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Anxiety, Birth control, Contraception, Crohn’s, Crohn’s disease, Depression, Digestive disorders, Digestive health, Ibd, Inflammatory bowel disease, Medical tests, Relationships, Reproductive health, Self-Care, Sex, Sex & relationships
How Inflammatory Bowel Disease Affects Relationships, Sexual Health and Fertility
Read More: How Inflammatory Bowel Disease Affects Relationships, Sexual Health and FertilityMedically reviewed by Dr. Heather Bartos. Relationships are hard. Forming a close connection with another person while navigating choices around dating, sex and family planning can be tough for anyone. But add inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) into the mix, and things get extra complicated. Characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, IBD is an…
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Can a Blood Test Diagnose Depression?
Read More: Can a Blood Test Diagnose Depression?More than 264 million people suffer from depression globally, and many never receive treatment. For those who have access to mental health care, treating depression and mood disorders can often feel like a guessing game with doctors and patients cycling through different medications in hopes of finding what works. “Mental health is not like other…
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Abuse, Anxiety, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Depression, Domestic violence, Health disparities, mental health, Pandemic, Relationships, Research
Domestic Violence Calls for Help Increased During the Pandemic – but the Answers Haven’t Gotten Any Easier
Read More: Domestic Violence Calls for Help Increased During the Pandemic – but the Answers Haven’t Gotten Any EasierBy Tara N. Richards, University of Nebraska Omaha and Justin Nix, University of Nebraska Omaha Domestic violence rose globally in 2020 – so much so that doctors have called it “a pandemic within a pandemic.” The National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, a team of national experts tasked with assessing the impact of COVID-19…
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Anxious About Going out into the World? You’re Not Alone, but There’s Help
Read More: Anxious About Going out into the World? You’re Not Alone, but There’s HelpBy Claudia Finkelstein, Michigan State University It’s the moment we thought we were all waiting for…or is it? We were cautiously optimistic about the end of the pandemic in view of increasing vaccine availability and decreasing case numbers after the peak in January. Then, whether due to variants, pandemic fatigue or both, cases and case…
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Adolescent, Anxiety, caregiving, Childcare, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Healthy home, mental health, Parenting, Parenting teens, Stress
Here’s How to Help Your Kids Break out of Their Pandemic Bubble and Transition Back to Being With Others
Read More: Here’s How to Help Your Kids Break out of Their Pandemic Bubble and Transition Back to Being With OthersBy Dominique A. Phillips, University of Miami and Jill Ehrenreich-May, University of Miami Pilar’s parents took all the recommended precautions to shield her from the dangers of COVID-19. They stayed at home, away from family, friends and group activities. Pilar had remained in virtual schooling throughout the pandemic as a first and then second grader.…
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Anxiety, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Diet nutrition, Healthy Eating, Pandemic, Research, sleep, Stress, Weight Loss
Unwanted Weight Gain or Weight Loss During the Pandemic? Blame Your Stress Hormones
Read More: Unwanted Weight Gain or Weight Loss During the Pandemic? Blame Your Stress HormonesBy Lina Begdache, Binghamton University, State University of New York If you have experienced unwanted weight gain or weight loss during the pandemic, you are not alone. According to a poll by the American Psychological Association, 61% of U.S. adults reported undesired weight change since the pandemic began. The results, released in March 2021, showed…
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Women Frequently Experience Sexual Harassment at Work, yet Few Claims Ever Reach a Courtroom
Read More: Women Frequently Experience Sexual Harassment at Work, yet Few Claims Ever Reach a CourtroomBy Joseph A. Seiner, University of South Carolina Sexual harassment allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, including at least three from current or former aides, are a reminder of just how commonplace unwanted touching, propositioning and other inappropriate behavior is in the workplace. My recent research explores the prevalence of toxic work environments –…
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Anxiety, Chronic conditions, Depression, mental health, Self-Care, Stress, Veteran’s health & wellness
Service Dogs Can Help Veterans With PTSD – Growing Evidence Shows They May Reduce Anxiety in Practical Ways
