Coping

Suffering from depression makes coping with depression difficult. Talk therapy and support groups help identify stress that contributes to depression. Relieving stress on a daily basis is an important part of coping with depression. Ongoing attention to triggers can also help prevent episodes of depression.

Avoiding Stress Increases Cravings for Addicts

When someone is trying to kick an addictive habit, cravings are the biggest barrier to recovery. According to a recent study out of Penn State, those cravings can actually multiply and cause a relapse if an addict ignores stress, say behavioral scientists. Fifty-five college students in active recovery from substance abuse participated in the study. The students used Palm Pilots to describe their daily cravings in a digital journal. They also recorded negative social experiences, such as hostility, insensitivity, and ridicule, along with the coping strategies they used. A statistical …

Chocolate Bringing Us Down?

by Kristen Hawley on May 14, 2010

Sweet, creamy, comforting chocolate may be delicious, and even good for the heart, but new research shows it may not be good for the soul. Researchers studied chocolate consumption of nearly 1,000 men and women over a one-month period, giving groups of participants varying amounts of chocolate in one-ounce servings. The first group consumed five ounces, the second eight ounces, and the third, 12 ounces. Those who consumed the most chocolate showed signs of major depression, while those in the middle group showed signs of possible depression. The lowest-consuming group …

Volunteer: How Helping Others Helps You

by Irene McGee on May 14, 2010

Volunteer playing cards with an elderly woman

Want to boost your mood without diet, exercise, or pills? Perhaps, you should consider volunteering. Helping someone else may be just the natural anti-depressant you need to help boost your mood.

Dreading The Big Days

by Kathy Sinsheimer on May 6, 2010

Recently a patient of mine, who suffers from depression, was very anxious about her upcoming 40th birthday party. Birthdays can produce anxiety in lots of people, and for this patient the added pressure of wanting the perfect party was causing her to excessively worry. She agonized and obsessed over every detail of the party, from the music to the catering. Worse, she began to obsess on things outside of her control. Would her guests have fun? Would her friends get along? Her worrying began to preoccupy her, so that instead …

Could Jealousy Blind Us?

by Kevin Mathews on May 5, 2010

They say love is blind, but new research proves jealousy may be the culprit. In a new study, professors from the University of Delaware discovered that women who were experiencing feelings of jealousy had more trouble with visual acuity tests. The researchers selected twenty-five college-aged heterosexual couples to be the test subjects. Each couple was seated in close proximity to one another at separate stations. The woman was asked to pinpoint her “targets,” images of landscapes, from a quick succession of pictures flashing on a computer screen. Simultaneously, researchers instructed the …

Fear Of Getting Fat: Gender Differences

by FYI Staff Writer on April 29, 2010

The boogie monster that haunts women is real, and it’s called cellulite. The fear of getting fat plagues even healthy normal-weight women. It is a fear, apparently, that men do not share. Psychologists at Brigham Young University discovered women who project healthy body images may have a hidden fear of becoming overweight. As part of their research on improving treatment for eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, Mark Allen and Diane Spangler scanned the brains of women with eating disorders against a control group of normal-weight women with a …

The Psychology of Procrastination

by Sarah Kricheff on April 21, 2010

We’re all familiar with the scenario: a deadline for a big project is looming, but rather than tackling the job head-on we procrastinate. We’ll do anything, from watching television to cleaning, to avoid starting the “big project.” This avoidance causes other emotions such as guilt and anxiety. Procrastination is a common problem, and experts believe that there’s more to it than just laziness or a poor work ethic. It is widely believed among psychologists that procrastination can be a symptom of depression—people who become depressed often lose their sense of …

Q & A: Am I In A Codependent Relationship?

by FYI Staff Writer on April 14, 2010

I recently started dating a person who is codependent. They are working through their issues and are in therapy. What kind of things should I look for or be aware of so I don’t jump into their pattern? If you recently started dating someone who is codependent, there is a great chance you are already “into their pattern.” While there are numerous symptoms of codependency, one clear sign comes from the belief, “I need to alter my behavior, or change who I am, in order to maintain my relationship with …

Happy People May Talk More

by Irene McGee on April 14, 2010

The “gift” of gab may be happiness. A team of psychological scientists from the University of Arizona eavesdropped and dissected daily conversations made throughout the day by both happy and unhappy people. The paper, published in the February 2010 issue of Psychological Science. reports that “the findings demonstrate that the happy life is social rather than solitary, and conversations run deep rather than superficial.” Study participants were hooked up to a tiny device that tracked their conversations every 30 seconds for 12.5 minutes over the course of four days. Then …