer afraid. With this…
Millions of people in the US alone suffer with specific phobias, or severe irrational fears of a given thing, place, or circumstance. While there is effective treatment out there, of which often centers around cognitive behavioral therapy, not all phobia suffers find relief. Researchers from Wurzburg University Hospital and the…
A fast-acting psychedelic drug could help treat depression and anxiety. This, from a Johns Hopkins University study that surveyed 362 adults. Researchers found that the use of a synthetic psychedelic, 5-MeO-DMT, is associated with improvements in depression and anxiety when taken in a controlled setting. Approximately 80% of those surveyed…
Overcoming fear relies on an unusual change in DNA. One day, DNA therapy could help to cure disorders like social anxiety or PTSD. University of Queensland researchers taught mice to fear and then unfear a specific sound. First, the mice were placed in a box and exposed to the sound,…
Autism is defined as a neurological and developmental disorder that hinders one’s communicative and social abilities. Depression, however, is a mood disorder, characterized by severe sadness and a lack of interest in everyday activities; and anxiety comes with fearful feelings as well as racing or unwanted thoughts. While there are…
Social phobia is characterized by an intense fear of being negatively assessed or observed by others. This form of anxiety (like most forms) can make everyday tasks difficult, as the fear is excessive and can completely take over one’s life. In addition to worrying about being scrutinized, those with social…
