Expecting parents have growing concerns over Tylenol’s recent connection to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with numerous findings reporting pregnant women’s use of Tylenol may be linked to the onset of ADHD in their school aged children. Now even children’s Tylenol presents a risk to children’s cognitive development and behaviors. With so much untapped neuronal connectivity, the child’s brain is susceptible to environmental conditions that could drastically alter and impact the child’s development and health well into adulthood.
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March 20, 2015
by Eric Ellis, Psy.D.
We know that the mind-body connection exists because we can feel it. Tense shoulders? Stress. Butterflies? Nerves. But how do the mind and body talk to each other? Do they even speak the same language? What happens if our nervous system—the same as our caveman ancestors—misinterprets its cues? In this video, learn why fighting morning traffic can feel like fighting a lion or why a work presentation can feel like life or death.
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Rehoming. Disruption. Dissolution. These terms have been tossed around flippantly, often used interchangeably, in the news lately. However, they each encompass very different meanings and have different implications in the world of adoption. This month, Arkansas State Representative Justin Harris and his wife Marsha continually made headlines for rehoming their two adopted daughters to a friend they knew for years. This ‘friend’ eventually raped one of the girls (Arkansas State Representative, 2015).
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There are many challenges facing the care of persons with mental illness. Most people who have been diagnosed face stigma from multiple directions, such as society, friends, family and health care practitioners and face obstacles to the best course of treatment depending on the philosophies of their healthcare provider. Historically, the medical model approach in Western culture continues to attempt to address only the physiological aspects of mental illness without taking into account the individual’s needs.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s March 3 speech to a joint session of Congress was hailed by the Republicans as a stirring appeal for the United States to stand tough against foolish nuclear negotiations with Iran. Even more satisfying to them was the insult to President Obama delivered by House Speaker John Boehner, who broke protocol by not consulting the President before issuing the invitation in the first place.
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March 17, 2015
by Mary Horn, Psy.D.
American youth are growing up in a society where competition and the pressure that comes with it, begin at the very beginning of their life experiences. It is not uncommon for parents to go to classes, read books, do research, and gather as much information as they can about parenting. Well-meaning parents want the best for their children. There are programs for babies to read, infants to swim, even sports that begin in toddlerhood. Often, parents will pick homes in good school districts so they can ensure a good education for their children.
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March 16, 2015
by Grace Bell, MA, CC
The world is all abuzz about 50 Shades of Gray, the trilogy and now, the movie. Whether you’re interested in seeing the movie, or not, it’s raised many questions under the broad umbrella of human sexuality. These questions have lived long-term in society around sexuality, attraction, chemistry, conventional boundaries, and what one is taught is right or wrong when it comes to relating sexually with another.
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For most of us, meeting with misfortune and struggle is a part of life. In fact, surviving adversity is often viewed as beneficial and necessary. According to one Danish Proverb: “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man be perfected without trials.” When a person survives life’s difficulties and demonstrates the ability to withstand all of the stress that goes along with it, he or she is described as “resilient”. The Oxford Dictionary defines resilience as “The ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape.”
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When stress levels are high empathy tends to be very low. This is especially true in the most intimate relationships. Stress shows up in an intimate relationship when partners begin to doubt each other. Central to the doubt is the uncertainty of really knowing the partner. The common belief is the partner has changed or is somebody different than who they presented themselves to be. These beliefs create an image of the partner as a stranger. Seeing the partner as a stranger heightens stress and blocks empathy. Blocking empathy prevents empathic communication from happening.
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At first blush, the impact of a celebrity’s death on the individual would seem rather far removed. Upon closer examination, however, classic stages of grief may be recognized. Although duration and severity may be noted to be shorter and more limited, it can reasonably be expected that the degree to which grief is experienced can directly correspond to the degree to which the individual relates to the given celebrity and his or her characters.
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