11/12/2008
Chronic Pain Might Contribute To Suicidal Thoughts
New research suggests that patients with chronic pain are more prone than others are to consider suicide. The increased risk remained even when study authors took the possible influence of mental illness into account. "This is further evidence that we need to be aware of the heightened risk for suicide in those with chronic pain," said Mark Ilgen, lead study author. "More work is needed to figure out who's going to be at the greatest risk and how can we intervene and decrease this risk." Ilgen and colleagues conducted the study to gain perspective on the link between pain and suicide in the public. Most prior research on this topic had looked only at patients already receiving treatment for their pain, said Ilgen, a psychologist at the Ann Arbor VA Hospital and assistant professor at the University of Michigan. The researchers examined information collected during a 2001 to 2003 epidemiological survey of 5,692 English-speaking adults in the United States who answered questions about chronic pain and suicidal thoughts in the last 12 months. The study findings appear in the November/December issue of the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.After adjusting the figures to account for the effect of mental illness and chronic physical conditions, the researchers found that those who suffered from head pain were almost twice as likely as others to report having suicidal thoughts. They were also more than two times as likely to report suicide attempts. Those with other types of pain not related to arthritis were four times as liable to have tried to commit suicide. The researchers also found that almost 14 percent of those with three or more pain conditions reported suicidal thoughts and almost 6 percent of these individuals reported a suicide attempt. "Pain is one of those factors that may make someone feel more hopeless and less optimistic about the future and increases the chances that they will think about suicide," Ilgen said. Still, "the vast majority of people with any of these forms of pain are not suicidal," he said. Thomas Joiner, a psychology professor at Florida State University who has written a book on suicide motivations, said people accustomed to pain might think they could tolerate suicide. "The natural and deep fear of pain, injury and death stops people from hurting themselves, and this includes people who have high desire for suicide," Joiner said. "It might not be as hard for someone who has already had to contend with a lot of physical pain." "This particular view has not gotten enough attention, probably because, in the public mind, a kind of fearlessness does not seem to fit with suicide. But here, the public mind is mistaken," Joiner said. General Hospital Psychiatry is a peer-reviewed research journal published bimonthly by Elsevier Science. Ilgen MA, et al. "Pain and suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts in the United States." General Hosp Psychiatry, 30(6)), 2008. Health Behavior News Servicehttp://www.hbns.org
Autism remains lightening rod
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services -- Unrestricted - November 09
Autism is a word that causes instant angst among parents, not just because the reality of it can be so harsh and there is no medical treatment, but also because myths about it continue to grow.
The brain development disorder is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and restricted and repetitive behavior.
"It's just a lightening rod topic in the field, with information and misinformation flying around the Internet," Dr. Mark Bertin said during a presentation at Danbury Hospital's annual pediatric conference Thursday.
"The developmental path of a typical child requires them to intuitively read other people and learn to interact and communicate, but children with autism don't."
The number of children with the disease, along with the symptoms, treatment and prognosis for the future, all contribute to families' fears.
But, Bertin said, the statistic that one of every 150 children will be diagnosed on the autism spectrum compared to 1 in 300 just 20 years ago must be put in perspective.
For one thing, a better understanding of autism spectrum disorders means they are more often recognized and diagnosed now.
In addition, the diagnosis has expanded to include more disorders -- autism, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, and regressive disorders -- all connected by a child's deficient social skills.
"We have a better understanding of autism spectrum disorders, and now that we know what to look for we define it with milder symptoms that were not diagnosed before," Bertin said.
In 1980, 20,000 children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. In 2003, 125,000 were diagnosed. Bertin said during that time the number of children diagnosed with mental retardation dropped as the number of children with autism increased.
The total number of children with one or the other didn't change, which shows the increase in autism had to do with relabeling children's disorders.
"There is a huge amount of relabeling, and that is how you can explain the vast increase in the autism spectrum disorder," Bertin said, adding that some of the increase is not explained.
The cause of autism is still not fully understood. Bertin discounted the theory that childhood vaccines play a role, since research shows there is no difference in the statistics of children who receive vaccines or those who don't and the onset of autism does not correlate to the time the child receives the vaccination.
But some facts are becoming known.
There is a threefold increase in autism among children of older fathers. Some people may have genetic triggers. Two-thirds of children with autism had rapid head growth from 6 to 14 months, and greater brain growth may correlate with more severe symptoms.
Screening and early intervention is key, Bertin said, adding that there are red flags in a child's social, behavioral and language development that parents can watch, in addition to the screenings pediatricians should perform.
Once there are concerns, parents need a medical diagnosis of the disorder as well as an educational diagnosis to determine what services the child needs.
"After diagnosing, what you want is an intensive intervention," Bertin said.
That means more than lining up services. It means connecting parents to support groups and informing parents about the misinformation that could send them on the wrong track.
"The core intervention for a child with autism is behavior therapy," Bertin said.
Adults must ensure the focus is on building the social skills of a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, no matter how well a child is doing in academics.
Some recommendations call for 25 hours of services a week, though many kids do well on less, he said.
"It's like with any other skill that the child wants to learn, it has to be practiced every day. There is a benefit to intense early intervention," Bertin said, though even kids who are diagnosed later will benefit.
Danbury's three school-based health clinics can help identify children who may not have been diagnosed before.
"When you see a child with poor social skills, with poor eye contact, who is not succeeding in school, it has to be looked at to make sure you are not missing something," said Nancy Munn, nurse practitioner at Danbury's Rogers Park Middle School. "There is still time to support them."
She encourages parents to take their young children to play groups, so they can see if they are developing like the other children, and, if not, get them help.
Danbury also has a new Special Education Parent Teacher Association, which will provide workshops and other resources so parents and teachers and other residents can understand the problems students face with learning disabilities, social issues or autism.
"We are a link in the chain to getting parents information -- especially once parents find out about their child's diagnosis -- to help them know where to go for support," said Michelle Keenan, president of Danbury SEPTA.
Jack Fong, clinical associate professor of pediatrics at New York Medical College and retired chief of pediatrics at Danbury Hospital, said autism is a difficult issue for parents.
"Most behavioral and psychiatric conditions are vague. It's not a hard science," he said. "It becomes challenging and confusing."
An knowledge about the future of children with autism spectrum disorders is limited, so doctors have little to offer families except that a child's progress will relate to the severity of the disorder, Bertin said. "Research is relatively new, so we don't know about long-term prognosis."
Contact Eileen FitzGerald
at eileenf@newstimes.com
or at (203) 731-3333.
Red flags for autism spectrum disorders Social development No big smiles by or after 6 months. No back and forth sharing of sounds or facial expression by 9 months. No back and forth gestures like pointing or reaching or waving by 12 months. Poor response to name. Language development Not responding to name by 12 months. No babbling by 12 months. No single words by 16 months. No two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months. Behavior development No creative or imaginative play. Stuck on toys or topics. Unusual repetitive behaviors. Workshop Handling the maze of special education Nov. 18 7 to 9 p.m. C.H. Booth Library, Main Street, Newtown Presented by psychologist Charles Manos, coordinator of special services for Danbury public schools Free and open to the public. To see more of the News-Times or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newstimes.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The News-Times, Danbury, Conn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Autism is a word that causes instant angst among parents, not just because the reality of it can be so harsh and there is no medical treatment, but also because myths about it continue to grow.
The brain development disorder is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and restricted and repetitive behavior.
"It's just a lightening rod topic in the field, with information and misinformation flying around the Internet," Dr. Mark Bertin said during a presentation at Danbury Hospital's annual pediatric conference Thursday.
"The developmental path of a typical child requires them to intuitively read other people and learn to interact and communicate, but children with autism don't."
The number of children with the disease, along with the symptoms, treatment and prognosis for the future, all contribute to families' fears.
But, Bertin said, the statistic that one of every 150 children will be diagnosed on the autism spectrum compared to 1 in 300 just 20 years ago must be put in perspective.
For one thing, a better understanding of autism spectrum disorders means they are more often recognized and diagnosed now.
In addition, the diagnosis has expanded to include more disorders -- autism, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, and regressive disorders -- all connected by a child's deficient social skills.
"We have a better understanding of autism spectrum disorders, and now that we know what to look for we define it with milder symptoms that were not diagnosed before," Bertin said.
In 1980, 20,000 children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. In 2003, 125,000 were diagnosed. Bertin said during that time the number of children diagnosed with mental retardation dropped as the number of children with autism increased.
The total number of children with one or the other didn't change, which shows the increase in autism had to do with relabeling children's disorders.
"There is a huge amount of relabeling, and that is how you can explain the vast increase in the autism spectrum disorder," Bertin said, adding that some of the increase is not explained.
The cause of autism is still not fully understood. Bertin discounted the theory that childhood vaccines play a role, since research shows there is no difference in the statistics of children who receive vaccines or those who don't and the onset of autism does not correlate to the time the child receives the vaccination.
But some facts are becoming known.
There is a threefold increase in autism among children of older fathers. Some people may have genetic triggers. Two-thirds of children with autism had rapid head growth from 6 to 14 months, and greater brain growth may correlate with more severe symptoms.
Screening and early intervention is key, Bertin said, adding that there are red flags in a child's social, behavioral and language development that parents can watch, in addition to the screenings pediatricians should perform.
Once there are concerns, parents need a medical diagnosis of the disorder as well as an educational diagnosis to determine what services the child needs.
"After diagnosing, what you want is an intensive intervention," Bertin said.
That means more than lining up services. It means connecting parents to support groups and informing parents about the misinformation that could send them on the wrong track.
"The core intervention for a child with autism is behavior therapy," Bertin said.
Adults must ensure the focus is on building the social skills of a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, no matter how well a child is doing in academics.
Some recommendations call for 25 hours of services a week, though many kids do well on less, he said.
"It's like with any other skill that the child wants to learn, it has to be practiced every day. There is a benefit to intense early intervention," Bertin said, though even kids who are diagnosed later will benefit.
Danbury's three school-based health clinics can help identify children who may not have been diagnosed before.
"When you see a child with poor social skills, with poor eye contact, who is not succeeding in school, it has to be looked at to make sure you are not missing something," said Nancy Munn, nurse practitioner at Danbury's Rogers Park Middle School. "There is still time to support them."
She encourages parents to take their young children to play groups, so they can see if they are developing like the other children, and, if not, get them help.
Danbury also has a new Special Education Parent Teacher Association, which will provide workshops and other resources so parents and teachers and other residents can understand the problems students face with learning disabilities, social issues or autism.
"We are a link in the chain to getting parents information -- especially once parents find out about their child's diagnosis -- to help them know where to go for support," said Michelle Keenan, president of Danbury SEPTA.
Jack Fong, clinical associate professor of pediatrics at New York Medical College and retired chief of pediatrics at Danbury Hospital, said autism is a difficult issue for parents.
"Most behavioral and psychiatric conditions are vague. It's not a hard science," he said. "It becomes challenging and confusing."
An knowledge about the future of children with autism spectrum disorders is limited, so doctors have little to offer families except that a child's progress will relate to the severity of the disorder, Bertin said. "Research is relatively new, so we don't know about long-term prognosis."
Contact Eileen FitzGerald
at eileenf@newstimes.com
or at (203) 731-3333.
Red flags for autism spectrum disorders Social development No big smiles by or after 6 months. No back and forth sharing of sounds or facial expression by 9 months. No back and forth gestures like pointing or reaching or waving by 12 months. Poor response to name. Language development Not responding to name by 12 months. No babbling by 12 months. No single words by 16 months. No two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months. Behavior development No creative or imaginative play. Stuck on toys or topics. Unusual repetitive behaviors. Workshop Handling the maze of special education Nov. 18 7 to 9 p.m. C.H. Booth Library, Main Street, Newtown Presented by psychologist Charles Manos, coordinator of special services for Danbury public schools Free and open to the public. To see more of the News-Times or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newstimes.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The News-Times, Danbury, Conn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
You must remember: Forgetting has its benefits
There's an old saying that inside every 70-year-old is a 35-year-old wondering, "What happened?"
What happened is that countless days, nights, meetings, commutes and other unremarkable events went by, well, unremarked. They didn't make a lasting impression on the brain or they were overwritten by so many similar experiences that they are hard to retrieve. In short, they've been forgotten.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Neuroscientists say forgetting is crucial to the efficient functioning of the mind, to learning, adapting and recalling more significant things.
"We focus so much on memory that forgetting has been maligned," says Gayatri Devi, a neuro-psychiatrist and memory expert in New York City. "But if you didn't forget, you'd recall all kinds of extraneous information from your life that would drown you in a sea of inefficiency."
That was what prompted Jill Price to contact the memory experts at the University of California at Irvine in 2000. As she wrote in a book published this summer, "The Woman Who Can't Forget," Ms. Price could recall in detail virtually every day since she was 14, but she was mentally exhausted and tormented by her memories. UC Irvine scientists are interviewing more than 200 people who say they have similar "autobiographical" memories, but so far have found only three more.
Memories of singular, significant events - say, last week's historic election - are generally easy to recall; people typically store them in long-term memory with many associations attached.
Memories of mundane, recurring events compete to be recalled, and scientists say the brain appears to be programmed to forget those that aren't important. Neuroimaging studies show that it's the brain's prefrontal cortex, the area of complex thought and executive planning, that sorts and retrieves such "like-kind" memories. Researchers at Stanford University's Memory Laboratory demonstrated last year that the more subjects forgot competing memories, the less work their cortexes had to do to recall a specific one. In short, forgetting frees up brain power for other tasks, says psychologist Anthony Wagner, the lab's director.
A real-world example, he says, is having to learn a new computer password every few months: As your brain suppresses the memory of the old password, it gets easier to summon the new one.
In fact, forgetting is a very active process, albeit subconscious, neuroscientists say. The mind is constantly evaluating, editing and sorting information, all at lightning speed. "Your brain is only taking a small amount in, and it's already erasing vast amounts that won't be needed again," Dr. Devi says.
Much that happens during the day doesn't make an impression at all because our attention is focused elsewhere. Take your daily commute, says Dr. Wagner: "A heck of a lot of stuff is landing on our retinas as we're driving down the road. But if you were focusing on the presentation you have to give, you didn't perceive it and it didn't get stored."
He notes that people face such a constant cognitive barrage that they frequently fail to attend to information that isn't essential at the time. "I have two 4 1/2-year-olds and I'm already thinking, where did those first four years go?" Dr. Wagner says.
Are memories for events you didn't focus on stored in your brain nevertheless - like unwatched bank-surveillance tapes? That's an area of much debate. Some experts believe hypnosis can trigger long-buried associations. But so-called recovered memories are also susceptible to distortion.
"Memory consists of billions of puzzle pieces, and many of them look the same," Dr. Devi says. "Each time you retrieve a memory, you're reconstructing a puzzle very quickly and breaking it down again. Some of the pieces get put back in different places."
What if you want to remember more about each passing day? One simple method is to keep a journal. Writing down a few thoughts and events every day not only makes a tangible record, it also requires you to reflect. "You're elaborating on why they were meaningful, and you're laying down an additional memory trace," says neuroscientist James McGaugh at UC Irvine. Taking photographs and labeling them reinforce memories too.
But remember that forgetting can be very useful, says Dr. McGaugh: "If you used to go out with Bob and now you're married to Bill, you want to be able to say, 'I love you, Bill.' That's why forgetting is important."
