Researchers tracked 1,059 participants between the ages of 8 and 9 up to ages 11 and 12. They assessed the children annually for four years but only asked about self-harm the last year. Predictors of future self-harm included symptoms of depression or anxiety, being the victim of bullying, and recent alcohol experimentation. By the last year, 3% of the children reported engaging in self-harm. The 11- and 12-year-olds who did self-harm were more likely to have few friends, display poor emotional control, show antisocial behaviors, carry a weapon, and be in mid to late puberty....

These findings were based on interviews with Americans every 2 years, which included questions about their social networks and their health. While this research might seem disheartening, it may highlight how Americans are increasingly willing to discuss mental health challenges, which could ultimately lead to new solutions. Understanding the Research This study relied on datasets from the US, Australia, Germany, South Korea, and Mexico with information about the physical and mental health of middle-aged adults over time, and found that the physical health of adults in their 40s and early 50s improved across all five countries in the study....

Anxiety Many narcissistic abuse survivors live with anxiety. After experiencing narcissistic abuse, you may experience extreme fear or anxiety in relationships with new people. Those who leave abusive relationships may experience separation anxiety, leading them to feel panicked and disoriented when they’re not with their abusers. If your symptoms include anxiety attacks, panic attacks, or hypervigilance after being abused by a narcissist, know that these symptoms will ease over time, particularly if you can work through your trauma with a professional....

ECT is most often used for cases of treatment-resistant depression and some other psychiatric conditions including bipolar disorder and psychosis, although its use still remains somewhat controversial in the general public. ECT was first introduced in 1938 and by 1941 was used by nearly half of the mental health institutions in the United States. Stigma as well as the emergence of effective psychiatric medications led to a decline in its use, although its prevalence has increased in recent decades....

This article discusses how to find the right therapist to treat your phobia. It also covers some of the different types of therapy for phobias and how they might inform your search for a mental health professional to treat your condition. Finding the Right Therapist Finding the right therapist for your needs is important. Not only does this person need to be qualified to treat phobias, but you also need to feel comfortable with them....

You may feel uncomfortably full after eating only a small amount of food. This can feel confusing and make eating for recovery even harder. People around you may be frustrated and tell you to “just eat” and either dismiss your complaints of fullness or attribute your lack of appetite to disordered thinking. If you are supporting a loved one with an eating disorder who is always full and complaining about stomach pains, you may struggle with how best to support them....

On the other hand, choosing not to use the words someone prefers can be disempowering and demeaning. To help you recognize the words that are best in each situation and be an ally, it helps to familiarize yourself with common terms. Given that terms are also constantly changing, it can be helpful to ask someone how they self-identify to make sure that you are using the language that they prefer and that feels affirming to them....

However, if you choose to use heroin in spite of the risks, you can protect yourself and others from some of the worst consequences of heroin use by following these harm reduction tips for heroin users. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Snorting heroin doesn’t have quite as instant an effect as smoking or injecting, but it will still take effect very quickly with much lower risk than injecting it....

In the fast-paced society we live in today, it’s easy to get caught up in this vicious cycle. But taking the time to celebrate your successes, both large and small, is an integral part of the process that you don’t want to skip. Here are some reasons why celebrating your wins is so critically important and a few ways to make the most out of your celebrations. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts...

While the human brain has a structure similar to that of other mammals, what makes it different is the brain’s size in relation to the rest of the body. Human Brain Size Stats The average adult human brain weighs about 3 pounds (1300 to 1400 grams). A newborn human baby’s brain weighs approximately 350 to 400 grams or three-quarters of a pound. The average brain is around 15 centimeters long....

Four vaccines have been tested in clinical trials, though none are currently approved for public use. None of the vaccines are proven to help long-term smoking cessation. However, researchers agree that a vaccine to prevent nicotine’s effects could benefit people who are motivated to quit smoking. How It Works When you smoke a cigarette, the nicotine travels from your lungs, into your bloodstream, and eventually reaches your brain. Once it reaches the brain, it increases the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine (known as the “feel-good” hormone)....

This article also discusses how important sex is in a relationship, why it can be important to have sex, some of the benefits it may have, and statistics on how often couples typically have sex. It even covers challenges you might face as a sexual couple and what you can do if you want to increase the amount of sex in your relationship. Why Sex Is Important in Relationships Can a relationship survive without sex?...

What Makes Primary Emotions Stand Out Primary emotions are “fast-acting.” That is, they occur in close proximity to the event that brought them on. Primary emotions are important because they provide us with information about our current situation and get us ready or motivated to act in some way. If you have PTSD, you may experience sadness, anger, or anxiety when you’re reminded of the traumatic event or at other stressful moments....

Friday Fix: Episode 111 When life doesn’t go our way or something unfair happens, we’re often quick to think things shouldn’t be that way. After all, why do bad things happen to good people? And why do our good intentions sometimes go horribly awry? When we’re faced with tough situations or unfair circumstances, our tendency is to fight against them. We think about all the reasons those things shouldn’t be happening, rather than accept them for what they are....

Thirty-two million Americans deal with some form of eczema, and 7.5 million have psoriasis. While these conditions come with obvious physical symptoms, the mental impact of dealing with a chronic skin condition can be just as severe. With August being National Psoriasis Awareness Month, it’s important to understand how skin conditions can affect our mental health. Links to Depression and Anxiety Research has shown that stress and mental struggle are significantly associated with skin issues....

Being optimistic means that you possess an overall positive outlook of the world, trusting that good things will happen and that people’s desires will be fulfilled. On the other hand, being pessimistic means you assume a negative outlook of the world. While most people fall somewhere in the middle between being a complete optimist and being a complete pessimist, we usually favor one outlook over the other. Learn how infusing some optimism into your life can benefit your health....

Imagine the thought of an upcoming gym session or physical education class leaving you so distraught that your stomach is in knots or you experience a panic attack. For some people who suffer from SAD, working out in public or going to a gym class could trigger their symptoms. Social Anxiety Triggers at the Gym Many aspects of a typical gym or physical education class are intimidating enough for the average person, let alone for someone who experiences social anxiety....

When you first start researching a subject, figuring out where to begin can be a real challenge. Where should you look for information? What kinds of sources are available? How do you decide which sources to include in your paper? While there is no simple way to make the research process fast and easy, there are steps you can take to ensure that you find the information you need. If you are working on a psychology paper and are struggling to find sources, consider following the steps below....

The Law and Sexual Harassment One of the first steps in overcoming sexual harassment is to acknowledge what happened to you and recognize that it was wrong. In fact, sexual harassment is such a serious issue that it is regulated by the law. For instance, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says that it is against the law to harass a person because of that person’s sex. What’s more, sexual harassment is not limited to male-to-female abuse even though it is by far the most common form of harassment....

While building your resilience to the inevitable stress you must face in life can go a long way in helping you to stay balanced with stress, it’s by no means the only route to stress relief, nor should it be. Cutting out stressors whenever possible is always a good idea. Letting go of our own self-defeating habits is another important strategy. You may not even be aware of all the ways in which you self-sabotage, so here is an important refresher course....