Mood shifts can be managed with stabilizing medicines and therapy. In addition, a potential way to help manage mood changes is through a change in diet. Eating the right foods may help those living with bipolar disorder feel better and keep their condition in check. This article provides a list of foods to eat and foods to avoid as part of a bipolar diet. Foods to Eat Whole grains Eating whole grains has been shown to increase your body’s production of serotonin....

To find out, a recent meta-analysis of studies on bullying, published in Pediatrics, examined the connection between bullies and substance use later in life. But what about the perpetrators? What information do we know about the consequences, mentally and physically, for bullies, themselves? The Research Often, studies around bullying focus on outcomes for victims. While this information is vital, the meta-analysis spotlighted research around the bullies themselves. Researchers aimed to explore the connection between peer-bullying perpetration in childhood and adolescence and substance use later in life....

It carries messages between the brain, organs, and digestive system, and serves as a main part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for mood regulation, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. Because of the vagus nerve’s role in the gut-brain axis, experts are paying attention to its potential for mitigating mood and managing conditions like anxiety and depression. Various forms of vagus nerve therapy or “toning” exist, but how effective are they?...

Disqualifying Mental Health Conditions According to the Department of Defense, you’re disqualified from serving in the U.S. military if you have a current diagnosis or a history of most mental disorders. The presence of any disorder with psychotic features, such as schizophrenia or a delusional disorder, does not allow one to serve. Mood Disorders You’re also disqualified if you have bipolar disorder or affective psychoses. For depressive disorders (for example, major depressive disorder), disqualification from the service occurs if a person had outpatient care that lasted for more than 12 months or any inpatient care....

This article discusses what cognitive psychology is, the history of this field, and current directions for research. It also covers some of the practical applications for cognitive psychology research and related career options you might consider. Topics in Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychologists explore a wide variety of topics related to thinking processes. Some of these include: Attention–our ability to process information in the environment while tuning out irrelevant details Choice-based behavior–actions driven by a choice among other possibilities Decision-making Forgetting Information processing Language acquisition–how we learn to read, write, and express ourselves Memory Problem-solving Speech perception-how we process what others are saying Visual perception–how we see the physical world around us...

On the other hand, longer-lasting sources of stress can often feel inescapable and unchangeable. Such stressful situations can include natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or financial meltdowns. While these events are generally time-limited, it often doesn’t feel that way for the people experiencing them. Over time, this chronic stress can take a toll on both emotional and physical well-being. Crisis fatigue can manifest as physical exhaustion, mental detachment, and apathy....

However, osmophobia is more than just a fear. It is a true phobia whereby fear becomes extreme, and in some cases, irrational. Phobias can have debilitating effects on sufferers that interfere with their ability to complete daily activities. Osmophobia and Migraines A 2015 Brazilian study found that of 235 patients with headaches, 147 patients were diagnosed with migraines and 53 percent of the migraine sufferers had osmophobia. The study also found that among the headache patients, those with migraines and a significant number of years of headache history presented more signs of osmophobia....

From the angst of the election to the fact that political differences have factored into how different countries have approached mandates around COVID-19, it can be a lot to navigate. If you’ve found yourself in the middle of a political disagreement in your relationship, it can be hard to know where to turn. Verywell Mind spoke with Anita A. Chlipala, LMFT, a relationship therapist and author of the book First Comes Us: The Busy Couple’s Guide to Lasting Love, to find out more about how couples can work past political differences....

As the weather grows colder and sunlight hours dwindle, it’s important to take extra care of your mental health to keep SAD at bay. What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder? According to Souzan Swift, PsyD, a psychologist at Heal (an at-home visit healthcare service), people with SAD usually find relief from symptoms as it gets closer to spring. During the winter months, people with SAD show symptoms more than any other time of the year....

Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it slows down the central nervous system. Chronic, heavy alcohol use can change how the brain works, including how its chemical messengers function. When alcohol consumption suddenly stops, the brain continues working in the state it has become used to, leading to symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. DTs typically begin after a person gives up alcohol following a binge or other period of heavy drinking, but they don’t usually start right away....

With calls for accountability on a systemic level being taken more seriously in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, folks have an opportunity to be more personally accountable to invest in the work of dismantling white supremacy for the sake of BIPOC communities, who have always deserved better, and a more equitable society, which would be beneficial for all. Before beginning the work of dismantling white supremacy, you need to better understand how deeply entrenched it is in the history and current reality to be able to effectively identify its manifestation....

What Is Celexa (Citalopram)? Celexa belongs to a class of antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Other commonly prescribed SSRIs include Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline). SSRIs, as the name implies, stop the brain from reabsorbing serotonin, the “feel good” neurotransmitter that helps control mood, affect, sleep, memory, and other functions. This keeps more serotonin available for the brain to use. Celexa Side Effects Like nearly all medications, Celexa can cause unwanted effects, but these aren’t harmful and should resolve on their own....

Phobias affect about 19 million adults, and women are two times more likely than men to have a specific phobia. Some people experience multiple specific phobias simultaneously. Approximately 75% of people with a specific phobia fear more than one object or situation. DSM-5 Criteria for a Specific Phobia Diagnosis A fear and a phobia are not the same, so it’s important to know the difference. Many people experience fears or aversions to objects or situations, but this does not necessarily mean that they would be diagnosed with a specific phobia....

This study found that COVID-19 had not impacted all faculty members equally, as women in less advanced career stages had suffered most in terms of higher work and home stress and decreased self-care, as well as submission of fewer journal articles despite initial plans for more research. If institutions are genuinely invested in equity, they need to take such research into consideration as they assess the performance of faculty....

What Is Emotion Regulation? Emotion regulation is a fairly complex combination of ways in which a person relates to and acts on emotional experiences. This includes the ability to: Behave appropriately when distressedIdentify, understand, and accept emotional experiencesUse healthy strategies to manage uncomfortable emotions People with emotion regulation skills are able to control the urges to engage in impulsive behaviors such as self-harm, reckless behavior, or physical aggression during times of emotional stress....

Fixed-Ratio Schedule in Operant Conditioning Operant conditioning involves strengthening or weakening behaviors via rewards and punishments. This type of associative learning changes behavior based upon that behavior’s consequences. If a behavior is followed by a desirable consequence, that behavior is more likely to occur again in the future. If, on the other hand, an action is followed by an undesirable consequence, the action becomes less likely to take place again in the future....