Psychology Update — For Better Well-Being, Just Breathe

Posted by & filed under Introduction To Psychology, Motivation and Emotion, Nervous System, Personality, Psychology Update, Stress and Health Psychology.

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For Better Well-Being, Just Breathe

 

DESCRIPTION

This short article begins with the author’s anecdotal story of her own difficulties after the tragic 9/11 events in New York where she was living at the time.  She developed significant anxiety which she found could not be relieved by many different meditation techniques.  She eventually found that SKY breathing exercises significantly reduced her anxiety and stress on a more or less permanent basis.  “Emotions influence your breathing patterns, and changing your breathing can change your emotions.(click to see the research study)  For example, anxiety and anger correspond to an irregular, short, fast breath. Adopting the slower and more regular breathing pattern that corresponds to a calm feeling signals relaxation (click to see the research study)  by activating the vagus nerve, slowing heart rate, easing blood pressure, and settling you down. A simple exercise you can try is to close your eyes and breathe out for twice as long as you breathe in. Do this for five minutes in the morning, before a stressful meeting, or as you transition from work to home.”  The article further provides how further research on breathing in veterans with PTSD experiences as well as students was conducted.  The research found that simple and practiced breathing exercises had a significant beneficial effect.

 

SOURCE

Time, January 5, 2023, by EMMA SEPPÄLÄ

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://time.com/collection/happiness-revival-guide/6244576/deep-breathing-better-well-being/

 

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/2facjwyj

 

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•How do breathing and emotions interrelate to one another?  Give examples please.

•Explain the research that was conducted with both veterans and students regarding breathing and serious negative emotions.  What was the result?

•What does the author suggest in the article to try as a self-help exercise?   Did you try it?  If so, what were your own results?

 

Psychology Update — Scientists Update Map of How Our Brains Control Movement

Posted by & filed under Brain Structure and Function, Introduction To Psychology, Nervous System, Psychology Update.

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Scientists Update Map of How Our Brains Control Movement

 

DESCRIPTION

WOW!  This Smithsonian article describes new research that provides a better understanding of “how our brains control movement.”  Chapters in biology and Psychology textbooks usually have a diagram of the homunculus map of the section of the brain that control various aspects of the body’s movement.  Now there has been a new update close to 100 years later than the old brain map’s origins.  “Within the brain’s frontal lobe lies the primary motor cortex, a sliver of neurons that coordinates movement. Beginning in the 1930s, scientists developed a map of this brain region called a homunculus map, depicting how different sections of the primary motor cortex controlled specific parts of the body.,, But now, in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature, researchers suggest the homunculus map is missing some key parts. Based on fMRI data, they argue the primary motor cortex also has distinct regions that play a role in whole-body action planning, rather than corresponding to a single body part.”  The article provides diagrams of both the old and new homunculus maps.  Why is this exciting and important?  “A deeper understanding of the homunculus could help improve treatments for stroke- or injury-related damage to the primary motor cortex, Nature News reports. And the team wonders if the whole-body control areas could one day play a role in treating Parkinson’s disease, which has movement-related symptoms, per New Scientist.”

 

SOURCE

Smithsonian, April 21, 2023, by Will Sullivan

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-update-map-of-how-our-brains-control-movement-180982023/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&spMailingID=48231622&spUserID=NzQwNDU3MDAyMDIS1&spJobID=2442454214&spReportId=MjQ0MjQ1NDIxNAS2

 

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/3yn23t6n

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•What is a homunculus map?  What does it illustrate?

•What does the new research reveal about the primary motor cortex?  How does this new work modify the homunculus map?

•Most importantly:  what is the promise of the application of this new work to certain types of medical issues?

 

Psychology Websites of the Week — UNDERSTANDING THE INSANITY PLEA

Posted by & filed under Forensic/Law and Psychology, History, Introduction To Psychology, Psychology Resource of the Week, Psychology Update, Psychology Website of the Week.

