The Harmony of the Brain

Music has been an integral part of human culture for centuries, captivating our senses and eliciting powerful emotions. Beyond its ability to entertain, music has a profound impact on the human brain, influencing our mood, cognition, and overall well-being. In this blog post, we delve into the fascinating world of neuroscience to uncover the intricate ways in which music affects our brains.

Emotions and Mood Enhancement: One of the most remarkable effects of music on the brain is its ability to evoke emotions and enhance mood. Different genres of music can trigger a wide array of emotions, from happiness and excitement to calmness and nostalgia. When we listen to music, our brain releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which are associated with pleasure and happiness. This natural ‘feel-good’ response explains why music is often used as a therapeutic tool for individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, or stress.

Memory and Learning: Have you ever noticed how a familiar tune can instantly transport you back in time? Music has a unique power to enhance memory and facilitate learning. Research suggests that music activates multiple regions of the brain, including those responsible for memory and pattern recognition. In educational settings, incorporating music into lessons can aid in information retention and improve cognitive skills, making the learning process more engaging and effective.

Pain Management and Healing: Music therapy has gained recognition as a complementary approach to managing pain and promoting healing. Studies have shown that patients who listen to music before, during, or after surgery experience less pain and anxiety. Music has the ability to distract the brain from pain signals, leading to a higher pain threshold. Moreover, it can also stimulate the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, providing relief and promoting a sense of well-being.

Motor Skills and Rehabilitation: For individuals recovering from neurological injuries or conditions such as stroke, music therapy can play a crucial role in rehabilitation. Rhythmic auditory stimulation provided by music can help improve motor skills and coordination. Patients undergoing music-based rehabilitation often show significant progress in regaining mobility and functionality, showcasing the remarkable neuroplasticity of the brain.

Social Bonding and Empathy: Music has a unique ability to connect people on an emotional level, fostering social bonding and empathy. Whether it's attending a concert, singing in a choir, or dancing to a beat, shared musical experiences strengthen social ties and create a sense of community. Neuroscientific studies have demonstrated that synchronized musical activities enhance cooperation and trust among individuals, emphasizing the role of music in building social connections.

The effects of music on the brain are a testament to its extraordinary power! From influencing our emotions and memory to aiding in pain management and social bonding, music serves as a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the human brain, the profound impact of music stands as a testament to its therapeutic and transformative potential. So, the next time you find yourself lost in a melody, remember that your brain is undergoing a beautiful symphony of its own, orchestrated by the magic of music.

You Are What You Eat; Food Preference and Personality Traits

Is there really any truth to the suggestion that there is a meaningful link between your personality and your taste preferences? The famous phrase “you are what you eat” originated in 1825 by the French gastronome, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who wrote ''Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es'' which translates to “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.”

 Decades later, research suggests there are, in fact, neuroscience-based explanations for the link between personality and taste/flavor preferences. It is important to stress that the connection has more to do with the taste-buds and the mouthfeel elements of tasting food, such as the burn of a chile pepper, than with the olfactory contributions to flavor. While there are some important individual differences in terms of our ability to smell the many different scents that contribute to flavor, genetic differences have yet to be linked directly to characteristic personality traits. By contrast, researchers have established a number of robust links between personality characteristics and our preferences for, and sensitivity to, basic tastes such as sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and umami.

 In a recent article, Spence (2022) reviewed the current research on personality and food preferences, uncovering several things that our tastes may reveal about our personality.

 Based on this research, if you like…

 Bitter food, you may be a bitter person and may have greater levels of antisocial or psychopathic traits. A study surveyed 953 Americans and found that after controlling for preferences for sweet, sour, and salty tastes, preferences for bitter food predicted antisocial traits, specifically psychopathy, aggression and sadism, or experiencing pleasure from other people’s pain in everyday life. This preference goes against our biological instincts, as bitterness often indicates toxicity, which suggests that bitter preferences might be learned. For instance, people who are more psychopathic may enjoy bitter foods due to the unpleasantness that the food causes others. Additionally, eating bitter food has been found in past studies to cause hostility and was even negatively associated with agreeableness.

 Sweet food, you may be a sweetheart. In direct contrast with bitter preferences, preferences for sweetness are associated with greater prosociality. Eating sweet food can cause us to be more agreeable and helpful. As a society, we tend to further stereotype those who have a sweet tooth, labeling them as kind. The researchers point out that sweetness is universally comforting and rewarding, and that we often call our loved ones sweet nicknames such as “sweetheart,” “sweetie pie,” and “honey bun.”

 Spicy food, potentially dangerous foods (such as alcohol or shellfish) or caffeine, you may be greater in sensation-seeking and salivary testosterone, as there is something thrilling about pushing oneself to the limit. Across many  cultures, men are more likely to be pushed to such extremes when it comes to spiciness. A laboratory study of 114 men found that those with greater salivary testosterone used more tabasco on their food. Similarly, another study of 303 participants found through questionnaires that people who prefer potentially dangerous food or beverages, including alcohol and shellfish, were higher in sensation-seeking scores.

 Bland food, or food less likely to make you sick, you may be lower in sensation-seeking. Unsurprisingly, the same study found that people who prefer bland, or “safe” foods, or food that is less likely to make us sick, such as bread and rice, were lower in sensation-seeking.

 Fewer foods, you may be more anxious, as picky eating reflects anxious personalities. A study of college students found that more anxious individuals had a greater number of food aversions, perhaps due to a lack of “emotional control.” Additionally, picky eaters may also be supertasters, or people who have more taste buds and thus experience flavors at a greater intensity, causing them to restrict the variety of food they consume. 

Overall, these findings indicate the importance of personality in our food preferences. The evidence published to date supports a number of intriguing connections between personality traits and taste perception/food behavior. At the same time, however, making specific food preferences linked to particular personality traits is made all the more difficult by the variety of different measurement tools that have been used to assess personality traits over the decades and the fact that the foods that are popular/unusual has also changed over the decades and also varies as a function of culture. Similarly, there are some gaps in research. Studies should continue to examine whether these relationships are consistent across cultures, as culture shapes our food preferences. Furthermore, most of these studies focus on taste, whereas our preferences for texture may also reflect our personalities.

-Haley Dee

Boldly Going Where No Brain Has Gone Before

Star Trek is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The franchise has been made into over a dozen films, TV series, Youtube series, comic books, and much more. Most stories depict the adventures of humans and aliens who serve in Starfleet, a space-borne humanitarian and peacekeeping arm of the United Federation of Planets. Think of it like the United Nations but for the galaxy. The characters in the series have altruistic values that must apply to dilemmas and ethical quagmires. The various challenges, tales, and representations through the Star Trek franchise aid psychologists in the exploration of human nature.

The show often debates logic versus emotion. Characters like Spock, Data, Odo, and T’pol represented pure logic throughout the series. They highlighted the role of emotions in times of crisis. The competition between reason and emotion is easily identifiable in the everyday lives of clients and psychologists. Knowing how to balance the roles that both logic and emotions serve is necessary when determining how to live long and prosper.

The question needs to be asked: what does it mean to prosper? The series often explores staying present in reality or retreating into fantasy to have a meaningful or good life. In Star Trek, the original series (TOS) episode The Menagerie, the crew must decide if a planet where they can be in a fantasy of their truest desires is worth sacrificing their freedom to alien overlords. Although some characters believed freedom was far too important, other characters in the episode experienced more freedom in fantasy and illusion. Each side of the debate made the right choices for themselves and what fits their needs based on their unique circumstance.