Read More: Service Dogs Can Help Veterans With PTSD – Growing Evidence Shows They May Reduce Anxiety in Practical WaysBy Leanne Nieforth, Purdue University and Marguerite E. O’Haire, Purdue University As many as 1 in 5 of the roughly 2.7 million Americans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD, a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening traumatic event, is a complex…
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Access, Affordability, Anxiety, Chronic conditions, chronic pain, Depression, Endometriosis, Health disparities, Medication safety, Opioid use disorder, Pain, Pain management, Policy, Prescription drugs
For Millions of Americans Enduring Chronic Pain, Support Is Overdue
Read More: For Millions of Americans Enduring Chronic Pain, Support Is OverdueCindy Steinberg was seriously injured in an accident 20 years ago, but she still lives with pain every day. “I didn’t know there was such a thing as living in pain all the time,” she said. When Steinberg had to stop working because of her pain, she started an informal pain support group at a…
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US Has a Long History of Violence Against Asian Women
Read More: US Has a Long History of Violence Against Asian WomenBy Karen Leong, Arizona State University and Karen Kuo, Arizona State University Asian American women understand that the alleged murderer of eight people in Atlanta was acting in keeping with a culture filled with racialized and sexualized views of Asian women. Of the people murdered, four women were of Korean descent and two of Chinese…
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The Exercise Pill: How Exercise Keeps Your Brain Healthy and Protects It Against Depression and Anxiety
Read More: The Exercise Pill: How Exercise Keeps Your Brain Healthy and Protects It Against Depression and AnxietyBy Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University As with many other physicians, recommending physical activity to patients was just a doctor chore for me – until a few years ago. That was because I myself was not very active. Over the years, as I picked up boxing and became more active, I got firsthand experience of…
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Suffering in Silence: Middle-Aged Women and Eating Disorders
Read More: Suffering in Silence: Middle-Aged Women and Eating DisordersFebruary 22-28, 2021 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. When you think of eating disorders, you probably think of young, white, teenage girls. But women in midlife struggle with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, too. In fact, 13% of women over 50 experience symptoms of an eating disorder. We…
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Anxiety, Body image, Depression, Eating disorders, mental health, Obesity, Real women real stories, Self-Care
I Had An Eating Disorder for 20 Years Before I Knew Anything Was Wrong
Read More: I Had An Eating Disorder for 20 Years Before I Knew Anything Was WrongAs told to Alex Fulton February 22-28, 2021 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. My eating disorder started when I was 12. I was sitting in the kitchen eating some chips when my father came in and looked at me. “You’re getting chubby,” he said. Then he turned to my mom. “You need to watch…
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Women of Color Spend More Than $8 Billion on Bleaching Creams Worldwide Every Year
Read More: Women of Color Spend More Than $8 Billion on Bleaching Creams Worldwide Every YearBy Ronald Hall, Michigan State University The idealization of light skin as the pinnacle of beauty affects self-esteem for women of color around the world. In many cultures, skin color is a social benchmark that is often used by people of color and whites alike in lieu of race. Attractiveness, marriageability, career opportunities and socioeconomic…
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Breaking it Down
Read More: Breaking it DownJanuary was an exciting month for actress Mayim Bialik. Known for “The Big Bang Theory” (TBBT) and “Blossom,” Bialik stars in “Call Me Kat,” which premiered on Fox on January 3. In the second week of January, Bialik also premiered her podcast, “Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown,” which focuses on mental health. In addition to being an…
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Domestic Violence Hurts People With Disabilities, Too
Read More: Domestic Violence Hurts People With Disabilities, TooSince 2015, Shannon, a 40-year-old New York native, has lived in a domestic violence shelter for people with disabilities: Barrier Free Living (BFL), which has services in Manhattan and the Bronx. BFL is one of the few programs nationwide dedicated exclusively to serving survivors of domestic violence with disabilities. Her real name will not be…
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How to Help Dogs and Cats Manage Separation Anxiety When Their Humans Return to Work