---
Email: healthjournal@wsj.com.
What happened is that countless days, nights, meetings, commutes and other unremarkable events went by, well, unremarked. They didn't make a lasting impression on the brain or they were overwritten by so many similar experiences that they are hard to retrieve. In short, they've been forgotten.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Neuroscientists say forgetting is crucial to the efficient functioning of the mind, to learning, adapting and recalling more significant things.
"We focus so much on memory that forgetting has been maligned," says Gayatri Devi, a neuro-psychiatrist and memory expert in New York City. "But if you didn't forget, you'd recall all kinds of extraneous information from your life that would drown you in a sea of inefficiency."
That was what prompted Jill Price to contact the memory experts at the University of California at Irvine in 2000. As she wrote in a book published this summer, "The Woman Who Can't Forget," Ms. Price could recall in detail virtually every day since she was 14, but she was mentally exhausted and tormented by her memories. UC Irvine scientists are interviewing more than 200 people who say they have similar "autobiographical" memories, but so far have found only three more.
Memories of singular, significant events - say, last week's historic election - are generally easy to recall; people typically store them in long-term memory with many associations attached.
Memories of mundane, recurring events compete to be recalled, and scientists say the brain appears to be programmed to forget those that aren't important. Neuroimaging studies show that it's the brain's prefrontal cortex, the area of complex thought and executive planning, that sorts and retrieves such "like-kind" memories. Researchers at Stanford University's Memory Laboratory demonstrated last year that the more subjects forgot competing memories, the less work their cortexes had to do to recall a specific one. In short, forgetting frees up brain power for other tasks, says psychologist Anthony Wagner, the lab's director.
A real-world example, he says, is having to learn a new computer password every few months: As your brain suppresses the memory of the old password, it gets easier to summon the new one.
In fact, forgetting is a very active process, albeit subconscious, neuroscientists say. The mind is constantly evaluating, editing and sorting information, all at lightning speed. "Your brain is only taking a small amount in, and it's already erasing vast amounts that won't be needed again," Dr. Devi says.
Much that happens during the day doesn't make an impression at all because our attention is focused elsewhere. Take your daily commute, says Dr. Wagner: "A heck of a lot of stuff is landing on our retinas as we're driving down the road. But if you were focusing on the presentation you have to give, you didn't perceive it and it didn't get stored."
He notes that people face such a constant cognitive barrage that they frequently fail to attend to information that isn't essential at the time. "I have two 4 1/2-year-olds and I'm already thinking, where did those first four years go?" Dr. Wagner says.
Are memories for events you didn't focus on stored in your brain nevertheless - like unwatched bank-surveillance tapes? That's an area of much debate. Some experts believe hypnosis can trigger long-buried associations. But so-called recovered memories are also susceptible to distortion.
"Memory consists of billions of puzzle pieces, and many of them look the same," Dr. Devi says. "Each time you retrieve a memory, you're reconstructing a puzzle very quickly and breaking it down again. Some of the pieces get put back in different places."
What if you want to remember more about each passing day? One simple method is to keep a journal. Writing down a few thoughts and events every day not only makes a tangible record, it also requires you to reflect. "You're elaborating on why they were meaningful, and you're laying down an additional memory trace," says neuroscientist James McGaugh at UC Irvine. Taking photographs and labeling them reinforce memories too.
But remember that forgetting can be very useful, says Dr. McGaugh: "If you used to go out with Bob and now you're married to Bill, you want to be able to say, 'I love you, Bill.' That's why forgetting is important."
---
Email: healthjournal@wsj.com.
Does Mozart make you smarter?
By Henkjan Honing
Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (KV 448) is one of the most used compositions in music psychology research. Since the publication of the study Music and Spatial Task Performance in Nature in 1993, numerous researchers have tried to replicate the so-called "Mozart effect" using this composition. And often with little success. The idea is of course compelling: to become smarter by simply listening to Mozart's music. It could be a helpful fact in the much needed support for a more prominent place of music in the curricula. However, the effect has been shown to appear not only with the music of Mozart, but also that of Beethoven, Sibelius, and even a 'Blur effect' was shown (based on a study by Glenn Schellenberg from the University of Toronto using 8,000 teenagers).
Currently, the most likely interpretation of the effect is that music listening can have a positive effect on our cognitive abilities when the music is enjoyed by the listener. Apparently (and in a way unfortunately), it is not so much the structure of the music that causes the effect, but a change in the mood of the listener. While this indirectness might be disappointing for admirers of Mozart's music, it is important to note that, at the same time, it leaves uncovered an important aspect of music appreciation. What makes certain music so effective in changing or intensifying our mood? It seems that while we are all experienced and active users of music as a kind of mood regulator (widely ranging from energizer to consoler of grief), music research has only just begun to explore the how and why of the relation between music and emotion.
Currently, the most likely interpretation of the effect is that music listening can have a positive effect on our cognitive abilities when the music is enjoyed by the listener. Apparently (and in a way unfortunately), it is not so much the structure of the music that causes the effect, but a change in the mood of the listener. While this indirectness might be disappointing for admirers of Mozart's music, it is important to note that, at the same time, it leaves uncovered an important aspect of music appreciation. What makes certain music so effective in changing or intensifying our mood? It seems that while we are all experienced and active users of music as a kind of mood regulator (widely ranging from energizer to consoler of grief), music research has only just begun to explore the how and why of the relation between music and emotion.
How Will Obama Lead?
By John D. Gartner, Ph.D.
This historic election is over, and now the question becomes how will Barack Obama lead? To understand how an Obama White House might be similar to or different from that of his immediate predecessors, Bush and Clinton, it pays to compare and contrast the three men on two components of their basic temperaments: curiosity and hypomania. Clinton was both hypomanic and curious. Bush was neither. And Obama appears to be curious but not hypomanic. For a hundred years, academic personality psychologists have been trying to identify the basic axes on which to map the human personality. Intellectual curiosity, it turns out, is one of these fundamental dimensions, according to the widely accepted Five Factor theory, developed by Paul Costa and Robert McCrea at The National Institutes of Health. According to their data, you are either born curious, or not. Hypomania, too, as I argued in The Hypomanic Edge, and more recently in my book, In Search of Bill Clinton, is also best understood as an innate temperament, imbuing one with dynamic traits such as energy, creativity, confidence, and charisma, but also with problems in self-regulation and impulse control. When Bill Clinton was making the case for Barack Obama with the voters, the first qualification that he noted was that Obama was both intelligent and curious. While at first blush, curiosity might seem like a strange qualification to emphasize, Clinton was not offering feint praise, as some suspected. Clinton knew just how important curiosity really is to the day-to-day work of a president. If one had to point to one factor that distinguished Clinton from Bush, and explained why Bush was a failure and Clinton a relative success, this would be it. Simply put, Bush just wasn't that interested in the details of governing. He didn't like to consider alternate views or findings. He accepted neo-conservative dogma on faith, and that was that. Even when his policies appeared to be failing or unpopular, Bush was had no desire to hear dissenting ideas or inconvenient facts. Bush who is neither curious nor hypomanic kept his meetings short-no point in jaw-boning these things to death-and went to bed early, losing little sleep of America's problems. Clinton, who is both intensely curious and hypomanic couldn't be a stronger contrast. Well-known for being a policy junkie, Clinton was insatiably omnivorous in his consumption of everything ever said or written about every aspect of policy. Clinton reads everything related to public policy, and even more remarkable, remembers it all. Journalist Joe Klein wrote in The Natural that Clinton "seemed to know everything there was to know about domestic social policy....Oh, could he talk policy! He seemed to know more about the school choice experiment in East Harlem than the governor of New York did; he knew all about the competitive bidding for sanitation contracts in Phoenix, the public housing manager in Omaha who'd come up with a great after-school program for kids in the projects, the terrific for-profit welfare to work program in New York." In my interviews with people who know Clinton, I was told again and again by experts in a half a dozen fields "He knows more about my specialty than I do." And, because Clinton was hypomanic as well as curious, there was a driven quality to his quest for endless information and ideas. He often stayed up all night reading, usually half a dozen different books at a time, devouring them with an almost physically greedy intensity. What does a White House run by a curious hypomanic look like? Where Bush' meetings were short and structured, Clinton's were endless and open ended. Clinton wanted to hear every point of view, review every fact, and play with creative variations of every exiting idea. Cabinet officers confessed to me that they were physically passing out from fatigue and hunger during these marathon meeting, asking themselves, as Leon Panetta put it, "Where the hell all this going?" While Clinton was widely criticized for this chaotic creative style, it worked. Panetta argued that Clinton usually made very good decisions, "even if he had to go by way of Mars to get there." Obama, who is curious but not hypomanic, is likely to fall in between these two extreme contrasts in style. Because he is curious like Clinton, Obama is likely to also hear from a range of advisors, review findings and arguments from diverse sources, and consider creative policy approaches. However, because he is not hypomanic, the Obama White House should be less chaotic than that run by Clinton. No drama-Obama has proved to be but unusually steady, cool, and deliberative. Indeed, during the financial crisis, it was Obama's "preternatural calm" that seemed to reassure the country that he was presidential enough to lead. We have reason to be optimistic that Obama's temperament may be just right, not too hot and not too cold. And that should help us all sleep better at night.
Sexual Arousal Disorder
Definition
Sexual arousal disorder is an aberration during any stage of the sexual response cycle (desire, arousal, orgasm, and resolution) that prevents the experience of satisfaction through sexual activity. A person with this disorder may be interested in sexual intercourse but has difficulty becoming stimulated enough to go through with it.
Sexual arousal disorders were previously known as frigidity in women and impotence in men, though these have now been replaced with less judgmental terms. Impotence is now known as erectile dysfunction, and frigidity is now described as any of several specific problems with desire, arousal, or anxiety.
For both men and women, these conditions may appear as an aversion to, and avoidance of, sexual contact with a partner. In men, there may be partial or complete failure to attain or maintain an erection, or a lack of sexual excitement and pleasure in sexual activity. In women, there may be an inability to lubricate enough to complete the sex act.
Considerations
Occasional impotence occurs in approximately 50 percent of American adult men, and chronic impotence affects about 1 in 8 American men, with the chances increasing as a person ages. Between 2 and 30 million men in the United States are affected by impotence problems, according to recent estimates. About 52 percent of men between 40 and 70-years-old have some degree of erectile dysfunction (ED).
Impotence can be classified as primary or secondary. A man with primary impotence has never had an erection sufficient for intercourse. Secondary impotence involves loss of erectile function after a period of normal function. This tends to occur gradually, except in cases caused by injury or sudden illness.
Treatment of secondary impotence is usually more successful than that of primary impotence because the patient has some history of normal penile function in the past.
There are several components required for an erection:
A responsive emotional state of mind
A normally functioning pituitary
Adequate testosterone
Adequate penile blood supply
Premature ejaculation (when orgasm comes on too quickly) is different from impotence, and a couple should seek counseling for this problem.
Male infertility is quite different from impotence. A man who is unable to maintain an erection may be perfectly capable of siring a child. An infertile male may be able to have intercourse normally, but he may be unable to father a child.
Symptoms
In Men or Women:
Lack of interest or desire in sex
Inability to feel aroused
Pain with intercourse (much less common in men than women)
Infertility
In Men:
Inability to achieve an erection
Inability to maintain an adequate erection for intercourse
Delay or absence of ejaculation despite adequate stimulation
Inability to control timing of ejaculation
In Women:
Inability to relax vaginal muscles enough to allow intercourse
Inadequate vaginal lubrication before and during intercourse
Inability to attain female orgasm
Causes
Sexual dysfunction can exist throughout a person's life or may develop after an individual has previously experienced normal sexual responses. The difficulty may develop gradually over time, or may occur suddenly and present itself either as total or partial dysfunction in one or more stages of the sexual response cycle. The cause may be physical, psychological, or both.
Emotional factors include both interpersonal problems (marital/relationship troubles, lack of trust between partners) and an individual's psychological problems (depression, sexual fears or guilt, past sexual trauma, and so on).
Physical factors include drugs (alcohol, nicotine, narcotics, stimulants, antihypertensives, antihistamines, or most psychotherapeutic drugs); complications related to back, prostate, or vascular surgeries; failure of various organ systems (such as the circulatory and respiratory systems); endocrine disorders (thyroid, pituitary, or adrenal gland problems); neurological problems caused by trauma (such as spinal cord injuries) or disease (such as diabetic neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, tumors, and, rarely, tertiary syphilis); hormonal deficiencies (low testosterone or androgens); and some fetal development abnormalities.
Sexual dysfunction disorders are generally classified into four categories: sexual desire disorders, sexual arousal disorders, orgasm disorders, and sexual pain disorders.
Sexual desire disorders (decreased libido) may result from a decrease in normal androgen or testosterone hormone production. Other causes may be aging, fatigue, medications, pregnancy, or psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Common causes of impotence
Medication use (especially antihypertensives)
Smoking
High blood pressure
Hormonal deficiency caused by disease (diabetes) or injury
Liver disease, usually caused by alcoholism
Circulation problems (arteriosclerosis, anemia, or vascular surgery)
Neurological problems (injury, trauma, disease)
Urological procedures (prostatectomy, orchiectomy, radiation therapy)
Penile implants (or prostheses) that are not functioning properly
Depression, anxiety, fatigue, boredom, stress, fear of failure
Mood altering drugs, alcohol, medications
Deep-seated psychological problems
Orgasm disorders, which can affect both sexes, are a persistent delay or absence of orgasm following sexual excitement. Sexual pain disorders affect many more women than men and are known as dyspareunia (painful intercourse) and vaginismus (an involuntary spasm of the musculature of the vagina that interferes with intercourse). Dyspareunia may be caused by insufficient lubrication in the female, which may result from breastfeeding, irritation from contraceptive creams and foams, aging, or by fear and anxiety. Vaginismus may be caused by a sexual trauma such as rape or incest.
Sexual dysfunctions are more common in the early adult years, with the majority of patients seeking care for such conditions during their late twenties into their thirties. The issues increase again in the geriatric population, typically with a gradual onset of symptoms associated most commonly with organic causes of sexual dysfunction.
Increased risk is often linked to a history of diabetes, degenerative neurological disorders, chronic psychological problems, alcohol use, drug abuse, difficulty maintaining relationships, or chronic disharmony with the current sexual partner.
Prevention
Honest and accurate communication regarding sexual issues and body image between parents and their children may prevent children from developing anxiety or guilt about sex and carrying those emotional responses into their adulthood.
Review all medications (prescription and over-the-counter) for possible side effects regarding sexual dysfunction. Avoiding drug and alcohol abuse may help prevent sexual dysfunction.
Couples engaging in adequate communication may be able to avoid some problems within their relationship that could potentially create some forms of sexual dysfunction.
People who are victims of sexual trauma should receive comprehensive treatment, including individual counseling and group therapy. This may prove beneficial in allowing them to fully enjoy voluntary sexual experiences with a partner of their choice.
Treatment
Specific physical findings and testing procedures depend on the form of sexual dysfunction examined. A complete history and physical exam should be done to identify predisposing illness or conditions; highlight possible fears, or guilt specific to sexual performance; and bring out any history of prior sexual trauma. A physical examination of both the partners should not be limited to the reproductive system.
