Mental Health Archive

For hundreds of years there have been documented instances of groups of people developing similar, medically inexplicable, and sometimes bizarre symptoms, such as paralysis, involuntary tics, or uncontrollable laughter. Known as sociogenic illness, a recent example appears to be fueled by social media postings—meaning physical proximity is no longer a factor.

The first three years of life are crucial for brain development. Interactions between babies and their caregivers build neural connections in the brain and lacking sufficient interactions may affect brain development. A study found that babies born during the pandemic scored lower in several areas of development than babies born before it started.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we question our own abilities, minimize our successes, and overemphasize what we perceive to be our failures. When this happens, it's helpful to try to view the situation more clearly and from a more balanced point of view. This takes practice, but the process starts with awareness.

We all know that motivation is key to accomplishing our goals, but even if you have a much-desired goal in mind, it's too easy for motivation to dissipate. Before setting a goal, it's critical to identify why it is important to you, to create a detailed plan that outlines how you will achieve it, and to make a to-do list so you can track your progress.

Many common medication treatments for migraine can cause side effects, underlining the need for more tolerable treatments. Mindfulness practice has been associated with improvement in people with chronic pain, including migraine. A study investigated whether mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques provided benefit for people experiencing migraine.

The holiday season often makes people feel stressed out over choosing gifts. Everyone wants to give a gift that the recipient will be excited about, but expectations and the fear of making the wrong choice undermine the thinking process. Can people get better at making decisions? Yes, but it requires accepting that there is no ideal choice, and approaching the process with the proper focus.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has helped countless people who were unable to conceive to have children. Frequently, the process results in additional embryos remaining, eventually leading to the question of what to do with them. Embryo donation is one of several options and deciding which path to pursue may not be easy.