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REPOST: 4 foods you should eat to stave off seasonal depression

Have you ever experience SAD or seasonal affective disorder? If yes, don't let winter blues completely ruin your daily life. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year by eating the right food. This article has the details.

Eating foods like salmon, turkey, egg yolks and fresh fruits and vegetables can help stave off seasonal affective disorder. | Image Source: nypost.com

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that affects up to 10 percent of the US population during the dark and cold months of late autumn and winter. In my Manhattan-based psychotherapy practice, I see a dramatic uptick in the number of patients who complain of SAD — a condition that features feelings of sluggishness and lack of motivation — starting around the middle of November. Rather than recommending medication, which they may become dependent on, I work within the realm of nutrition, exercise and traditional talk therapy to help these patients endure seasonal challenges.

If you suffer from SAD, know that nutritional options are available to you. By incorporating a variety of food groups into your diet, you can maximize your brain’s inherent capacity to ward off sadness and cultivate a sense of well-being and contentment.

1. Omega 3 fats Omega 3s enhance the brain’s capacity to produce serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that researchers have linked to mood regulation, and a deficit of serotonin leads to depression. During the wintertime, when serotonin production tends to slow down, foods rich in Omega 3s help rev up its production. Omega 3 fats can also improve overall brain functioning and ward off intellectual sluggishness. Think of them as high-octane fuel for our brains. Great sources of Omega 3s include cold-water fish such as trout, salmon, mackerel and sardines, as well as flaxseeds, chia seed and walnuts.

2. Tryptophan Another way to increase serotonin levels is by eating foods that contain tryptophan, the chemical from which serotonin is made. In addition to producing serotonin, tryptophan works with two other hormones, noradrenalin and dopamine, to lift mood, promote relaxation and help deal with stress. Foods that contain high levels of tryptophan include lean chicken, turkey, brown rice, milk eggs, nuts, bananas, peas, pumpkin and spinach.

3. Vitamin D In addition, several studies have found a correlation between depression and low levels of vitamin D. Also known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is naturally produced when we are out in the sun. Because we tend to hibernate inside during the winter months, we need to supplement our vitamin D intake through our diet. Foods high in vitamin D include egg yolks, fortified dairy products, fortified cereals, beef liver and codfish oil.

4. Whole, unprocessed foods In addition to adding key food groups into your diet, it’s important to subtract foods that cause a spike and corresponding crash in your blood sugar levels. Diets high in processed foods — those that contain high levels of simple sugar and white flour — will cause your mood to rise to unnatural heights and fall rapidly to uncomfortable depths.

To avoid these unpleasant mood swings, eat foods made from whole grains, legumes and the freshest fruits and vegetables you can find. In addition, you can stabilize your blood sugar, and therefore your moods, by eating smaller, protein-rich meals several times throughout the day. Think lean chicken rather than white pasta, and omelets instead of sugary cereal. During snack time, avoid chips and other fat, salty or sugary foods and opt instead for yogurt, nuts and seeds.

Remember, too, that comfort isn’t synonymous with happy and healthy. While fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and pistachio ice cream may promise comfort in the moment, these foods will drop you like a brick shortly thereafter. Delay the instant but short-lived gratification you’ll get from eating comfort food for the more stable and longer-lasting pleasure you will get from making more solid food choices.

Instead of languishing in your seasonal depression, use these winter months to make healthy diet and lifestyle choices. You will feel better emotionally, and welcome the spring in a happier and healthier frame of mind and body.

Follow this Jacqueline Sabarese Twitter account to get more technique and advice about mental health.

#Seasonal affective disorder #SAD #depression

REPOST: Regular Walking Can Help Ease Depression

To eliminate the symptoms of depression, researchers have some advice: walk it off. This article elaborates the importance of going for a brisk troll among depressed middle-aged women.