Treatment measures should be specific to the cause of the sexual dysfunction. Organic causes that are reversible or treatable are usually managed medically or surgically. Physical therapy and mechanical aides may help some people with physical illnesses, conditions, or disabilities. Viagra (sildenafil) often improves both organic and psychological sexual dysfunction in males by increasing blood flow to the penis. Men on nitrates for coronary heart disease should refrain from taking sildenafil, as it may cause dangerous drug interactions. Mechanical aids and penile implants are sometimes used. Men with androgen deficiency sometimes benefit from testosterone shots. Women with androgen deficiency can tolerate smaller doses of testosterone orally or topically with a cream.
Self-stimulation and the Masters and Johnson treatment strategies are just two of many behavioral therapies used to treat problems associated with orgasm and sexual arousal disorders.
Some couples may require joint counseling to address interpersonal issues and communication styles. Psychotherapy may be required to address anxieties, fears, inhibitions, or poor body image. In general, the prognosis is good for physical (organically caused) dysfunctions resulting from treatable or reversible conditions. However, many organic causes do not respond to medical or surgical treatments. In functional sexual problems resulting from either relationship issues or psychological factors, the prognosis may be good for temporary or mild dysfunction associated with situational stressors or lack of accurate information. However, those cases associated with chronically poor-functioning relationships or deep-seated psychiatric problems usually do not have positive outcomes. Some forms of sexual dysfunction may cause infertility.
For impotence caused by fear of infection, use safe sex practices and consider abstinence. Talk to your health care provider if impotence is related to fear of recurring heart problems—sexual intercourse is usually safe.
If the problem is persistent or if there are other associated and unexplained symptoms, call your health care provider.
Persistent sexual dysfunction may cause depression. Sexual dysfunction that is not addressed adequately may lead to conflicts or potential breakups for couples.
Sources:
Journal of Men's Health and Gender
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
National Institutes of Health - National Library of Medicine
Sexual arousal disorder is an aberration during any stage of the sexual response cycle (desire, arousal, orgasm, and resolution) that prevents the experience of satisfaction through sexual activity. A person with this disorder may be interested in sexual intercourse but has difficulty becoming stimulated enough to go through with it.
Sexual arousal disorders were previously known as frigidity in women and impotence in men, though these have now been replaced with less judgmental terms. Impotence is now known as erectile dysfunction, and frigidity is now described as any of several specific problems with desire, arousal, or anxiety.
For both men and women, these conditions may appear as an aversion to, and avoidance of, sexual contact with a partner. In men, there may be partial or complete failure to attain or maintain an erection, or a lack of sexual excitement and pleasure in sexual activity. In women, there may be an inability to lubricate enough to complete the sex act.
Considerations
Occasional impotence occurs in approximately 50 percent of American adult men, and chronic impotence affects about 1 in 8 American men, with the chances increasing as a person ages. Between 2 and 30 million men in the United States are affected by impotence problems, according to recent estimates. About 52 percent of men between 40 and 70-years-old have some degree of erectile dysfunction (ED).
Impotence can be classified as primary or secondary. A man with primary impotence has never had an erection sufficient for intercourse. Secondary impotence involves loss of erectile function after a period of normal function. This tends to occur gradually, except in cases caused by injury or sudden illness.
Treatment of secondary impotence is usually more successful than that of primary impotence because the patient has some history of normal penile function in the past.
There are several components required for an erection:
A responsive emotional state of mind
A normally functioning pituitary
Adequate testosterone
Adequate penile blood supply
Premature ejaculation (when orgasm comes on too quickly) is different from impotence, and a couple should seek counseling for this problem.
Male infertility is quite different from impotence. A man who is unable to maintain an erection may be perfectly capable of siring a child. An infertile male may be able to have intercourse normally, but he may be unable to father a child.
Symptoms
In Men or Women:
Lack of interest or desire in sex
Inability to feel aroused
Pain with intercourse (much less common in men than women)
Infertility
In Men:
Inability to achieve an erection
Inability to maintain an adequate erection for intercourse
Delay or absence of ejaculation despite adequate stimulation
Inability to control timing of ejaculation
In Women:
Inability to relax vaginal muscles enough to allow intercourse
Inadequate vaginal lubrication before and during intercourse
Inability to attain female orgasm
Causes
Sexual dysfunction can exist throughout a person's life or may develop after an individual has previously experienced normal sexual responses. The difficulty may develop gradually over time, or may occur suddenly and present itself either as total or partial dysfunction in one or more stages of the sexual response cycle. The cause may be physical, psychological, or both.
Emotional factors include both interpersonal problems (marital/relationship troubles, lack of trust between partners) and an individual's psychological problems (depression, sexual fears or guilt, past sexual trauma, and so on).
Physical factors include drugs (alcohol, nicotine, narcotics, stimulants, antihypertensives, antihistamines, or most psychotherapeutic drugs); complications related to back, prostate, or vascular surgeries; failure of various organ systems (such as the circulatory and respiratory systems); endocrine disorders (thyroid, pituitary, or adrenal gland problems); neurological problems caused by trauma (such as spinal cord injuries) or disease (such as diabetic neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, tumors, and, rarely, tertiary syphilis); hormonal deficiencies (low testosterone or androgens); and some fetal development abnormalities.
Sexual dysfunction disorders are generally classified into four categories: sexual desire disorders, sexual arousal disorders, orgasm disorders, and sexual pain disorders.
Sexual desire disorders (decreased libido) may result from a decrease in normal androgen or testosterone hormone production. Other causes may be aging, fatigue, medications, pregnancy, or psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Common causes of impotence
Medication use (especially antihypertensives)
Smoking
High blood pressure
Hormonal deficiency caused by disease (diabetes) or injury
Liver disease, usually caused by alcoholism
Circulation problems (arteriosclerosis, anemia, or vascular surgery)
Neurological problems (injury, trauma, disease)
Urological procedures (prostatectomy, orchiectomy, radiation therapy)
Penile implants (or prostheses) that are not functioning properly
Depression, anxiety, fatigue, boredom, stress, fear of failure
Mood altering drugs, alcohol, medications
Deep-seated psychological problems
Orgasm disorders, which can affect both sexes, are a persistent delay or absence of orgasm following sexual excitement. Sexual pain disorders affect many more women than men and are known as dyspareunia (painful intercourse) and vaginismus (an involuntary spasm of the musculature of the vagina that interferes with intercourse). Dyspareunia may be caused by insufficient lubrication in the female, which may result from breastfeeding, irritation from contraceptive creams and foams, aging, or by fear and anxiety. Vaginismus may be caused by a sexual trauma such as rape or incest.
Sexual dysfunctions are more common in the early adult years, with the majority of patients seeking care for such conditions during their late twenties into their thirties. The issues increase again in the geriatric population, typically with a gradual onset of symptoms associated most commonly with organic causes of sexual dysfunction.
Increased risk is often linked to a history of diabetes, degenerative neurological disorders, chronic psychological problems, alcohol use, drug abuse, difficulty maintaining relationships, or chronic disharmony with the current sexual partner.
Prevention
Honest and accurate communication regarding sexual issues and body image between parents and their children may prevent children from developing anxiety or guilt about sex and carrying those emotional responses into their adulthood.
Review all medications (prescription and over-the-counter) for possible side effects regarding sexual dysfunction. Avoiding drug and alcohol abuse may help prevent sexual dysfunction.
Couples engaging in adequate communication may be able to avoid some problems within their relationship that could potentially create some forms of sexual dysfunction.
People who are victims of sexual trauma should receive comprehensive treatment, including individual counseling and group therapy. This may prove beneficial in allowing them to fully enjoy voluntary sexual experiences with a partner of their choice.
Treatment
Specific physical findings and testing procedures depend on the form of sexual dysfunction examined. A complete history and physical exam should be done to identify predisposing illness or conditions; highlight possible fears, or guilt specific to sexual performance; and bring out any history of prior sexual trauma. A physical examination of both the partners should not be limited to the reproductive system.
Treatment measures should be specific to the cause of the sexual dysfunction. Organic causes that are reversible or treatable are usually managed medically or surgically. Physical therapy and mechanical aides may help some people with physical illnesses, conditions, or disabilities. Viagra (sildenafil) often improves both organic and psychological sexual dysfunction in males by increasing blood flow to the penis. Men on nitrates for coronary heart disease should refrain from taking sildenafil, as it may cause dangerous drug interactions. Mechanical aids and penile implants are sometimes used. Men with androgen deficiency sometimes benefit from testosterone shots. Women with androgen deficiency can tolerate smaller doses of testosterone orally or topically with a cream.
Self-stimulation and the Masters and Johnson treatment strategies are just two of many behavioral therapies used to treat problems associated with orgasm and sexual arousal disorders.
Some couples may require joint counseling to address interpersonal issues and communication styles. Psychotherapy may be required to address anxieties, fears, inhibitions, or poor body image. In general, the prognosis is good for physical (organically caused) dysfunctions resulting from treatable or reversible conditions. However, many organic causes do not respond to medical or surgical treatments. In functional sexual problems resulting from either relationship issues or psychological factors, the prognosis may be good for temporary or mild dysfunction associated with situational stressors or lack of accurate information. However, those cases associated with chronically poor-functioning relationships or deep-seated psychiatric problems usually do not have positive outcomes. Some forms of sexual dysfunction may cause infertility.
For impotence caused by fear of infection, use safe sex practices and consider abstinence. Talk to your health care provider if impotence is related to fear of recurring heart problems—sexual intercourse is usually safe.
If the problem is persistent or if there are other associated and unexplained symptoms, call your health care provider.
Persistent sexual dysfunction may cause depression. Sexual dysfunction that is not addressed adequately may lead to conflicts or potential breakups for couples.
Sources:
Journal of Men's Health and Gender
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
National Institutes of Health - National Library of Medicine
Relationship Rules
Relationship Rules
Tips on how to build a healthy love life with your spouse.
By: Hara Estroff Marano
Human beings crave intimacy, need to love and be loved. Yet people have much trouble doing so.
It's clear from the many letters I get that lots of folks have no idea what a healthy relationship even looks like. Because I care about these things, and care about the environments children grow in, I'm using this space as an attempt to remedy the problem—again.
From many sources and many experts, I have culled some basic rules of relationships. This is by no means an exhaustive list. But it's a start. Print them out and pin them up on your refrigerator door. I won't test you on them—but life will.
Choose a partner wisely and well. We are attracted to people for all kinds of reasons. They remind us of someone from our past. They shower us with gifts and make us feel important. Evaluate a potential partner as you would a friend; look at their character, personality, values, their generosity of spirit, the relationship between their words and actions, their relationships with others.
Know your partner's beliefs about relationships. Different people have different and often conflicting beliefs about relationships. You don't want to fall in love with someone who expects lots of dishonesty in relationships; they'll create it where it doesn't exist.
Don't confuse sex with love. Especially in the beginning of a relationship, attraction and pleasure in sex are often mistaken for love.
Know your needs and speak up for them clearly. A relationship is not a guessing game. Many people, men as well as women, fear stating their needs and, as a result, camouflage them. The result is disappointment at not getting what they want and anger at a partner for not having met their (unstated) needs. Closeness cannot occur without honesty. Your partner is not a mind reader.
Respect, respect, respect. Inside and outside the relationship, act in ways so that your partner always maintains respect for you. Mutual respect is essential to a good relationship.
View yourselves as a team, which means you are two unique individuals bringing different perspectives and strengths. That is the value of a team—your differences.
Know how to manage differences; it's the key to success in a relationship. Disagreements don't sink relationships. Name-calling does. Learn how to handle the negative feelings that are the unavoidable byproduct of the differences between two people. Stonewalling or avoiding conflicts is NOT managing them.
If you don't understand or like something your partner is doing, ask about it and why he or she is doing it. Talk and explore, don't assume.
Solve problems as they arise. Don't let resentments simmer. Most of what goes wrong in relationships can be traced to hurt feelings, leading partners to erect defenses against one another and to become strangers. Or enemies.
Learn to negotiate. Modern relationships no longer rely on roles cast by the culture. Couples create their own roles, so that virtually every act requires negotiation. It works best when good will prevails. Because people's needs are fluid and change over time, and life's demands change too, good relationships are negotiated and renegotiated all the time.
Listen, truly listen, to your partner's concerns and complaints without judgment. Much of the time, just having someone listen is all we need for solving problems. Plus it opens the door to confiding. And empathy is crucial. Look at things from your partner's perspective as well as your own.
Work hard at maintaining closeness. Closeness doesn't happen by itself. In its absence, people drift apart and are susceptible to affairs. A good relationship isn't an end goal; it's a lifelong process maintained through regular attention.
Take a long-range view. A marriage is an agreement to spend a future together. Check out your dreams with each other regularly to make sure you're both on the same path. Update your dreams regularly.
Never underestimate the power of good grooming.
Sex is good. Pillow talk is better. Sex is easy, intimacy is difficult. It requires honesty, openness, self-disclosure, confiding concerns, fears, sadnesses as well as hopes and dreams.
Never go to sleep angry. Try a little tenderness.
Apologize, apologize, apologize. Anyone can make a mistake. Repair attempts are crucial—highly predictive of marital happiness. They can be clumsy or funny, even sarcastic—but willingness to make up after an argument is central to every happy marriage.
Some dependency is good, but complete dependency on a partner for all one's needs is an invitation to unhappiness for both partners. We're all dependent to a degree—on friends, mentors, spouses. This is true of men as well as women.
Maintain self-respect and self-esteem. It's easier for someone to like you and to be around you when you like yourself. Research has shown that the more roles people fill, the more sources of self-esteem they have. Meaningful work—paid or volunteer—has long been one of the most important ways to exercise and fortify a sense of self.
Enrich your relationship by bringing into it new interests from outside the relationship. The more passions in life that you have and share, the richer your relationship will be. It is unrealistic to expect one person to meet all of your needs in life.
Cooperate, cooperate, cooperate. Share responsibilities. Relationships work ONLY when they are two-way streets, with much give and take.
Stay open to spontaneity.
Maintain your energy. Stay healthy.
Recognize that all relationships have their ups and downs and do not ride at a continuous high all the time. Working together through the hard times will make the relationship stronger.
Make good sense of a bad relationship by examining it as a reflection of your beliefs about yourself. Don't just run away from a bad relationship; you'll only repeat it with the next partner. Use it as a mirror to look at yourself, to understand what in you is creating this relationship. Change yourself before you change your relationship.
Understand that love is not an absolute, not a limited commodity that you're in of or out of. It's a feeling that ebbs and flows depending on how you treat each other. If you learn new ways to interact, the feelings can come flowing back, often stronger than before.
Tips on how to build a healthy love life with your spouse.
By: Hara Estroff Marano
Human beings crave intimacy, need to love and be loved. Yet people have much trouble doing so.
It's clear from the many letters I get that lots of folks have no idea what a healthy relationship even looks like. Because I care about these things, and care about the environments children grow in, I'm using this space as an attempt to remedy the problem—again.
From many sources and many experts, I have culled some basic rules of relationships. This is by no means an exhaustive list. But it's a start. Print them out and pin them up on your refrigerator door. I won't test you on them—but life will.
Choose a partner wisely and well. We are attracted to people for all kinds of reasons. They remind us of someone from our past. They shower us with gifts and make us feel important. Evaluate a potential partner as you would a friend; look at their character, personality, values, their generosity of spirit, the relationship between their words and actions, their relationships with others.
