How To Build a Network for Positive Relationships

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You're reading How To Build a Network for Positive Relationships, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Admitting to yourself that a relationship is not serving you is a very difficult thing to do. If a relationship is damaging to you or if it is blocking you, then it’s time to reevaluate its presence in your life. Let me ask you a question. If you took all the energy you put into your parasitic relationships and invested it in yourself instead, where would you be? Resentful and exhausted at the end of each day and dreading getting up the next morning? Or fulfilled and ready for a restful night’s sleep and excited about tomorrow? If you’re in relationships that are taking more from you than they are giving, it is time to redefine them or get out of them without any excuses. If the people in your life aren’t embracing and supporting the growth in your life, then it is time to change the people you’re around. One of the most empowering steps I see my clients take is to develop a positive support system. In my work, I have observed those who come to me with a support system in place and those who happen to be without one. Those surrounded by functional families, healthy social lives, and work environments with colleagues they respect have a tendency to take quantum leaps in their growth, unlike those who are isolated from family, have no interest in listening to others’ opinions, and don’t cultivate peer relationships at work. If you’re broke and hanging out with broke people, your mind-set isn’t going to change, nor are your circumstances. Few of us can rid ourselves of parasitic relationships until we have the support of a network of people who are truly interested in nurturing our best selves. Women thrive when we support each other, rather than tearing one another down because of the deeply embedded masculine view that there is room for only one at the top. When we structure our support systems so we can be honest with others. Being in a supportive network teaches us many things. First, when we make time for positive relationships, we have less time for those who are draining and pressuring us. Second, we learn how to receive help from others. This is key to becoming a Leader of Change. There is a natural flow of give-and-take. Your support system will be there for you and have your back when you start to doubt yourself or find yourself falling back into old patterns. If your friends are also learning how to let their potential flow through them, your success is much more likely. Samar Shera author of Strut: How Every Woman Can Be a Leader of Change, works as an integrated clinical hypnotherapist and life coach and is certified in energy modalities such as Reiki, Theta Healing, and the Law of Attraction. Brought up in an Islamic Pakistani family living in Dubai, she defies stereotyping and dramatically expands the international conversation about the universal rights, needs, and desires of women and girls. www.samarshera.com.

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October 31, 2017 at 11:55PM

Free Workshops for Women, 'Live Your Best Life in 2018' Begins Saturday, Nov. 4, 1 pm-2:30 pm - OregonLive.com (blog)

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"Are You Feeling Stuck in Your Life or Job? Rewrite your script."
-First in a five-part series-

Beaverton, Ore., October 30, 2017 -- Are you feeling stuck in your life or in your job? If so, you are not alone. Being stuck can feel like you are just at the edge of something big, but don't know what to do next.

If you are ready for a positive change in 2018, you won't want to miss the first in a series of five free workshops for women who are ready for a transition with, "Are You Feeling Stuck in Your Life or Job?"

The workshop series title, "Live Your Best Life in 2018" is led by Bela Friedman, certified clinical hypnotherapist and life coach at Bela Friedman Life Coaching and Hypnotherapy, 1 pm-2:30 pm, Saturday, Nov. 4. "I'm excited to offer this first workshop where women can feel comfortable, recognizing and sharing challenges and being inspired by other women," Friedman said. The format is different for each workshop and includes conversation, brainstorming ideas, journaling, creating vision boards, guided visualization, meditation, energy work and more.

Each workshop takes place once monthly on Saturdays, November through March, from 1pm - 2:30 pm, and will offer a variety of creative strategies for change. Space is limited, so please RSVP early. Participants are welcome to attend one or the entire series.

Workshop themes and Saturday dates* include:

- Feeling stuck in your life or your job? Rewrite your script. Nov. 4
- How to realize your dreams with vision boards. Dec. 9
- Are you ready to be fulfilled? The universe is listening. Jan. 13
- Turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones: Going with the flow. February 17
- So, you want to be an entrepreneur? Steps to take before taking the leap. March 17

Learn more about Bela Friedman at www.belacoaching.com. For more information about location and to RSVP, call 503-939-2269 or email belafriedman@gmail.com before Nov. 2.

*Dates are subject to change.

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October 31, 2017 at 11:37PM

How I Dealt with Depression After Brain Surgery

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Once again I was on the phone to my friend, sobbing. She’d put up with my tears every day since I left the hospital. Two or three daily meltdowns were the norm.

Many of my tears were over things that would have merely irritated me before: misplaced scissors, dirty socks in the middle of the living room, a brief computer glitch.

I have cavernous angiomas, tangles of malformed blood vessels, scattered throughout my brain. Two of them — one larger than a golf ball in my right parietal lobe, and the other, smaller, in my brain stem — had bled, and I underwent brain surgeries to remove them.

The bleeds and surgeries led to side effects including loss of balance, vertigo, nystagmus, trouble with sensory overload, and a number of cognitive deficits. My emotions also seemed volatile. I expected that my emotions would settle down as my brain healed. They didn’t.

After putting up with about a month’s worth of meltdowns, my friend spoke up. “I think you need meds.”

I was shocked. The possibility of psychiatric medication had not occurred to me. The people I knew who needed it had major issues: a cousin whose mother had died when she was ten years old, a friend who had been suicidal, a student with bipolar disorder. I wasn’t depressed. I just got really upset too easily. I was just fragile, and, given what I’d been through, that was understandable.

I wasn’t in denial over my emotional state. Aware of my extreme vulnerability, I’d been proactive: I’d started seeing a psychotherapist regularly within days of my return home from the hospital. I had things under control.

I knew that brain injury can cause chemical imbalances, which can lead to clinical depression. In one account I read, a patient lamented not having gone on antidepressants sooner. Feeling fortunate that I wasn’t in that bad of shape, I sympathized with those who were.

I didn’t need meds.

Over the next few weeks, as the tears flowed more often and more freely, my friend grew more insistent. I continued to resist, explaining away my vulnerabilities. It was normal to grieve over losses. I blamed really bad days on my menstrual cycle.

But as the severity and frequency of my meltdowns increased, I had more trouble rationalizing.

I spiraled into the abyss and finally reached the bottom. I felt desolate. I knew I was a burden on everyone around me and that my life wasn’t much of a life. Suicide seemed logical, perhaps the only solution.

I kept my suicidal thoughts secret—I didn’t want my friend or my therapist to try to talk me out of it.

Weeks later, when I began to emerge from the abyss, I kept my silence because I felt ashamed, and later still, I added guilt to the shame—I had betrayed the trust of both my friend and my therapist.

I tried to rationalize my lie-by-omission: I told myself that I could never really take my life, that I didn’t have it in me.

But in some corner of my mind there must have been doubt mixed with the rationalization because a few days later I decided to discuss antidepressants with my therapist. She agreed with my friend: it was time to consider meds.

Until the brain bleeds, I was averse to pill popping. I took painkillers for my migraines and antibiotics for bacterial infections—no other medications. After the bleeds, I started taking blood-pressure meds (Verapamil) to cut back on the chances of another bleed and anti-seizure meds (Lamictal). I was concerned about messing with my body chemistry, and worried about drug interactions—I wanted to avoid medications that listed seizures as a possible side effect. Given my concerns, my therapist sent me to a psychiatrist who specialized in psychopharmaceuticals.

I wasn’t sure whether there was a viable solution within my comfort zone, but the answer turned out to be straightforward: the psychiatrist suggested simply increasing my daily dose of Lamictal. Anti-seizure meds not only prevent seizures; they also act as mood stabilizers and are often used to combat depression and bipolar disorder.

My psychiatrist conferred with my neurologist, who, concerned about adverse reactions to the Lamictal, was firm about capping my daily dose at 600 milligrams. My psychiatrist, determining that my depression was severe, decided to increase the dose directly from the 400 milligrams I was on to 600 milligrams, instead of ramping up in increments, which is the standard procedure.