Discovering needs and wants is not just an external pursuit. In an early TOS episode, The Enemy Within,  a transporter accidentally splits Captain Kirk into two people, one embodying his aggressive nature and the other nonaggressive. Aggressive Kirk is not purely evil, nor is nonaggressive Kirk an effective leader. Both sides must merge into a single individual for Captain Kirk to use all his strengths. Freudians and the psychologically curious may find this episode particularly enjoyable.

According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, the id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives, the superego is the moral conscience, and the ego is the realistic part that mediates the id and the superego. To function in the world, we need the id to drive us, but we cannot let it get out of hand, so it is necessary for all parts of self to come together. Star Trek’s exploration may be in the stars. Still, the questions and exploration of the self are also incredibly fascinating.

The franchise explores other aspects that apply to psychology and human experience and the show has had a tangible impact on psychology and society. Between 1960 and 1999, Star Trek was found over time to have correlations with the de-stigmatization of numerous psychological disorders through more accurate portrayals of these disorders (Basilowski et al., 2018). The franchise depicted what would be classified as anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders in a way that was less stigmatizing and portrayed the treatment of these disorders as helpful for the alleviation of suffering (Basilowski et al., 2018).

In addition to Star Trek’s role in stigmatization, the franchise also provided societal commentary. Star Trek was the first American interracial kiss shown on TV. The show placed minorities and women in leadership roles that had not been seen until that point. Even Martin Luther King, a renowned Trekkie, told Nichelle Nichols, the black-female lead who played Nyota Uhura, that she was a part of history for her role. Therefore, even if the psychological exploration is not of interest the role Star Trek played in society is important to be aware of and more information can be found in Star Trek Psychology: The Mental Frontier by Travis Langley who examines not only the psychology of the franchise’s characters but the role of Star Trek in society and culture.

-Max Edward Riser, MS

In The Cauldron Boil and Bake

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog

Sounds like a recipe for mayhem, but those witches might have actually been onto something. All these ingredients are just creative names for plants, most of which can have just as many healing properties as bewitching ones. For example, “eye of newt” really refers to mustard seed – a powerful source of antioxidants and protector against infection and chronic disease. Who knows, perhaps Macbeth would have fared better with a few sips of that concoction. Herbalism is a well-established practice in most of the world, but the current Western medical system does not utilize nature’s medicine much for physical or mental health – for better or worse is for you to decide, but I’d like to make a case on behalf of Mother Nature.

Basics

Brews are not the only option available for using herbs, and they might not always be the best. Sipping on some afternoon tea, tossing fresh rosemary into your dinner, and even packing a bowl can all be forms of treatment. The main ones used by herbalists are teas, tinctures, topical remedies, aromatherapy, cooking, and smoking/inhalation. Each has its place depending on the herb, reason for use, and patient-specific needs. Medicine derived from plants can work for a myriad of reasons. Of course there’s the herbal remedy itself, but the herb can also help to support the overall system and illness is attacking or simply ameliorate some of the surrounding symptoms. The experience/how you use it can also be a form of treatment. Have you ever tried deep breathing to help with anxiety? Well deep breathing is intrinsically part of smoking.

I also can’t forget to mention the cultural and spiritual aspect of herbalism, which is so central to most non-modern approaches to medicine. While personal beliefs vary, using herbs can create a strong sense of community and support as well as incorporate spiritual healing in a way that many other forms of treatment cannot. The approach to herbal remedies is a little different than what most of us are probably used to when we think about seeking healthcare. It is intrinsically holistic in nature, meaning that creating an herbal blend is meant to support your whole system, ease symptomology, and prevent future ailments from occurring.

Mental Health

Anxiety/stress, mood, and cognition are three areas of mental health and distress that are commonly experienced. Herbs can assist and/or treat all of these categories, and I will describe some of the ways in which they can do so. Those experiencing high anxiety and stress usually have significant muscle tension, so sedative herbs will help ease some of that pain and physical symptoms of stress (Valerian root, Kava). Stomachaches and digestive issues are also seen frequently as somatization of anxiety, so digestive support and stomach settling herbs may be helpful (Ginger, Chamomile). If someone is experiencing more acute symptoms like panic attacks, it is likely that their respiratory system is affected. Herbs like Pushkarmool and Peppermint can help open airways to help you breathe a little easier, which can do wonders for the onset of panic. Passionflower has also been shown to increase GABA activity, which is directly correlated to decreasing anxiety.

Dopamine and serotonin levels are essential to mood disorders, and John’s Wort and Mucuna have been found to assist in increasing and/or balancing them. Headaches are one of the most common somatizations of mood disorders, so pain-relievers like Poppy can be helpful in the short-term if someone wants an alternative to pills for any reason. Albizia is known as the “herbal Prozac,” which can be especially helpful in cases of trauma, and immune supports like Turmeric and Echinacea can be included to help ward off other illnesses during periods in which taking care of ourselves in other ways seems impossible. Memory is a basic function of cognition, and while there are almost unlimited sources of memory-related issues, Gotu Kola and Gingko have been shown to increase function significantly. Ginseng might serve to increase someone’s energy levels on a more stable level than drugs like caffeine, and Lemonbalm is known for its versatility but especially for its function in heightening attention and focus. Adaptogens like Rhodiola are also a helpful component of any herbal blend, as they support the body’s ability to handle stress and strengthen the immune system overall.

Limitations

One of the most dangerous parts of herbal medicine is how much the strength of herbs can be underestimated. The same degree of harm can be done as help, so it is imperative to ensure you are being guided by someone who has the necessary training and knowledge. Access can also sometimes be a major barrier to herbal treatment. Herbalists are not usually covered by insurance the way other options are, not to mention geographical barriers regarding climates in which certain herbs naturally grow.

Lastly, some limitations apply to everything – herbs can’t treat everything, and the placebo effect can be at play any time; however, the amount of support shown for the benefits of using herbs medicinally cannot be ignored. Herbalism may even fare better than (or be added to) more conventional options for some individuals for many reasons, like side effects of medication, distrust of the medical system, cultural and spiritual components, etc. Like any treatment, it’s up to the patient to decide what is best for them.

-Allison Vermiglio, Assessment Team Member

A Waking Nightmare

Restless Leg Syndrome (aka Willis-Ekbom Disease or RLS) is an irresistible urge to move the legs

that is normally accompanied by uncomfortable sensations that are mainly felt in the lower

extremities. The urge to move the legs is partially or totally relieved by movement and tends to

begin or worsen during periods of rest, especially during the evening or at night. Activities such

as travelling by car or plane and watching movies may also worsen symptoms due to remaining

inactive for long periods of time, so getting up to walk or exercise may relieve the discomfort.

Unfortunately, the uncomfortable, and sometimes painful, sensations recur once the

movement ceases.

The uncomfortable sensations normally experienced by those with RLS are difficult to describe

but often reported as aching, throbbing, pulling, itching, crawling, or creeping. Although these

symptoms normally occur in one or both legs, they may sometimes affect the arms or the chest.

Individuals with RLS often report that they pace the room, constantly move their legs while

sitting, and even toss and turn in bed. Thankfully, there is a symptom-free period in the early

morning that allows these individuals for a more refreshing sleep!

Not only do individuals with RLS have a hard time falling asleep, but they also tend to be

exhausted during the day. With minimal and low quality sleep throughout the night, people

with RLS tend to experience affected mood, concentration, job and school performance,

personal relationships, impaired memory, and a failure to accomplish daily tasks. Additionally,

research suggests that those with untreated RLS can experience about a 20% decrease in work

productivity and may contribute to depression and anxiety.