Know your partner's beliefs about relationships. Different people have different and often conflicting beliefs about relationships. You don't want to fall in love with someone who expects lots of dishonesty in relationships; they'll create it where it doesn't exist.
Don't confuse sex with love. Especially in the beginning of a relationship, attraction and pleasure in sex are often mistaken for love.
Know your needs and speak up for them clearly. A relationship is not a guessing game. Many people, men as well as women, fear stating their needs and, as a result, camouflage them. The result is disappointment at not getting what they want and anger at a partner for not having met their (unstated) needs. Closeness cannot occur without honesty. Your partner is not a mind reader.
Respect, respect, respect. Inside and outside the relationship, act in ways so that your partner always maintains respect for you. Mutual respect is essential to a good relationship.
View yourselves as a team, which means you are two unique individuals bringing different perspectives and strengths. That is the value of a team—your differences.
Know how to manage differences; it's the key to success in a relationship. Disagreements don't sink relationships. Name-calling does. Learn how to handle the negative feelings that are the unavoidable byproduct of the differences between two people. Stonewalling or avoiding conflicts is NOT managing them.
If you don't understand or like something your partner is doing, ask about it and why he or she is doing it. Talk and explore, don't assume.
Solve problems as they arise. Don't let resentments simmer. Most of what goes wrong in relationships can be traced to hurt feelings, leading partners to erect defenses against one another and to become strangers. Or enemies.
Learn to negotiate. Modern relationships no longer rely on roles cast by the culture. Couples create their own roles, so that virtually every act requires negotiation. It works best when good will prevails. Because people's needs are fluid and change over time, and life's demands change too, good relationships are negotiated and renegotiated all the time.
Listen, truly listen, to your partner's concerns and complaints without judgment. Much of the time, just having someone listen is all we need for solving problems. Plus it opens the door to confiding. And empathy is crucial. Look at things from your partner's perspective as well as your own.
Work hard at maintaining closeness. Closeness doesn't happen by itself. In its absence, people drift apart and are susceptible to affairs. A good relationship isn't an end goal; it's a lifelong process maintained through regular attention.
Take a long-range view. A marriage is an agreement to spend a future together. Check out your dreams with each other regularly to make sure you're both on the same path. Update your dreams regularly.
Never underestimate the power of good grooming.
Sex is good. Pillow talk is better. Sex is easy, intimacy is difficult. It requires honesty, openness, self-disclosure, confiding concerns, fears, sadnesses as well as hopes and dreams.
Never go to sleep angry. Try a little tenderness.
Apologize, apologize, apologize. Anyone can make a mistake. Repair attempts are crucial—highly predictive of marital happiness. They can be clumsy or funny, even sarcastic—but willingness to make up after an argument is central to every happy marriage.
Some dependency is good, but complete dependency on a partner for all one's needs is an invitation to unhappiness for both partners. We're all dependent to a degree—on friends, mentors, spouses. This is true of men as well as women.
Maintain self-respect and self-esteem. It's easier for someone to like you and to be around you when you like yourself. Research has shown that the more roles people fill, the more sources of self-esteem they have. Meaningful work—paid or volunteer—has long been one of the most important ways to exercise and fortify a sense of self.
Enrich your relationship by bringing into it new interests from outside the relationship. The more passions in life that you have and share, the richer your relationship will be. It is unrealistic to expect one person to meet all of your needs in life.
Cooperate, cooperate, cooperate. Share responsibilities. Relationships work ONLY when they are two-way streets, with much give and take.
Stay open to spontaneity.
Maintain your energy. Stay healthy.
Recognize that all relationships have their ups and downs and do not ride at a continuous high all the time. Working together through the hard times will make the relationship stronger.
Make good sense of a bad relationship by examining it as a reflection of your beliefs about yourself. Don't just run away from a bad relationship; you'll only repeat it with the next partner. Use it as a mirror to look at yourself, to understand what in you is creating this relationship. Change yourself before you change your relationship.
Understand that love is not an absolute, not a limited commodity that you're in of or out of. It's a feeling that ebbs and flows depending on how you treat each other. If you learn new ways to interact, the feelings can come flowing back, often stronger than before.
10/15/2008
A surprising link to obesity
Childhood ear infections may pave the way for weight gain in adulthood.
By Michael PriceMonitor staff Print version: page 18
They say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but new evidence suggests the best way to his stomach may be through his ears. Research presented at APA's Annual Convention suggests that ear infections in early childhood have a profound effect on obesity later in life. Researchers presented findings that children who suffer from repeated middle-ear infections, or otitis media, are much more likely to be overweight as children and as adults.
The possible link first came to light when in 1993 University of Florida School of Dentistry researcher Linda Bartoshuk, PhD, and her colleagues administered general health questionnaires to 7,000 Americans, looking for correlations between taste perceptions and health.
"An unexpected finding emerged," Bartoshuk said. A history of otitis media was associated with a higher body mass index. Using statistical analysis, she determined that these ear infections weren't just a correlation; they made an independent contribution to being overweight, she said.
In her studies since, she's found that males may be particularly susceptible: Those with a history of otitis media are almost twice as likely to be overweight or obese as men who have no history of the condition.
"This is not a small effect," she said.
How could an ear infection influence someone's weight? Derek Snyder, a Yale University neuroscience graduate student, explained that a damaged nerve might be the culprit. An important taste nerve, the chorda tympani, runs from the tongue up through the middle ear and into the brain. If the middle ear is infected, the nerve can get damaged. The effect is that certain nontaste sensations, like the creaminess of fat, get intensified.
"When we perceive food in the mouth, several nerves are at work," Snyder said. "Each of these nerves carries a distinct array of sensory information."
The chorda tympani is responsible for the taste perception on the front of the tongue. If that nerve becomes damaged, tastes at the back of the tongue actually get enhanced to preserve overall "taste constancy." But other cues that go into our sensory experience of flavor, including texture, smells and chemical sensitivity, are also enhanced.
Snyder and the other presenters think that the tongue's texture detectors pull double duty when the chorda tympani is damaged. These texture detectors latch onto the intensified creamy, fat sensation. The result is that overall taste perception remains the same, but a person's food preferences shift toward fatty and creamy foods.
"Over time, a history of ear infection may contribute to a more energy-dense diet," Snyder said. After a number of years, this can lead to obesity.
Especially susceptible are a subgroup of people known as supertasters, who, Bartoshuk explained, have an abnormally high number of taste buds. These people make up about 25 percent of the world population.
"These people live in a neon taste world," Bartoshuk said. For them, damage to the chorda tympani might pose an even bigger danger, as their enhanced taste perceptions would amplify the effects.
By Michael PriceMonitor staff Print version: page 18
They say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but new evidence suggests the best way to his stomach may be through his ears. Research presented at APA's Annual Convention suggests that ear infections in early childhood have a profound effect on obesity later in life. Researchers presented findings that children who suffer from repeated middle-ear infections, or otitis media, are much more likely to be overweight as children and as adults.
The possible link first came to light when in 1993 University of Florida School of Dentistry researcher Linda Bartoshuk, PhD, and her colleagues administered general health questionnaires to 7,000 Americans, looking for correlations between taste perceptions and health.
"An unexpected finding emerged," Bartoshuk said. A history of otitis media was associated with a higher body mass index. Using statistical analysis, she determined that these ear infections weren't just a correlation; they made an independent contribution to being overweight, she said.
In her studies since, she's found that males may be particularly susceptible: Those with a history of otitis media are almost twice as likely to be overweight or obese as men who have no history of the condition.
"This is not a small effect," she said.
How could an ear infection influence someone's weight? Derek Snyder, a Yale University neuroscience graduate student, explained that a damaged nerve might be the culprit. An important taste nerve, the chorda tympani, runs from the tongue up through the middle ear and into the brain. If the middle ear is infected, the nerve can get damaged. The effect is that certain nontaste sensations, like the creaminess of fat, get intensified.
"When we perceive food in the mouth, several nerves are at work," Snyder said. "Each of these nerves carries a distinct array of sensory information."
The chorda tympani is responsible for the taste perception on the front of the tongue. If that nerve becomes damaged, tastes at the back of the tongue actually get enhanced to preserve overall "taste constancy." But other cues that go into our sensory experience of flavor, including texture, smells and chemical sensitivity, are also enhanced.
Snyder and the other presenters think that the tongue's texture detectors pull double duty when the chorda tympani is damaged. These texture detectors latch onto the intensified creamy, fat sensation. The result is that overall taste perception remains the same, but a person's food preferences shift toward fatty and creamy foods.
"Over time, a history of ear infection may contribute to a more energy-dense diet," Snyder said. After a number of years, this can lead to obesity.
Especially susceptible are a subgroup of people known as supertasters, who, Bartoshuk explained, have an abnormally high number of taste buds. These people make up about 25 percent of the world population.
"These people live in a neon taste world," Bartoshuk said. For them, damage to the chorda tympani might pose an even bigger danger, as their enhanced taste perceptions would amplify the effects.
Cocaine addicts' brains predisposed to abuse: study
CHICAGO - Cocaine addicts may have brain deficits that predispose them to drug abuse, and abusing drugs appears to make matters worse, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.
They said images of cocaine addicts' brains reveal abnormalities in the cerebral cortex -- the brain's outer surface -- and these changes relate to dysfunction in areas responsible for attention and decision-making.
"These data point to a mixture of both drug effects and predisposition underlying the structural alterations we observed," said Dr. Hans Breiter of Massachusetts General Hospital, whose research appears in the journal Neuron.
Breiter and colleagues compared magnetic resonance images, or MRIs, of 20 cocaine addicts with 20 carefully matched volunteers to map out cocaine-related differences in the brain.
Compared to their healthy counterparts, cocaine addicts had far less overall volume in the cortex, the outer layer that helps plan, execute and control behavior. These differences were especially pronounced in areas regulating reward, attention and decision-making.
They also noticed that while the healthy volunteers tended to have thicker areas in some frontal regions on the right side of the brain, this was reversed in the addicts. And overall, the addicts had less variation in the thickness of their cortex.
Differences in the right and left side of the brain are important because they typically suggest a genetic cause, Breiter said.
The researchers also found changes in the cingulate -- another reward center -- that appeared to correspond with the length of cocaine use but not nicotine or alcohol use, suggesting that these changes were the result of long-term cocaine exposure.
"Human studies have shown differences in how addicts make judgments and decisions, but it is not well understood how these differences relate to alterations in the structure of the brains of addicts," Breiter said in a statement.
The researchers said the findings underscore the importance of keeping vulnerable people from using cocaine. And they said follow-up studies should be done to see if similar changes are present in people with other addictions.
2008 Reuters
They said images of cocaine addicts' brains reveal abnormalities in the cerebral cortex -- the brain's outer surface -- and these changes relate to dysfunction in areas responsible for attention and decision-making.
"These data point to a mixture of both drug effects and predisposition underlying the structural alterations we observed," said Dr. Hans Breiter of Massachusetts General Hospital, whose research appears in the journal Neuron.
Breiter and colleagues compared magnetic resonance images, or MRIs, of 20 cocaine addicts with 20 carefully matched volunteers to map out cocaine-related differences in the brain.
Compared to their healthy counterparts, cocaine addicts had far less overall volume in the cortex, the outer layer that helps plan, execute and control behavior. These differences were especially pronounced in areas regulating reward, attention and decision-making.
They also noticed that while the healthy volunteers tended to have thicker areas in some frontal regions on the right side of the brain, this was reversed in the addicts. And overall, the addicts had less variation in the thickness of their cortex.
Differences in the right and left side of the brain are important because they typically suggest a genetic cause, Breiter said.
The researchers also found changes in the cingulate -- another reward center -- that appeared to correspond with the length of cocaine use but not nicotine or alcohol use, suggesting that these changes were the result of long-term cocaine exposure.
"Human studies have shown differences in how addicts make judgments and decisions, but it is not well understood how these differences relate to alterations in the structure of the brains of addicts," Breiter said in a statement.
The researchers said the findings underscore the importance of keeping vulnerable people from using cocaine. And they said follow-up studies should be done to see if similar changes are present in people with other addictions.
2008 Reuters
Some depressed patients opt for assisted suicide
By Anthony J. Brown, MD
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a survey in Oregon suggest that the Death with Dignity Act enacted in the state in 1997 does not always prevent patients with depression, a treatable condition, from receiving a prescription for a lethal drug.
The findings indicate that "most people in Oregon who request physician aid in dying do not have clinical depression," but yet there are "small number of patients with clinical depression who are able to access lethal medications," lead investigator Dr. Linda Ganzini, from Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, told Reuters Health.
"The Oregon law," she explained, "requires that if the prescribing physician is concerned that the patient might have depression influencing their judgment, that they be evaluated by a psychiatrist or psychologist. The proportion of requesting patients who are evaluated by a mental health professional has been dropping over the last decade and last year no mental health assessments occurred among the 46 people who died by physician-assisted suicide in Oregon."
The survey, reported in the Online First issue of the British Medical Journal, looked at 58 state residents with a terminal illness, usually cancer or ALS, who had requested assistance in dying, either directly from a physician or through an advocacy organization.
Using standard measures, including the structured clinical interview of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the investigators identified 15 people with depression and 13 with anxiety.
Forty-two people died by the end of the study, including 18 who had received a prescription for a lethal drug. Three of the 18 individuals met criteria for depression and all three died from lethal ingestion within 2 months of the study survey.
"Physicians need to do a better job in screening for depression among terminally ill patients who wish to die," Ganzini emphasized. She added that her group "is continuing to analyze data from this data set regarding these patients' views on their medical care."
In a related editorial, Dr. Marije L. van der Lee, from the Helen Dowling Institute in Utrecht, the Netherlands, comments that while the current study examined how well depressed patients are protected from assisted suicide, the focus should be on "trying to prevent patients from becoming depressed in the first place."
She added that "depression has a strong negative effect on the quality of life of terminally ill patients and their family, but depression could potentially be treated."
SOURCE: British Medical Journal, online October 8, 2008.
2008 Reuters.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a survey in Oregon suggest that the Death with Dignity Act enacted in the state in 1997 does not always prevent patients with depression, a treatable condition, from receiving a prescription for a lethal drug.
The findings indicate that "most people in Oregon who request physician aid in dying do not have clinical depression," but yet there are "small number of patients with clinical depression who are able to access lethal medications," lead investigator Dr. Linda Ganzini, from Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, told Reuters Health.
"The Oregon law," she explained, "requires that if the prescribing physician is concerned that the patient might have depression influencing their judgment, that they be evaluated by a psychiatrist or psychologist. The proportion of requesting patients who are evaluated by a mental health professional has been dropping over the last decade and last year no mental health assessments occurred among the 46 people who died by physician-assisted suicide in Oregon."
The survey, reported in the Online First issue of the British Medical Journal, looked at 58 state residents with a terminal illness, usually cancer or ALS, who had requested assistance in dying, either directly from a physician or through an advocacy organization.
Using standard measures, including the structured clinical interview of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the investigators identified 15 people with depression and 13 with anxiety.
Forty-two people died by the end of the study, including 18 who had received a prescription for a lethal drug. Three of the 18 individuals met criteria for depression and all three died from lethal ingestion within 2 months of the study survey.
"Physicians need to do a better job in screening for depression among terminally ill patients who wish to die," Ganzini emphasized. She added that her group "is continuing to analyze data from this data set regarding these patients' views on their medical care."