I responded well to the increase. Feeling like myself once again, I realized just how badly off I’d been. Like my cousin, my student, and my friend, I too had major issues. Except that I really wasn’t like them—my issues were temporary. Once my brain healed, my depression would be over, and I’d be able to get off the meds.

It took a good four years and a couple of trial runs with lowered dosages before I managed to fully shrug off that piece of denial.

A decade later, I’m still on antidepressants, for good reason.

This depression isn’t “situational.” Good friends and therapy help me survive, but they aren’t enough. The bleeds and surgeries changed my neurochemistry. These changes are real, and they’re here to stay. The meds are here to stay, too.

This guest article originally appeared on the award-winning health and science blog and brain-themed community, BrainBlogger: In and Out of the Abyss: Depression After Brain Surgery.

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October 31, 2017 at 04:39PM

Dartmouth Psychology Professors Investigated for Sexual Misconduct

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(Reuters) - Three Dartmouth College psychology professors are under criminal investigation over accusations of sexual misconduct, the New Hampshire attorney general’s office said on Tuesday.

The criminal probe comes the week after the Ivy League school said it placed the three men on paid leave from its Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and restricted them from coming on campus, as it investigated the allegations.

“We take these allegations very seriously and are pursuing our own independent investigations in coordination with law enforcement officials,” Phil Hanlon, president of the Hanover, New Hampshire, college said in an e-mail to students, faculty and staff. “I want to say in the most emphatic way possible that sexual misconduct and harassment are unacceptable and have no place at Dartmouth.”

The college identified the three faculty members as Professors Todd Heatherton, Bill Kelley and Paul Whalen.

The three men did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The investigation comes at a time of intense focus on sexual assault and harassment in U.S. institutions from Hollywood to the financial services industry.

Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Andrew Hay

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October 31, 2017 at 04:24PM

White House Chief of Staff's Civil War Comment Draws Fire

Brain Scans Suggest Which of Two People Are Suicidal

"Tech Abuse" Used in Some Cases of Domestic Violence

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Image caption Beth Ashley and Euleen Hope both experienced technological abuse by former partners

Women's charity Refuge is warning about the rise of "tech abuse" - the use of technology to spy on or harass a partner.

Many victims of domestic violence report being either being harassed via online messages or having their activity monitored via their phones.

However, many do not report it to the police, the charity said.

Euleen Hope was a technophobe who escaped the control of her tech-savvy abusive ex-partner after 10 years.

He set up her email and social media accounts for her, which meant he had full access to them.

He also replaced her flip-phone with an iPhone which he then set up to be mirrored on to the pair's iPad so he could monitor her calls and messages, and activated the phone's location-tracker saying it would help her to get the bus.

"You wouldn't think he was doing anything bad, he showed you what he was doing," she said.

"I didn't realise it was going to be part of my entrapment."

When she noticed things such as the iPad ringing when her phone rang, her ex told her he was just testing a new app.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Euleen Hope's ex-partner set up cameras in the couple's house

He also installed cameras around the house under the guise of security.

"My twin sister came round one day to visit. Normally if my friends or family came over he would sit in the room with us," she recalled.

"This time he said he would leave us to catch up and said he would use his computer in the kitchen upstairs.

"I moved behind the camera and told my sister to keep talking, I went up the stairs and saw him listening to what he thought was our conversation."

Ms Hope's former partner was also physically and emotionally abusive and eventually served a prison sentence for assault and GBH.

Refuge is teaming up with Google to train its staff to better support victims who contact it as part of a new programme.

"Domestic violence is the biggest issue which impacts on the police," said Dame Vera Baird, police and crime commissioner for Northumbria, speaking at the project launch.

"Every 30 seconds there is a domestic violence call. Two years ago, it was every minute.

"Northumbria's police force gets 32,000 calls a year and that's maybe a fifth or a quarter of what is actually going on."

Image copyright Google Image caption Dame Vera said the Northumbria Police force receives 32,000 domestic violence calls per year

A 2016 survey by Comic Relief found that four out of five women who experienced abuse said their partner monitored their activity.

Twenty-year-old blogger Beth Ashley said a former boyfriend had no interest in tech until she tried to end their relationship because he was controlling and sexually abusive.

"When I got with him he didn't even have a phone," she said.

"I thought he was a massive technophobe until we broke up. Suddenly he started all these social media accounts and used them as a harassment tool."

Image copyright Google Image caption Beth Ashley said her work as a blogger meant she could not delete her online presence to hide from her ex-boyfriend

She says he also sent her a suicide note via Facebook Messenger along with graphic images of self-harm, which she later discovered he had found online.

"I went round the next day and he was just sitting there on his Xbox," she said.

She says he would regularly turn up where she worked and she would end her shift to find 50 messages from him on her phone.

Ms Ashley was very active on social media because of her work as a blogger and online writer.

"There were times when I wanted to delete the blog, the magazines," she said.

"I have these random moments of wanting to be invisible. Considering my job, that would be awful."

Ms Ashley says that she had to block old friends on social media in case one of them accidentally gave him information about her activities.

After reporting him to the police, the online harassment stopped, she said.

"But the paranoia stayed for a long time," she added.

Sandra Horley, chief executive of Refuge, said the charity had seen a case where a man had hacked the CCTV at the pub where his wife worked so he could monitor her, and another who put a tracker on his partner's car, moved it and then accused her of losing it.

"She thought she was losing her mind," she said.

"Technological abuse is part of a broader pattern of domestic violence.

"This project was born out of our clients' experiences of technology-related abuse, and we will continue to make sure their needs and experiences shape our work in the years ahead."

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October 31, 2017 at 04:21PM

Lancet Report Describes Health Toll of Climate Change

Judge Blocks Enforcement of Trump's Transgender Military Ban

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Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly blocked provisions of the memorandum concerning the enlistment and retention of transgender military service members, holding that the plaintiffs "have established that they will be injured by these directives, due both to the inherent inequality they impose, and the risk of discharge and denial of accession that they engender. "

The judge also blasted Trump's initial abrupt announcement via Twitter that came "without any of the formality or deliberative processes that generally accompany the development and announcement of major policy changes that will gravely affect the lives of many Americans."

In partially granting a preliminary injunction pending appeal, the judge said the plaintiffs -- current and aspiring service members who are transgender -- are "likely to succeed" on their due process claims.

The judge said that the effect of her order was to "revert to the status quo" that existed before the memo that was issued August 25. The memo indefinitely extended a prohibition against transgender individuals entering the military and it required the military to authorize, by no later than March 23, 2018, the discharge of transgender service members.

Trump administration lawyers had asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that it was premature because the Pentagon is currently studying how to implement the President's directive and no action would be taken until after the policy review is completed.

They also argued that "federal courts owe the utmost deference to the political branches in the field of national defense and military affairs, both because the Constitution commits military decisions exclusively to those branches and because courts have less competence to second-guess military decision making."

But Kollar-Kotelly, of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, declined to wait, ruling that even though the policy was still subject to review, the government's arguments "wither away under scrutiny."

"The Memorandum unequivocally directs the military to prohibit indefinitely the accession of transgender individuals and to authorize their discharge," she wrote, "this decision has already been made."

Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said, "we disagree with the court's ruling and are currently evaluating the next steps."

Ehrsam added: "Plaintiffs' lawsuit challenging military service requirements is premature for many reasons, including that the Defense Department is actively reviewing such service requirements, as the President ordered, and because none of the Plaintiffs have established that they will be impacted by current policies on military service."

Harsh words for Trump's tweets

Kollar-Kotelly also had harsh words for the administration, highlighting the "unusual circumstances surrounding the President's announcement" of the ban that initially came in a

July 26 tweet

and the fact that the "reasons given to them do not appear to be supported by any facts."

In her 76-page opinion, she actually posted a screen grab of the President's tweets on the subject.

"After Consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," read one July 26 tweet.