Within the United States alone, about seven to 10% of the population have RLS. Research

shows that women are more likely to develop RLS, with their risk being positively correlated

with number of births. Other risk factors include genetic predisposition, age, and lifestyle

factors, such as lack of physical activity, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, obesity, and coffee

intake. RLS may also occur as a result of another condition such as iron deficiency, sleep apnea,

end stage renal disease, pregnancy, or neuropathy. Certain medications such as anti-nausea

drugs, antipsychotics, antidepressants that increase serotonin, and some cold and allergy

medication may impact development of RLS as well.

Since RLS is a movement disorder, it is related to the dysfunction of the basal ganglia, a section

of the brain that controls movement by using dopamine. Dopamine is an essential

neurotransmitter that produces smooth and purposeful muscle movement, and the disruption

of this pathway may result in involuntary movements. Research suggests that drugs that

increase dopamine may offer therapeutic benefits to patients with RLS. Despite the short-term

benefits of dopamine increasing drugs, long term use may lead to augmentation, where RLS

symptoms worsen, so alternative drugs are often used when possible.

To help control symptoms, it is best to treat associated medical conditions such as peripheral

neuropathy, diabetes, or iron deficiency. Medications may also be helpful, but they often lose

their effect over time or may worsen symptoms, so changing medications often is necessary. It

may also be helpful to incorporate lifestyle changes such as decreasing alcohol and tobacco use,

exercising, maintaining sleep hygiene, massaging legs, taking warm baths, using heating or ice

packs, legs stretching, using pressured foot wraps, or even investing in vibration pads for the

feet!

Sarah Hassan

Assessment Team Member

When Fear Becomes a Phobia

Do you have an irrational fear? Don’t worry, there's a phobia for that! Fear is a common emotion, characterized by nervousness or discomfort, that is experienced by everyone and is vital for survival, as it is triggered by a real danger or threat. When a fear becomes so intense that it interferes with your daily functioning or well-being, it can be classified as a specific phobia, a type of anxiety disorder. One example to demonstrate this concept may look like this: Fear is the feeling anxious when flying through turbulence or taking off during a storm, whereas a specific phobia of flying would be missing your best friend’s destination wedding because it would require you to travel by plane.

 Development and Cause

The developmental course of phobias, which progresses from fear to avoidance and then to a diagnosis, suggests the possibility that interrupting the course of phobias may actually reduce their prevalence. Phobias persist for several years, even decades in 10-30% of cases, and are strongly predictive of the onset of other anxiety, mood, and substance-use disorders. The high comorbidity with other mental disorders suggests that early treatment of phobias could also alter the risk for other disorders.

 Although much is still unknown about the actual cause of specific phobias, some causes may include negative experience, genetics and environment, and brain function. Many phobias develop as a result of having a negative experience or panic attack related to a specific object or situation. There may also be a link between your own specific phobia and the phobia or anxiety of your parents, which could be due to genetics or learned behavior. Additionally, there have been studies suggesting that changes in brain functioning could also play a role in the development of specific phobias.

 Five Types of Specific Phobias

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, recognizes five types of specific phobias:

1. Natural Environment Type → Phobias of nature, weather, and environmental events or situations, including water or storms.

2. Animal Type → Phobias centered on animals or insects, such as dogs or spiders.

3. Blood-Injection-Injury Type → Phobias related to physical harm or injury, like injections or doctors.

4. Situational Type → Phobias triggered by specific situations, such as confined spaces or public speaking.

5. Other → Phobias that do not fit into the other four types, including the fear of dolls or loud sounds.

 Prevalence

More than 70% of people in the United States report having more than one unreasonable fear. However, the prevalence of these fears is much higher than that of diagnosed specific phobias, which require the presence of avoidance and impairment related to the fear. In a study from 2018, it was found that an estimated 19.3% of adolescents had a diagnosed specific phobia within the last year, with the prevalence for adolescent females (22.1%) being higher than prevalence for adolescent males (16.7). Similarly, it was found that an estimated 9.1% of adults had a diagnosed specific phobia within the past year. The past year prevalence of specific phobia among adults was also significantly higher for adult females (12.2%) than for adult males (5.8%).

 Treatment

Only about a tenth to a quarter of people with specific phobias eventually receive treatment, possibly because avoidance can reduce stress and impairment. Predictors for receiving treatment include having more severe impairment, having particular phobias, specifically people with phobias of flying, closed spaces, or heights are more likely to seek treatment, and having a greater number of phobias. Exposure therapy, a technique used to help individuals with anxiety face their fears without subjecting them to danger or harm, is the current treatment of choice for specific phobias, but other options such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medications have also demonstrated some effectiveness. Unfortunately, there have not been many studies addressing the comparative effectiveness of different treatment options.

 Helpful Tips

Seeking professional treatment can help individuals with specific phobia manage their irrational fears and symptoms effectively so they don't become a prisoner of their own minds. Some helpful tips include:

-       Try not to avoid feared situations. Practice staying near feared situations as frequently as you can rather than avoiding them completely. Family, friends and your therapist can help you work on this. Practice the techniques you learn in therapy and work with your therapist to develop a plan if symptoms get worse.

-       Reach out. Consider joining a self-help or support group where you can connect with others who understand what you're going through.

-       Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, eat healthy and try to be physically active every day. Avoid caffeine, as it can make anxiety worse. And don't forget to celebrate successes as things get better.

 -Written by Haley Dee, Assessment Team Member 

Juneteeth and All of Us

‘What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?’: Descendants Read Frederick Douglass' Speech  | NPR

On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became law. However, due to low resources and limited Union troops, the law was unable to be enforced in some states and slavery continued. Confederate General Lee finally surrendered in April of 1865. Shortly thereafter, Union General Granger landed in Galveston, Texas with his unit of troops to enforce the law. Texas was the last stronghold of slavery so when Granger landed on June 19, 1865 and enforced the law, slavery was ended in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation is legally when slavery ended, but Juneteenth is when the last slaves in the United States were freed. 

Juneteenth became a popular holiday in the American South, with some celebrants even making an annual pilgrimage to Galveston. Former slaves were known to toss their ragged garments into rivers to clothe themselves in garments taken from plantations. Juneteenth was celebrated with large gatherings with food, singing, prayer, and spiritual readings. 

Economica and cultural problems led to a decline in celebrations in the 20th century, but the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s saw a resurgence of celebrations. In 1980, Juneteenth became an official holiday in Texas. 

President Biden signed Juneteenth into federal law on June 17, 2021. It is now known as a time for reflection of the history that shaped our nation and how this continues to impact our society today. 

Why is Juneteenth still important to all of us?

Although slavery was eradicated in the 19th century, freedom and justice for Black people has always been, and continues to be, delayed. Black people continue to be discriminated against through police violence, racial profiling, mass incarceration, housing policies, economic divestment, and healthcare disparities. In fact, in 2016, Black men made up 7 percent of the US general population, while they made up 40 percent of the US prison population.  Until we acknowledge and reflect on our legacy of slavery, we will continue to face the consequences of inequality. 

Healthcare disparities severely impact minorities and people of low socio-economic status in this country. As a consequence, mental healthcare is often delayed or inaccessible. These problems impact all of us as a society because this impacts our workforce, our financial well-being, and 

Here is a young man using spoken word to teach about the difficulties of accessing healthcare as a Black person: Mental health within the black community | Davonte Sanders-Funches | TEDxNorthCentralCollege

How can you support your fellow Americans?

• Support Black-owned businesses: supportblackowned.com

• Educate yourself! Watch documentaries like 13th by Ava DuVernay, read books like “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander, and listen to podcasts like “The Friend Zone” by Black artists

-Maddy Reed

Your Brain Is What You Eat

The benefits of a healthy balanced diet on physical health are well documented, but have you ever wondered if diet affects your mental health as well?

Back in the 1900s, this wild concept of the brain being connected to the gut arose. Now you are probably thinking, “What? No way!” But, this is actually true, and it has been proven that our gut and brain are interconnected and actually have considerable influence over one another. Because of this interconnection, the gut is now being considered the second brain! That is right, the second brain.

The reasoning behind why the gut is being considered the second brain is because gut bacteria both produce and respond to the same neurochemicals - GABA, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, and melatonin - that the brain uses to regulate basic physiological processes as well as mental processes such as learning, memory, and mood. If that does not already blow your mind, hang on because I have an additional fun fact for you. The gut produces about 95 percent of the body’s supply of serotonin and 50 percent of the body’s supply of dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for allowing you to feel pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation, while Serotonin is responsible for regulating mood, sleep, and digestion.

Okay…hold on. Just because the gut produces and responds to the same neurochemicals that the brain does, how does that impact mental health? Well, that is because the gut-brain connection is what we call bidirectional, meaning that the brain affects the gut, and the gut affects the brain. Therefore, if we are feeling any kind of emotional distress, this can actually send a signal to the gut that triggers the feelings of uneasiness and possibly cause stomach discomfort, which also means that when our guts are unhappy, they can send signals to the brain that might trigger mood changes. If an unhappy gut can send signals to the brain that might trigger mood changes, you are probably wondering what are some things that can make our guts unhappy. Well, one of the big things is stress. That’s right, stress can affect digestion and what nutrients the intestines absorb. Additionally, stress can lead to bloating, inflammation, stomach pains, food sensitivities, and changes to the gut microbiome.

Other things that can upset our guts include poor sleep, lack of physical activity, not nourishing our bodies, and antibiotics. You have probably gotten to this point and been like the title of this post is FOODS impact on mental health, so how exactly does food impact mental health? Great Question. Our body produces something known as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body… cool but what are those things? Let’s remember chemistry for a second. Free radicals are molecules with an uneven number of electrons. The uneven number allows them to easily react with other molecules – free radicals can cause chemical reactions in your body because they react so easily with other molecules, and these reactions are called oxidation. Antioxidants are substances that inhibit oxidation and remove potentially damaging oxidizing agents.

Remember that thing I said earlier… Oxidative stress is an unbalance in free radicals and antioxidants in the body, so essentially, when the number of free radicals outnumbers antioxidants, it can lead to oxidative stress. Here’s the wild thing about oxidative stress, it may play an important role in the development of various neuropsychiatric disorders. Individuals who consume more whole foods, which are foods that have been processed or refined as little as possible and are free from additives or other artificial substances, tend to have healthier mood states – less tension, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, and fatigue. The reason this may be is because whole foods are super high in antioxidants and other great things. Taking us back to earlier when we were talking about the gut-brain connection… whole foods are also a great source of nutrients for a happy gut, and if we remember, a happy gut can lead to positive signals being sent to the brain. Therefore, the food we eat has a tremendous impact on our brains.

- Kailyn Helgeson, MA

If You’re Happy and you know it clap your hands… Annually on March 20th

With all the things going on in the world we can so easily forget about our own personal happiness, every year March 20th is a day on which we should stop and celebrate personal happiness for International Day of Happiness.

The International Day of Happiness came from the idea of “Happytalism” founded by Luis Gallardo and Jayme Illien who worked hard for over 5 years to advocate for the ideas of happiness, well-being, and democracy.  The United National General Assembly passed the International Day of Happiness resolution in July of 2011. Since its commemoration in 2013, The International Day of Happiness annually has had different themes aimed to help people around the world realize the importance of happiness in their individual lives.

The United National General Assembly annually campaigns to invite all around the world to continue efforts to progress toward completing tasks to make their lives better. This year the theme for The Internal Day of Happiness Day 2022 is Keep Calm, Stay Wise and Be Kind.

Keeping cool and calm in every possible situation is the key to happiness and satisfaction. Staying wise in tough situations leads to wiser steps and success. Being Kind to others in their needs, mistakes, and errors.

 Even though we only celebrate this day once a year, you can do these things every day, by choosing happiness. So, you might wonder what you can do to keep calm, stay wise and be kind, below is a shortlist of some easy things to increase happiness in your life and those around you:

·      Take a Deep Breath. Breathing deeply and slowly triggers the body to stop releasing stress hormones and start to relax.

·      Focus on the Positives.

·      Meditate.

·      Practice Gratitude.

·      Surround yourself with positive people.

·      Think before you speak.

·      Put things in perspective before you jump to conclusions.

·      Do the right thing, even if no one is watching.

·      Celebrate your growth

·      Be compassionate toward yourself

And always remember, “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” — Aristotle

- Lynnette Wright, LCPC

What About Bob? A Dive into Head Trauma.

Hitting your head is not fun, but unfortunately, it’s something just about everyone has experienced to some degree throughout their lives. Whether it’s getting hit with a ball playing your favorite sport or bumping your forehead on that open kitchen cabinet, a thump to the head doesn’t feel good and can leave you feeling sick, dizzy, confused, or all the above. But how do we know if we should seek medical attention or just shake it off and continue going about our days? Well, when it comes to head injuries, “better safe than sorry” definitely applies and there are some instances in which you may benefit from being particularly cautious in responding to potential head trauma. The recent tragic death of beloved actor and comedian Bob Saget serves as an unfortunate example of the importance of acting quickly and appropriately after a hit to the head. 

What’s the Big Deal?

You might be wondering what’s so important about an injury to the head specifically? The most straightforward answer is the amazing brain! A healthy brain is paramount for humans to be able to function properly and ultimately survive; however, this critical part of our bodies is relatively susceptible to physical trauma in part due to the anatomy of the human skull and other protective layers encompassing the brain. Many people are not aware that despite being encased by strong bones that make up the skull, there really is not much holding our brains in place. There are three layers of protective tissue between the brain and the skull called meninges, which are cushioned by fluid surrounding the brain known as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). While it’s a little strange to think about fluid resting inside our heads between the brain and the skull, we have CSF to thank for acting as a shock absorber and preventing our soft brains from easily bumping into our bony skulls. However, in the event that you experience blunt or penetrating trauma from a forceful hit to the head, the meninges and CSF may not be sufficient in protecting the brain from making impactful contact with the skull which could result in varying degrees of traumatic brain injury (TBI).  

What are the Classifications?

Head trauma can present differently across individuals, but in general there are three main classifications of TBI based on severity and prognosis. Firstly, a mild TBI typically results from a softer bump to the head that may leave the individual briefly feeling dizzy, confused, or disoriented. A key giveaway that a head injury more than likely qualifies as mild is if the person’s eyes remain open and only experiences a loss of consciousness for a few seconds, if at all. An individual may experience a moderate TBI if consciousness is lost for at least 20 seconds, which can persist for up to six hours. The person with moderate head trauma will likely be lethargic and may experience more severe headaches as a result of potential bleeding or swelling on the brain but is still aroused by external stimuli. The most detrimental head injuries are classified as severe, which occur when the individual is unconscious for at least six hours following the impact of the TBI and who’s eyes remain unopened even when exposed to stimulation.

What or who is Coup-Contrecoup?

Coup-contrecoup (pronounced coo contra coo) is a big reason why some head injuries that may appear mild on the surface have significantly more damaging effects than initially anticipated. In some instances of head trauma, the force is so great that the brain moves to the opposite side of the initial injury, causing damage at both the site of the injury and the part of the brain opposing the initial site. As a result, the impacted person is likely to have a more severe prognosis in part simply because a larger portion of the brain is affected oftentimes by bleeding or bruising.  In the case of Bob Saget, officials speculate the devastating outcome of his seemingly harmless fall may be attributed to the effects of a coup-contrecoup injury. Based on findings from his autopsy, it is believed Bob Saget likely fell in his hotel room and hit the back of his head before getting back up to go to sleep in his bed where he later passed. After his death, several fractures were found in his skull along with bleeding on both sides of his brain, leaving him with injuries comparable to a hit in the head by a baseball bat. While Bob Saget’s age and list of prescription medications may have made him more susceptible to falls and fractures, some health officials wonder if the outcome could have differed if he had sought prompt treatment and avoided going to sleep immediately after the injury.

How do I Respond to Head Trauma?

When you suspect a possible head injury, the most important takeaway to bear in mind is to err on the side of caution and respond quickly in order to stop potential internal bleeding on the brain. Immediately after a suspected TBI, the impacted individual will want to carefully lay down keeping the head and shoulders slightly elevated while waiting for medical personnel. If there is evident external bleeding, you will want to do your best to minimize the active bleeding by applying firm pressure to the affected area using a sterile cloth or gauze, unless a fracture is suspected. In the moments after a TBI, be aware of the person’s breathing and alertness and continue to monitor for abnormal changes, including in personality, over the weeks following the injury.  Getting a head injury can be not only painful, but anxiety-provoking. While addressing a potential TBI can be a daunting or stressful process, seeking care soon after a hit to the head could be the difference in treatment outcomes.

- Ellery Miner

Color Me Pink

We’ve all done it; found a fascinating article or tik tok video which describes some obscure piece of scientific information and believed it word for word. Only to find with a quick google search, how misleading the video or article really was. A reminder to not believe everything you read on the internet- it’s a humbling experience for most. But, this phenomenon has been occurring for decades, if not years.

If you are familiar with prison systems or mental health facilities and their history in the United States, you’d know there’s a handful of prisons across the country with bright pink admission cells. Yeah, that’s right - bright, bubblegum pink. Specifically, the shade of pink used in all of these cells is known as “Baker-Miller Pink”. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, American psychologist Andrew Schauss conducted an experiment whose results claimed that Baker-Miller Pink was associated with reduced physical strength and therefore physical aggression.

Despite small effect sizes and several flaws in the experimental design, which were unable to rule out the effects of the experimenter and many other confounding variables, two of Schauss’ colleagues, naval officers Gene Baker and Ron Miller, were fascinated by the results of the experiment. Without consultation, they mixed paint exactly to Schauss’ formula and began to paint the admission cells at the naval base they ran, the now eponymous Baker-Miller Pink. Over the span of a few months, they collected data on the rates of assault or violence in inmates before and after being placed in the all-pink holding cell. Afterwards, they boldly claimed to have had “no incidents of erratic or hostile behavior during the initial phase of confinement.” Impressive, right?

This perceived success of both Schauss’ and Baker and Miller’s research resulted in scores of prisons as well as mental health facilities to paint their cells Baker-Miller Pink, thinking they’d see reduced aggression in the inmates. In fact, the idea that a shade of pink could reduce aggression became so popularized and sensationalized, that the University of Iowa’s football team decided to paint their opposing team’s locker room Baker-Miller Pink, in hopes of reducing the aggression of the opposing team and giving Iowa a competitive edge.

While there was some evidence to claim Baker-Miller Pink caused a reduction in aggression, most of the research was poorly conducted, unreplicable, or anecdotal. Several researchers in the following years and as recently as 2014, attempted to replicate Schauss’ experiments in a standardized fashion. However, they all failed to support Schauss’ hypothesis and found no significant results which suggested any association between Baker-Miller Pink and tranquility.

Much like internet users who take click-bait research headlines or tik tok videos made by *questionable* sources for truth, these prisons and their faculty essentially painted a bunch of rooms pink for no reason when a quick peek at the “limitations” section of the research article would have saved them their time and money. Anything to avoid actually understanding what might be making these individuals act so aggressively in the first place, right?

The controversy of Baker-Miller pink highlights an entire subset of research which attempts to draw conclusions about how color impacts our behaviors, perceptions, and moods. Color has long been the subject of research for interior designers, marketing teams, and psychologists, among many others. You may have heard of the association of reds and yellows to increased appetite, illustrated by the iconic McDonald’s logo, or maybe that blue is associated with soothing and calming.

Given that a majority of the information our brain receives is via visual stimuli, it makes sense that color plays a large role in how we view our environment and subsequently, our reactions in these environments. However, what the controversy of Baker-Miller Pink also highlights, is the importance of considering the whole picture. Next time you see a video or article claiming a new product or practice will magically solve your problems, take a second to consider what information might have been purposefully omitted or disregarded- you might avoid “coloring yourself pink.” 

-Hirangi Patel

Trauma, but the Complex Kind

Complex Trauma: What Is It?

Many people have heard about trauma, but have you heard of complex trauma? Today we will talk about this more intense form of trauma that often occurs early in life. Complex trauma can disrupt many aspects of a person's development and the formation of a sense of self. Since these events often occur with a caregiver, they interfere with one's ability to form a secure attachment. Many aspects of healthy physical and mental development rely on this primary source of safety and stability.

 When an individual is exposed to multiple traumatic events in their life, oftentimes invasive and interpersonal experiences, there are lasting effects on their brain and behavior. When exposed to these traumatic events, such as abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence, many disruptions and changes occur to allow individuals to adapt to the stressors in the world. These changes are known as survival-based alterations, for they help the individual survive the trauma they have been through. Complex trauma exposure in childhood has been linked to the development of psychopathology, maladaptive coping, and heightened behavioral and health trajectories.

 What Happens to the Brain?

Well, what happens to the brain if complex trauma is so intense? In childhood, there are sensitive periods in which specific brain regions and pathways are most vulnerable to the effects of trauma exposure. Some of the major survival-based alterations that can be seen in the body happen within the brain. Both structural changes, which are alterations to the volume or size of the brain, and functional changes, which refer to alterations to brain activity, can often be seen in these individuals. With structural changes, there is often an enlargement of the amygdala, or the alarm center of the brain. Shrinkage of the hippocampus, which helps people remember what happened during a traumatic experience, can also occur. In regard to functional changes, there is often an overproduction of stress hormones in childhood that wear down the immune system.

 What Happens to the Body?

How does the body react to all of this trauma? Common reactivity that is seen is rapid breathing, heart pounding, or shutting down. These reactions are out of proportion with the stress and are often perceived as overreacting, unresponsive, or detached. Individuals often complain of chronic or recurrent physical complaints, such as headaches or stomach aches. Body dysregulation, seen as over over-responding or under-responding to sensory stimuli, can be seen through hypersensitivity to sounds, smells, touch, or light.

 What About Emotions?

So, can these individuals control their emotions, or do they tend to have difficulty doing so? They may have unpredictable or explosive emotional responses that can be difficult to calm down from. Since truma is often interpersonal, mildly stressful social interactions can be triggering. If individuals are exposed to triggers that remind them of the trauma they experienced, they may tramble, avoid, or have strong feelings of anger or sadness. They may be hypervigilant and guarded when interacting with others, for they often perceive situations as dangerous or stressful. 

 How Do These Individuals Often Act?