In a related editorial, Dr. Marije L. van der Lee, from the Helen Dowling Institute in Utrecht, the Netherlands, comments that while the current study examined how well depressed patients are protected from assisted suicide, the focus should be on "trying to prevent patients from becoming depressed in the first place."
She added that "depression has a strong negative effect on the quality of life of terminally ill patients and their family, but depression could potentially be treated."
SOURCE: British Medical Journal, online October 8, 2008.
2008 Reuters.
A study that could improve our health and well-being at work is about to start at The University of Nottingham.
Patients who were depressed had higher heart rate, study finds
NEW YORK - In people who have suffered a heart attack, depression and a high heart rate at night, while often coexistent, are independent predictors of death, according to research published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
Dr. Robert M. Carney of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., and colleagues conducted a series of tests in 333 depressed patients and 383 non-depressed patients who'd recently suffered a heart attack and were followed for up to 30 months.
After accounting for a number of potential factors that might influence the results, depressed patients had higher nighttime heart rate (70.7 versus 67.7 beats per minute) and daytime heart rate (76.4 versus 74.2 beats per minute) than non-depressed patients.
Overall, 33 depressed patients (9.9 percent) and 14 non-depressed patients (3.7 percent) died during follow-up. Twenty-four of the deaths among the depressed patients (73 percent) and 10 of the deaths among the non-depressed patients (71 percent) were classified as likely due to cardiovascular causes.
Carney and colleagues also report that "nondepressed patients with low heart rate had the best survival, and depressed patients with high heart rate had the worst."
After adjusting for other major predictors and for each other, depression and a high nighttime, but not daytime, heart rate independently increased the risk of death in these post-heart attack patients.
According to the investigators, disturbed sleep, which is frequently reported in patients with depression, may help explain the association of nighttime elevated heart rate with mortality.
There is evidence that arousals from sleep that are associated with increased heart rate may provoke events related to ischemia (restriction of the blood supply and thus oxygen to the tissues) and abnormal heart rhythms in patients with heart disease, they note.
2008 Reuters
NEW YORK - In people who have suffered a heart attack, depression and a high heart rate at night, while often coexistent, are independent predictors of death, according to research published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
Dr. Robert M. Carney of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., and colleagues conducted a series of tests in 333 depressed patients and 383 non-depressed patients who'd recently suffered a heart attack and were followed for up to 30 months.
After accounting for a number of potential factors that might influence the results, depressed patients had higher nighttime heart rate (70.7 versus 67.7 beats per minute) and daytime heart rate (76.4 versus 74.2 beats per minute) than non-depressed patients.
Overall, 33 depressed patients (9.9 percent) and 14 non-depressed patients (3.7 percent) died during follow-up. Twenty-four of the deaths among the depressed patients (73 percent) and 10 of the deaths among the non-depressed patients (71 percent) were classified as likely due to cardiovascular causes.
Carney and colleagues also report that "nondepressed patients with low heart rate had the best survival, and depressed patients with high heart rate had the worst."
After adjusting for other major predictors and for each other, depression and a high nighttime, but not daytime, heart rate independently increased the risk of death in these post-heart attack patients.
According to the investigators, disturbed sleep, which is frequently reported in patients with depression, may help explain the association of nighttime elevated heart rate with mortality.
There is evidence that arousals from sleep that are associated with increased heart rate may provoke events related to ischemia (restriction of the blood supply and thus oxygen to the tissues) and abnormal heart rhythms in patients with heart disease, they note.
2008 Reuters
Major Study Begins Into Work-Related Health And Well-Being
A study that could improve our health and well-being at work is about to start at The University of Nottingham. In 2006 and 2007 more than half a million individuals in Britain reported experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill. Dr Maria Karanika-Murray, a Research Fellow in Occupational Health Psychology, has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council to spend the next two and a half years researching the impact of organisational level factors on employee health and well-being. Until now most investigations into the impact of work on health have been limited to the person in the context of their immediate job. This study will take a different perspective and could potentially have a major impact on theory and our knowledge, as well as on practice and how we manage work-related health. This research looks at the impact of the organisation itself: its structure and culture. Maria Karanika-Murray and her research staff, will examine the organisation and work systems of some 40 companies - large, small, and medium sized enterprises. Information on hundreds of employees, their work and their organisations will be sampled over a period of 20 months. Maria Karanika-Murray said: "A large body of academic research has been carried out on the subject. For example, we know that characteristics of the job such as the level of demands and job variety, relationships and support at work, the work-life balance, and so on, impact on job satisfaction, absence and productivity. But very few studies have considered what impact organisational factors such as culture, leadership, policies, strategies, change and development goals can have on such outcomes." Health and safety at work is one of the most concentrated and most important social policy sectors in Europe. Since the 1990's the increasingly recognised importance of health at work has given rise to policy and national guidance on its management in the UK and in Europe. Between 2006 and 2007 30 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health and six million working days were lost due to workplace injury. More than two million people suffer from an illness they believe was caused or made worse by work. Maria Karanika-Murray, who is based at the Institute of Work, Health and Organisations (I-WHO), says the problem has been identified in research which shows many organisational interventions are not as successful as they might have been expected and that the wider organisational environment may affect the success or failure of an intervention. She said: "Research into occupational health often neglects to look at the broader organisational system within which employees carry out their work. This may be due to shortcomings in research methodology and can have important implications for theory and what we know about the causes of work-related health. The importance of this study lies in its implications for the successful and sustainable management of work-related health." With a total cost of £320,000 the research will use a multilevel longitudinal approach, which is appropriate for estimating the cause and effect of relationships. Tom Cox, Professor of Organisational Psychology & Head of I-WHO said: "This is an important development in occupational health psychology and for the health and well-being of working people. It is clear that the nature of their employing organisations, and their cultures, determine many aspects of their behaviour at work, the quality of their working lives and ultimately their well-being. As a result of this research, we can learn much more about these important relationships."
Being Altruistic May Make You Attractive
Displays of altruism or selflessness towards others can be sexually attractive in a mate. This is one of the findings of a study carried out by biologists and a psychologist at The University of Nottingham. In three studies of more than 1,000 people Dr Tim Phillips and his fellow researchers discovered that women place significantly greater importance on altruistic traits that anything else. Their findings have been published in the British Journal of Psychology. Dr Phillips said: "Evolutionary theory predicts competition between individuals and yet we see many examples in nature of individuals disadvantaging themselves to help others. In humans, particularly, we see individuals prepared to put themselves at considerable risk to help individuals they do not know for no obvious reward." Participants in the studies were questioned about a range of qualities they look for in a mate, including examples of altruistic behaviour such as 'donates blood regularly' and 'volunteered to help out in a local hospital'. Women placed significantly greater importance on altruistic traits in all three studies. Yet both sexes may consider altruistic traits when choosing a partner. One hundred and seventy couples were asked to rate how much they preferred altruistic traits in a mate and report their own level of altruistic behaviour. The strength of preference in one partner was found to correlate with the extent of altruistic behaviour typically displayed in the other, suggesting that altruistic traits may well be a factor both men and women take into account when choosing a partner. Dr Phillips said: "For many years the standard explanation for altruistic behaviour towards non-relatives has been based on reciprocity and reputation - a version of 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours'. I believe we need to look elsewhere to understand the roots of human altruism. The expansion of the human brain would have greatly increased the cost of raising children so it would have been important for our ancestors to choose mates both willing and able to be good, long-term parents. Displays of altruism could well have provided accurate clues to this and genes linked to altruism would have been favoured as a result." Dr Phillips concluded: "Sexual selection could well come to be seen as exerting a major influence on what made humans human." Dr Tom Reader in the School of Biology said: "Sexual preferences have enormous potential to shape the evolution of animal behaviour. Humans are clearly not an exception: sex may have a crucial role in explaining what are our most biologically interesting and unusual habits." ----------------------------Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.---------------------------- Source: Lindsay Brooke University of Nottingham
Chair Of Joint Chiefs Calls For Broader PTSD Screenings
Michael Mullen, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently proposed that all returning combat troops undergo screening for post-traumatic stress disorder with a mental health professional, according to USA Today. Troops currently fill out questionnaires after combat tours that aid in assessing their mental health and are examined by physicians for physical injuries, but they do not meet with a mental health professional. According to USA Today, a trained mental health professional can determine signs of PTSD within five minutes in an in-person meeting.Mullen said troops often are reluctant to acknowledge psychological problems because they are hesitant to show weakness. According to Terri Tanielian, co-director of RAND's Center for Military Health Policy Research, troops are concerned that seeking mental health treatment could negatively affect their military career. Mullen said the Pentagon has yet to address the negative connotation associated with mental health care. Mullen said, "I'm at a point where I believe we have to give a (mental health) screening to everybody to help remove the stigma of raising your hand." There currently are no estimates regarding the potential cost of Mullen's proposal or a start date. A shortage of available mental health professionals could hinder adoption of the proposal, although the military has increased signing and retention bonuses in recent years to address the issue. Another concern is that troops often know how to evade certain health questions to avoid treatment.According to a RAND study, one in five combat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD or depression. RAND estimates that 300,000 veterans have been affected and that it may cost more than $6.2 billion to treat them. The study also showed rates of PTSD and depression were highest among soldiers and Marines (Vanden Brook, USA Today, 10/13). Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
Psychological Effects Of Abortion Deserve 'New Dialogue,' Editorial Says
Although it is "well-known" that a woman has choices when she is pregnant, "what is not fully known ... is that each of these choices has long-term effects for both the parents," a Washington Times editorial says, adding, "An abortion, much like" carrying a pregnancy to term or choosing adoption, is "not consequence-free." According to the editorial, abortion-rights advocates are "still in denial that there is a mental health impact" associated with the procedure, and many members of the scientific community "insist there is no proof of a causal relationship between abortion and mental health problems." The editorial concludes that "the dialogue on abortion can benefit from a fresh perspective: The discussion should not be centered solely on whether girls and women should be permitted to have an abortion. Women must fully grasp that abortion actually causes mental health problems" (Washington Times, 10/14). Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
Adolescent Brain Function Adversely Affected By Marijuana Use
Brain imaging shows that the brains of teens that use marijuana are working harder than the brains of their peers who abstain from the drug. At the 2008 annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Boston, Mass., Krista Lisdahl Medina, a University of Cincinnati assistant professor of psychology, presented collaborative research with Susan Tapert, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. Medina's Oct. 12 presentation, titled, "Neuroimaging Marijuana Use and its Effects on Cognitive Function," suggests that chronic, heavy marijuana use during adolescence - a critical period of ongoing brain development - is associated with poorer performance on thinking tasks, including slower psychomotor speed and poorer complex attention, verbal memory and planning ability. Medina says that's evident even after a month of stopping marijuana use. She says that while recent findings suggest partial recovery of verbal memory functioning within the first three weeks of adolescent abstinence from marijuana, complex attention skills continue to be affected. "Not only are their thinking abilities worse, their brain activation to cognitive tasks is abnormal. The tasks are fairly easy, such as remembering the location of objects, and they may be able to complete the tasks, but what we see is that adolescent marijuana users are using more of their parietal and frontal cortices to complete the tasks. Their brain is working harder than it should," Medina says. She adds that recent findings suggest females may be at increased risk for the neurocognitive consequences of marijuana use during adolescence, as studies found that teenage girls had marginally larger prefrontal cortex (PFC) volumes compared to girls who did not smoke marijuana. The larger PFC volumes were associated with poorer executive functions of the brain in these teens, such as planning, decision-making or staying focused on a task. Medina says adolescence is a critical time of brain development and that the findings are yet another warning for adolescents who experiment with drug use. She says more study is needed to see if the thinking abilities of adolescent marijuana users improve following longer periods of abstinence from the drug. "Longitudinal studies following youth over time are needed to rule out the influence of pre-existing differences before teens begin using marijuana, and to examine whether abstinence from marijuana results in recovery of cognitive and brain functioning," says Medina. ----------------------------Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.---------------------------- The research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Source: Dawn Fuller University of Cincinnati
No Friend to Turn to
Chicago Tribune -
Maybe you and your friends have stopped talking politics.
Then again, maybe you've stopped talking altogether.
"Loneliness," a new book by University of Chicago psychology professor John T. Cacioppo and science writer William Patrick, sounds a wake-up call for those of us walking around in a state of isolation - and we are plenty. Roughly 60 million Americans, according to the book, feel lonely to the point of unhappiness at any given moment.
That's about 20 percent of us.
Part of our problem, according to Cacioppo's book, is an alarming trend in American communities: We've stopped confiding in each other.
In 1985, the General Social Survey talked to nearly 1,500 adults about their network of confidants. In 2004, sociologists repeated the same survey and found Americans had onethird fewer confidants - defined as people with whom you "discuss important matters." A quarter of the respondents in 2004 said they had no one with whom they talk openly and intimately.
What about you? Are you swimming in confidants, or treading water on your own? We came up with a little quiz to help you decide.
If your answers leave you feeling a little lonely, it may be time to take action. Cacioppo and Patrick report that "social isolation has an impact on health comparable to the effect of high blood pressure, lack of exercise, obesity or smoking."
"Loneliness is not only a sad event, it's a threatening event," Cacioppo said in a recent phone interview.
"Loneliness is a pain signal calling attention to an important need. It's the same as hunger, thirst and pain."
And although he stresses that the quality of your relationships is far more important than the quantity, ("A few close friends and confidants make a big difference"), it helps to branch out beyond your immediate family.
Answer these questions:
- Do you regularly discuss your health, job, current events or other "important matters" with someone outside your family?
- Who could you call on to pick up your child(ren) from school or day care?
- Do you belong to a community organization?
- How many of your neighbors do you know?
- Do you play on a sports team?
- Do you have a regular hangout (coffee shop, diner, bookstore)?
- How many of your online friends do you socialize with face-to-face?
- Who feeds your pet/collects your mail/waters your plants when you leave town?
- Who would you call if your car broke down?
- What are you doing next Saturday?
If you continually answered "my spouse" to the "who would you turn to"-type questions, consider this: "Ties outside the family are the most likely to connect respondents to people from different parts of society," according to the most recent issue of Contexts, a magazine published by the American Sociological Association.
"Family members tend to be similar in class, religion and race. Therefore, if the majority of a person's connections are through family, their social world is limited."
This may not seem like such a bad thing, but the Contexts report (which centered on the same confidant study mentioned in "Loneliness") makes this point: "The tangible, material help we get from others leads to longer, healthier lives."
"People stranded on rooftops after Hurricane Katrina perhaps didn't know anyone with a car and didn't have a close friend they could stay with for a few days," it says.
So it behooves us to make some time for relationships.
"We are fundamentally a social species," notes Cacioppo, who says he was surprised to learn how profoundly we are affected by our connectedness.
"It affects our ability to think, to self-regulate, our sense of self-worth. Exactly how central our social existence is to us as human beings, that was a surprise. That changed how I started to think about human nature."
---
GET THE BALL ROLLING
BetterTogether.org, an initiative by Harvard University to rebuild civic trust among Americans and their communities, offers "150 Things You Can Do to Build Social Capital." In other words, make some friends. From the list:
- Surprise a new neighbor by making a favorite dinner - and include the recipe.
- Organize or participate in a sports league.
- Audition for community theater or volunteer to usher.
- Volunteer in your child's classroom or chaperone a field trip.