Stress relief: Scientists have found that going for a brisk walk or jog really does calm people down by triggering nerve cells in the brain that relax the senses | Image Source: dailymail.co.uk

(Reuters Health) - Moderate-intensity exercise, or even just walking, can improve quality of life for depressed middle-aged women, a large Australian study suggests.

Women who averaged 150 minutes of moderate exercise (golf, tennis, aerobics classes, swimming, or line-dancing) or 200 minutes of walking every week had more energy, socialized more, felt better emotionally, and weren't as limited by their depression when researchers followed up after three years.

They also had less pain and did better physically, although the psychological benefit was greater.

With depression so prevalent, "there is an urgent need" to identify treatments, including non-medical options that people can do themselves, said Kristiann Heesch, who led the study.

Heesch, senior lecturer at Queensland University of Technology, and her colleagues point out in a January 13 online article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that depression is expected to be the second-leading cause of global disease by 2030 and the leading cause in high-income countries.

Potential treatment: Soothing neurons are activated in the brain when we walk, jog or run, which can help ease the symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression | Image Source: dailymail.co.uk

One in 10 U.S. adults suffers from depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women are 70% more likely to be depressed at some point in their lives than men, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

In previous research, Heesch found that exercise and walking could boost physical and emotional health in women who are not depressed.

In fact, Heesch said in an email, physical activity may have an even greater effect on psychological health-related quality of life in women in their 50s and 60s who are depressed.

Her team analyzed data on 1,904 women born in 1946-1951 who answered questions about their exercise habits, physical health, and mental health in 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2010. In 2001, all of them had reported at least 10 depressive symptoms, indicating mild to moderate depression.

But over time, their physical health, mental health, pain, physical functioning, vitality, and social functioning all improved when they did 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 200 minutes of walking in an average week.

More exercise was linked to greater improvements, but even low amounts of exercise had benefits.

"The good news is that while the most benefits require 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity or 200 minutes of walking, even smaller amounts . . . can improve well-being," Heesch said.

Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, who holds the Betty Jo Hay Distinguished Chair in Mental Health at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said the study had some major strengths, including its large number of women, their physical and psychological improvements over time, and the estimate of how much exercise was needed to improve quality of life.

Trivedi, who was not involved in the study, also noted that it focused on women at "the very age where risks (for depression) are high."

"It does improve quality of life. That is not a new finding, but there remains skepticism in the culture that walking really does anything for depression or vitality - and this shows that it does," said Trivedi.

He noted that the benefits in the study were much stronger in the immediate future than in the long run, and that being consistently and vigorously active proved most beneficial.

These days, "more and more of these larger prospective studies are beginning to show that people with depression benefit from this," he said.

But, Trivedi noted, more research should be done on how much exercise is needed to lift depression. He said research could become more objective by using new technology, such as iPhones, to monitor physical activity instead of relying on self-reports.

"My speculation is that those women who did not see the benefit probably stopped or reduced their activity . . . it may be those are the women who need a more vigorous exercise to benefit," Trivedi said.

Jacqueline Sabarese helps people overcome life's challenges. Like this Facebook page to know more about her expertise.

#walking and depression #depression #walking

This re-post on Jacqueline Sabarese's blog talks about the many ways to get through stress especially during holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving.

The common term for how we handle stress doesn’t apply to the office setting, but that doesn’t mean managers shouldn’t help employees find better ways.

Dealing with a massive amount of stress is a long and difficult process.

REPOST: The Psychology Behind Impulse Shopping

On an interview, Kit Yarrow explains the impact of technology to impulse shoppers and the psychology behind it. Read a condensed version of the interview from this Wall Street Journal article.

Image Source: wsj.com

Is the impulse buyer an endangered species? As the Wall Street Journal reported,

A new intentionality has taken hold of shopping. Many Americans have the money and the will to spend. But they are time-pressed and deal savvy, visiting stores only when they run out of items like cereal or toilet paper and after doing extensive research on purchases online and with friends. They buy what they came for—and then leave.