If they have a hard time controlling their emotions, then how is their behavior influenced? Individuals can get easily triggered or “set off," which causes them to react very intensely. They may struggle with self-regulation (knowing how to calm down) and may lack impulse control or the ability to think through consequences before acting. Survivors of complex trauma may feel powerless or fearful, which can cause them to react defensively and aggressively in response to perceived blame or attack. They may behave in ways that appear unpredictable, oppositional, volatile, and extreme. This can be seen through assaulting others, stealing, running away, substance abuse, self-harm, and unsafe sexual practices. However, these individuals may be over-controlled, rigid, and unusually compliant with adults. They can also disassociate and seem spacey, detached, distant, or out of touch with reality.

 What Can We Expect in the Future?

So, if all these changes are seen, what can we do to help them function as best as they can in life? Everyone has it in them to thrive, sometimes we just need a little help along the way.

 Since it is learned from an early age that the world is unsafe and they cannot trust others, survivors of complex trauma often feel powerless to change their circumstances. Their negative beliefs about themselves, others, and the world diminish their sense of competency. These individuals’ negative expectations interfere with problem-solving, which ends up closing opportunities to make a difference in their own lives. It is a repeated cycle of self-fulling prophecy. A complexly traumatized person may view themselves as powerless and may perceive the world as a meaningless place in which planning and positive action is pointless. Having learned to operate in survival mode, individuals live from moment-to-moment without pausing to think about, plan for, or even dream about a future.

 In order to plan for the future with a sense of hope and purpose, a person needs to value themselves. This requires a sense of hope, feelings of being in control of their own lives, and the ability to see their own actions as having meaning and value. Therapists can work with survivors of trauma to empower them and help them to find hope and identify their purpose in life.

“There is no timestamp on trauma. There isn’t a formula that you can insert yourself into to get from horror to healed. Be patient. Take up space. Let your journey be the balm.” – Dawn Serra

 - Izzy Favela

A Psychedelic Trip or Psychotherapeutic Tool for Recovery?

Psychedelic substances have a rich and complex history of use and often include drugs like LSD, psilocybin, DMT, and others. Their subjectively experienced effects, often referred to as a “trip”, involve subtle or drastic changes in perception, consciousness, and overall psychological processes. Although psychedelics have often been given a bad reputation in terms of recreational usage, these substances have been employed for spiritual, ceremonial, shamanistic, and healing practices for centuries. Naturally derived psychedelic substances can often be found in plants, fungi, and even animals. Currently, a resurgence in research and clinical attention has been paid to how psychedelics can facilitate therapeutic progress and lead to vast improvements in overall wellbeing in difficult to treat mental disorders.

What Are Psychedelics & How Do They Work?

The “classic psychedelics” tend to refer to lysergic acid-diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin (magic mushrooms), N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline (peyote), among others. While sharing similar perceptual and sensory effects, along with being commonly grouped within the category of psychedelics, substances like MDMA and ketamine are actually pharmacologically distinct. Dosage is one of the primary factors predicting the types of effects which will occur, with the “set and setting” defining the importance of psychological state and environmental considerations influencing the subjective experience. The most implicated receptor interaction in producing classical psychedelic effects is agonist or partial agonist activity at serotonin (5-HT) receptor type 2A.

What Do We Know & What is Left to Understand?

Following the discovery of LSD by Albert Hoffman, interest in the uses of psychedelics rapidly expanded, with investigations into “controlled psychoses” and use as psychotherapeutic tools occurring shortly after. The CIA even conducted a series of unethical and illegal experiments on uninformed human subjects as a part of Project MKUltra, with their use as interrogation tools being explored. Although studies into their psychological effects and psychotherapeutic potential have occurred through such investigations like the Harvard Psilocybin Project and Marsh Chapel Experiment, various gaps in our understanding of psychedelics persist. Overall, no unifying theory to the subjective and phenomenological effects of psychedelic substances exists, although cognitive neuroscience has shed light on these and has been used to bridge the gaps in our understanding.

How Can Psychedelics Be Therapeutically Used?

Psychedelic Therapy involves an individual being given a moderate to high dose of a psychedelic substance in order to illicit mystical and transcendent states to arrive at greater degrees of self- discovery and understanding of one’s concerns. Incorporated in this process by the psychotherapist facilitating the session includes elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational enhancement therapy (MET), such as decreasing ambivalence for positive change, cognitive reframing of concerns, examination of core beliefs, and evaluation of schemas. In contrast, a differing form of using psychedelics therapeutically is represented by Psycholytic Therapy, in which low to medium doses of psychedelics are given to approach subconscious issues and use of defense mechanisms with the ultimate goal being the discharge of emotionally salient psychic tension. Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, which has gained the greatest prominence in recent times, involves an individual being encouraged to focus their attention inward while lying down in a relaxed position and listening to carefully chosen music for the duration of the session. In this process, psychotherapists are non-directive and facilitate the individual’s self- discovery and sense of trust, openness, and reflection of the drug’s effects. Therapy session precipitate and follow administration of psychedelic-facilitated sessions, including to prepare the individual for the effects, process experiences afterwards, and integrate meaning drawn from memories, feelings, and ideas expressed during the session. The mechanisms behind psychedelic-assisted treatments remain poorly understood but have been hypothesized to result from the importance of insight, increased personality openness, changes in potentially harmful beliefs and values, and increased motivation and self-efficacy.

What Is the Evidence Behind Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies?

The use of psychedelic-assisted therapies has been indicated as effective for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), substance use disorders, trauma-related disorders like PTSD, cluster headaches, depression and anxiety associated with terminal illnesses, end-of-life care, and others. Studies using psilocybin with cancer patients expressing symptoms of depression and anxiety reported a range of positive effects including greater relational-embeddedness, emotional range and wisdom, revised life priorities, alterations in identity, and a general shift from feeling separate from others to a sense of interconnectedness. In 2018, the FDA described psilocybin as a “breakthrough therapy” for TRD. Novel psychedelics like the West African iboga plant-derived ibogaine has been reportedly effective in treating opioid addiction and withdrawal effects, along with facilitating introspection and reflection of subjective sources of addiction and transformative experiences aimed at gaining greater perspective on behavioral change. While not strictly a psychedelic substance, ketamine has recently been approved by the FDA under the formulation esketamine in the treatment of adults. Additionally, MDMA-assisted therapy has been implicated in the potential treatment of PTSD, anxiety in the terminally ill, and for social anxiety. Similarly, the FDA granted status in 2017, with Phase II trials demonstrating significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, with long-term improvements being maintained in most patients one year after administration.

Barriers & Considerations Toward Implementation

More clinical studies are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies, with cultural stigma surrounding use of such substances has persisted and hindered research since the 1960s. Promotion of a hard reduction model has been implicated for clients who endorse the use of psychedelics outside of therapeutic contexts, with a firm and clear boundary that therapist cannot legally attend or facilitate dosing sessions. All substances discussed are currently classified by the DEA as Schedule 1 controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states certain hallucinogens to be potentially addictive (PCP), with concerns for drug craving and tolerance produced over time. Medical administration of hallucinogens should include careful consideration of the appropriate dosage, patient screening, and appropriate preparation of the patient including preparation and follow-up of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy sessions in accordance with an approved procedure based on research evidence. Significant increases in psychedelic tourism, such as Westerners travelling to South America for & authentic ayahuasca experiences & has called to question whether certain psychedelics and their historic uses should be separated or celebrated by outsiders in their traditional uses.