- Participate in a political campaign.
- Help coach Little League or other youth sports - even if you don't have a kid playing.
- Start a lunch gathering or discussion group with co-workers.
- Start or join a carpool.
- Plant tree seedlings along your street with neighbors and rotate care for them.
- See if your neighbor needs anything when you run to the store.
Maybe you and your friends have stopped talking politics.
Then again, maybe you've stopped talking altogether.
"Loneliness," a new book by University of Chicago psychology professor John T. Cacioppo and science writer William Patrick, sounds a wake-up call for those of us walking around in a state of isolation - and we are plenty. Roughly 60 million Americans, according to the book, feel lonely to the point of unhappiness at any given moment.
That's about 20 percent of us.
Part of our problem, according to Cacioppo's book, is an alarming trend in American communities: We've stopped confiding in each other.
In 1985, the General Social Survey talked to nearly 1,500 adults about their network of confidants. In 2004, sociologists repeated the same survey and found Americans had onethird fewer confidants - defined as people with whom you "discuss important matters." A quarter of the respondents in 2004 said they had no one with whom they talk openly and intimately.
What about you? Are you swimming in confidants, or treading water on your own? We came up with a little quiz to help you decide.
If your answers leave you feeling a little lonely, it may be time to take action. Cacioppo and Patrick report that "social isolation has an impact on health comparable to the effect of high blood pressure, lack of exercise, obesity or smoking."
"Loneliness is not only a sad event, it's a threatening event," Cacioppo said in a recent phone interview.
"Loneliness is a pain signal calling attention to an important need. It's the same as hunger, thirst and pain."
And although he stresses that the quality of your relationships is far more important than the quantity, ("A few close friends and confidants make a big difference"), it helps to branch out beyond your immediate family.
Answer these questions:
- Do you regularly discuss your health, job, current events or other "important matters" with someone outside your family?
- Who could you call on to pick up your child(ren) from school or day care?
- Do you belong to a community organization?
- How many of your neighbors do you know?
- Do you play on a sports team?
- Do you have a regular hangout (coffee shop, diner, bookstore)?
- How many of your online friends do you socialize with face-to-face?
- Who feeds your pet/collects your mail/waters your plants when you leave town?
- Who would you call if your car broke down?
- What are you doing next Saturday?
If you continually answered "my spouse" to the "who would you turn to"-type questions, consider this: "Ties outside the family are the most likely to connect respondents to people from different parts of society," according to the most recent issue of Contexts, a magazine published by the American Sociological Association.
"Family members tend to be similar in class, religion and race. Therefore, if the majority of a person's connections are through family, their social world is limited."
This may not seem like such a bad thing, but the Contexts report (which centered on the same confidant study mentioned in "Loneliness") makes this point: "The tangible, material help we get from others leads to longer, healthier lives."
"People stranded on rooftops after Hurricane Katrina perhaps didn't know anyone with a car and didn't have a close friend they could stay with for a few days," it says.
So it behooves us to make some time for relationships.
"We are fundamentally a social species," notes Cacioppo, who says he was surprised to learn how profoundly we are affected by our connectedness.
"It affects our ability to think, to self-regulate, our sense of self-worth. Exactly how central our social existence is to us as human beings, that was a surprise. That changed how I started to think about human nature."
---
GET THE BALL ROLLING
BetterTogether.org, an initiative by Harvard University to rebuild civic trust among Americans and their communities, offers "150 Things You Can Do to Build Social Capital." In other words, make some friends. From the list:
- Surprise a new neighbor by making a favorite dinner - and include the recipe.
- Organize or participate in a sports league.
- Audition for community theater or volunteer to usher.
- Volunteer in your child's classroom or chaperone a field trip.
- Participate in a political campaign.
- Help coach Little League or other youth sports - even if you don't have a kid playing.
- Start a lunch gathering or discussion group with co-workers.
- Start or join a carpool.
- Plant tree seedlings along your street with neighbors and rotate care for them.
- See if your neighbor needs anything when you run to the store.
Internet searching increases brain function: study
WASHINGTON, Oct 14, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- A new study by U.S. scientists shows that for computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning.
The findings, released on Tuesday, demonstrated that Web search activities may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function. The study, the first of its kind to assess the impact of Internet searching on brain performance, will appear in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
"The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults," said principal investigator Gary Small, a professor from University of California, Los Angeles. "Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function."
As the brain ages, a number of structural and functional changes occur, including atrophy, reductions in cell activity, and increases in deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which can impact cognitive function.
Small noted that pursuing activities that keep the mind engaged may help preserve brain health and cognitive ability. Traditionally, these include games such as crossword puzzles, but with the advent of technology, scientists are beginning to assess the influence of computer use -- including the Internet.
For the study, the UCLA team worked with 24 neurologically normal research volunteers aged between 55 and 76. Half of the participants had experience searching the Internet, while the other half had no such experience.
Internet searches revealed a major difference between the two groups. While all participants demonstrated the same brain activity that was seen during the book-reading task, the Web-savvy group also registered activity in the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, which control decision-making and complex reasoning.
"Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading -- but only in those with prior Internet experience," said Small.
In fact, researchers found that during Web searching, volunteers with prior experience registered a twofold increase in brain activation when compared with those with little Internet experience. The tiniest measurable unit of brain activity is called a voxel. Scientists discovered that during Internet searching, those with prior experience sparked 21,782 voxels, compared with only 8,646 voxels for those with less experience.
Compared with simple reading, the Internet's wealth of choices requires that people make decisions about what to click on to pursue more information, an activity that engages important cognitive circuits in the brain.
The findings, released on Tuesday, demonstrated that Web search activities may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function. The study, the first of its kind to assess the impact of Internet searching on brain performance, will appear in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
"The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults," said principal investigator Gary Small, a professor from University of California, Los Angeles. "Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function."
As the brain ages, a number of structural and functional changes occur, including atrophy, reductions in cell activity, and increases in deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which can impact cognitive function.
Small noted that pursuing activities that keep the mind engaged may help preserve brain health and cognitive ability. Traditionally, these include games such as crossword puzzles, but with the advent of technology, scientists are beginning to assess the influence of computer use -- including the Internet.
For the study, the UCLA team worked with 24 neurologically normal research volunteers aged between 55 and 76. Half of the participants had experience searching the Internet, while the other half had no such experience.
Internet searches revealed a major difference between the two groups. While all participants demonstrated the same brain activity that was seen during the book-reading task, the Web-savvy group also registered activity in the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, which control decision-making and complex reasoning.
"Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading -- but only in those with prior Internet experience," said Small.
In fact, researchers found that during Web searching, volunteers with prior experience registered a twofold increase in brain activation when compared with those with little Internet experience. The tiniest measurable unit of brain activity is called a voxel. Scientists discovered that during Internet searching, those with prior experience sparked 21,782 voxels, compared with only 8,646 voxels for those with less experience.
Compared with simple reading, the Internet's wealth of choices requires that people make decisions about what to click on to pursue more information, an activity that engages important cognitive circuits in the brain.
Drinking alcohol associated with smaller brain volume: study
WASHINGTON, Oct 13, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The more alcohol an individual drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume, according to a report in the October issue of U.S. journal Archives of Neurology.
Brain volume decreases with age at an estimated rate of 1.9 percent per decade, accompanied by an increase in white matter lesions, according to background information in the article.
Lower brain volumes and larger white matter lesions also occur with the progression of dementia and problems with thinking, learning and memory. Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease; because the brain receives blood from this system, researchers have hypothesized that small amounts of alcohol may also attenuate age- related declines in brain volume.
Researchers from Wellesley College, Mass., and colleagues studied 1,839 adults (average age 60). Between 1999 and 2001, participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a health examination. They reported the number of alcoholic drinks they consumed per week, along with their age, education and other factors.
"Most participants reported low alcohol consumption, and men were more likely than women to be moderate or heavy drinkers," the authors write. "There was a significant negative linear relationship between alcohol consumption and total cerebral brain volume."
Although men were more likely to drink alcohol, the association between drinking and brain volume was stronger in women, they note. This could be due to biological factors, including women's smaller size and greater susceptibility to alcohol's effects.
"The public health effect of this study gives a clear message about the possible dangers of drinking alcohol," the authors write. "Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these results as well as to determine whether there are any functional consequences associated with increasing alcohol consumption."
This study suggests that, unlike the associations with cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption does not have any protective effect on brain volume.
Brain volume decreases with age at an estimated rate of 1.9 percent per decade, accompanied by an increase in white matter lesions, according to background information in the article.
Lower brain volumes and larger white matter lesions also occur with the progression of dementia and problems with thinking, learning and memory. Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease; because the brain receives blood from this system, researchers have hypothesized that small amounts of alcohol may also attenuate age- related declines in brain volume.
Researchers from Wellesley College, Mass., and colleagues studied 1,839 adults (average age 60). Between 1999 and 2001, participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a health examination. They reported the number of alcoholic drinks they consumed per week, along with their age, education and other factors.
"Most participants reported low alcohol consumption, and men were more likely than women to be moderate or heavy drinkers," the authors write. "There was a significant negative linear relationship between alcohol consumption and total cerebral brain volume."
Although men were more likely to drink alcohol, the association between drinking and brain volume was stronger in women, they note. This could be due to biological factors, including women's smaller size and greater susceptibility to alcohol's effects.
"The public health effect of this study gives a clear message about the possible dangers of drinking alcohol," the authors write. "Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these results as well as to determine whether there are any functional consequences associated with increasing alcohol consumption."
This study suggests that, unlike the associations with cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption does not have any protective effect on brain volume.
9/23/2008
Handling a mental recession
Chicago Tribune -
An onslaught of phone calls tells Richard Chaifetz all he needs to know about how Americans are handling the nation's economic plunge.
The head of ComPsych, a Chicago-based provider of mental health services, said inquiries are spiking as never before in the wake of Wall Street's tumble, the housing slide and other financial calamities. "It's led to anxiety levels I have not seen in 20 years," he said. Psychologists and other professionals across Chicago and beyond report similar worries in patients. The economic unrest has been building for months; this week's bankruptcies and bailouts simply deepened a sense of despair.
Although mental health assistance won't restore a vaporized retirement fund, experts say it can be crucial in lending perspective and hope to situations that can seem irredeemably dark. Some of the concerns follow, along with coping approaches suggested by experts.
I'VE TAKEN A HUGE HIT, AND IT FEELS LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD
"It's appropriate to be anxious," said Nancy Molitor, a Wilmette psychologist. "It's not helpful to panic. Panic disables people and renders them ineffective to cope."
Molitor said she has seen a steady stream of people who are reacting to their losses in unhelpful ways: abusing drugs and alcohol, terminating their gym memberships and gaining weight, or trying to make up their financial losses through gambling.
Equally troubling are those who try to ignore the bad news, she said. Taking action can help stave off even worse trouble down the road.
"Some people are afraid to call their broker and banker, and that's not healthy," she said. "If you're worried [about paying bills], it's very important to pick up the phone. . . . Most creditors would be very happy if they heard from you."
MY FINANCES ARE OK BUT I CAN SENSE RUIN APPROACHING
California psychologist Judith M. Bardwick wrote a book on "psychological recession," a feeling that can haunt even those who, by all impartial measures, are weathering the financial storm just fine.
"It reflects people's sense that they no longer have control over what happens to them," she said. "It's the feeling that the present is lousy and the future is worse: 'I am vulnerable, and there's no one out there to help me.' "
That can be a helpful response in moderation, if it leads to updating one's skills or seeking a more secure job. But it also may encourage paralysis, anxiety and a general dreariness that infects work and home life.
Avoiding that trap means objectively reviewing one's career and finances with the help of a respected adviser, Bardwick said. She added, though, that it will take more than a positive attitude to defeat this scourge--it will take a new commitment on the part of governments and employers to see that workers are valued and cared for.
I'M MARRIED, AND MY SPOUSE IS GOING TO BANKRUPT US
"When it comes to your relationship, you really have to [adopt] a viewpoint that there are many different ways, many different spending patterns," Geneva marriage counselor Brent Atkinson said. "The biggest mistake you're going to make is your way is right and your partner is wrong."
Atkinson said husbands or wives shouldn't back off if they believe spouses are making truly disastrous financial decisions, but they shouldn't make their concerns personal or vindictive.
"If you look at the actual data on how relationships work, what you find is widely differing ideas about ways to handle money don't impact the marriage," he said. "Two savers can have a terrible marriage."
I HAVE TO POSTPONE RETIREMENT, AND I FEEL BETRAYED
"When that desire to retire is frustrated, there's a sense of losing control over your destiny," said Dr. Sandra Swantek, a geriatric psychiatrist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "But the other issue for the 50-plus person is, 'Will I be able to hold onto my job long enough?' "
The dark thoughts stemming from those realities can be subdued by conversation with friends and family members, Swantek said, but more serious signs--diminished energy, weight loss, scant interest in normally pleasurable activities--should prompt a visit to the doctor.
Physicians can refer patients to psychiatrists and other professionals, and those who can't afford private treatment can go to community mental health centers, which charge on a sliding scale, she said.
jkeilman@tribune.com
-----
To see more of the Chicago Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.chicagotribune.com.
The head of ComPsych, a Chicago-based provider of mental health services, said inquiries are spiking as never before in the wake of Wall Street's tumble, the housing slide and other financial calamities. "It's led to anxiety levels I have not seen in 20 years," he said. Psychologists and other professionals across Chicago and beyond report similar worries in patients. The economic unrest has been building for months; this week's bankruptcies and bailouts simply deepened a sense of despair.
Although mental health assistance won't restore a vaporized retirement fund, experts say it can be crucial in lending perspective and hope to situations that can seem irredeemably dark. Some of the concerns follow, along with coping approaches suggested by experts.
I'VE TAKEN A HUGE HIT, AND IT FEELS LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD
"It's appropriate to be anxious," said Nancy Molitor, a Wilmette psychologist. "It's not helpful to panic. Panic disables people and renders them ineffective to cope."
Molitor said she has seen a steady stream of people who are reacting to their losses in unhelpful ways: abusing drugs and alcohol, terminating their gym memberships and gaining weight, or trying to make up their financial losses through gambling.
Equally troubling are those who try to ignore the bad news, she said. Taking action can help stave off even worse trouble down the road.
"Some people are afraid to call their broker and banker, and that's not healthy," she said. "If you're worried [about paying bills], it's very important to pick up the phone. . . . Most creditors would be very happy if they heard from you."
MY FINANCES ARE OK BUT I CAN SENSE RUIN APPROACHING
California psychologist Judith M. Bardwick wrote a book on "psychological recession," a feeling that can haunt even those who, by all impartial measures, are weathering the financial storm just fine.
"It reflects people's sense that they no longer have control over what happens to them," she said. "It's the feeling that the present is lousy and the future is worse: 'I am vulnerable, and there's no one out there to help me.' "
That can be a helpful response in moderation, if it leads to updating one's skills or seeking a more secure job. But it also may encourage paralysis, anxiety and a general dreariness that infects work and home life.
Avoiding that trap means objectively reviewing one's career and finances with the help of a respected adviser, Bardwick said. She added, though, that it will take more than a positive attitude to defeat this scourge--it will take a new commitment on the part of governments and employers to see that workers are valued and cared for.
