Anxiety + Original Articles

The Food Cure: Prebiotics to Ax Anxiety?

Can these healthy ingredients ease your anxiety? It’s known that healthy gut bacteria promote good physical health, but the idea that prebiotics, non-digestible ingredients in certain foods that increase the activity of "good" bacteria in the stomach, could be good for your mental health is more novel.

How Good and Bad Events Can Trigger Depression

For some, even positive life changes can bring on bouts of severe anxiety or depression. But there is good news. It's not unusual to experience both depression and anxiety following some types of trauma or significant life change. And the change doesn't have to be negative such as job loss. Positive events—like having a child or moving to a bigger home—can be stressful and bring on anxiety and bad feelings, too.

Afraid of Needles? Ultra-Thin Options May Remove Fear Factor

Get the skinny on the ultra-thin needles that are taking the pain, and the fear, out of injections and blood draws. An estimated 10 percent of the population suffers from belonephobia, a fear of needles. And it's probably safe to say that a much larger percentage simply doesn't like them. The reasons are pretty simple—needles can be an unpleasant experience.

Caffeine: The Good, The Bad And The Unhealthy

Many of us start our day with a cup, but when we start relying on coffee to feel awake and energized, we're addicted to the caffeine it contains. Ahhh coffee. The aroma, the taste, the boost. Many of us start our day with a cup, but when we start relying on coffee to feel awake and energized, it's a sign we're addicted to the caffeine it contains. Caffeine Effects Caffeine acts as a stimulant on your central nervous system.

Establishing a Routine to Better Manage Bipolar Disorder

Sticking to a regular routine can help balance the ups and downs of bipolar disorder, but for some, establishing a routine can be a major challenge. There's nothing routine about having bipolar disorder. Also commonly referred to as manic depression, this is a psychiatric disorder that causes serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior, explains Alicia R. Camlibel, PhD, LPC, a psychotherapist in Liberty Corner, New Jersey.

America s Mental Health Crisis

Not only is access to mental health care declining, a new study finds the majority of psychiatrists don t accept health insurance. "My colleagues and I were hearing a lot of stories from patients who wanted mental health care but were unable to find a psychiatrist willing to take their insurance, so we decided to look into the problem," explains Tara Bishop, MD, an assistant professor of public health and an assistant attending physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Too Much Stress May Cause This Digestive Ailment

Stress can magnify minor health problems. Get acquainted with the tools you'll need to combat a certain bothersome stomach condition. A bad case of diarrhea can make you feel pretty stressed. But could stress also be at the root of your symptoms? It can be difficult for people to tell which comes first—stress or diarrhea—since the two problems often co-exist. The Scope of the Problem Diarrhea is a common problem that leads to approximately 450,000 hospital admissions each year, according to Alberto Barroso, MD, a gastroenterologist at Houston Methodist Hospital.

6 Ways to Ax Anxiety

Make "keep calm and carry on" your new motto. Take our advice for worrywarts. You may feel lightheaded, slightly nauseous, and simply unwell. Your thoughts may be racing, yet you aren't having a panic attack or difficulty breathing. If these symptoms sound like how you occasionally feel, "mild anxiety" may be your problem. "Many, many people have the condition," says Lisa Rene Reynolds, PhD, author of Parenting Through Divorce: Helping Your Kids Thrive During and After the Split.

How to Cope With Trauma

It's not only life-threatening incidents that can lead to persistent feelings of helplessness, depression, grief, or extreme anxiety. Learn more about how to move through trauma. A serious car accident; the death of a family member; a natural disaster or an act of terrorism are all traumatic events. But sometimes more commonplace experiences, such as getting lost as a child or having surgery, can have just as strong of an impact on your psyche.

Meditation's Effect on Depression

Depressed? Adding meditation to your treatment plan may help. Here's why. The latest research reveals that when mindfulness meditation is used in conjunction with psychotherapy and medication, it can be an effective technique to manage depression. As the name implies, mindfulness meditation involves becoming aware of the moment without judging the experience—just accepting it for what it is, explains Linda Wasmer Andrews, MS, author of several books about depression and meditation.
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