Read More: How to Help Dogs and Cats Manage Separation Anxiety When Their Humans Return to WorkBy Lori M. Teller, Texas A&M University When one of my co-workers found out about a tiny, orphaned kitten that needed a home a few months ago, he didn’t hesitate to adopt it. He says his new companion helped make the months of COVID-19 isolation at home much less stressful. He is not alone. Animal…
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One Year on, Muslim Women Reflect on Wearing the Niqab in a Mask-wearing World
Read More: One Year on, Muslim Women Reflect on Wearing the Niqab in a Mask-wearing WorldBy Anna Piela, Northwestern University One year into the pandemic, protective face masks have come to signify different things for different groups of people. To some it’s an issue of protest, while for some others it’s a statement of social responsibility. Some people have even turned it into a style statement and are willing to…
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No, You Are Not Addicted to Your Digital Device, But You May Have a Habit You Want to Break
Read More: No, You Are Not Addicted to Your Digital Device, But You May Have a Habit You Want to BreakBy Ian A. Anderson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Wendy Wood, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Imagine that you’re a typical middle school student having dinner with your family. Your mother takes your smartphone away and puts it in a lock-box that won’t open for an hour. Would…
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Anxiety, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Depression, Energy, Fatigue, mental health, Self-Care, sleep, Stress
5 Ways to Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder
Read More: 5 Ways to Cope With Seasonal Affective DisorderI dread daylight saving time. Each year when that November weekend approaches, I brace for the return of my seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that typically recurs each fall and lasts through the winter (a smaller percentage of people have SAD symptoms during the summer). I am part of the estimated 0.5%…
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Older Women Get Stalked, Too
Read More: Older Women Get Stalked, TooJanuary is National Stalking Awareness Month. “I can see you.” That’s the text Grace Alexander remembers most — because it was chilling. The words that followed complimented the pink floral top she was wearing as she bowled with her family. This message from her ex-husband was just one of many, along with phone calls filled…
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COVID-19 and Social Isolation This Winter: The Perfect Storm
Read More: COVID-19 and Social Isolation This Winter: The Perfect StormLast night I dreamed that I was trapped inside a strange house. I ran down coiled staircases through shadowy hallways, past room after room with locked doors or frozen-shut windows. There was no escape. I woke up in a panic, anxiety from the dream still thrumming in my chest. Reflexively, I checked my phone for…
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Unwrapping Depression for the Holidays
Read More: Unwrapping Depression for the HolidaysFor nearly 20 years, Kristy dealt with untreated depression on her own. She thought she could ignore her feelings. She pushed through — even during her first divorce, when she began to wonder whether her family would be better off without her. It was only after her retirement 15 years later, when she struggled with…
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Anxiety, Depression, Medication safety, mental health, Prescrption drugs, Self-Care, sleep, Stress, Substance abuse
New Antidepressants Can Lift Depression and Suicidal Thoughts Fast, but Don’t Expect Magic Cures
Read More: New Antidepressants Can Lift Depression and Suicidal Thoughts Fast, but Don’t Expect Magic CuresBy Nicholas Mischel, Wayne State University Depression is the most common cause of disability in the world. Chances are high that you or someone you know will experience a period when depression gets in the way of work, social life or family life. Nearly two in three people with depression will experience severe effects. As…
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Anxiety, Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, chronic pain, mental health, Pain, Pain management, Real women real stories, Self-Care
Chronic Pain Drove Me to Despair, but Cancer Taught Me to Heal
Read More: Chronic Pain Drove Me to Despair, but Cancer Taught Me to HealAs told to Diana Whitney Looking back, I had the perfect life. At 21, I was an accomplished ballerina, singer and actor — the triple threat. Then one day in ballet class, I tore my hamstring. I’d always worked through pain before, but this pain was different. I could no longer dance ballet six hours…
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How I Confronted My Fear of Death
Read More: How I Confronted My Fear of DeathIf I have a problem, any problem, some part of my brain strongly suggests leaving the country. I’m from England, which would fit into Texas five times with space leftover, so it’s not much of a feat. Daunted after graduating? Move to Mexico for two years. Friends outstayed their welcome on New Year’s Eve? God…