- Austin Stokes

Negentropy

We all know what it’s like to let one smaller task go undone and watch It get joined by other tasks until it becomes bigger and bigger. The first thing that comes to mind is doing dishes. One dish leads to another until the sink is full and they are all soaking in a grimy pool, dirtier than when they were put in the sink. This is not a new phenomenon and we see the concept of attending to tasks or challenges quickly or the importance of not forgetting the heft of seemingly small things, referred to in timeless colloquialisms such as “a stitch in time saves nine” and “it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Yet, no matter how early it was discovered that attending to things in a timely manner is best for productivity and health, finding the motivation to wash that one dish, right then and there, can be easy to brush off or seemingly harder than it should be. Sometimes it can feel like nothing changes no matter how many different strategies are employed or that things go right back to the way they were after a few weeks. However, researcher Allison Car-Chellman has been applying physics to organization and the study of social systems, resulting in new ways to look at address the same struggles utilizing the dynamics of entropy and negentropy – negative entropy.

For our purposes entropy is defined as the natural force leading systems towards disorganization. Without energy being channeled into a system, the system will inevitably collapse. For example, if someone does not eat their bodily systems will begin to become “disorganized,” in the sense that the organs are moving towards shutting down, because they energy in the form of calories is not being put into the system. If they eat and do not throw away the trash created from dinner, the organization of the home will begin to become disorganized.

This is where negentropy comes into play. Negative entropy is considered the forces leading systems towards organization and can be used to measure how much energy it will take to reach an organized state.

A house that tidies once a week, but only tidies enough to maintain minimal organization will, according to the laws of physics, be more disordered than a house that tidies twice a week. Seems like not much of a difference. But that’s where we falter and often get caught up on good enough. What the once a week household isn’t thinking about is that the spatula that was misplaced and now requires 5 minutes searching for is not something the twice a week house is spending 5 minutes looking for. The first house has now experienced a loss of energy.

It can also help to think about the loss of energy as barely noticeable leak in a tire. One that is almost unperceivable and will take days to flatten the tire. When this leak is overlooked and not repaired, only re-inflated when it is getting close to flatness it might not seem like a significant loss of energy, but nonetheless it is a source of constant drainage. In our lives this leaking effect comes in the form of mental and physical energy. With enough unperceivable holes one might find themselves wondering why they are exhausted at the end of an uneventful week. 

Loss of energy in any system is natural, but it can be minimized.  And the key here is that by minimizing lost energy within systems, more energy is available to be spent on more important tasks or to simply have and feel better about. Efficiency is key within systems of any kind and, as we are seeing now, particularly key within the systems that impact our mental health. Negentropic thinking involves analyzing one’s life and looking for areas where energy is being lost.

A lawn that is mowed once a week will take considerable less time than one that is mowed once a month. A car that is not maintained will fall apart quicker. A person’s well-being whether mental or physical that is not analyzed for efficiency will become worse or take more to correct.

When someone is depressed or anxious and feels exhausted all day long and can’t muster the energy to clean their home, that home is leaking energy and the more disorder it accumulates the more energy it will take to become rebalanced. Beginning to work from a negentropic view point may take some getting used to, but in the long run its reward should start compounding. When less energy is wasted on smaller things, more can be spent on enjoyable ones.

And sometimes that simply means being able to relax without thinking about the dishes in the sink.

-Gabriel Severino, MA

SUNSHINE AND HURRICANES: Weathering the Storm of Parenting Teens

I once asked a close family friend whom I greatly respect, “What’s it like raising teenagers?” She had successfully raised three boys and all three have grown into respectful, productive, young men, so I eagerly awaited her best-kept secret!

She told me, “You know those State Farm commercials where weird shit happens when you least expect it, and you don’t have the money to pay for it? It’s kind of like that.”

Although obviously funny and sarcastic, the message my friend was trying to convey was what any parent of a teen or pre-teen already knows- somewhere along the line, and seemingly overnight, the sweet child who wanted to spend every moment with you morphed into a moody, sarcastic, impulsive, know-it-all teenager.

Adolescence can be a confusing and tumultuous time of change for teens and parents, but there is plenty you can do to continue nurturing your teen and encouraging responsible behavior!

The most effective parenting strategy with teens is to focus on the relationship. As your teenager continues to mature, their main job and focus becomes shaping their identity and sorting out what is important to them. They are desperate to exert their newfound independence, but also crave the structure and safety that you, their parents, have always provided.

Sounds simple enough to achieve this balance, right? No? Well, take a deep breath, remember you successfully navigated the “terrible twos”, and  you WILL find your way through the “terrifying teens!”

There are three primary parts of your relationship with your teen to focus on- emotional regulation, taking charge, and reflection.

Teenagers’ moods can shift in the blink of an eye, and while it is not necessary for you to meet them at every emotional pitstop, it is important that they feel safe sharing their experience with you. Even if they are not able to communicate how important you are in their life, if they do not feel confident in your ability to remain interested and connected when they bring you the “small stuff,” they will likely think twice before coming to you with the “big stuff.”

Your teenager likely will not give you direct cues when they want to talk (that would be too easy!), but that does not mean they do not care. Look for ways to invite conversation and connection by casually showing interest in their life and conveying your openness and availability to them. This can look like asking questions instead of making statements, wondering instead of assuming, and listening instead of immediately sharing.

The second aspect of the relationship is taking charge. This is often the part most likely to cause conflict between you and your teen but is also what fosters the safety teens need to continue growing in their independence. Though they may act like they can handle everything and will likely give you a big eyeroll if you challenge that assumption, the truth is, they cannot! This is where some structure and boundaries are not only essential for their safety and well-being but can also be very helpful in your relationship.

While they may express their discontent with some of these rules or boundaries, a predictable environment is easier to navigate and having a pre-discussed framework for how to handle various situations will alleviate some of the pressure for you, the parent. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to sit down with your teen and collaboratively discuss consequences that will accompany different behaviors. For example, your family may decide that the consequence for staying out past curfew is your teen losing privileges to the car for a certain amount of time. Your teen may still choose to miss their curfew, but they know and agreed on the consequence, so the back-and-forth arguing can be limited.

When brainstorming consequences, it is important to remember that this method will only work if your teen is invested. This means identifying consequences that are meaningful to them in order to motivate their more positive behaviors.

Lastly, quality relationships between you and your teen require reflection. Taking the time to reflect on your interactions with your child with a level of objectivity and perspective can help you to identify missed opportunities, miscommunications, and areas for improvement in the future. Being able to keep yourself and your child in mind simultaneously can often prove difficult, especially when emotions are still running high. It is a skill that takes practice, but if you commit yourself to trying, you are also modeling this behavior for your child.

Reflection and the ability to admit when you may have been wrong or acted off emotion teach your teenager that it is okay to acknowledge your missteps and provides them with a roadmap for how to repair relationships when there is a rupture.

At the end of the day, there is no version of “perfect parenting” and no way to be completely prepared for all that will come your way. Your child needs your love, understanding, guidance, and patience- even when they scream, they need nothing from you at all! The funny thing about kids is- they are he reason you lose it and the reason you hold it all together.

Looking for more support or guidance? Join us at Cerebrum for our weekly parenting group!

- Paige Lichtenberger

Enter Player YOU

Videogames have been an increasing part of the younger generation’s culture and experience for roughly 40 years. Over that time, videogames, and the people who play them have developed some negative reputations. Videogames have been said to lead to children acting violently. People who play videogames, particularly “too often” or who continue to play past adolescence can be seen as isolating themselves. But is any of this true? Do videogames cause this much harm, or do they actually have potential benefits?

