Less Net, Less Depression?
UPI: Fighting depression by logging off.
A recent study by researchers at Stony Brook University in New York found that online forums and chat sites can aggravate symptoms of depression. Over the course of a year, 13-year-old girls were found to become increasingly depressed and anxious when they participated in online chat sites allowing the girls to discuss issues over and over again
(Via GoodTherapy.org)
Meditation and Attention Span
PsychCentral reports on a study that shows improved attention span–long-term–following a meditation retreat.
“People may think meditation is something that makes you feel good and going on a meditation retreat is like going on vacation, and you get to be at peace with yourself. That’s what people think until they try it. Then you realize how challenging it is to just sit and observe something without being distracted.”
Can’t Read Your Mind
YANSS on “The Illusion of Transparency“:
The Misconception: Most of the time people can look at you and tell what you are thinking and feeling.
The Truth: Your subjective experience is not observable, and you overestimate how much you telegraph your inner thoughts and emotions.
PTSD Army
NPR: Reducing The Stigma Of PTSD In Army Culture.
“I remember lying on my cot in my tent in Afghanistan bundled into my sleeping bag, terrified because the dead had come to talk with me…”
Dostoyevsky, Halitosis, and Online Dating Lies
Three from the morning feed…
Brooding Russians: Less distressed than Americans (ScienceDaily)
Bad Breath Troubles? (WebMD)
Relationship Rules
Revisiting the conventional wisdom about getting along.
[A]lthough a lot of modern relationship advice boils down to keeping positive, this isn’t always the best way to go. When things are dreamy, being positive is probably good advice. But this research suggests that rocky relationships can benefit from negative processes.
The Unfun of Parenting
New York looks at parents who hate parenting in All Joy and No Fun.
From the perspective of the species, it’s perfectly unmysterious why people have children. From the perspective of the individual, however, it’s more of a mystery than one might think…
Talk Therapy Psychiatrist
David Carlat talks to NPR about his book, Unhinged: The Trouble With Psychiatry. Article, audio, and excerpt all on the site.
“And this is a good therapist who I often work with. I recommend that you give her a call and set up an appointment. The medication works better when you are also seeing a counselor.”
She looked confused. “Aren’t you my therapist?”
Kids’ Chores
A longish article at WebMD about kids and chores–the what, when, and why.
“A child has to have some responsibilities. Then by the time they go off to college, you don’t have to have a three-hour lecture on the steps of the dormitory.”