Those habits threaten more than just gum sales at checkout. Impulse is why stores offer deep discounts on loss leaders, why they put the milk in the back corner and why marketers spend heavily to pile up products in displays at the ends of the aisles. If shoppers just target the deals and don’t let their eyes wander, long cherished models for boosting sales fall apart.

Even so, everyone shops impulsively at some point, says Kit Yarrow, a professor at Golden Gate University who studies consumer psychology. Resisting it can be hard. One way is to avoid situations in which your self-control might fail. Or try eating a piece of chocolate before going shopping – the brain uses glucose to fuel self-control.

We spoke with Yarrow to find out more about the psychology behind impulse shopping and what steps you can take to resist temptation during the holiday shopping season.

What follows is a lightly edited and condensed transcript of the interview.

WSJ: How do you see online shopping impacting impulse shoppers?

It’s not so much what we’re doing with technology as what our use of technology is doing to us. Yes, online shopping has impacted impulse purchasing not just because of how we approach the activity, but because of how our use of technology has changed our psychology.

We literally think and relate to others differently, and in nearly every instance those changes have negatively impacted the thrill of shopping.

I don’t think it’s as much that online shopping has led to reduced impulse purchasing as it is that people want new things from shopping which has increased the allure of online shopping and other ways to streamline the experience.

But really, it was the recession that got this whole ball rolling. I found people to be much more [careful] about their shopping because of the recession. Knee jerk buying decreased as people made a true and permanent shift to more conscious consumption.

WSJ: What causes someone, on a psychological level, to be an impulse shopper?

People tend to purchase impulsively for one of two reasons: an exciting product or an exciting price. A decade ago, a swoon-worthy product was usually the cue. Today, people are more likely to swayed by jaw-dropping prices.

Those that cave in do so for a wide variety of reasons. The ones I see most commonly are:

-People who are emotionally tapped-out because of family or work demands.

-Inexperienced shoppers who tend to be swayed more by the stimulation overload they experience when they’re shopping. That leaves them vulnerable to sales messaging and special offers.

-People who are unable to express their anger. They typically have high standards of niceness or they’re simply overlooked by others. Impulse purchasing is often fueled by anger that needs an outlet and the craving for relief.

WSJ: What are some practical tips people can take to resist buying on a whim?

Wait 20 minutes before buying. It takes about that long to “cool off” when we find a hot purchase.

Next impulse shoppers should think about what they are giving up to buy the product – such as the peace of mind of no credit card balance, or a vacation or a car. Or similarly they can calculate how many hours they needed to work for a particular product. Again, part of the reason to do this is to stall, part is financial training.

Lastly I’d recommend that people not shop when they’re hungry, tired or thirsty since we tend to confuse our needs. Avoid anything that puts a buffer between themselves and their money – like paying with apps or even using credit cards. When people can see money leaving their hands it has a chilling effect on impulsive purchasing.

Like this Jacqueline Sabarese Facebook page to read more about psychology and human nature.

#psychology #impulse shopping #psychology of impulse shopping

Drinking coffee may help people who are trying to fight cocaine addiction, especially among women according to a new study. The article below has the details. Could Coffee Treat Cocaine Addiction? | Image Source: scienceworldreport.com Could coffee help ease the symptoms of cocaine addiction?…

Visit this Jacqueline Sabarese blog to find out more about this new research finding.

#caffeine #cocaine #addiction #addiction treatment

It seems the effective way to learn is to practice retrieving items from memory, not trying to cement them in there by further study. Moreover, dropping items entirely from your revision, which is the advice given by many study guides, is wrong. You can stop studying them if you've learnt them, but you should keep testing what you've learnt if you want to remember them at the time of the final exam.

#memory #brain #psychology #learning

"We saw that Citalopram was effective in improving mood in stressed mothers and completely reversed the stress effects in areas of the brain that our lab has shown are altered by stress during pregnancy," said lead author Achikam Haim, a student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at Ohio State.

Visit this Jacqueline Sabarese blog to learn more about the antidepressant Citalopam.