And Kollar-Kotelly said that the President's decision was not supported by the facts.

"All of the reasons proffered by the President for excluding transgender individuals from the military in this case were not merely unsupported, but were actually contradicted by the studies, conclusions and judgment of the military itself," she wrote.

Shannon Minter, a plaintiffs' lawyer and legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, called the ruling "a complete victory for our plaintiffs and all transgender service members who are now once again able to serve on equal terms and without the threat of being discharged."

"Although this ruling is very preliminary, it's significant in at least two respects," said Steve Vladeck, CNN legal analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law. "First, it is based on the judge's conclusion that the Constitution in some way limits the government's ability to discriminate against transgendered individuals. Second, it once again recognizes that the President's words (and tweets) have consequences, especially when those words are turned into official policy."

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October 31, 2017 at 04:02PM

Creepy crawlies: Why you were born to fear spiders and snakes

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Researchers suggest that we may be predisposed to fear spiders and snakes.

If just the thought of a spider makes your skin crawl, it's highly unlikely that Arachnophobia will be on your list of must-watch movies this Halloween. But don't feel as though your fear of these eight-legged critters is irrational; it may be hardwired.

From a study of 6-month-old babies, researchers found that a fear of spiders or snakes may be innate, meaning that some of us may be born with the instinct to be frightened of these creatures.

Lead investigator Stefanie Hoehl — of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany and the Faculty of Psychology at University of Vienna in Austria — and colleagues recently reported their findings in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

A fear of spiders or snakes is among the most common phobias in the United States. In fact, a 2014 YouGov poll revealed that around 64 percent of U.S. individuals are scared of snakes, while 48 percent have a fear of spiders.

In some cases, these phobias can be severe enough to interfere with quality of life: arachnophobia sufferers may have nightmares about the creepy critters, which can disrupt their sleep, while other individuals may refuse to leave the house out of fear of encountering a snake.

What underlies these fears? Previous research has indicated that phobias may arise from traumatic childhood experiences — for example, the memory of a spider crawling across the bed as an infant — or that we learn phobias from family members.

The new study from Hoehl and colleagues, however, suggests that when it comes to spiders and snakes, many of us may be born to fear them.

Greater stress response to spiders, snakes

The findings come from an analysis of 16 babies of an average age of 6 months. For their study, the researchers presented each baby with photographs of fish, flowers, spiders, or snakes.

"Flowers and fish were chosen for comparison," write the authors, "because they can be relatively easily matched in terms of low-level properties with spiders and snakes, respectively, due to similar morphology and surface properties."

They then assessed the babies' stress response to each image by measuring pupillary dilation.

The team found that when the babies looked at pictures of spiders and snakes, their pupils became much larger in size compared with when they looked at images of fish and flowers.

"In constant light conditions this change in size of the pupils is an important signal for the activation of the noradrenergic system in the brain, which is responsible for stress reactions," explains Hoehl. "Accordingly, even the youngest babies seem to be stressed by these groups of animals."

The researchers believe that their findings indicate that a fear of spiders or snakes is innate, and that this likely has an evolutionary origin.

"Similar to primates, mechanisms in our brains enable us to identify objects as 'spider' or 'snake' and to react to them very fast. This obviously inherited stress reaction in turn predisposes us to learn these animals as dangerous or disgusting."

Stefanie Hoehl

Hoehl adds that over time — combined with other factors, such as a parent's aversion to spiders or snakes — this stress reaction can fuel the development of a phobia.

So, the next time you flee the room after spotting an eight-legged beast, blame it on your roots.

Happy Halloween!

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October 31, 2017 at 02:14PM

Massage Helps Treat The Most Common Mental Health Problem

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The latest research could be a step up in the evidence for massage therapy.

Just five sessions of Swedish massage is enough to improve the symptoms of anxiety, new research finds.

Levels of cortisol — known as the stress hormone — were also reduced.

People who took part in the study also saw reduced depression symptoms.

Swedish massage is the type of deep-tissue massage that people are most familiar with.

Professor Mark Hyman Rapaport, the study’s first author, said:

“These finding are significant and if replicated in a larger study will have important ramifications for patients and providers.”

The study was carried out on 47 people with generalised anxiety disorder or GAD.

People experiencing GAD find they are in near-constant anxiety.

With negative thoughts clouding their mind all day, it can be very hard to function normally.

GAD is typically treated with therapy and/or medication.

For the study itself, a group given Swedish massage was compared with another group in which people received light touch.

Both groups had the massage or light touch twice a week for six weeks.

Each therapy session lasted 45 minutes.

The researchers found that massage reduced anxiety, along with depression symptoms, in comparison to the light touch condition.

Better than relaxing?

One previous study has found that massage is no better than simply being in a relaxing room with soft, soothing music (Sherman et al., 2010).

Dr Karen J. Sherman, that study’s first author, said:

“We were surprised to find that the benefits of massage were no greater than those of the same number of sessions of ‘thermotherapy’ or listening to relaxing music.

This suggests that the benefits of massage may be due to a generalized relaxation response.”

So the latest research could be a step up in the evidence for massage therapy.

Other studies have linked massage therapy to better sleep and improvements in the immune system.

The new study was published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (Rapaport et al., 2016).

→ Try one of PsyBlog’s ebooks, all written by Dr Jeremy Dean:

Massage image from Shutterstock

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October 31, 2017 at 02:00PM

Mindfulness Training for Teens Fails Important Test

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Mindfulness involves a conscious focus on and awareness of your present state of mind and surroundings, without judgment or reaction. Mindfulness is rooted in Buddhism and was developed in the 1970’s as a therapeutic intervention for stress in adults by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Over the past several decades, the practice of mindfulness has evolved into a booming billion dollar industry, with growing claims that mindfulness is a panacea for host of maladies including stress, depression, failures of attention, eating disorders, substance abuse, weight gain, and pain.

Not all of these claims, however, are likely to be true. A recent critical evaluation of the adult literature on mindfulness identifies a number of weaknesses in the extant research, including a lack of randomized control groups, small sample sizes, large attrition rates, and inconsistent definitions of mindfulness. Moreover, a systematic review of intervention studies found insufficient evidence for a benefit of mindfulness on attention, mood, sleep, weight control, or substance abuse.

That said, there is empirical evidence that mindfulness offers a moderate benefit for anxiety, depression, and pain, at least in adults. Can mindfulness also be used as an effective tool for mitigating depression and anxiety in teens? Some research suggests it can, but the research is plagued by the same shortcomings identified in the adult literature (e.g., lack of a randomized control group, small sample sizes). In an effort to address these limitations, Catherine Johnson, Christine Burke, Sally Brickman, and Tracey Wade conducted a large-scale study including a randomized control group to assess the benefits of mindfulness training in teens.

They evaluated the efficacy of mindfulness training in 308 middle and high school students (average age 13.6 yrs) from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The students were enrolled in 17 different classes across 5 different schools. Students opted in to the study, and were randomly assigned to the control group or the mindfulness training group. Students in the control group received no mindfulness training but instead participated in community projects or received lessons in pastoral care. Students in the mindfulness group completed 8 weeks of training in the .b (“Dot be”) Mindfulness in Schools curriculum, which is based on the “gold standard” Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention for adults. The training sessions varied in length from 35 to 60 min and were administered once a week. All mindfulness training was conducted by the same certified instructor. Beyond the weekly training sessions, teens in the mindfulness group were encouraged to practice mindfulness techniques at home and were given manuals to assist in this practice.

All participants were assessed at three different time points: a baseline taken one week before the intervention, a post-test measure taken a week after the sessions were over, and a follow-up assessment administered about 3 months later. The study included measures of anxiety and depression, weight and shape concerns, well-being, emotional dysregulation, self-compassion, and mindfulness. Participants were also asked to report their compliance with home practice, and to provide an evaluation of the intervention. Attrition rates were low (just 16 percent at follow up) and comparable for both groups.

