Mental Health

Whether you prefer country music, techno-pop beats, or the dramatic swell of a symphony, the music you listen to can elevate your mood. Recent studies conclude that even “sad” music can be uplifting. When engaged in a therapeutic setting, music has the potential to enhance memory, manage stress, and alleviate pain, according to the American Music Therapy Association. Don’t underestimate the power of your playlist!

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with a seasonal pattern, formerly classified as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), affects nearly 5% of Americans. Most cases of MDD with a seasonal pattern appear during the fall and winter, but there are recorded cases of summertime MDD. If you experienced dramatic mood swings this summer, you may have the condition.

The decision to pursue a romantic relationship after consideration of your mental state indicates emotional stability and increased levels of self-awareness. This is a big step, and even if you feel prepared to start a romance, your intended partner may not feel the same way. When your advances are not met with the desired reaction, you may feel embarrassed, anxious, depressed, or alone. It is easy to submit to these negative feelings, but you are strong enough to handle the temporary pain of rejection.

During rehabilitation, your daily schedule will be structured according to your treatment plan. Individual therapy, group sessions, complementary therapy, recreational time, meals, and social events, will fill your days. Once you graduate from the program, however, you will probably have much more free time. Too much free time can cause boredom or restlessness, thereby increasing your risk of relapse. Unfortunately, activities like seeing a movie, visiting a museum, or shopping can be expensive. When planning your schedule, consider some low- or no-cost hobbies to occupy your time.

A “fun run” might not sound like a fun way to spend your day, but speed walking and running are excellent forms of exercise for their numerous mental and physical benefits. Everyone needs to keep active to stay healthy, and if you’re considering new ways to exercise, running might be right for you.

There has been a rise in social acceptance of marijuana use within the past decade. Eleven states have some form of recreational marijuana, and 47 states allow use for medicinal purposes. It’s not as cut and dry as it may seem, and there are a lot of important considerations when using marijuana regularly. There have been studies that show a link between prolonged marijuana abuse and mental illness. Of course, there are a lot of factors that play a role, including the amount of drug used, the age at first use, and genetic vulnerability.

You may have heard someone say that you are being “difficult” — or maybe you have called someone else “difficult” before. You may be asking yourself what exactly this means, and how can you make yourself less “difficult”. Emotional intelligence is typically thought of as the ability to recognize, understand, and healthily express one's own emotions, coupled with the ability to recognize, interpret, and respond to other people's emotions. A lot of us struggle with being aware that we have feelings or why we are feeling something at all. We don't know what to do once we realize we are feeling something. A lot of this comes from feelings of dissociation and avoidance due to trauma. Because of this, it is difficult to trust our intuition — that feeling in our gut or our "moral compass" that directs us to do the right things versus acting on impulse. This leads us to dismiss our feelings, and dismiss others by proxy. It hinders our ability to experience self-regulation. This can cause negative consequences — for example, we may be more reactive, take things more personally, and/or be a lot more judgemental of ourselves and others. There have been numerous studies that followed the importance of having emotional intelligence and how to attain it. There are five categories of emotional intelligence.

PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a type of anxiety disorder that may develop after a person has experienced a traumatic event. However, there is also complex PTSD, which may be diagnosed by a healthcare professional if a person has experienced prolonged or repeated trauma over months or years. PTSD is generally related to a single event, while complex PTSD is related to a series of events or prolonged trauma. Symptoms of PTSD can emerge after an individual has experienced a traumatic event such as physical assault, sexual abuse, or car accident. PTSD affects 7-8 percent of Americans at some point in their lives. These symptoms are a result of changes in some regions of the brain that deal with emotion, memory, and reasoning — the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. The symptoms of complex PTSD can be more detrimental and intense than those of PTSD. Types of ongoing trauma that may lead to complex PTSD include:

It is a natural human instinct to have opinions and vocalize them to each other. Beliefs can be wonderful things. They can help people find common ground which they can agree upon. Differences of opinion benefit people by creating hot topics where people can debate and concede each other's points. Having an opinion can help a person learn a lot more about themselves and the subject matter. For example, two people might agree on a hair product that they both love. One might like it because of the results, while the other loves it because it is endorsed by a celebrity they enjoy. These are differences in opinion, even though the original idea is the same. However, what exactly are moral opinions? A moral compass is a common phrase that was most likely used by your parents during your childhood. "Always listen to that moral compass, it will lead you to what is right and wrong," they said. To return to the example above, if a third person discussed the hair product, and they said they loved it because it did not test on animals, then that person likes it for moral reasons. This is considered a moral opinion, and psychologists describe it as a "moralized attitude." These strong opinions do three things: persist over time, resist persuasion, and guide behavior. A study was performed that showed that moralized beliefs stayed with the person and continued over time. Overall it showed that these opinions stuck around for much longer than other non-moralized views.

Video games have become more popular over the years. In the late 90s, most children and teenagers enjoyed the escape of entertainment in the form of Donkey Kong and Street Fighter. For a long time, the targeted demographic of video games were boys or young males. That has changed drastically over the years. There have been video games developed that are based on hobbies like fishing or fashion. There are video games based on television shows or movies. There are video games that simulate worlds or virtual reality. In recent years, a new style has been introduced: video games aimed at understanding mental illness or developmental disorders. This transition has been a positive net gain for people playing them.

Childhood trauma is an important event to look at in today's society. There has been a steady increase in violent crimes being committed and psychological damage that has emerged in many adults' lives. The national average of child abuse and neglect victims in 2015 was 683,000 — or 9.2 victims per 1,000 children. According to data collected by the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, the number of youth requiring hospital treatment for physical assault-related injuries would fill every seat in nine stadiums each year. One in four high school students was in at least one physical fight. More than 2/3 of children reported at least one traumatic event by age 16. One in five high school students was bullied at school; one in six experienced cyber bullyings. 19 percent of injured and 12 percent of physically ill youth have post-traumatic stress disorder. More than half of U.S families have been affected by some type of disaster; around 54 percent. Childhood trauma affects millions of people each year. Because of its versatility, there are many types of trauma that can lead to PTSD and long-term effects on health and romantic relationships. As a parent or guardian, there are signs that one can look out for. Experiencing trauma as a child isn't a death sentence. Many valuable solutions can help, including organizations that are focused on combating childhood trauma and neglect.

The word Chakra in Sanskrit translates to "wheel" or "cycle." In regards to yoga, chakras are energy wheels that belong to the subtle spiritual body and forms the connection to the material one. The seven chakras are found along the spine and go from the sacrum to the head's crown. The 7 different chakras are: