And while experts know that playing sports and being physically active can boost mental health, we’re not as familiar with the benefits of watching them from a distance. This may leave you wondering: Could the return of pro sports help improve your mental health? We asked three mental health experts to weigh in about the role viewership—even from a distance—plays in improving our mood. How the Return of Sports Can Help Our Mental Health We are living in an unprecedented time in modern history....

We look around and notice what other people are doing and make assumptions that it is what we should be doing as well. We see or hear advertisements for self-improvement programs that are pushing an idea that we adopt and take in as our own. It can be easy to get a bit lost and overwhelmed in all of this and yet, no matter how much time we are spending on self-improvement, feel like we are never doing enough....

One of the key metrics many users are interested in is the number of views their videos receive. Instagram’s official policy is that view counts are only visible to the person who posted the video. Learn whether users can see who viewed their Instagram videos and if there are other ways tо track video views on the platform. Discuss the potential dangers of using third-party apps to track video views and take alternative methods for measuring the success of an Instagram video....

The condition is not always easy to diagnose, however, as many of the symptoms are commonly mistaken for “normal” childhood rambunctiousness. Even physicians can have difficulty with diagnosis given that there is no single test that can diagnose ADHD or similar behavioral or learning disorders. Ultimately, to make the distinction, pediatricians will run through a checklist of characteristic symptoms to determine whether the child meets the criteria for ADHD as outlined in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)....

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that, when released, stabilizes your mood and causes feelings of well-being and happiness. For this reason, serotonin is often referred to as the “happy chemical.” However, when serotonin is reabsorbed back into the nerve cells, it no longer has an effect on your mood. SSRIs like Cipralex prevent (or “inhibit”) serotonin from being reabsorbed by your nerve cells (a process known as “reuptake”). This keeps serotonin levels more available for longer periods of time in the synapse, which prolongs their effect and helps relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety....

Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on changing the automatic negative thoughts that can contribute to and worsen our emotional difficulties, depression, and anxiety. These spontaneous negative thoughts also have a detrimental influence on our mood. Through CBT, faulty thoughts are identified, challenged, and replaced with more objective, realistic thoughts. Types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT encompasses a range of techniques and approaches that address our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. These can range from structured psychotherapies to self-help practices....

A compulsion is a repetitive behavior or mental act that a person with OCD is driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rigidly applied rules (which are often used to help manage feelings of anxiety or distress). Compulsions vs. Habits Not all repeated behaviors and routines are compulsions. Many people follow a familiar pattern or routine when getting ready for bed at night, for example, or they may perform other self-care tasks, such as showering, in a specific order....

Constructive thinking differs from other forms of modern theory that view reality as fixed and to be discovered by clients. On the contrary, in constructivism, reality is something that is created. Constructivist Theories There are a number of theories that played a role in the development of constructivism or that have been influenced by the constructivist approach. Genetic Epistemology Genetic epistemology is a field that studies the origins of knowledge....

Healthy Ways to Cope With Stress Getting a good night’s sleep. An average of eight hours a night will do for most people, but this can vary, so experiment if you feel sleepy during the day. Exercising consistently. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise even just three times a week can help reduce anxiety. Turning to friends, family, and/or a support group. Support groups can reduce feelings of isolation. Supportive friends and family can also provide a welcome source of distraction from symptoms and listen to you when you’re feeling overwhelmed....

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Tips for Dealing With Suicidal Thoughts and PTSD Given this, if you’ve experienced a traumatic event or have PTSD, it’s important to be alert for suicidal thoughts and develop ways of coping with them. Catching and addressing these thoughts early on can prevent them from spiraling into a suicide attempt. There are several coping strategies that can help defuse suicidal thoughts, but don’t wait for a crisis situation to try them....

At New York’s peak, Dorman regularly had at least four patients at a time, instead of the customary one or two, and would work for 12 to 13 hours at a time. There often wasn’t time to go to the bathroom, let alone break for lunch. After six months of working overtime, Dorman became burned out and anxious before every shift. “I found myself worrying which one of the patients might die from COVID-19 each day, and this was extremely difficult,” says Dorman....

More importantly, suicide exacts a tremendous mental and emotional toll on the family members and friends who are left behind. “When someone dies by suicide, family members, co-workers, and whole communities may be impacted. Suicide loss survivors (those left behind) may have feelings of shock, anger, abandonment, guilt, shame, depression, and some people may even feel suicidal themselves,” explains Deb Stone, ScD, MSW, MPH, Lead Behavioral Scientist, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)....

Studies have even found that anywhere from 45 percent to 84 percent of children and adolescents with ADHD meet the full diagnostic criteria for oppositional defiant disorder. These children are more likely to disobey parents, act aggressively and be impulsive. They often have difficulty managing and regulating emotions and become easily frustrated and angry. In order to be able to deal with these behaviors daily, parents need to be prepared....

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Complicating the issue is the fact that much of the research on this topic doesn’t include nonbinary people. Understanding these gender differences can help experts better design and develop prevention and intervention strategies. While it is difficult to discuss this topic, it has to be stressed that this knowledge is important if we are to reduce the number of deaths by suicide in the United States and around the world each year....

The country’s supply of Adderall, a stimulant commonly used to treat symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD), is falling short of demand, as both patients and pharmacists have reported shortages. In fact, a recent survey from the National Community Pharmacists Association found that more than six in 10 small pharmacies report having difficulty obtaining Adderall. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the largest supplier of Adderall in the United States, has reported “supply disruptions” due to “packaging capacity constraints” affecting both branded and generic Adderall....

Friday Fix: Episode 145 One of the really fun parts about having a podcast is that I get to answer your questions on the show in real-time. In my work as an author, it’s more of a one-sided conversation. I share my ideas in a book and while I do receive plenty of messages from readers, I don’t really get to answer questions. But a podcast is different. I can answer questions in real-time....

Especially since the pandemic has shifted many organizations to explore and maintain more remote work arrangements, young adults may be at greater risk of turning to online gambling as a recreational activity. As businesses try to cut down on the costs of office space, this research highlights the need for a public health response to address this intersection of regular gambling, heavy alcohol use, and financial challenges. Understanding the Research Through the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a three-generation cohort in England provided a research sample to collect repeat data online during the lockdown....

However, a new study has shed some light on how the enteric nervous system (aka the “second brain”) communicates with both the brain and spinal cord. “The gut is the largest organ in the abdomen, yet the most poorly understood,” says study author Nick Spencer, PhD, a professor at Flinders University and chair of Optogenetics Australia. If we wish to better understand how the gut and brain communicate it’s essential to develop new techniques to unravel the mechanisms that underlie gut-brain communication, which Spencer calls “a new frontier in science”....

Factors Influencing a Treatment Plan A treatment plan may be highly formalized or it may consist of a less structured outline for a treatment plan. Which form it takes is dependent on a number of factors. For instance, your insurance company may require documentation of your diagnosis and treatment in order to cover the costs. Likewise, the facility where you get treatment may have its own standards for a formal plan....