Despite the numerous outcome measures employed in the study, there was no evidence of any benefit for the mindfulness group at either the immediate post-test or the follow up. In fact, anxiety was higher at the follow up for males in the mindfulness group relative to males in the control group. The same was true for participants with low baseline depression and low baseline weight concerns; mindfulness training led to an increase in anxiety in these individuals over time.

The careful design and implementation of this study addressed a number of shortcomings from previous studies, as the authors used a large and diverse multi-site sample, a randomized control group, an age-appropriate mindfulness curriculum, a certified trainer, and a plethora of outcome measures. The fact that this carefully-controlled investigation showed no benefits of mindfulness for any measure, and furthermore indicated an adverse effect for some participants, indicates that mindfulness training is not a universal solution for addressing anxiety or depression in teens, nor does it qualify as a replacement for more traditional psychotherapy or psychopharmacology, at least not as implemented in this school-based paradigm.

Before we reject mindfulness for adolescents altogether, it is important to consider a few limitations of the study. The traditional MBSR training that has been effective in reducing depression and anxiety in adults involves 20 to 26 hours of formal training, including one 6-hour session, 8 weekly 2-hour sessions, and daily 45 min practice sessions at home. By contrast, because the training offered by Johnson and colleagues was adapted to fit the school schedule, the sessions lasted only 35-60 minutes each, for a total of 4.5 – 8 hours of training. Johnson and colleagues also shortened the initial introductory session, which is designed to help participants understand why mindfulness can be beneficial. The participants also reported very low compliance rates with home practice (26 percent during the 8-week training period and 13 percent at follow up). All of this may well have undercut the potential benefits, and it is possible that a more intensive training intervention, with consistent home practice, could yield better results.

As the parent of any teenager can attest, adolescence can be a bumpy ride. Emotional, psychological, and cognitive maturity do not always keep pace with reproductive and physical development, and so it is not surprising that depression and anxiety tend to emerge during adolescence. In some cases these conditions may become chronic, affecting physical health, social life, and academic success. Effective treatment is thus not only important for addressing teens’ immediate needs for well-being, but also for their long-term outcomes. Universal school-based prevention programs are appealing because they are relatively low-cost and can be administered to a broad range of students during key developmental windows. To many, mindfulness may seem like the perfect candidate for such school-based interventions, as it has been promoted by practitioners, the media, corporations like Google and Target, and even governmental and educational agencies. The findings from Johnson and colleagues join a growing number of studies in suggesting the need for greater scientific rigor in mindfulness research and a more careful analysis of paradigms and procedures: a more mindful approach to mindfulness.

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October 31, 2017 at 01:14PM

Setting the Table for a Halloween Holiday Breakfast–For One.

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In my book The Happiness Project, I write about my resolution to "Celebrate holiday breakfasts." And this morning, I set the table for a Halloween holiday breakfast.

I do these holiday breakfasts for all minor holidays -- it's festive, and also fun and easy.  I always use food dye to color some food or beverage in a holiday-themed color (this morning: black peanut butter). I re-use the same decorations every year, so I don’t have to spend money or do errands. I have a very precise place in the kitchen where I store my holiday-breakfast decorations, so I don't have to scramble to find anything.

Studies show that traditions are important to family happiness. Family rituals encourage children's social development and boost feelings of family cohesiveness by 17%. They help provide connection and predictability, which people--especially children--crave. Without traditions, holidays don't feel much different from ordinary life. Holiday breakfasts give a big happiness boost, without much effort.

But this year was a little different. Instead of setting the holiday breakfast for two daughters, I was setting it for one daughter. Now that Eliza's in college, it's just Eleanor at the breakfast table.

And that was bittersweet.

One thing I decided, when Eliza left, was that I wanted to make sure to maintain fun family traditions for Eleanor -- that I didn't want to skip the effort, or decide that Eleanor was too old to enjoy it (unless she truly has outgrown something), or forget to create these little moments.

Time is passing so quickly; I worry that I won’t remember this time of life, what it’s like to have children this age, or that because I'm busy, I won't take time for celebration.  The days are long, but the years are short.

In fact, of everything I’ve ever written, my one-minute video, The Years Are Short, is the thing that resonates most with people.

One challenge of Eliza leaving for college is figuring out how to adapt traditions for the new situation. I want to maintain, but also evolve.

Do you have any little traditions that help you celebrate the holidays in a manageable way? Have you had to figure out how to adapt traditions, as your family changed?

If you want some tips for creating new family traditions (oxymoron alert!), here are some ideas.

Self Help Gurus etc

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October 31, 2017 at 01:08PM

How Your Shoes Reveal Your Personality

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What message are your shoes sending to the world about your personality?

People make surprisingly accurate guesses about other people’s personalities from relatively little information.

Shoes are often said to be a good indicator of a person’s personality — and psychological research agrees.

A study of 208 people looking only at pictures of shoes has found people could pick out some personality traits of their owners.

The shoes in the pictures were the ones the owner wore most often.

So, here is your guide to reading someone’s personality just by looking at their shoes (and what your shoes are telling other people).

To spot a more agreeable person, look for affordable and practical shoes.

People wearing shoes with pointy toes, those that are obviously branded or expensive, mean the wearer is likely to be less agreeable.

Anxiously attached people tend to wear shoes that look brand new.

‘Anxiously attached’ is psychologist-talk for people who are needy.

Needy people want your approval and perhaps their shiny, new shoes are one way they hope to get it.

The study’s authors explain:

“People with anxious orientation constantly desire caring and attention.

One strategy for achieving attention is to decorate oneself in an expressive way, so that others would easily detect one’s style.

Thus, it is possible that anxiously attached people tend to wear shoes that are more in line with their personal characteristics, which makes them more observable and means they will more easily stand out.”

Naturally, people with more money tend to wear more stylish shoes.

Women, in general, also tend to wear more expensive, branded shoes than men.

People wearing worn out shoes and/or high tops are more likely to be extraverted.

High-topped shoes are also linked to being more conscientious.

In general, people are pretty good at reading personality from shoes, the study’s authors write:

“Observers agreed on many of the shoe owner characteristics, and they were reasonably accurate; observer ratings were correlated with the shoe owners’ self-ratings.”

However, the people in the study also made some consistent mistakes when trying to read personality from shoes.

Colourful, bright shoes did not necessarily belong to extraverted people.

Attractive shoes in good condition did not necessarily belong to conscientious people.

Shabby shoes did not necessarily belong to a liberal!

In fact, you can tell very little about someone’s politics from their shoes, apparently.

→ Try one of PsyBlog’s ebooks, all written by Dr Jeremy Dean:

The study was published in the Journal of Research in Personality (Gillath et al., 2012).

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October 31, 2017 at 12:21PM

3 More Things That Keep Us Lonely

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In a recent article, I discussed three things that may keep us lonely: Being critical of others, our tendency to shame people, and believing that we should be perfect. Here are some additional reasons we may find ourselves feeling isolated.

Fear of Taking Risks

If we hold the unrealistic belief that we should be perfect, we may be unwilling to do anything that might expose our imperfections. We may be so paralyzed by the fear of failing that we won’t take steps that might alleviate our loneliness. We might think, “Yeah, I should go out more or write a personal ad for a dating site… and some day I’ll get around to it.” But that day never comes.

Or, we may think about asking someone out on a date — or even just meeting someone as a friend or potential friend — but we can’t bear the prospect of a negative response. We may hear “no” as a personal rejection and conclude that we’re flawed. Being overwhelmed by fear and shame, a more benign interpretation may not occur to us, such as their life is too busy or they’re not seeking new friendships.

Rather than take an intelligent risk to reach out, we may procrastinate. We cling to what is known, rather than risk possible rejection and failure. We may find a curious comfort in what is familiar, even though it keeps us painfully isolated and disconnected.