I'M MARRIED, AND MY SPOUSE IS GOING TO BANKRUPT US
"When it comes to your relationship, you really have to [adopt] a viewpoint that there are many different ways, many different spending patterns," Geneva marriage counselor Brent Atkinson said. "The biggest mistake you're going to make is your way is right and your partner is wrong."
Atkinson said husbands or wives shouldn't back off if they believe spouses are making truly disastrous financial decisions, but they shouldn't make their concerns personal or vindictive.
"If you look at the actual data on how relationships work, what you find is widely differing ideas about ways to handle money don't impact the marriage," he said. "Two savers can have a terrible marriage."
I HAVE TO POSTPONE RETIREMENT, AND I FEEL BETRAYED
"When that desire to retire is frustrated, there's a sense of losing control over your destiny," said Dr. Sandra Swantek, a geriatric psychiatrist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "But the other issue for the 50-plus person is, 'Will I be able to hold onto my job long enough?' "
The dark thoughts stemming from those realities can be subdued by conversation with friends and family members, Swantek said, but more serious signs--diminished energy, weight loss, scant interest in normally pleasurable activities--should prompt a visit to the doctor.
Physicians can refer patients to psychiatrists and other professionals, and those who can't afford private treatment can go to community mental health centers, which charge on a sliding scale, she said.
jkeilman@tribune.com
-----
To see more of the Chicago Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.chicagotribune.com.
Child development key to economic growth
Maine -- The state's business leaders were advised that investing in early child care was one of the most important steps that can be taken to ensure strong economic growth and development.
Harvard professor Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff told the more than 150 men and women attending the Maine Development Foundation's 30th annual meeting at the Augusta Civic Center during his keynote speech Thursday that a child's brain begins absorbing knowledge in the first year of its life. He said it was critical to their growth and intellectual development to ensure that they have healthy interactions with others at that time. It was also crucial that their young lives be as stress-free as possible.
"The healthy development of all children really does benefit all of society. It provides a solid foundation for economic prosperity and makes responsible citizens and strong communities," Shonkoff said. "The way a child grows up now is going to affect their ability to participate in society."
Shonkoff is the Julius B. Richmond professor of Child Health and Development at the Harvard School of Public Health and Graduate School of Education. He also is chairman of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, a multi-university collaboration of leading scholars in neuroscience, psychology, pediatrics and economics.
Shonkoff said decades of scientific research has found that early life experiences get hard-wired into the brain. The studies have found that children who undergo high levels of stress at an early age generally have encountered problems later in life. Using charts and graphs, Shonkoff showed that children from less economically secure families learn at slower rates than those who are more fortunate and that it was difficult to reverse the pattern once it is established.
"There is something about early life stress that is absorbed in your body," he said. "The poorer you are, the more health problems you have and the shorter you live."
Because a "huge amount" of brain development occurs in early childhood, it was all but impossible to "go back and re-wire" the brain with good experiences and behaviors, he said.
The mission of the Maine Development Foundation is to foster sustainable, long-term economic growth for the state, and Shonkoff commended its members for their long history of strong support for education at all levels in Maine. He said the policymakers need to view the situation over the long term and not expect a quick fix to a problem that defines itself over time. He said that while there was no "magic bullet," behaviors can be changed if they are identified at an early level and are corrected by qualified people.
Advising that "we can't afford babysitting anymore," Shonkoff said that policymakers should work to create private-public partnerships to invest in early childhood education if the state and country want to compete in the global market. He pointed out that China and India were world leaders in focusing on early childhood development. The dangers confronting children have to be addressed early in life for them to fit in a competitive world, he said.
Shonkoff described children as born learners and that it was scientifically proven that they react favorably to supportive relationships and good learning experiences. Taking a balanced approach to their emotional, social, cognitive and language needs was important to all of society, he said.
"This is the kind of investment that really requires thinking of this in legacy terms, it's not short term," he said. "This is the kind of investment for leaders with a sense of legacy and the future." To see more of the Bangor Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bangordailynews.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Bangor Daily News, Maine Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Harvard professor Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff told the more than 150 men and women attending the Maine Development Foundation's 30th annual meeting at the Augusta Civic Center during his keynote speech Thursday that a child's brain begins absorbing knowledge in the first year of its life. He said it was critical to their growth and intellectual development to ensure that they have healthy interactions with others at that time. It was also crucial that their young lives be as stress-free as possible.
"The healthy development of all children really does benefit all of society. It provides a solid foundation for economic prosperity and makes responsible citizens and strong communities," Shonkoff said. "The way a child grows up now is going to affect their ability to participate in society."
Shonkoff is the Julius B. Richmond professor of Child Health and Development at the Harvard School of Public Health and Graduate School of Education. He also is chairman of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, a multi-university collaboration of leading scholars in neuroscience, psychology, pediatrics and economics.
Shonkoff said decades of scientific research has found that early life experiences get hard-wired into the brain. The studies have found that children who undergo high levels of stress at an early age generally have encountered problems later in life. Using charts and graphs, Shonkoff showed that children from less economically secure families learn at slower rates than those who are more fortunate and that it was difficult to reverse the pattern once it is established.
"There is something about early life stress that is absorbed in your body," he said. "The poorer you are, the more health problems you have and the shorter you live."
Because a "huge amount" of brain development occurs in early childhood, it was all but impossible to "go back and re-wire" the brain with good experiences and behaviors, he said.
The mission of the Maine Development Foundation is to foster sustainable, long-term economic growth for the state, and Shonkoff commended its members for their long history of strong support for education at all levels in Maine. He said the policymakers need to view the situation over the long term and not expect a quick fix to a problem that defines itself over time. He said that while there was no "magic bullet," behaviors can be changed if they are identified at an early level and are corrected by qualified people.
Advising that "we can't afford babysitting anymore," Shonkoff said that policymakers should work to create private-public partnerships to invest in early childhood education if the state and country want to compete in the global market. He pointed out that China and India were world leaders in focusing on early childhood development. The dangers confronting children have to be addressed early in life for them to fit in a competitive world, he said.
Shonkoff described children as born learners and that it was scientifically proven that they react favorably to supportive relationships and good learning experiences. Taking a balanced approach to their emotional, social, cognitive and language needs was important to all of society, he said.
"This is the kind of investment that really requires thinking of this in legacy terms, it's not short term," he said. "This is the kind of investment for leaders with a sense of legacy and the future." To see more of the Bangor Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bangordailynews.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Bangor Daily News, Maine Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Sexism = Success
According to US scientists, men who display the chauvinism of David Brent in the office are better paid than modern thinkers
So there is hope for chauvinist men after all. US scientists have discovered that sexist men who believe a woman's place is in the kitchen consistently earn more than "modern-thinking" men. This amounts to an extra $8,500 (4,722) in annual salaries.
Conversely, women who hold stronger feminist views earn more, on average, than those who have a more traditional outlook on what a woman's role should be, the experts found, with a difference in salaries of $1,500.
Researchers in Florida interviewed 12,686 men and women in 1979 and then three times over the following decades, the last time in 2005. When first interviewed, the respondents were aged between 14 and 22. The team asked the interviewees whether they believed a woman's place was in the home; whether the employment of women was likely to lead to higher rates of juvenile delinquency and whether a woman should take care of her family.
Far more men answered affirmatively to all three questions, although the gap between the answers of men and women drastically reduced over the period of the survey. But when the men were asked about their salaries in 2005, another gap emerged. Those holding more "traditional" - or, some would say, chauvinist - views earned significantly more.
The research, published in the latest edition of the US Journal of Applied Psychology, suggests there are reasons why men such as David Brent - the Slough paper merchant played by Ricky Gervais, who frequently belittles his female staff in the cult comedy series The Office - earn more.
Researchers say the extra money earned by sexist men came even after other factors such as education, the complexity of the job and the number of hours a person worked were considered. They also found that couples where both spouses tended to view the ideal place for a woman as the home had a significant earnings advantage over those who disagreed.
One of the study authors, Timothy Judge, of Florida University, said: "These results cannot be explained by the fact that, in traditional couples, women are less likely to work outside the home. Though this plays some role in our findings, our results suggest that even if you control for time worked and labour force participation, traditional women are paid less than traditional men for comparable work."
Dr Judge said the findings might be explained by the fact that sexist men have historically earned more, and now have a vested interest in keeping things that way. "More traditional people may be seeking to preserve the historical separation of work and domestic roles," he said. "Our results prove that is, in fact, the case. This is happening in today's workforce where men and women are supposedly equal as far as participation."
The study also found that people whose parents had both worked outside the home tended to have less traditional views on gender roles and that married couples and men and women who were religious tended to have more traditional views on the priorities of each gender.
Magdalena Zawisz, a psychologist at Winchester University, said the discrepancies in earnings could be explained by several factors. "It could be that more traditionally minded men are interested in power, both in terms of access to resources - money in this case - and also in terms of a woman who is submissive," she said. "Another theory suggests employers are likely to promote men who are the sole earner in preference to those who are not - they recognise they need more support for their families."
4,722
The difference between what sexist men earn and what their more enlightened counterparts are paid
So there is hope for chauvinist men after all. US scientists have discovered that sexist men who believe a woman's place is in the kitchen consistently earn more than "modern-thinking" men. This amounts to an extra $8,500 (4,722) in annual salaries.
Conversely, women who hold stronger feminist views earn more, on average, than those who have a more traditional outlook on what a woman's role should be, the experts found, with a difference in salaries of $1,500.
Researchers in Florida interviewed 12,686 men and women in 1979 and then three times over the following decades, the last time in 2005. When first interviewed, the respondents were aged between 14 and 22. The team asked the interviewees whether they believed a woman's place was in the home; whether the employment of women was likely to lead to higher rates of juvenile delinquency and whether a woman should take care of her family.
Far more men answered affirmatively to all three questions, although the gap between the answers of men and women drastically reduced over the period of the survey. But when the men were asked about their salaries in 2005, another gap emerged. Those holding more "traditional" - or, some would say, chauvinist - views earned significantly more.
The research, published in the latest edition of the US Journal of Applied Psychology, suggests there are reasons why men such as David Brent - the Slough paper merchant played by Ricky Gervais, who frequently belittles his female staff in the cult comedy series The Office - earn more.
Researchers say the extra money earned by sexist men came even after other factors such as education, the complexity of the job and the number of hours a person worked were considered. They also found that couples where both spouses tended to view the ideal place for a woman as the home had a significant earnings advantage over those who disagreed.
One of the study authors, Timothy Judge, of Florida University, said: "These results cannot be explained by the fact that, in traditional couples, women are less likely to work outside the home. Though this plays some role in our findings, our results suggest that even if you control for time worked and labour force participation, traditional women are paid less than traditional men for comparable work."
Dr Judge said the findings might be explained by the fact that sexist men have historically earned more, and now have a vested interest in keeping things that way. "More traditional people may be seeking to preserve the historical separation of work and domestic roles," he said. "Our results prove that is, in fact, the case. This is happening in today's workforce where men and women are supposedly equal as far as participation."
The study also found that people whose parents had both worked outside the home tended to have less traditional views on gender roles and that married couples and men and women who were religious tended to have more traditional views on the priorities of each gender.
Magdalena Zawisz, a psychologist at Winchester University, said the discrepancies in earnings could be explained by several factors. "It could be that more traditionally minded men are interested in power, both in terms of access to resources - money in this case - and also in terms of a woman who is submissive," she said. "Another theory suggests employers are likely to promote men who are the sole earner in preference to those who are not - they recognise they need more support for their families."
4,722
The difference between what sexist men earn and what their more enlightened counterparts are paid
The Downside of Downsizing
In an effort to increase productivity while cutting down costs, more and more U.S. companies are shrinking their staffs. There's only one problem with downsizing. It's not working, insists a team of researchers at the University of Michigan.
Of 30 automakers studied over four years of downsizing, only five or six experienced gains in productivity, report Kim Cameron, Ph.D., and colleagues. In the others, corporate performance actually declined following staff reductions.
Possibly, downsizing was so poorly managed that the intended cost reductions have not occurred. But it also may be that downsizing creates resentment and resistance among remaining employees--and that hinders competitiveness.
Organizational shrinkage often leads to what Cameron's team calls "the dirty dozen"--12 negative effects including decreased morale, trust, communication, and innovation, as well as increased conflict, scapegoating, and conservatism.
Cameron and Co. interviewed the heads of each organization five times over the four years and compared their reports with perceptions of corporate culture and the outcomes of downsizing gathered from more than 2,500 employee questionnaires. The end result? The way downsizing was carried out proved more important to effectiveness than the actual size of the work-force reduction.
"The most successful firms implemented both short-term and long-term strategies as they downsized, and they used both across-the-board and targeted techniques," reports Cameron. The short-term, across-the-board shrinkage helps relate the seriousness of the company's problem, while the long-term organizational restructuring rebuilds employee security that changes are in motion to stop the bleeding.
Cameron's team also recommends that the downsizing strategy be designed by employees, not top managers, and that suppliers, customers, and distributors be included in the reductions. And, perhaps most important: "Pay special attention to those who lost their jobs. And those who didn't."
Of 30 automakers studied over four years of downsizing, only five or six experienced gains in productivity, report Kim Cameron, Ph.D., and colleagues. In the others, corporate performance actually declined following staff reductions.
Possibly, downsizing was so poorly managed that the intended cost reductions have not occurred. But it also may be that downsizing creates resentment and resistance among remaining employees--and that hinders competitiveness.
Organizational shrinkage often leads to what Cameron's team calls "the dirty dozen"--12 negative effects including decreased morale, trust, communication, and innovation, as well as increased conflict, scapegoating, and conservatism.
Cameron and Co. interviewed the heads of each organization five times over the four years and compared their reports with perceptions of corporate culture and the outcomes of downsizing gathered from more than 2,500 employee questionnaires. The end result? The way downsizing was carried out proved more important to effectiveness than the actual size of the work-force reduction.
"The most successful firms implemented both short-term and long-term strategies as they downsized, and they used both across-the-board and targeted techniques," reports Cameron. The short-term, across-the-board shrinkage helps relate the seriousness of the company's problem, while the long-term organizational restructuring rebuilds employee security that changes are in motion to stop the bleeding.
Cameron's team also recommends that the downsizing strategy be designed by employees, not top managers, and that suppliers, customers, and distributors be included in the reductions. And, perhaps most important: "Pay special attention to those who lost their jobs. And those who didn't."
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Definition
Antisocial personality disorder is best understood within the context of the broader category of personality disorders.
A personality disorder is an enduring pattern of personal experience and behavior that deviates noticeably from the expectations of the individual's culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to personal distress or impairment.
Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others. The diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder is not given to individuals under the age of 18 and is only given if there is a history of some symptoms of conduct disorder before age 15.
The severity of symptoms of antisocial personality disorder can vary in severity. The more egregious, harmful, or dangerous behavior patterns are referred to as sociopathic or psychopathic. There has been much debate as to the distinction between these descriptions. Sociopathy is chiefly characterized as a something severely wrong with one's conscience; psychopathy is characterized as a complete lack of conscience regarding others. Some professionals describe people with this constellation of symptoms as "stone cold" to the rights of others. Complications of this disorder include imprisonment, drug abuse, and alcoholism.
People with this illness may seem charming, but they are likely to be irritable and aggressive as well as irresponsible. They may have numerous somatic complaints and perhaps attempt suicide. Due to their manipulative tendencies, it is difficult to separate what they say about themselves that is true from what is not.
