The pandemic and its associated consequences have been responsible for a skyrocketing of mental health issues. One such study cited a quadrupling of self-reported anxiety/depression symptoms during the pandemic compared with numbers from the prior year over a similar period. The mental health effects of the pandemic have been most strongly felt by young women,…
DetailsA friend recently remarked that he had PTSD thinking about this time last year, as the COVID pandemic began to entirely collapse his reality along with the rest of us. I easily related to his distress and was reminded of a useful concept called the anniversary reaction. The overlap between anniversary reaction and posttraumatic stress…
DetailsWe all know by now that stress is bad for our immune system. We’ve heard it a million times, especially since 2020. But did you ever wonder how, exactly, a feeling of unhappiness or worry can turn into swollen glands or a fever? How can something so intangible as a feeling cause such a physical…
DetailsDo you ever find that you’re going through the motions of life without fully being present in the moment? How many times have you driven somewhere only to forget the entire trip completely or eaten a meal without remembering how it tasted? How often do you sit and take in the sights and sounds around…
DetailsI don’t know about you, but I used to enjoy going out. I looked forward to having a Saturday night dinner with my husband and friends, a day of soccer games and plans with my teenagers, and vacations (remember vacations?). I thought I would miss it all when March turned into April, then December arrived, but the…
DetailsOn a rare evening when there was no sports practice pick-up and no homework to supervise, I sat down to watch one of those ubiquitous talent contests on television. A magician was the next performer. I watched through the mundane banter and setup for his routine, the fluidity of his hand movements as he manipulated…
DetailsAlmost half of the U.S. adult population plans to visit a casino and gamble at some point in the next year. Las Vegas casinos alone average over 50 million visitors per year. Still, most gamblers lose money, so how do the casinos entice people to play games designed to take their money? Casino operators employ…
DetailsParents often complain about how much time their kids spend on video games, social media, and screens in general. When they ask me what to do about the issue, my knee-jerk response is to discuss the use of behavioral interventions. This can include an establishment of schedules with time limits, positive reinforcement plans, and behavioral…
DetailsFor years I have sat with anxious patients in my office mired by “what if” thinking. Their worried thoughts about every possible scenario of having a panic attack can cripple them. I have labeled this anticipatory anxiety and explained how this thinking could trigger anxiety symptoms like heart palpitations, trembling, dizziness, shortness of breath, and…
DetailsAs we struggle to cope with entering the New Year with optimism that we’re in the last stretch of this pandemic, we search for ways to feel connected. The idea of social distancing, a fear of person-to-person contact, and “staying in” can prey on our sense of loneliness, boredom, and purpose. I have asked many…
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