PSYCHOLOGY WEBSITES OF THE WEEK — FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

UNDERSTANDING THE INSANITY DEFENSE

Two related websites are featured this week.  Each deals with the legal system and the insanity plea.

#1   This website from findlaw.com provides an “article focusing on the M’Naghten Rule for testing legal insanity, often called the “right-wrong” test and used by the majority of states.”  It can be used in conjunction with the Abnormal/Psychopathology chapters of the text.

 

SOURCE URL:

http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-procedure/the-m-naghten-rule.html

 

#2   A person accused of a crime can acknowledge that they committed the crime, but argue that they are not responsible for it because of their mental illness, by pleading “not guilty by reason of insanity.”  This website examines a number of the different legal “rules” employed by the courts in the determination of the insanity plea.

 

SOURCE URL:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/insanity_defense

 

HOW TO USE THESE SITES

For discussion of these cases in the news that deal with the “insanity plea,” these sites provide background to the understanding of juxtaposition of the legal vs psychological perspectives used by both he prosecution and the defense.  In addition to the case in the Psychology Update, these sites will be helpful in understanding the past cases of  Andrea Yates, Jared Laughner,  James Holmes (Batman shooter”), Dylan Roof (Charleston church shooter) trial and others in the news.

Psychology Update — Why Do I Feel More Anxious at Night?

Posted by & filed under Introduction To Psychology, Personality, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Psychology Update, Sleep Disorders, States of Consciousness & Sleep.

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Why Do I Feel More Anxious at Night?

 

DESCRIPTION

According to various surveys, people frequently report that their anxiety symptoms that include worry (obsessing) are worse when trying to fall asleep at night than during the working/waking day.  

“Anxiety can surface at any time, but there are a few reasons it may feel more intense at bedtime, said Candice Alfano, director of the Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston at the University of Houston. “Most of us are incredibly busy during the waking hours; our attention is pulled in many different directions, so we have limited time to think about our worries,” she said. “But at night, while we lie in bed, there are few distractions from the thoughts that make us anxious.”… This can lead to a frustrating conundrum: We can’t sleep because those anxious thoughts are making us think we are unsafe, which makes us more alert by raising our heart rates and tightening our muscles…. Essentially, the body can’t quite tell if the source of our troubles is a physical threat, like a tiger about to pounce, or an upcoming presentation you’re nervous about making at work — it just gets the memo to stay awake…. “At a basic level,” Dr. Pelayo said, “feeling in danger or under stress are the same to the brain.”  And the problems becomes like a vicious cycle:  anxious thoughts disturb sleep and then coping skills decrease due to the lack of sleep and then the next night’s sleep becomes worse and so on.   The beauty of this article is that it provides a reasonably good explanation of the problem.  Even better: the article provides a number of ways to improve sleep and then reduce the worries and anxiety.

 

SOURCE

New York Times, March 23, 2023, by Kiera Carter

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/23/well/mind/anxiety-night-sleep.html?smid=em-share

 

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/ycxn78s4

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•According to the article:  why is anxiety worse at night for some individuals?

•Explain how nighttime anxiety and sleep disruption can become a vicious cycle.

•If you were a therapist,  what steps would you tell your client to take to improve sleep and overcome nighttime anxiety and worry?

 

Psychology Update — What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? 

Posted by & filed under Introduction To Psychology, Personality, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Psychology Update, Stress and Health Psychology.

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What is seasonal affective disorder? 

Symptoms, causes and how to treat it.

 

DESCRIPTION

Though Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD) are most likely to become an issue in the Fall and Winter seasons, it can be a problem in the spring and summer as well.  The article provides details about this type of issue.  “Shorter daylight hours and living in colder places increase the risk of seasonal affective disorder during fall and winter. But it can also happen in spring and summer…Timing is a key indicator of seasonal affective disorder, said Jason Lewis, director of mood, anxiety, and trauma disorders at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Symptoms must be due to the change of season, not due to a seasonally linked stressor, such as the start of school,” he said…Seasonal affective disorder tends to develop during young adulthood and is more common among women than men. It’s “relatively rare” among children, Lewis said. Teens experiencing seasonal affective disorder may have different symptoms than adults.”  The article provides very important lists of both the symptoms and the types of therapies (both self-help and professional) to deal with SAD.  It’s a great resource article!