The Fear of Feeling Shame and Embarrassment

Underlying our fear of risk-taking may be a fear of feeling shame or embarrassment. We don’t want to look bad in someone else’s eyes — or in our own eyes. Toxic shame, the belief or feeling that we’re flawed or a failure, is one of the most painful human emotions.

Toxic shame is so painful that we’ll do almost anything to avoid it. Or more accurately, there are many things we won’t do in order to sidestep the prospect of experiencing shame. We won’t reach out to people, we won’t engage in new enterprises, and we won’t put ourselves in situations where we might not do well. Without a guarantee of success, we’re reluctant to expose ourselves to possible embarrassment or humiliation.

But of course, life offers no guarantees. Without a willingness to take informed risks and face possible rejection or failure, we remain paralyzed, thereby perpetuating our loneliness and isolation.

We need to realize that even if we’re rejected, it doesn’t mean we are a reject or that something is wrong with us. Our challenge and inner work is to inwardly hold ourselves with dignity and respect regardless of whatever outside events befall us.

The Fear of Being Vulnerable

Taking risks that might move us toward satisfying relationships and a more fulfilling life means being willing to be vulnerable. If we reach out to someone, we may not get a rousing response. Being vulnerable means accepting that we don’t always get what we want. A part of life is feeling sad or disappointed sometimes. That’s just the human condition.

The good news is that we can learn to have a more friendly and accepting relationship with these feelings, perhaps through the help of a psychotherapist.

Moving toward a less lonely, more connected life means cultivating resilience. It means finding the inner strength to say “yes” to ourselves when others say “no” to us. It requires affirming our worth and value regardless of how others respond to us.

This is the practice of self-love: valuing ourselves and developing the capacity to rest comfortably in our body and being as we venture out into an uncertain world. We come to trust that we can take a breath and affirm that we’re ok just as we are. As psychologist Carl Rogers put it,

“The curious paradox is that when I can accept myself just as I am, then I can change”.

Being Friendly with Ourselves

We experience the world as a friendlier place as we become more friendly with ourselves. As we trust ourselves to deal with life as it unfolds, we can take more risks to be vulnerable. We can extend our hand to others with courageous vulnerability, knowing that if we’re not met with a positive response, we can feel good knowing we tried… and move toward those who might be more receptive.

Most of us feel at least a little lonely sometimes. If we can hold ourselves with gentleness as we experience our loneliness, it may begin to shift. And as we ask ourselves, “What would feel like a small step forward with this loneliness?” we might feel moved toward some action that may help us feel more connected.

If you like my article, please consider viewing my Facebook page and books below.

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October 31, 2017 at 11:53AM

What you need to know about codependent relationships

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The term 'codependency' is often used casually to describe relationships where a person is needy, or dependent upon, another person.

There is much more to this term than everyday clinginess. Codependent relationships are far more extreme than this. A person who is codependent will plan their entire life around pleasing the other person, or the enabler.

In its simplest terms, a codependent relationship is when one partner needs the other partner, who in turn, needs to be needed. This circular relationship is the basis of what experts refer to when they describe the "cycle" of codependency.

The codependent's self-esteem and self-worth will come only from sacrificing themselves for their partner, who is only too glad to receive their sacrifices.

Fast facts on codependency:

• Codependent relationships can be between friends, romantic partners, or family members.
• Often, the relationship includes emotional or physical abuse.
• Friends and family members of a codependent person may recognize that something is wrong.
• Like any mental or emotional health issue, treatment requires time and effort, as well as the help of a clinician.

What's the difference between codependence and dependence?

In codependency, one person has their needs prioritised over the other's.

It is important to know the difference between depending on another person — which can be a positive and desirable trait — and codependency, which is harmful.

The following are some examples that illustrate the difference:

Dependent: Two people rely on each other for support and love. Both find value in the relationship.

Codependent: The codependent person feels worthless unless they are needed by — and making drastic sacrifices for — the enabler. The enabler gets satisfaction from getting their every need met by the other person.

The codependent is only happy when making extreme sacrifices for their partner. They feel they must be needed by this other person to have any purpose.

Dependent: Both parties make their relationship a priority, but can find joy in outside interests, other friends, and hobbies.

Codependent: The codependent has no personal identity, interests, or values outside of their codependent relationship.

Dependent: Both people can express their emotions and needs and find ways to make the relationship beneficial for both of them.

Codependent: One person feels that their desires and needs are unimportant and will not express them. They may have difficulty recognizing their own feelings or needs at all.

One or both parties can be codependent. A codependent person will neglect other important areas of their life to please their partner. Their extreme dedication to this one person may cause damage to:

• other relationships
• their career
• their everyday responsibilities

The enabler's role is also dysfunctional. A person who relies upon a codependent does not learn how to have an equal, two-sided relationship and often comes to rely upon another person's sacrifices and neediness.

Signs and symptoms of codependency

It can be hard to distinguish between a person who is codependent and one who is just clingy or very enamored with another person. But, a person who is codependent will usually:

• Find no satisfaction or happiness in life outside of doing things for the other person.
• Stay in the relationship even if they are aware that their partner does hurtful things.
• Do anything to please and satisfy their enabler no matter what the expense to themselves.
• Feel constant anxiety about their relationship due to their desire to always be making the other person happy.
• Use all their time and energy to give their partner everything they ask for.
• Feel guilty about thinking of themselves in the relationship and will not express any personal needs or desires.
• Ignore their own morals or conscience to do what the other person wants.

Other people may try to talk to the codependent about their concerns. But even if others suggest that the person is too dependent, a person in a codependent relationship will find it difficult to leave the relationship.

The codependent person will feel extreme conflict about separating themselves from the enabler because their own identity is centered upon sacrificing themselves for the other person.

How does a codependent relationship develop?

Codependency is a learned behavior that usually stems from past behavioral patterns and emotional difficulties. It was once thought to be a result of living with an alcoholic parent.

Experts now say codependency can result from a range of situations.

Damaging parental relationships

Alcohol, drugs, or other addictions are common factors that may lead parents to prioritise their needs over their children's. This may cause the children to become codependent as adults.

People who are codependent as adults often had problems with their parental relationship as a child or teenager.

They may have been taught that their own needs were less important than their parents' needs, or not important at all.

In these types of families, the child may be taught to focus on the parent's needs and to never think of themselves.

Needy parents may teach their children that children are selfish or greedy if they want anything for themselves.

As a result, the child learns to ignore their own needs and thinks only of what they can do for others at all times.

In these situations, one of the parents may have:

• an addiction problem with alcohol or drugs
• a lack of maturity and emotional development, resulting in their own self-centered needs

These situations cause gaps in emotional development in the child, leading them to seek out codependent relationships later.

Living with a mentally or physically ill family member

Codependency may also result from caring for a person who is chronically ill. Being in the role of caregiver, especially at a young age, may result in the young person neglecting their own needs and developing a habit of only helping others.

A person's self-worth may form around being needed by another person and receiving nothing in return.

Many people who live with an ill family member do not develop codependency. But, it can happen in these types of family environments, particularly if the parent or primary caretaker in the family displays the dysfunctional behaviors listed above.

Abusive families

Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse can cause psychological problems that last years or even an entire lifetime. One of the many issues that can arise from past abuse is codependency.

A child or teenager who is abused will learn to repress their feelings as a defense mechanism against the pain of abuse. As an adult, this learned behavior results in caring only about another's feelings and not acknowledging their own needs.

Sometimes a person who is abused will seek out abusive relationships later because they are only familiar with this type of relationship. This often manifests in codependent relationships.

Treatment for codependency

Individual or group therapy may be more beneficial than couples therapy, since it encourages the person to explore their feelings and behaviours as an individual outside of the relationship.

A few things can help toward forming a positive, balanced relationship:

• People in codependent relationships may need to take small steps toward some separation in the relationship. They may need to find a hobby or activity they enjoy outside of the relationship.
• A codependent person should try to spend time with supportive family members or friends.
• The enabler must decide that they are not helping their codependent partner by allowing them to make extreme sacrifices.