It turns out that the research does not back up the idea that videogames cause violent behaviors, and even most parents believe they do not cause such behaviors. A study from Harvard University shows that 66% of teens play videogames which involve violence, but that 62% of their parents believe the games do not affect their child’s behavior one way or the other. In fact, federal crime statistics show a significant decrease in violent crime among youths since 1996, even as video game sales have soared in that same time.

Researchers have looked for a causal link between videogames and violent behavior for years, and have largely agreed that this link does not exist. The American Psychiatric Association has stated “scant evidence has emerged that makes any causal or [even] correlational connection between playing violent videogames and actually committing violent activities.” To really drive home the point, it was said that “the data on bananas causing suicide is about as conclusive.” In fact, even the supreme court agrees, having struck down a California law banning the sale of violent video games to children in 2011, disagreeing with the evidence they proposed in support of the law. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that “these studies have been rejected by every court to consider them, and with good reason: they do not prove that violent videogames cause minors to act aggressively.”

So, are videogames isolating? No, similar to our last stereotype, this one is largely agreed to be incorrect as well. More than 70% of those who play videogames play with friends, and there are millions of people across the world who play massive multiplayer online videogames. Not only are gamers not isolating, they are also not psychologically removed from others like the shut-ins they can be described as. It has been found that those who play even violent videogames often incorporate cooperation in the game, and are more likely to be helpful to others even in the real world.

So, videogames aren’t evil, but aren’t they still a waste of time? Wrong again – I should probably stop putting words in your mouth if I’m just going to make you be wrong every time, that’s lame. Anyway, research has shown that videogames may strengthen many different cognitive abilities including navigation, reasoning, and memory. Particularly in shooter video games, it was found that these games improve a person’s ability to perceive objects in three dimensions as well as academic courses designed to teach the same skills. Playing videogames can also help the development of problem-solving skills.

Videogames have potential for even more surprising advantages. They have been shown to successfully treat individuals with lazy eyes. It has also been shown that some action-based videogames improved performance in locating a target quickly in a field of distractors, or items they are not specifically looking for. This is associated with improvements in driving ability as well. Interestingly, videogames can even improve impulsive behaviors. Similarly, videogames have been shown to lead to significantly improved performance in engaging in multiple tasks simultaneously, which could also be beneficial in tasks such as driving. Playing videogames have been associated with improving dyslexic children’s scores on tests of reading, and even combating mental decline. Especially with elderly participants, who may be seeing a decline in some areas cognitively, videogames have been show to result in improvement in cognitive flexibility, attention, working memory, and abstract reasoning.

Sorry kids, this doesn’t mean that you can play videogames all day long. First, current recommendations for total screen time per day are approximately 2 hours. This sounds ridiculous in our day and age, between phones, TVs, computers, and videogames, and it is true that many people will not meet this recommendation, but it is good to keep in mind. Most of us do not meet the recommendation for how much water to drink in a day (2.7 – 3.7 liters a day for adults), but it is good to know the recommendation to at least aim in that direction. Also, even with as many benefits have been found for videogames, they cannot fix everything. We still need to get fresh air and exercise, eat healthily, and continue to learn, as children and adults. But at least it is good to know that videogames aren’t evil.

- John Bajorek

The Birds, the Bees and Sex Therapy?

Oh S.E. X., you know, the mattress miombo, the deed, humping, the nasty, smooshing, shang, bang, the thing most people do that no one wants to talk about or acknowledge for that matter. I am here today to tell you about an elite group of professional that have built a career out of talking about you guessed it, sex! If you ever wondered what exactly a sex therapist does and what a session with one entail, you are not alone. The topic of sex, in general, is considered a taboo topic in U.S. society it is not surprising that there is a bit of mysticism around sex therapy. However, if you continue reading this blog post, today is the lucky day you are about to get the inside scoop on sex therapy from me, Lily Dunlap a sex therapist out of the Chicagoland area.

 A sex therapist is someone who works in the mental health field that has participated in specialized training focused on addressing a patient’s mental/physical issues affecting his or her sexual function, drive, and/or desire. If you should decide that you like to seek the services of a sex therapist you want to select someone who’s credentialed state that have gone through additional training outside of their degree requirements such as specialization/certification training or are credentialed by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT).  You may be wondering now what sort of sexual issues does a sex therapist treat? The answer is that sex therapists see a variety of patients with different sexual issues such as erectile dysfunction, pre-ejaculation disorder, delayed ejaculation disorder, sexual trauma, pelvic pain, painful sex, communication/relationship issues between partners, anxiety, desire issues, incorporating kink in a healthy way, gender identity issues, treating pedophilia, shame around sex, sexual orientation issues, fetish issues, sexual issues related to physical disabilities, sexual addiction and orgasm issues just to name a few. Believe it or not, sexual issues are not at all uncommon in fact around 43% of women and 31% of men report experiencing some degree of sexual dysfunction in their lifetime according to the Cleveland Clinic. Sexual issues can arise from a number of causes such as illness, trauma, aging, medication side effects, and injury.

 So, what exactly goes on in a sex therapy session? Well first of all let me say that there is a common misconception that sex therapists engage in sexual acts with their patients as a part of the treatment process, this is very incorrect. It is considered a legal and ethical violation for a sex therapist to engage in any sort of sexual relationship with patients. Additionally, sex therapists do not watch patients engage in sexual acts. However, there exist a group of professionals called sexual surrogates that are not sex therapist that work with patients on sexual issues by engaging in sexual acts with their clients. More information about sexual surrogates can be found here https://www.surrogatetherapy.org/what-is-surrogate-partner-therapy . During a session with a sex therapist, you will describe your sexual problems. The therapist will work with you to assess if the problem is psychological, physical, or a combination thereof and as to why it may be occurring. Over the course of the sessions, the sex therapist will work with you to find the best solution which may include weekly homework and or exercises, referrals, and consolations with other healthcare providers to achieve the desired treatment goals. You can see a sex therapist individually or as a couple and of course, all sessions are confidential.

 Outside of conducting traditional sex therapy sessions many sex therapists engage and offer other services. Some sex therapists offer consulting and sensitivity training/workshops for different companies and businesses. Many sex therapists work as educators in the area of sexual health and wellness. Others conduct research over different areas of human sexuality. Some therapists also offer seminars and workshops for couples on different topics such as fetishes, kink, communication, relationship maintenance, and sex toy use.

Below are some links to some great resources for sexual health and wellness:

Lubricants

If you ever wondered if you are using the right lube or if all lubricates are the same here is a link that breaks down what makes a great lube for maximum pleasure and comfort.     

https://badvibesdotorg.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/lube-guide-every-body-edition.pdf

Sex Toys 

Oh, sex toys! Globally in 2020 the sex toy industry generated $31 billon chances are you or someone you know owns one. If you are curious about the different sex toys on the market or are considering buying one Love Honey is great place to start. Orientally, based out of England Love Honey now sells products globally. What makes Love Honey unique is that on their website they have number of educational videos over different sex toys and their use. They also offer a unique return policy, if you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, they allow you to return the product or exchange it for a different one. Of course they do not resell returned items.      

https://www.lovehoney.com

Here is a list of some great books to consider adding to your collection

Getting the Sex You Want by Tammy Nelson, Ph.D.  

Sexual Intelligence by Marty Klein, Ph.D.   

Guide To Getting It On by Paul Joannides ,Psy. D.  

Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski ,Ph.D.

She Comes First by Ian Kerner, Ph.D.

Becoming Orgasmic by Julia Heiman, Ph.D.

  - Lily Dunlap, LMAFT

*disclaimer the author of the bog post does not endorse any products or services advertised on any the above websites