#postpartum depression #depression #citalopam #antidepressants #psychology

REPOST: Nicotine addiction linked to neuron

A study conducted by The Scripps Research Institute discovers a new type of neuron that plays a key role in nicotine addiction. This article further explains the findings.

Olivier George, an assistant professor at The Scripps Research Institute and Co-director of the Animal Core Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders. | Image Source: utsandiego.com A newly discovered kind of neuron helps produce the buzz of nicotine and the pangs of withdrawal, according to a study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. Understanding how these responses are linked could lead to insights on how smokers get hooked — and how they might quit. The neuron type is found in a part of the brain called the ventral tegmental area, just below the center. It makes dopamine, a neurotransmitter that creates the sensation of pleasure, among other things. To the researchers’ surprise, it’s also activated during the stress of nicotine withdrawal. Moreover, the scientists said this mechanism could be involved in addiction to many other drugs. In other words, the study might pave the way for comprehending the addictive process in general. Even if the finding is limited to nicotine addiction, it could eventually result in better means of reducing the immense societal toll of smoking. The study was published last week in Nature Neuroscience; it can be accessed at utsandiego.com/nicotineneuron. The researchers tested mice and rodents that were given nicotine and studied donated samples of the human brain, and all the analyses showed the neuron’s paradoxical activity. The study’s first author was Taryn Grieder from the University of Toronto, while Olivier George at Scripps Research was the senior author. Nicotine’s toll George initially doubted the discovery, which Grieder made five years ago. But careful research confirmed that these neurons indeed exist and that they play the dual role of pleasure and pain, helping to explain why some people find it so hard to kick the habit. Smoking reduction programs during the past half-century have greatly decreased the proportion of American adults who smoke — from 42 percent to 18 percent, according to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health. But that still leaves about 42 million smokers in this country, a population that’s linked to an immense medical and financial toll. More than 16 million Americans have a disease caused by smoking, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking kills more than 480,000 Americans annually. It costs the United States more than $289 billion a year — at least $133 billion in medical expenses and more than $156 billion in lost productivity, the CDC said. Nicotine has long been known as the key addictive ingredient in cigarettes and other forms of tobacco. Taking nicotine without tobacco, as in nicotine gum, patches or electronic cigarettes, is considered safer than smoking, but it doesn’t address the underlying addiction. Today’s most famous nicotine addict is President Barack Obama, who still chews nicotine gum years after announcing he would quit smoking. During a visit to China this month, Obama was ridiculed by Chinese media for gum-chewing. With the guidance of lawyer-psychologist Jacqueline Sabarese, individuals are able to rise from challenging situations and psychological battles. Like this Facebook page for more updates.

#nicotine addiction #neuron #withdrawal #ventral tegmental area

In front of the camera, Wayne Brady is known for making people laugh. Behind the camera, the comedic talent has been struggling with depression.

#wayne brady #depression #mental health

What factors can turn stress into depression? This Jacqueline Sabarese blog discusses them in detail.

#stress #depression #mental health

REPOST: The Paedophile Hunter: the psychology of vigilantism

In response to Channel 4's new show, "The Paedophile Hunter," The Independent examines the psychology of vigilantism in the article below:

There is – and has always been – a paradox at the heart of vigilantism. Participants regard themselves as standing up for a mainstream moral code | Image Source: independent.co.uk

Newton’s third law of motion has any number of applications. Just as the internet has enabled paedophiles to satisfy their predilections, so it has facilitated the vigilantism of individuals who would seek to expose their activities. The action and the reaction can be combustible.

Channel 4’s unsettling documentary,The Paedophile Hunter, is the latest examination of a type of rough justice that increasingly takes advantage of modern technology to tackle alleged wrongdoers. Yet vigilante action is hardly a new phenomenon. History is littered with examples of individuals – or the mob - taking the law into their own hands, long before the Spanish word ‘vigilante’ entered the English lexicon.