Individual or group therapy is very helpful for people who are in codependent relationships. An expert can help them find ways to acknowledge and express their feelings that may have been buried since childhood.

People who were abused will need to recognize past abuse and start to feel their own needs and emotions again.

Finally, both parties in a codependent relationship must learn to acknowledge specific patterns of behavior, such as "needing to be needed" and expecting the other person to center their life around them.

These steps are not easy to do but are well worth the effort to help both parties discover how to be in a balanced, two-sided relationship.

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October 31, 2017 at 11:23AM

Letter from the Editor: Know thyself

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Who are we? We're scientists, journalists, and wordsmiths. But today, we're witches, animals, and lion tamers.

What does it mean to know thyself? In ancient Greece, this was an important adage that philosophers and statesmen put at the forefront of their society. To know thyself was the first step in understanding human nature, they believed.

Today is Halloween — a day of wearing masks. This got me thinking about the invisible ones that we mostly wear during the other days of the year. To know yourself physically, mentally, or even spiritually is a form of unmasking. Knowledge is power, and that's what we're here to help you with.

But firstly, who are we? The Medical News Today editorial team consists of 17 wise souls, many of whom are scientists, journalists, and wordsmiths (although today, many of them are witches, animals, and lion tamers).

Collectively, we are the number 12 health website in the world (but watch this space — we will crack the top 10 shortly). Most importantly, we are curious. We're curious about how the body works, and we're fascinated by the science behind it.

This curiosity has prompted us to come out with weekly "factoids," posted on our social media channels. We were frequently yelling interesting facts that we'd uncover in our work across the office, so we decided to share them with you.

For example, did you know that if you unraveled all of the DNA in your body, it would reach to the sun and back more than 300 times? Fascinating!

What else is fascinating and mysterious? How about the female orgasm — a topic that our resident scientist explored and that you were eager to read about.

Interestingly, a professor quoted in this article revealed that the "keys to achieving more frequent female orgasms were identified [...] as being in the mind and in the relationship." This is yet another example of the power in knowing yourself.

You were also curious about why women tend to avoid sex as they age and how black tea boosts weight loss by altering gut bacteria. 

Some of the scientific breakthroughs we reported on this month included the discovery of a new Parkinson's disease-causing mechanism and an allergy drug that has the potential to reverse multiple sclerosis. 

In terms of self-care, you wanted to know most about the health benefits of turmeric tea, the benefits of armpit detoxification, and the health merits of brown versus white rice. 

As today is Halloween, however, and candy will likely be in abundance, I'll leave you with a more modern adage that I think the ancient Greeks would nevertheless support:

"Everything in moderation, including moderation."

Oscar Wilde

Is there anything that you're curious about health-wise? If so, let us know, and we'll help you on your journey to knowing yourself. Don't forget to find us on Twitter and Facebook for more fascinating factoids.

Have a very safe and very happy Halloween, from all of us at MNT.

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October 31, 2017 at 11:23AM

Alzheimer's: Protein from outside the brain may be involved

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Scientists find that amyloid beta can permeate the blood-brain barrier to give rise to Alzheimer's disease.

A study in mice has discovered that amyloid beta, the protein that causes one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease in the brain, may also come from other parts of the body.

In the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers describe how they surgically attached mice to each other for several months to show that amyloid beta in the bloodstream can enter the brain and cause symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

If the study findings are true of humans, then the team hopes that they might lead to drugs that do not have to target the brain, which is difficult to reach and treat. It might be easier eliminate the protein before it reaches the brain — for example, by targeting the liver or kidneys instead.

As co-senior researcher Weihong Song, a professor of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia in Canada, explains, "The blood-brain barrier weakens as we age. That might allow more amyloid beta to infiltrate the brain, supplementing what is produced by the brain itself and accelerating the deterioration."

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is a brain-wasting disorder that progressively destroys people's ability to reason, remember, communicate, and take care of themselves.

Although there is a type of Alzheimer's that can strike younger people, it is more common in those aged 60 and older.

Amyloid beta and plaques

Of the 47 million people worldwide with dementia, approximately 65 percent are thought to have Alzheimer's disease.

In the United States, there are around 5 million people living with Alzheimer's disease, and this number is projected to reach 14 million by 2050.

The exact cause of Alzheimer's is not yet clear. Experts generally believe that there are several causes and that they arise differently in different people.

A prominent hallmark of the disease is the presence in the brain of sticky, abnormal deposits of amyloid beta protein. As the deposits — also known as plaques — increase, they disrupt brain cells and their connections to each other, and eventually the brain cells die.

Amyloid beta comes from a larger protein that is found not only in the brain but also in other organs. It is also produced in blood platelets, muscles, and blood vessels. 

Plaques and 'tangles'

In their study report, the researchers explain that because of the blood-brain barrier, there has been a general belief that the amyloid beta that causes the brain plaques found in Alzheimer's disease originates only in the brain. This view, however, has never been tested.

For their study, the team engineered mice to carry a version of a human gene that produces high levels of amyloid beta and surgically attached them — in a method called "parabiosis" — to normal "wild-type" mice.

After a period of 12 months, the normal mice had developed Alzheimer's disease, including the accumulation of plaques of amyloid beta between brain cells.

The team also found that some of the animals' brain cells contained features similar to "tangles," or twisted strands of protein, which are another hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. These tangles also kill brain cells.

There were also other signs of Alzheimer's disease, such as the degeneration of brain cells, small bleeds, and inflammation.

Also, after only 4 months of being joined to the mice carrying the mutated gene, the normal mice's brains were already showing disruptions to the electrical signals that carry information between the cells.

Prof. Song says that the amyloid beta had traveled from the mice with the mutated gene through the bloodstream to the brains of the normal mice.

"Alzheimer's disease is clearly a disease of the brain, but we need to pay attention to the whole body to understand where it comes from, and how to stop it."

Prof. Weihong Song

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October 31, 2017 at 11:23AM

Geneticists Are Starting to Unravel Evolution's Role in Mental Illness

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Psychiatric disorders can be debilitating and often involve a genetic component, yet, evolution hasn’t weeded them out. Now, recent work is beginning to reveal the role of natural selection—offering a peek at how the genetic underpinnings of mental illness has changed over time.

Many psychiatric disorders are polygenic: they can involve hundreds or thousands of genes and DNA mutations. It can be difficult to track how so many genetic regions evolved, and such studies require large genome data sets. But the advent of massive human genome databases is enabling researchers to look for possible connections between mental illnesses and the environmental and societal conditions that might have driven their emergence and development. Others are looking to Neanderthal genetic sequences to help inform the picture of these disorders, as well as cognitive abilities, in humans. Several of these teams presented their findings at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) meeting in Orlando, Florida, in late October.

One project found that evolution selected for DNA variants thought to protect against schizophrenia. The study, led by population geneticist Barbara Stranger of the University of Chicago in Illinois, looked at hundreds of thousands of human genomes using a statistical method that identified signals of selection over the past 2,000 years. There were no signs of selection in genetic regions associated with any other mental illness.

Many of schizophrenia's symptoms, such as auditory hallucinations and jumbling sentences, involve brain regions tied to speech, says Bernard Crespi, an evolutionary biologist at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada. Over the course of hominid evolution, he says, the ability to speak could have outweighed the small, but unavoidable risk that the genes involved in language could malfunction and result in schizophrenia in a small percentage of the population.

A quest for context

Another team, lead by human geneticist Renato Polimanti at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, is trying to tease out links between environmental factors, mental illnesses and behavioural traits. Polimanti and his colleagues looked at 2,455 DNA samples from individuals at 23 sites across Europe and quantified each person’s overall genetic risk for mental disorders, such as autism, and personality traits, such as extraversion. They then calculated whether that risk was associated with certain environmental factors, such as rainfall, winter temperatures or the prevalence of infectious disease—exploring the idea that these factors might have been involved in selecting for the human traits.