Symptoms
Disregard for society's laws
Violation of the physical or emotional rights of others
Lack of stability in job and home life
Lack of remorse
Superficial wit and charm
Recklessness, impulsivity
A childhood diagnosis (or symptoms consistent with) conduct disorder
Diagnosis is given to those over 18 years of age. Antisocial personality is confirmed by a psychological evaluation. Other disorders should be ruled out first, as this is a serious diagnosis.
People with antisocial personality disorder often use alcohol and other drugs, which can exacerbate symptoms of the disorder. The coexistence of substance abuse and antisocial personality disorder complicates treatment for both.
Causes
While the exact causes of this disorder are unknown, environmental and genetic factors have been implicated. Genetic factors are suspected since the incidence of antisocial behavior is higher in people with an antisocial biological parent. Environmental factors are believed to contribute to the development of antisocial personality disorder since a person whose role model had antisocial tendencies is more likely to develop the disorder. About 3 percent of men and about 1 percent of women have antisocial personality disorder, with much higher percentages among the prison population.
Treatment
Antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult personality disorders to treat. Individuals rarely seek treatment on their own and may only initiate therapy when mandated by a court. There is no known effective treatment for this disorder.
Sources:
American Psychiatric Association
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.).
National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus, 2006. Antisocial Personality Disorder. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000921.htm
Stout, M. (2005). The Sociopath Next Door. NY: Broadway.
Westermeyer, J. and Thuras, P. (2005). Association of Antisocial Personality Disorder and substance disorder morbidity in a clinical sample. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
Antisocial personality disorder is best understood within the context of the broader category of personality disorders.
A personality disorder is an enduring pattern of personal experience and behavior that deviates noticeably from the expectations of the individual's culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to personal distress or impairment.
Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others. The diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder is not given to individuals under the age of 18 and is only given if there is a history of some symptoms of conduct disorder before age 15.
The severity of symptoms of antisocial personality disorder can vary in severity. The more egregious, harmful, or dangerous behavior patterns are referred to as sociopathic or psychopathic. There has been much debate as to the distinction between these descriptions. Sociopathy is chiefly characterized as a something severely wrong with one's conscience; psychopathy is characterized as a complete lack of conscience regarding others. Some professionals describe people with this constellation of symptoms as "stone cold" to the rights of others. Complications of this disorder include imprisonment, drug abuse, and alcoholism.
People with this illness may seem charming, but they are likely to be irritable and aggressive as well as irresponsible. They may have numerous somatic complaints and perhaps attempt suicide. Due to their manipulative tendencies, it is difficult to separate what they say about themselves that is true from what is not.
Symptoms
Disregard for society's laws
Violation of the physical or emotional rights of others
Lack of stability in job and home life
Lack of remorse
Superficial wit and charm
Recklessness, impulsivity
A childhood diagnosis (or symptoms consistent with) conduct disorder
Diagnosis is given to those over 18 years of age. Antisocial personality is confirmed by a psychological evaluation. Other disorders should be ruled out first, as this is a serious diagnosis.
People with antisocial personality disorder often use alcohol and other drugs, which can exacerbate symptoms of the disorder. The coexistence of substance abuse and antisocial personality disorder complicates treatment for both.
Causes
While the exact causes of this disorder are unknown, environmental and genetic factors have been implicated. Genetic factors are suspected since the incidence of antisocial behavior is higher in people with an antisocial biological parent. Environmental factors are believed to contribute to the development of antisocial personality disorder since a person whose role model had antisocial tendencies is more likely to develop the disorder. About 3 percent of men and about 1 percent of women have antisocial personality disorder, with much higher percentages among the prison population.
Treatment
Antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult personality disorders to treat. Individuals rarely seek treatment on their own and may only initiate therapy when mandated by a court. There is no known effective treatment for this disorder.
Sources:
American Psychiatric Association
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.).
National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus, 2006. Antisocial Personality Disorder. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000921.htm
Stout, M. (2005). The Sociopath Next Door. NY: Broadway.
Westermeyer, J. and Thuras, P. (2005). Association of Antisocial Personality Disorder and substance disorder morbidity in a clinical sample. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
9/18/2008
What is Bulimia?
nativeremedies.com - Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by the eating of a large amount of food in a short space of time (binging) followed by self-induced vomiting, or excessive use of laxatives, diuretics, fasting or exercise to ‘rid’ the body of the food (purging).
People with Bulimia nervosa struggle with their binge eating disorder. They often feel that they are out of control during their binging sessions and then feel tremendous shame and guilt afterwards. It is the self-induced purging that makes them feel a release of this tension and guilt.
Characteristics of Bulimics
Unlike Anorexia Nervosa, (where the individual usually feels a sense of accomplishment and often denies having a problem), Bulimics generally feel ashamed of their binge eating disorder and know that what they are doing ‘is not normal’.
They evaluate themselves primarily on their body weight and shape, and thus often have a very poor self-esteem. Ironically, most people with Bulimia tend to be either overweight or fall within 10% of their normal body weight, and rarely attain the skinny figures that they desire and aim for.
As with other eating disorders, most Bulimics are female and the disorder tends to develop in adolescents or young women. The binge eating disorder known as Bulimia is much more prevalent in Western Societies than elsewhere in the world. This is possibly due to the common society-ideal of a slim, trim figure that is emphasized and encouraged by the media. Bulimia nervosa is a serious condition that can cause extremely severe medical consequences if left untreated. Thankfully, there are binge eating disorder treatment plans that offer help for overcoming Bulimia.
Overcoming Bulimia nervosa can be very challenging so the earlier treatment starts, the better the chances are for a positive outcome. It is important to stick to treatment and resolve underlying emotional issues to reduce the chances of relapse.
Diagnosing Bulimia
Should you seek professional help for yourself or your child, a battery of tests will be done by a health care professional before a diagnosis is made. This should include a full physical examination, with possible blood tests and urine analysis. Your doctor will be checking for confirmation of an eating disorder, as well as checking for any damage or medical complications that may have been caused by the Bulimia. A person overcoming Bulimia will also be referred to a psychologist who will take a full personal and family history, discuss your feelings and attitudes towards food and body-image and also note the history of your condition - how often you binge and purge, the emotions associated with these events and how it is affecting your life.
Symptoms of Bulimia
Eating a large amount of food in a fixed period of time, followed by compensating techniques (exercise) or purging (vomiting or use of laxatives). This must occur at least twice a week for a period of three months. sense of loss of control during binges
Self-evaluation that is unreasonably influenced by body shape and weight
Distorted body perception that may be accompanied by poor self-esteem, anxiety and depression
A pre-occupation with dieting, but also a tendency to horde food or food-related items such as recipes and cookbooks
What Causes Bulimia?
Genetics – Research suggests that women with a Bulimic family member are more likely to develop Bulimia than the average women. While this may suggest that there is a genetic component to the disorder, it may be due to the shared experiences and learned behaviors within the family context. It is also likely that personality traits related to Bulimia such as perfectionism, emotional sensitivity and addictive personality tendencies are inherited rather than the disorder itself.
Family and learnt behavior – As mentioned learnt behavior may contribute to an increased risk of Bulimia. Parents who place great importance on physical appearances, criticize their child’s body shape, or who are dieting themselves, are more likely to have a child who will develop an eating disorder.
Culture and The Media – Western society places great emphasis on the ideal body and this is especially aimed at women. The pre-pubescent female figure is highly valued and many young women feel that they need to strive for this unrealistic and unhealthy ideal. Many TV programs and magazines encourage thinness, as hundreds of young women aspire to look like the models and actresses that society idealizes. Both young men and women have almost come to expect that these “air-brushed” and semi-starving models represent the normal population. Restrictive eating – Dieting may be a huge cause of Bulimia. Studies have shown that dieting and restrictive eating lead to obsessions about food which may ultimately lead to Bulimia. Once again, society, the media, peers, and sometimes parents, often promote dieting as apposed to a healthy life-style and balanced diet. Being overweight as a child or teenager is often a precipitator to developing Bulimia.
Help for Bulimia
There are a number of binge eating disorder treatment options available to help in the struggle against Bulimia. Some form of psychotherapy is usually necessary as Bulimia is essentially a psychological disorder wrapped in emotions and personal conflicts that need to be dealt with. Pharmaceutical medications are also commonly prescribed in order to help treat accompanying problems such as depression.
Psychotherapy
Individual, family or group therapy may be very beneficial in dealing with Bulimia. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps the individual address the negative ideas surrounding food, body-image and self-esteem, while providing constructive ways of implementing new food habits. Family therapy may help the entire family deal with underlying conflicts and provide coping techniques for the family as a whole, while support groups provide a source of support and comfort. Individual therapy addresses underlying personal issues such as self-esteem and guilt associated with food. On the whole, psychotherapy is very successful in treating Bulimia and it is advised that you research which type or types of therapy would best suit you.
Drug Treatments
Medication may be prescribed to Bulimic patients to help improve related symptoms such as accompanying depression, anxiety or obsessive behavior. Commonly prescribed drugs include antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and the antipsychotic drug lithium. While these drugs may help initially, up to 80% of patients relapse after the medication is discontinued, and in many cases, the side-effects are distressing.
It is strongly advised that you research any prescription medication and their side-effects before agreeing to drug therapy.
Natural Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies for Bulimia
Of the binge eating disorder treatment options available, natural remedies can be of great benefit in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with Bulimia without the negative side effects of prescription medications. Some herbal formulas that assist with the related symptoms of Bulimia include Passiflora Incarnata – to soothe the mind and calm the nerves. Hypericum perforatum (St John’s Wort) has been very successful in treating the depression which often accompanies an eating disorder.
Natural remedies such as MindSoothe may facilitate a reasonable attitude and lessen the burden on pressured minds. MindSoothe may also promote a well-adjusted outlook and positive temperament and support healthy sleep patterns and routine appetite.
People with Bulimia nervosa struggle with their binge eating disorder. They often feel that they are out of control during their binging sessions and then feel tremendous shame and guilt afterwards. It is the self-induced purging that makes them feel a release of this tension and guilt.
Characteristics of Bulimics
Unlike Anorexia Nervosa, (where the individual usually feels a sense of accomplishment and often denies having a problem), Bulimics generally feel ashamed of their binge eating disorder and know that what they are doing ‘is not normal’.
They evaluate themselves primarily on their body weight and shape, and thus often have a very poor self-esteem. Ironically, most people with Bulimia tend to be either overweight or fall within 10% of their normal body weight, and rarely attain the skinny figures that they desire and aim for.
As with other eating disorders, most Bulimics are female and the disorder tends to develop in adolescents or young women. The binge eating disorder known as Bulimia is much more prevalent in Western Societies than elsewhere in the world. This is possibly due to the common society-ideal of a slim, trim figure that is emphasized and encouraged by the media. Bulimia nervosa is a serious condition that can cause extremely severe medical consequences if left untreated. Thankfully, there are binge eating disorder treatment plans that offer help for overcoming Bulimia.
Overcoming Bulimia nervosa can be very challenging so the earlier treatment starts, the better the chances are for a positive outcome. It is important to stick to treatment and resolve underlying emotional issues to reduce the chances of relapse.
Diagnosing Bulimia
Should you seek professional help for yourself or your child, a battery of tests will be done by a health care professional before a diagnosis is made. This should include a full physical examination, with possible blood tests and urine analysis. Your doctor will be checking for confirmation of an eating disorder, as well as checking for any damage or medical complications that may have been caused by the Bulimia. A person overcoming Bulimia will also be referred to a psychologist who will take a full personal and family history, discuss your feelings and attitudes towards food and body-image and also note the history of your condition - how often you binge and purge, the emotions associated with these events and how it is affecting your life.
Symptoms of Bulimia
Eating a large amount of food in a fixed period of time, followed by compensating techniques (exercise) or purging (vomiting or use of laxatives). This must occur at least twice a week for a period of three months. sense of loss of control during binges
Self-evaluation that is unreasonably influenced by body shape and weight
Distorted body perception that may be accompanied by poor self-esteem, anxiety and depression
A pre-occupation with dieting, but also a tendency to horde food or food-related items such as recipes and cookbooks
What Causes Bulimia?
Genetics – Research suggests that women with a Bulimic family member are more likely to develop Bulimia than the average women. While this may suggest that there is a genetic component to the disorder, it may be due to the shared experiences and learned behaviors within the family context. It is also likely that personality traits related to Bulimia such as perfectionism, emotional sensitivity and addictive personality tendencies are inherited rather than the disorder itself.
Family and learnt behavior – As mentioned learnt behavior may contribute to an increased risk of Bulimia. Parents who place great importance on physical appearances, criticize their child’s body shape, or who are dieting themselves, are more likely to have a child who will develop an eating disorder.
Culture and The Media – Western society places great emphasis on the ideal body and this is especially aimed at women. The pre-pubescent female figure is highly valued and many young women feel that they need to strive for this unrealistic and unhealthy ideal. Many TV programs and magazines encourage thinness, as hundreds of young women aspire to look like the models and actresses that society idealizes. Both young men and women have almost come to expect that these “air-brushed” and semi-starving models represent the normal population. Restrictive eating – Dieting may be a huge cause of Bulimia. Studies have shown that dieting and restrictive eating lead to obsessions about food which may ultimately lead to Bulimia. Once again, society, the media, peers, and sometimes parents, often promote dieting as apposed to a healthy life-style and balanced diet. Being overweight as a child or teenager is often a precipitator to developing Bulimia.
Help for Bulimia
There are a number of binge eating disorder treatment options available to help in the struggle against Bulimia. Some form of psychotherapy is usually necessary as Bulimia is essentially a psychological disorder wrapped in emotions and personal conflicts that need to be dealt with. Pharmaceutical medications are also commonly prescribed in order to help treat accompanying problems such as depression.
Psychotherapy
Individual, family or group therapy may be very beneficial in dealing with Bulimia. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps the individual address the negative ideas surrounding food, body-image and self-esteem, while providing constructive ways of implementing new food habits. Family therapy may help the entire family deal with underlying conflicts and provide coping techniques for the family as a whole, while support groups provide a source of support and comfort. Individual therapy addresses underlying personal issues such as self-esteem and guilt associated with food. On the whole, psychotherapy is very successful in treating Bulimia and it is advised that you research which type or types of therapy would best suit you.
Drug Treatments
Medication may be prescribed to Bulimic patients to help improve related symptoms such as accompanying depression, anxiety or obsessive behavior. Commonly prescribed drugs include antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and the antipsychotic drug lithium. While these drugs may help initially, up to 80% of patients relapse after the medication is discontinued, and in many cases, the side-effects are distressing.
It is strongly advised that you research any prescription medication and their side-effects before agreeing to drug therapy.
Natural Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies for Bulimia
Of the binge eating disorder treatment options available, natural remedies can be of great benefit in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with Bulimia without the negative side effects of prescription medications. Some herbal formulas that assist with the related symptoms of Bulimia include Passiflora Incarnata – to soothe the mind and calm the nerves. Hypericum perforatum (St John’s Wort) has been very successful in treating the depression which often accompanies an eating disorder.
Natural remedies such as MindSoothe may facilitate a reasonable attitude and lessen the burden on pressured minds. MindSoothe may also promote a well-adjusted outlook and positive temperament and support healthy sleep patterns and routine appetite.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)