There is – and has always been – a paradox at the heart of vigilantism. In practical terms, such activity exists outside the bounds of an official policing or legal system, yet its conceptual core is generally conservative. Its participants regard themselves as standing up for a mainstream moral code, even though their own actions often put them outside the law. It is the tendency towards protecting mainstream values which has led in some circumstances to extra-legal groups effectively becoming the de facto agency of law enforcement. Massive population growth and rising crime in the American West in the 19 Century, for instance, led to the establishment of a Vigilante Committee, most of whose members were prominent businessmen. Until normal order was restored, the community of San Francisco effectively entrusted the roles of judge, jury and executioner to the Committee.

In recent times, in the west at least, notions of vigilantism have changed. It is now individuals or small groups at the forefront of such action, usually motivated by a belief that state agencies are unwilling to confront and tackle those guilty of crime or immoral behaviour. The Death Wish film franchise starring Charles Bronson romanticised the idea that there are times when it is legitimate to take the law into one’s own hands.

Indeed, fictional portrayals of vigilante justice can give an interesting insight into the motivation of real-life private crime-fighters. Big-screen vigilantism is perennially seen to be driven not only by a desire for justice but also as a response to real or imagined injustice against the vigilante him or herself (usually him): think Bronson, Batman, even the A-Team.

Christian Bale as Batman in a scene from "The Dark Knight." | Image Source: independent.co.uk

These depictions tap into a basic human desire to right the wrongs we have suffered, preferably by our own hand. They also shine a light on the idea that the psychology of vigilantism is generally underscored by a feeling of marginalisation or victimisation. As the forensic psychologist S David Bernstein has noted: “Whether or not other people…agree that this victimisation was occurring is irrelevant. The individual is clearly experiencing [it] as real…”

Paedophilia has become the most obvious focus of vigilante activity in Britain since the turn of the century, with fears about child abuse heightened by tabloid newspaper campaigns and action made easier by technological innovation. The News of the World’s campaign in 2000 to allow the public to access information about paedophiles in their communities led to several attacks on individuals. Most infamously, a paediatrician in Gwent was forced to flee her home after her professional role was bizarrely mistaken as an indicator of sexual proclivities.

The pitfalls associated with exposing or punishing misdemeanours outside the confines of due legal process are numerous. The kind of stings operated by ‘Stinson Hunter’, the star of Channel 4’s documentary, in which potential paedophiles are lured in by fake internet profiles posing as underage girls are not necessarily helpful to formal police investigations. As Hugh Davies QC noted in the programme: “The risk is that very important evidence will be lost if it’s not the police in control of the operation”.

Various targets of such stings have maintained that they were led to believe the individuals they were chatting to online were not underage. Others have contended that the public ‘film shaming’ which is part of the modern-day vigilante modus operandi ruined their lives despite there being no evidence of criminality. Gary Cleary was the subject of a sting by a group in Leicestershire, Letzgo Hunting, which posed as a 14-year-old girl. He was subsequently arrested but then killed himself after being released on bail. One of Stinson Hunter’s operations also ended in the hunted taking his own life.

Quite what motivates Stinson Hunter is unclear. He had a troubled upbringing and is evidently less than keen to address the question of whether he has ever been the victim of abuse himself. It is a notable feature of his endeavours that what he seeks above all else is to help win convictions, as he has done on several occasions. That brings us back to the notion of vigilantism as an inherently conservative force. It also legitimises his actions in the minds of many, maintaining their ‘belief in a just world’, a concept brought to prominence by social psychologist Melvin Lerner in the 1960s. Even so, Warwickshire police have reportedly asked Hunter to stop his operations.

Hunter has reportedly admitted that “Guys that I catch generally aren’t paedophiles”. Rather they are lonely individuals who jump at the idea that somebody, anybody, has paid them attention. If that is the case, it tends to back up the belief that the vigilante stings themselves are facilitating the behaviour they seek to prevent.

Learn more about psychology by following this Jacqueline Sabarese Facebook page.