People who live in European regions with relatively lower winter temperatures, they found, were slightly more genetically prone to schizophrenia. Polimanti suggests that if genes that helped people tolerate cold were located close to variants that promote schizophrenia in the genome, then the latter could have been inadvertently carried along during evolution as a “fellow traveller”.

“This was a nice first attempt to put some environmental context” on the polygenic variants associated with mental illness, says Tony Capra, an evolutionary geneticist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Polimanti now plans to repeat the study in other parts of the world.

For and against

Untangling the roles of genetics and the environment will be difficult, however, because unknown environmental conditions in the past could have selected for traits that were advantageous then, but considered negative today. And other evolutionary factors could contribute to mental illness indirectly. An overactive immune system is thought to be involved in many psychiatric disorders, such as depression, but a stronger immune system would have made human ancestors more resistant to diseases, says Stranger.

Some researchers are exploring the evolution of mental illness through a different lens: by looking at possible differences in gene activity in tissues of Neanderthals and humans. A group lead by Capra and Vanderbilt human geneticist Laura Colbran used databases of modern human genomes to find DNA markers that suggest a gene is differently regulated in various tissues in the body. They then looked for these markers in two Neanderthal genomes. The team found that genes associated with neurological development were regulated differently in the Neanderthal brain compared with that of humans.

So while the DNA sequence of a gene such as FOXP2—which is associated with language—is identical in humans and Neanderthals, human brains might have produced more of the associated protein, accounting for increased language ability. The results could eventually lead to a better understanding of how Neanderthal brains functioned, if they were similar to human brains and whether they might have suffered from similar psychiatric disorders.

Studying how mental illness evolved is still at an early stage, but the ability to use massive human genome databases is an exciting step forward, says Capra. He and his colleagues plan to take advantage of this with a survey of genetic areas that differ between Neanderthals and humans, searching for differences in how the genes are expressed.

This article is reproduced with permission and was first published on October 30, 2017.

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October 31, 2017 at 09:59AM

Reminder: Last 12 hours to submit pitches to the Brainnovations Pitch Contest!

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This is the Brainnovations Judging Panel…our very own “Sharp Tank”

_________________

A quick reminder that the Brainnovations Pitch Contest is accepting submissions until today, October 31st, 11 PM US Pacific Standard Time. We are looking for startups worldwide, founded no earlier than 2012, for-profit or non-profit, working on ways to harness brain research and emerging technologies to help every person thrive in the digital age.

Startups: Please submit your idea and pitch your solution in front of our expert Judges and 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit participants for a chance to get valuable feedback, boost industry recognition, meet fellow pioneers and win a benefits package that could give a boost to your venture and solution.

GUIDELINES, FAQS AND SUBMISSION FORM HERE

We look forward to a fantastic Pitch Contest and Summit overall!

12 Finalists will get to pitch on December 6th, and the Sharp Tank will select a Winner per category, facilitated by Alvaro Fernandez, SharpBrains‘ CEO & Editor-in-Chief, and Dr. Bob Bilder, Director of the UCLA Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity.

Top Brainnovations in Healthcare will be judged by:

• Dr. Adam Haim, Chief of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Dr. David Barash, Chief Medical Officer and ED of Global Health at GE Foundation
• Dr. Edward Kliphuis, Investment Director at Merck Ventures
• Dr. Karen Postal, President of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN)

Top Brainnovations for Quality of Life will be judged by:

• Alexandra Morehouse, Chief Marketing Officer at Banner Health
• Ariel Garten, Founder and Chief Evangelism Officer at InteraXon
• Dr. Bill Reichman, President and CEO of Baycrest
• Colin Milner, Founder and CEO of the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA)
• Zack Lynch, General Partner at JAZZ Venture Partners

Top Brainnovations in the Workplace will be judged by:

• Charlie Hartwell, Operating Partner at Bridge Builders Collaborative
• Danny Dankner, CEO and Co-founder of Applied Cognitive Engineering
• Lisa Neuberger, Managing Director of Strategy + Innovation at Accenture Corporate Citizenship
• Kathleen Herath, Associate Vice President Health & Productivity at Nationwide Insurance

Top Brainnovations in Education will be judged by:

• Bill Tucker, Senior Advisor to the K12 Education Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Eduardo Briceño, CEO and Co-founder of Mindset Works
• Neil Allison, Director of Business Model Innovation at Pearson North America
• John Cammack, Angel Investor

Visit the Brainnovations Pitch Contest to learn more.

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October 31, 2017 at 09:04AM

Teen Depression in US Jumps By Nearly Half in 10 Years

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A new study finds a startling rise in depression among all Americans, with youth demonstrating the most rapid increase over the last decade.

Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy found that from 2005 to 2015, depression rose significantly among Americans age 12 and older. Young people between the ages of 12 and 17 experienced a 46 percent increase in reported depression over this time span.

The findings appear online in the journal Psychological Medicine.

Researchers say this is the first study to identify trends in depression by gender, income, and education over the past decade.

“Depression appears to be increasing among Americans overall, and especially among youth,” said Renee Goodwin, Ph.D., of the Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, who led the research.

“Because depression impacts a significant percentage of the U.S. population and has serious individual and societal consequences, it is important to understand whether and how the prevalence of depression has changed over time so that trends can inform public health and outreach efforts.”

The results show that depression increased significantly among persons in the U.S. from 2005 to 2015, from 6.6 percent to 7.3 percent. Notably, the rise was most rapid among those ages 12 to 17, increasing from 8.7 percent in 2005 to 12.7 percent in 2015.

Researchers reviewed data captured from 607,520 respondents to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual U.S. study of persons ages 12 and over. The researchers examined the prevalence of past-year depression annually among respondents based on DSM-IV criteria.

The escalation of depression followed an interesting pattern. Specifically, the increase in rates of depression was most rapid among the youngest and oldest age groups, whites, the lowest income and highest income groups, and those with the highest education levels.

Experts say these results are in line with recent findings on increases in drug use, deaths due to drug overdose, and suicide.

“Depression is most common among those with least access to any health care, including mental health professionals. This includes young people and those with lower levels of income and education,” noted Goodwin.

“Despite this trend, recent data suggest that treatment for depression has not increased, and a growing number of Americans, especially socioeconomically vulnerable individuals and young persons, are suffering from untreated depression.

“Depression that goes untreated is the strongest risk factor for suicide behavior and recent studies show that suicide attempts have increased in recent years, especially among young women.”

Sadly, depression frequently remains undiagnosed, yet it is among the most treatable mental disorders, noted the researchers.

“Identifying subgroups that are experiencing significant increases in depression can help guide the allocation of resources toward avoiding or reducing the individual and societal costs associated with depression,” said Goodwin.

Source: Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health/EurekAlert

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October 31, 2017 at 08:52AM

New Twist on Dangerous Trend: Cyberbullying Oneself

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Teen self-harm in the form of cutting, scratching or even self-inflicted burns has gained a lot of attention over the last several years. The behaviors obviously cause physical damage and represent internal turmoil. Even more importantly, the actions have been linked to suicide.

More recently, a new form of self-harm in youth has emerged and is a new warning sign, explains a researcher and bullying expert from Florida Atlantic University.

The behavior: “digital self-harm,” “self-trolling,” or “self-cyberbullying,” occurs when adolescents post, send or share mean things about themselves anonymously online. The concern: it is happening at alarming rates and could be a cry for help.

A new study is the first to examine the extent of this behavior and is the most comprehensive investigation of this understudied problem.

“The idea that someone would cyberbully themselves first gained public attention with the tragic suicide of 14-year-old Hannah Smith in 2013 after she anonymously sent herself hurtful messages on a social media platform just weeks before she took her own life,” said study author Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D.

