Sociocultural theory stresses the role that social interaction plays in psychological development. It suggests that human learning is largely a social process, and that our cognitive functions are formed based on our interactions with those around us who are “more skilled.” According to the sociocultural perspective, our psychological growth is guided, in part, by people in our lives who are in mentor-type roles, such as teachers and parents. Other times, we develop our values and beliefs through our interactions within social groups or by participating in cultural events....

Created by Peter Levine, PhD, this therapy works on the principle that trauma gets trapped in the body, leading to some of the symptoms people with PTSD or people who have experienced trauma might experience. Through this method, practitioners work on releasing this stress from the body. Many people who have experienced trauma, especially those who have experienced physical trauma such as domestic violence or sexual assault, can dissociate or disconnect from their bodies....

People have been using St. John’s wort for centuries. Its purported benefits include alleviating symptoms of depression, relieving anxiety, as well as treating the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menopause. Benefits of St. John’s Wort St. John’s wort is widely believed to boost mood and provide some relief from depression, but it’s not exactly clear how it works. It may work because of the effect St. John’s wort has on the brain....

Stress Management Methods Useful to Older Adults The following are effective methods of stress management that may be especially conducive to senior health. Meditation Studies on meditation show that it can not only provide relief from stress when it is practiced but can help build a kind of immunity to future stress—your stress response may be triggered less often if you meditate regularly. Meditation is also an ideal stress reliever for seniors in that it requires no special equipment or physical ability, can be practiced in a variety of settings, and provides excellent relief from stress....

Common symptoms of sugar withdrawal include cravings and fatigue, but in some cases, people experience irritability, depressed mood, and other unwanted symptoms. For people on very low-sugar diets, such as the ketogenic diet, sugar withdrawal can feel so severe and unpleasant that it is referred to as the “keto flu.” If you are trying to cut back on sugar in your diet, it can be helpful to understand what kinds of symptoms you might experience and how long they will last....

While survivor’s guilt was originally used to describe feelings that survivors of the Holocaust experienced, it has also been applied to a number of life-threatening situations, including car accidents, wars, and natural disasters. Survivor’s guilt is also common in those who have survived medical traumas. For instance, those who lived through the AIDS epidemic have described feelings of guilt related to their own survival while others, including friends or family, died....

The fact that the vaccine was “fast-tracked” has made some think it isn’t safe. There is also a false conspiracy theory spreading across the internet that the vaccine has a tracking device in it. If you have friends or family who are hesitant about the vaccine or say they won’t take it, know that you’re not alone. You can start a conversation with them that could change their view. “When talking with family about the vaccine who may not have made their decision yet on if they’ll get it, approach it first with a sense of genuine acknowledgement and interest, even if you already have decided you plan to get the vaccine,” says Alyza Berman, LCSW, founder and clinical director of The Berman Center....

What Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by two core symptoms—obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are thoughts, images, or ideas that won’t go away, are unwanted, and cause extreme distress. For example, you might worry constantly about becoming contaminated with a deadly disease; that you will do something terrible, like scream out an obscenity at a funeral; or that something horrible will happen to a loved one....

In adulthood, attachment styles are used to describe patterns of attachment in romantic relationships. The concept of attachment styles grew out the attachment theory and research that emerged throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Today, psychologists typically recognize four main attachment styles. What Is Attachment? Attachment is a special emotional relationship that involves an exchange of comfort, care, and pleasure. The roots of research on attachment began with Freud’s theories about love, but another researcher is usually credited as the father of attachment theory....

How to Become More Positive What You’ll Do: You can boost your happiness by focusing on positive things and reducing your negative thinking. This week, follow every negative thought with a positive one. This practice will help to retrain your habitual thought patterns to bring more positive thoughts into your life. How It Works: The ratio of positive to negative thoughts is a major factor in overall happiness. Your brain is constantly monitoring the emotional tone of your thoughts—too many negative thoughts and your brain responds by creating stress and sadness in your body....

We’ve rounded up different blogs, all of which are updated regularly, that are tailored to different mental health diagnoses. We’ve also included some blogs that offer mental health advice from a wide-ranging list of contributors so that you can find exactly what works best for you. General Mental Health Blogs These blogs cover a wide range of mental health topics such as depression, anxiety and COVID-related mental health issues....

Despite all the warnings, public awareness and educational programs, and stiffer penalties for violations, people will still get behind the wheel of their vehicles while intoxicated. Drunk driving numbers for high schoolers decreased by half between 1991 and 2012, but teens are still at risk whether they are the drivers or not. How Dangerous Is Drinking and Driving? According to a 2014 study, an adult driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0....

The usage of plant-based drugs is no less dangerous than that of commercially and/or synthetically produced ones, though, which is very much the case with a poisonous plant called moonflower. Moonflower has been used in recent years by young people to induce a cheap high, and is particularly dangerous as it is unregulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Let’s look at what moonflower is, its effects and what can be done after someone has ingested the flower....

In basic terms, race describes physical traits, and ethnicity refers to cultural identification. Race may also be identified as something you inherit, whereas ethnicity is something you learn. This article details the differences between race and ethnicity, how the terms overlap, and how various groups are categorized according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Race vs. Ethnicity Race and ethnicity are typically misunderstood, because many people simply don’t fit into neat categories offered on forms with checkboxes....

“Our technology-heavy world absolutely leads to increased stress in people of all ages. Over the last 10 years, I have seen a huge jump in my private practice of individuals who have stress and anxiety disorders as a direct result of technology use,” says Dr. Lisa Strohman, a psychologist and the founder of Digital Citizens Academy. “Stress in general affects our overall health and wellness by disrupting our body’s natural rhythm and patterns like digestion, sleep and immune health....

Though any anxiety disorder can coexist with ADHD, social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most common. Learning the differences between the two conditions is important in the management and treatment of both. SAD and ADHD It’s entirely possible that anxiety disorders occur much more frequently in people with ADHD than they do in the general population. According to the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, 47% of adults with ADHD have an anxiety disorder—approximately 30% have SAD, specifically....

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Depression can also be a common response after a traumatic or stressful event, so it is perhaps not surprising that these two conditions can occur at the same time. Research suggests that approximately 6.8% of all people will develop PTSD at some point in their lives. An estimated 7.1% of U.S. adults experience major depressive disorder in any given year....

How Chronic Stress Affects Sleep When you experience a perceived threat (physical or psychological, real or imagined), your body’s hormonal stress response gets triggered, creating a cascade of physical changes that lead to the release of glucocorticoids like cortisol by the endocrine system. The release of cortisol and other stress hormones creates a burst of energy that allows you to fight or run from a real and present danger. A healthy stress response involves a quick cortisol spike followed by a rapid decrease once the stressful event has passed....