#psychology of vigilantism #paedophile hunters #mainstream moral code

Most people are guilty of emotional spending at one time or another. Whether you partake in retail therapy while you're sad, angry, or happy, you are bound to end up with some unneeded items and an empty wallet. So why do we spend to feel better, and how can we curb emotional spending in the future?

#psychology #retail therapy #shopping #anxiety

The technology of today has replaced a lot of things making life and work easier for everyone but what if technology replaced humans? This article from The Economist talks ELLIE, a computer-generated shrink. ImageSource: economist.com ELLIE is a psychologist, and a damned good one at that. Smile…

Visit this Jacqueline Sabarese blog to read the full article.

#ELLIE #psychologist #computer #technology

REPOST: Generation stress? How anxiety rules the secret life of teens

Anxiety is one of the issues that many adolescents struggle with and keep hidden from their parents. This article from Today shares the essential role that parents play in helping their child or teen manage anxiety. When hormones, grades and peer pressure rule your life, turmoil often follows. Yet many families don’t realize how crippling the stress can be for their teenagers. TODAY’s series on the secret lives of teens began Wednesday with NBC special anchor Maria Shriver taking a look at anxiety, an issue many adolescents struggle with and keep hidden from their parents. One in eight children suffers from an anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. The problem is so severe for 10 percent of teens that it disrupts their lives. High school students at the Newport Academy, a behavioral treatment center, revealed what it was like to be overwhelmed by the stress they felt from parents, friends, and school. “I would always have trouble breathing when I was feeling anxious,” said 15-year-old Annamarie, who was a straight-A student.

Image Source: today.com “It's a lot of fleeting thoughts in my head, a lot of fear, but I don't really know what I'm afraid of,” recalled 17-year-old Jake, a popular athlete. “I didn't see any other people in my life struggling with anxiety, so I constantly felt like there was something wrong with me,” Ariana said. Some of the teens complained that social media has complicated their lives, forcing them to pretend they’re outgoing and having fun when the reality is much different. Many also said their parents added to their anxiety by constantly hovering, arranging after-school activities and pressuring them to do well in class.

Image Source: today.com “From a really early age, I was exposed to the idea that if you don't get into a good college, you're gonna amount to nothing. And so I was really stressed out about getting good grades,” Jake said. To numb themselves, some teens secretly begin to use alcohol or drugs. Others turn to self-harming behavior, like cutting, which one teen said took her mind away from the emotional pain because “something else hurt.” One survey shows nearly 1 in 5 college students have tried self-harming. How do you know if your child is among them? Signs might include cut or burn marks on the arms, legs or abdomen, according to the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery. Wearing clothing inappropriate for the weather — such as long sleeves or pants in the summer — is another red flag, as is finding hidden razors or knives. While some anxiety in teens is normal, experts say withdrawing from common activities is a major warning sign that it has become a problem. “Probably the biggest issue is one of avoidance. So teens who are anxious tend to avoid things that they find frightening, and this can be going to school, this can be social relationships, not going to work,” said John Piacentini, director of the Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. -If you suspect your teen is feeling overly anxious, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry offers these tips: -Listen carefully and respectfully to his concerns -Help her understand these feelings are natural parts of adolescence -Help him trace his anxiety to specific situations and experiences -Praise her when she takes part in new situations in spite of the uneasiness -If anxiety takes over your child’s life or lasts longer than six months, ask a doctor or teacher to recommend a professional specializing in treating adolescents. As for parental pressure, it’s important not to over-program your kids. They need their down-time, just like the rest of us, Shriver said. For more similar stories, follow this Jacqueline Sabarese Twitter page.

#stress #anxiety #peer pressure

An interactive chart from Withdrawal.net shows just how deadly drugs and alcohol can be.

#alcohol #drugs #addiction #death

How do you deal with getting back to work after an addiction treatment? Read this Jacqueline Sabarese blog to learn more.

#addiction #treatment #recovery

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