Unlike other bed linens made specifically to fit twin, full, queen, or king-sized beds, throw blankets are smaller and can be used anywhere (and by anyone) in a home—though most are found draped over couches and living room chairs. In addition to being part of our home’s decor, throw blankets can also come with mental health benefits. “Having a buffer object between ourselves and the world, is a form of self-soothing,” Amber Dunford, Psy....

Withdrawal includes everything from unpleasant physical symptoms to feelings of sadness and seemingly nonstop thoughts of smoking. Even after withdrawal, you may feel urges to smoke several months after quitting. No matter where you are in your journey of quitting, the five Ds are healthy coping mechanisms; you can use one of them or a combination that works for you to manage your cravings. The five Ds are: DelayDistractDrink waterDeep breathingDiscuss...

No matter what style of yoga you choose, props such as blocks or bolsters can help facilitate poses properly. One of the most versatile props, however, is the yoga blanket. It stands in the gap when flexibility is limited, helps cushion certain poses (such as shoulder stands), provides warmth as you slip into Savasana, and can be used to replace a yoga block. “Having a yoga blanket is a great prop for extra support during your practice,” says Erika Driscoll, certified yoga instructor at CorePower Yoga in New York City....

What happens when we feel afraid? What steps does our brain take to keep us safe, and how do we respond? Fear and the Brain The human experience of fear begins in the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes many of our emotions. When the amygdala is activated due to possible danger, it elicits the fear response. This can happen when we are in actual danger, when we believe we are in danger, when we experience “scary” stimuli (like a horror movie, for example), or when the amygdala is artificially stimulated....

They are an essential part of the body’s respiratory system, which is the part of the body that allows you to breathe. Alveoli function to move oxygen in and carbon dioxide (CO2) out of your bloodstream. Smoking can lead to lung disease and tobacco smoke can damage the alveoli and impair their ability to function. How Many Alveoli Are in the Lungs? When we inhale, air enters the lungs and travels through passageways to reach 480,000,000 alveoli....

Of course, there are times when calling the police is absolutely necessary, but there are other times when involving the police is simply overkill. The important thing is to recognize when it’s appropriate to call the police and when it’s best to let things play out. Here are some things to consider before you call the police on someone. Look for Signs of a Crime Obviously, there are times when calling the police is the best solution especially if there are weapons involved or if you witness a crime like a robbery, an assault, or another type of criminal behavior....

Disorganized thinking can lead to various thought process disorders that cause tangential thought, disjointed thoughts, a collapse or sudden stop in the thought process, randomly spoken words, and incoherence. Typically, we process our thoughts logically and coherently. However, for those with schizophrenia, this process is disrupted, leading to disorganized thoughts and disordered speech. Causes of Disorganized Thinking It’s not clear what causes disorganized thinking (or what causes schizophrenia). It may be related to a variety of factors, like genetics and family history, environment, and past trauma....

What Is Trauma? “Trauma” can mean many different things, and there is no one set type of trauma or one way that people will respond to a traumatic event. The same event will have different impacts on different people, and not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will have trauma afterward. In general, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) defines trauma as: “Exposure to actual or threatened events involving death, serious injury, or sexual violation in one (or more) of the following ways: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente Insurance continue to study the impact of ongoing stressors on children, known as Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs....

Perphenazine is infrequently prescribed today and has been largely replaced by lower-potency, second-generation antipsychotics. Cautions to Take When Using Trilafon Trilafon is a conventional antipsychotic, also known as a typical antipsychotic, which means it is among the first generation of antipsychotic medications developed in the 1950s. This means it has more, and potentially more serious, side effects than newer, atypical antipsychotics. Still, it can be a good choice for treatment for certain people....

There are a range of changes that usually occur after about two weeks of not smoking. Some are benefits that may be less noticeable to you, such as a decrease in blood pressure. But other changes may be quite obvious, like feeling less winded after climbing a flight of stairs. This article covers the many benefits your body experiences after two weeks smoke-free. However, it also discusses some issues you still may be experiencing, and how to stay motivated on your journey to better health without nicotine....

Paxil is one of only two SSRIs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating GAD, the other being Lexapro (escitalopram). While some people may notice a greater improvement in their anxiety symptoms when taking Paxil over other SSRIs, they might also have more side effects. How Paxil Works Even though SSRIs like Paxil have been widely used since the late 1990s, scientists still don’t know precisely how they work....

The experience may be disorienting and bewildering to you. “Why is this happening?”, you might think. You may wonder what is causing your anxiety to feel so out of control. This is totally understandable, and it can be helpful to understand the cause of anxiety attacks—doing so is often the first step to getting some relief. Let’s take a look at the causes and risk factors of anxiety attacks, and what you can do to feel more like yourself again....

Definition An emotional support animal is an animal companion that offers some type of benefit to an individual with some form of disability. The animal is intended to provide companionship and support that will help alleviate at least one aspect of the disability. Dogs are the most common type of emotional support animal, but cats are quite common as well. Other types of animals, such as miniature horses, can also serve as ESAs....

While many tests utilize similar methods to derive their scores, it is also important to note that each IQ test is different. Additionally, scoring methods may not be the same from one test to another. Types of IQ Tests There are several different intelligence tests in existence and their content can vary considerably. Some are used for adults, but many are specifically designed to be administered to children. Some commonly used intelligence tests include:...

A study published in the North American Journal of Psychology says that infidelity is the most common type of deception in romantic relationships, and it’s most likely to occur when one person is less committed to the relationship. That same study even found that around 68% of women and 75% of men would admit to some form of sexual cheating. But why exactly do people cheat and what exactly does that mean?...

The concept springs from systems theory, which looks at how parts of a system affect one another to sustain the stability and equilibrium of the whole system. Types of Systemic Therapy Systems theory has been applied to individual, family, and group therapy. Each type takes a slightly different approach based on the systems theory model. Individual Psychotherapy: Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an example of systemic therapy that incorporates the theories of Sigmund Freud with those of systems theory....

You can think of Two Spirit as a pan-Indigenous, unifying term that has been adopted by some Indigenous people from North American communities to describe people who identify as having both masculine and feminine traits. Two Spirit is considered a contemporary, umbrella term that is specific to the Indigenous LGBT2QQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Two Spirit, queer, questioning, intersexual, asexual) community. It encompasses a variety of understandings of gender. The term is sometimes used to describe variations of sexuality as well....

Developed by psychologist Lev Vygotsky, this learning theory may be observed in a classroom setting or anywhere else where an individual has the opportunity to develop new skills. Stages of ZPD There are three distinct categories where a learner may fall in terms of their skill set. For learning to take place, it’s critical that the expert understands the learner’s specific ZPD stage. Task a Learner Cannot Accomplish With Assistance Tasks that are outside of the learner’s ZPD are those that are unable to be completed even with the help of an expert....

People usually sit in the lotus position—or sit with their legs crossed—during Zen meditation and focus their attention inward. While some practitioners say this step is accomplished by counting breaths—generally from one to 10—others say there is no counting involved. What Happens During Zen Meditation Zen meditation is considered an “open-monitoring meditation,” where monitoring skills are used. These monitoring skills are transformed into a state of reflexive awareness with a broad scope of attention and without focusing on one specific object....