 

SOURCE

The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 8, 2022, by Michelle Myers and Abraham Gutman

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.inquirer.com/health/wellness/what-is-seasonal-affective-disorder-do-i-have-it-20221208.html

 

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/u7jbfk4b

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•What is Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD)?

•What are the symptoms of Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD)?

•What are the various types of therapies to help individuals with this problem?

 

Psychology Website of the Week — National Institute of Mental Health:  News & Events

Posted by & filed under Introduction To Psychology, Professional Organization, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Psychology Update, Psychology Website of the Week, Stress and Health Psychology.

PSYCHOLOGY WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

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National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):  News & Events

NIMH

URL      

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/index.shtml

DESCRIPTION

This NIMH site provides up to date information regarding CURRENT news and events.  The site can be considered as a resource for students interested in a wide range of mental health topics and career.  The topics are categorized as:  Science News, Events, Social Media, Multimedia, News from the Field, and Press Resources.

Psychology Update — How to Stop Ruminating

Posted by & filed under Cognitive Psychology, Introduction To Psychology, Personality, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Psychology Update, Stress and Health Psychology.

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How to Stop Ruminating

Stuck in a mental loop of worries and problems that seem to have no end? Here’s what you can do.

 

DESCRIPTION

While worrying and overthinking are normal, when this type of thinking becomes excessive, we then can experience a number of psychological symptoms.  “If you find that your thoughts are so excessive and overwhelming that you can’t seem to stop them, or if they’re so distracting that you’re falling behind on responsibilities at work or at home, you’re probably experiencing rumination, said Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist in private practice in Atlanta….. If you realize, “I don’t want to be thinking about this, but I feel like I can’t stop,” that’s when you know your thinking is compulsive and is considered rumination…Rumination also tends to occur alongside many mental health conditions including O.C.D., anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. People with depression who ruminate also tend to experience worse depression, and for longer, Dr. Siegle said.”  The article provides information from a number of studies that demonstrate how rumination can become debilitating though in some instances can be helpful if the individual knows how to make it a useful tool.  The last part of the article is very helpful in that it provides many helpful ways to break the rumination negative cycle.

 

SOURCE

New York Times, February 1, 2023, by Hannah Seo

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/01/well/mind/stop-rumination-worry.html?smid=em-share

 

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/5h49fvn9

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•What is rumination?  Provide 3 examples.

•How can rumination lead to psychological difficulties?  What types of issues might an individual experience due to excessive ruminating?

•What are some techniques to break the negative cycle of ruminating?

 

 

Psychology Update — How to Manage Catastrophic Thinking

Posted by & filed under Cognitive Psychology, Introduction To Psychology, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Psychology Update, Stress and Health Psychology.

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How to Manage Catastrophic Thinking

 

DESCRIPTION

This is a short fascinating article by Martin Seligman.  He is past president of the American Psychological Association and founder of the field of Positive Psychology.  He has written numerous articles and books on the use of varying forms of cognitive therapy to deal with everyday life situations.  This article focuses on Catastrophic Thinking and how it can affect mood and disorders.  The article briefly describes some work done with combat soldiers and how catastrophic thinking could be a factor in post-traumatic stress disorder.    “When something really bad happens to you, how do you think about your future? Catastrophizers think, Everything will now unravel, and my life will be ruined. This mindset turns out to be an enormous impediment to happiness and, even worse, it is a major risk factor for post­traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)….If you catastrophize, you will likely suffer more from bad events, and if you have the opposite, optimistic mindset, you will likely be more resilient.”  The article presents a number of negative catastrophic types of thoughts that can affect mood and well being.  At the end, Seligman discusses his own thinking style and how to change the negative thoughts to feel and become more resilient.