Hinduja is a professor in FAU’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the College for Design and Social Inquiry, and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center.

“We knew we had to study this empirically, and I was stunned to discover that about 1 in 20 middle- and high-school-age students have bullied themselves online. This finding was totally unexpected, even though I’ve been studying cyberbullying for almost 15 years.”

Hinduja and his collaborator from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D., recently published results of their study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The researchers used a nationally representative sample of 5,593 middle and high school students between the ages of 12 and 17 years old living in the United States to find out how many youth participated in digital self-harm, as well as their motivations for such behavior.

The investigators also examined if certain characteristics of offline self-harm also applied to digital forms of self-harm.

Results of the study show that nearly 6 percent of the teens reported that they had anonymously posted something mean about themselves online. Among these, about half (51.3 percent) said they did it just once, about one-third (35.5 percent) said they did it a few times, while 13.2 percent said they had done it many times.

Boys were more likely to participate in this behavior (7 percent) compared to girls (5 percent). Their reasons, however, varied dramatically.

Boys described their behavior as a joke or a way to get attention while girls said they did it because they were depressed or psychologically hurt. This finding is especially worrisome for the researchers as there may be more of a possibility that this behavior among girls leads to attempted or completed suicide.

To ascertain motivations behind the behavior, the researchers included an open-ended question asking respondents to tell them why they had engaged in digital self-harm.

Most comments centered around certain themes: self-hate; attention-seeking; depressive symptoms; feeling suicidal; to be funny; and to see if anyone would react. Qualitative data from the study showed that many who had participated in digital self-harm were looking for a response.

Age and race of the respondents did not differentiate participation in digital self-harm, but other factors did.

Teens who identified as non-heterosexual were three times more likely to bully themselves online. In addition, victims of cyberbullying were nearly 12 times as likely to have cyberbullied themselves compared to those who were not victims.

Those who reported using drugs or participating in deviance, had depressive symptoms, or had previously engaged in self-harm behaviors offline were all significantly more likely to have engaged in digital self-harm.

“Prior research has shown that self-harm and depression are linked to increased risk for suicide and so, like physical self-harm and depression, we need to closely look at the possibility that digital self-harm behaviors might precede suicide attempts,” said Hinduja.

“We need to refrain from demonizing those who bully, and come to terms with the troubling fact that in certain cases the aggressor and target may be one and the same. What is more, their self-cyberbullying behavior may indicate a deep need for social and clinical support.”

Source: Florida Atlantic University/EurekAlert

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October 31, 2017 at 08:09AM

We’re surprisingly unaware of when our own beliefs change

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By Christian Jarrett

If you read an article about a controversial issue, do you think you’d realise if it had changed your beliefs? No one knows your own mind like you do – it seems obvious that you would know if your beliefs had shifted. And yet a new paper in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests that we actually have very poor “metacognitive awareness” of our own belief change, meaning that we will tend to underestimate how much we’ve been swayed by a convincing article.

The researchers Michael Wolfe and Todd Williams at Grand Valley State University said their findings could have implications for the public communication of science. “People may be less willing to meaningfully consider belief inconsistent material if they feel that their beliefs are unlikely to change as a consequence,” they wrote.

The researchers recruited over two hundred undergrads across two studies and focused on their beliefs about whether the spanking/smacking of kids is an effective form of discipline. The researchers chose this topic deliberately in the hope the students would be mostly unaware of the relevant research literature, and that they would express a varied range of relatively uncommitted initial beliefs.

The students reported their initial beliefs about whether spanking is an effective way to discipline a child on a scale from “1” completely disbelieve to “9” completely believe. Several weeks later they were given one of two research-based texts to read: each was several pages long and either presented the arguments and data in favour of spanking or against spanking. After this, the students answered some questions to test their comprehension and memory of the text (these measures varied across the two studies). Then the students again scored their belief in whether spanking is effective or not (using the same 9-point scale as before). Finally, the researchers asked them to recall what their belief had been at the start of the study.

The students’ belief about spanking changed when they read a text that argued against their own initial position. Crucially, their memory of their initial belief was shifted in the direction of their new belief – in fact, their memory was closer to their current belief than their original belief. The more their belief had changed, the larger this memory bias tended to be, suggesting the students were relying on their current belief to deduce their initial belief. The memory bias was unrelated to the measures of how well they’d understood or recalled the text, suggesting these factors didn’t play a role in memory of initial belief or awareness of belief change.

One big caveat is obviously that this research was about changes to mostly moderate beliefs – it’s likely the findings would be different in the context of changes to extreme or deeply held beliefs (this would be tricky to study because it will be more difficult to change these kind of beliefs). However, our beliefs on most topics are in the moderate range, and as we go about our daily lives reading informative material, these intriguing findings suggest we are mostly ignorant of how what we just read has updated and altered our own position.

—Poor Metacognitive Awareness of Belief Change

Christian Jarrett (@Psych_Writer) is Editor of BPS Research Digest

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October 31, 2017 at 07:51AM

Is Risk-Taking a Personality Trait?

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New research from the University of Basel suggests an individual’s propensity to take risks remains stable over time, akin to the general Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

It is known that people differ considerably in their willingness to take risks and that an individual’s tendency to take risks can also vary across domains.

However, a new European study on over 1500 participants finds evidence that there is also a general factor of individual risk preference, which remains stable over time. The findings have been published in the journals Science Advances and Nature Human Behaviour.

Questions such as “should I invest my money or leave it in my savings account?”, or even decisions on “whether to have surgery or not,” are judgment decisions as they have consequences and involve risks.

Investigators wanted to determine the nature of the risk preference driving risk-related decisions. That is, does our risk preference depend on the context or is it largely consistent across situations?

Investigators from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin and the University of Basel found that both are true.

For the study, the researchers assessed the risk preferences of 1,507 adults aged between 20 and 36 years, by using three distinct approaches: self-reports on hypothetical risk scenarios, experimental behavioral tests involving financial incentives, and information on actual risky activities in everyday life.

In total, participants completed 39 tests over the course of a day. To examine how stable the risk preference is over time, the researchers had 109 participants repeat the tests after six months. Previous studies on risk preference mostly used just one or only a few selected measurement instruments.

Investigators learned that a person’s risk profile remains relatively consistent over time.

“Our findings indicate that risk-taking propensity has a psychometric structure similar to that of psychological personality characteristics. Like the general factor of intelligence, there is also a general factor of risk preference,” said Dr. Renato Frey from the University of Basel and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

“In other words, your willingness to take risks may vary across different areas of your life, but it will always be affected by the underlying general factor of risk preference.”

Supporting this idea, the study’s findings show that individuals’ general factor of risk preference remains stable over time.

Researchers also discovered that the hypothetical scenarios and the reports on actual risk-taking behavior both painted a similar picture of an individual’s risk preference.

However, a rather different picture emerged from the experimental behavioral tests. A detailed analysis of these inconsistencies revealed that for different behaviors, test participants used different decision-making strategies.

The strategic approach for risk taking depended on the type of behavioral task; whether it presented risk in a context of a game, for example, or in a more abstract form.

“These results show that behavioral tests, which tend to be the preferred approach of economists, often give an inconsistent picture of people’s risk preferences that is difficult to explain with unified theories of risk behavior,” said Prof. Dr. Jörg Rieskamp from the University of Basel.

Investigators believe the study findings are important both methodologically as well as theoretically.

“Our work is a wake-up call for researchers, who need to think twice about the various measurement traditions. In particular, there needs to be a better understanding of what exactly the behavioral tasks measure. It seems clear that they don’t assess risk preference across situations,” said Prof. Dr. Ralph Hertwig from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

“But our finding of a general factor of risk preference — based on self-reports and frequency measures of actual risky activities— suggests that risk preference is a personality characteristic in its own right. This insight will make it possible to examine the biological underpinnings of risk preference in future studies.”

Source: University of Basel

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October 31, 2017 at 07:24AM