 

SOURCE

Time, January 5, 2023, by Martin Seligman

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://time.com/collection/happiness-revival-guide/6244557/catastrophic-thinking-how-to-manage/

 

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/2eb2xrd7

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•What are some examples of Catastrophic Thinking?

•Does Seligman’s work have application to college students?  If so, how?

•How do Seligman’s own experiences with catastrophic thinking reverse the negative mood and move to greater resilience?

 

Psychology Update — Can a Musical Reminder Banish Bad Dreams?

Posted by & filed under Introduction To Psychology, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Psychology Update, Sleep Disorders, States of Consciousness, States of Consciousness & Sleep.

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Can a Musical Reminder Banish Bad Dreams?

Scientists hope that playing certain chords while sleeping can trigger positive memories and prevent nightmares

 

DESCRIPTION

What an incredible and fascinating article about a condition called “Nightmare Disorder”.  Over the course of our lives from childhood through older adulthood, we all have experienced an occasional nightmare.  However, there are those who have so many that they experience real sleep disturbance and difficult waking lives.

“… the lasting effects of regular nightmares are very real. Nightmare disorder, a condition in which disturbing dreams are frequent and significantly impact life by producing fatigue or lasting feelings of unease and anxiety, is a surprisingly common ailment. In the United States, around 4 percent of adults (active link) —more than 10 million people—are affected. For those with nightmare disorder, lying down for a good night’s sleep can be an ordeal. They know that after they close their eyes, their brains will likely be flooded with negative emotions, and they’ll revisit a dreamworld they’d much rather avoid….Now, a study published this week (active link) in Current Biology suggests an intriguing method that might help sleepers take more control of their dreams. Sounds played during sleep may reduce the frequency of nightmares and promote positive emotions that can help lead to a better slumber.”  

The article presents an excellent description of how the research was completed.  The article can be used in conjunction with the chapter on sleep and states of consciousness.  

 

SOURCE

Smithsonian, October 27, 2022, by Brian Handwerk

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-certain-sounds-help-sleepers-overcome-nightmares-180981031/#.ZCdBmM0rdi8.mailto

 

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/2p889ee7

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•What is Nightmare Disorder?  What are the symptoms and longer lasting effects?

•Explain how the study using musical chords was conducted with those who are diagnosed with Nightmare Disorder?  What were the results?

•Imagine that you are a Psychologist who specializes in sleep disorders.  How would you explain the procedure to a client with this serious Nightmare Disorder.

 

Psychology Update — TEDMED – Talk Details – Why do our brains get addicted?

Posted by & filed under Addiction, Brain Structure and Function, Introduction To Psychology, Nervous System, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Psychology Update, Psychology Video of the Week, Psychology Website of the Week, Stress and Health Psychology, Ted Talk.

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TEDMED – Talk Details – Why do our brains get addicted?

 

DESCRIPTION

From the TedMed Talk Site

This includes a 16 minute Ted Talk by Dr. Volkow.

“Neuroscientist Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the NIH, will apply a lens of addiction to the obesity epidemic.

“We already have the tools to address the problems of obesity and addiction.” — Nora Volkow

“Nora Volkow is a world leader in the neurobiology of diseases of reward and self-control such as addiction and obesity. Nora was born in Mexico City, where she lived until she completed medical school. While training as a psychiatrist in New York City, she started doing research with brain imaging technologies to study how drugs affect the human brain. Nora’s research has been instrumental in demonstrating that addiction is a brain disease that undermines the function of circuits that underlie reward, motivation and self-control—and in identifying overlapping circuitry disruptions in obesity. Nora is currently the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at NIH, which oversees most of the world’s research on drug abuse and addiction.”

 

SOURCE

TedMed (July 23, 2014) (see link below)

 

CLICK LINK BELOW

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=309096

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•Simply, from the TedTalk Video:  Why do our brains get addicted?

•What is the relationship between the reward centers of the brain both drug addiction and obesity?

•Should obesity be considered an addiction disease?