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Amid COVID and Racial Unrest, Black Churches Put Faith in Mental Health Care
Read More: Amid COVID and Racial Unrest, Black Churches Put Faith in Mental Health CareBy Aneri Pattani, Kaiser Health News Wilma Mayfield used to visit a senior center in Durham, North Carolina, four days a week and attend Lincoln Memorial Baptist Church on Sundays, a ritual she’s maintained for nearly half a century. But over the past 10 months, she’s seen only the inside of her home, the grocery…
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Meghan Markle and Me
Read More: Meghan Markle and MeI never imagined having anything in common with a royal, but with Meghan Markle’s announcement that she’d suffered a miscarriage this past summer, there it was. While it’s been two decades since I experienced three miscarriages, I felt an instant connection to Markle’s pain, loss and isolation. It’s that isolation — the solitary mourning Markle…
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Laughing Is Good For Your Mind and Your Body – Here’s What the Research Shows
Read More: Laughing Is Good For Your Mind and Your Body – Here’s What the Research ShowsBy Janet M. Gibson, Grinnell College Amusement and pleasant surprises – and the laughter they can trigger – add texture to the fabric of daily life. Those giggles and guffaws can seem like just silly throwaways. But laughter, in response to funny events, actually takes a lot of work, because it activates many areas of…
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Long-Term Care Workers, Grieving and Under Siege, Brace for COVID’s Next Round
Read More: Long-Term Care Workers, Grieving and Under Siege, Brace for COVID’s Next RoundBy Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News In the middle of the night, Stefania Silvestri lies in bed remembering her elderly patients’ cries. “Help me.” “Please don’t leave me.” “I need my family.” Months of caring for older adults in a Rhode Island nursing home ravaged by COVID-19 have taken a steep toll on Silvestri, 37,…
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How to Have a Safe and Chill Thanksgiving
Read More: How to Have a Safe and Chill ThanksgivingBefore COVID-19 cases started to rise over the summer, Leslie and her husband, David* were planning to visit his family on the West Coast for Thanksgiving. Now, with the United States experiencing a third wave of infections, they decided not to make the trip, even though it’s been over a year since they’ve seen his…
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Feeling Disoriented by the Election, Pandemic and Everything Else? It’s Called ‘zozobra,’ and Mexican Philosophers Have Some Advice
Read More: Feeling Disoriented by the Election, Pandemic and Everything Else? It’s Called ‘zozobra,’ and Mexican Philosophers Have Some AdviceBy Francisco Gallegos, Wake Forest University and Carlos Alberto Sánchez, San José State University Ever had the feeling that you can’t make sense of what’s happening? One moment everything seems normal, then suddenly the frame shifts to reveal a world on fire, struggling with pandemic, recession, climate change and political upheaval. That’s “zozobra,” the peculiar…
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Perimenopause Is Like the Weather: It Can Be Terrible, but It Will Pass
Read More: Perimenopause Is Like the Weather: It Can Be Terrible, but It Will PassThe trickle arrives at 11 a.m. A plum-colored stain on the toilet paper. A scarlet plume that heralds the end of my melancholic misery. “It came! It came!” I rush to the door and call down the hall to my husband, who is doing the dishes. “Congratulations!” he calls back, and I feel a surge…
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If You Live with Domestic Violence, Home May Be the Last Place that Feels Safe During COVID-19
Read More: If You Live with Domestic Violence, Home May Be the Last Place that Feels Safe During COVID-19COVID-19 has forced millions of Americans to practice social distancing and work or learn remotely from home. Unfortunately, for many who live with domestic violence, home is the last place that feels safe, as abusers often isolate their victims from friends, family and coworkers as a control tactic. Stacey*, a stay-at-home mom, didn’t realize the…
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How to Get Ready for Menopause
Read More: How to Get Ready for MenopauseAs Molly struggled to get rid of the extra weight around her midsection, she began to wish she had prepared better for menopause. “I didn’t realize how much my metabolism would slow down, and I would have to watch my weight more. It really stressed me out,” said Molly, 59. Molly is far from alone.…
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3 Ways to Get Your Point Across While Wearing a Mask – Tips From An Award-winning Speech Coach
Read More: 3 Ways to Get Your Point Across While Wearing a Mask – Tips From An Award-winning Speech CoachBy Cheryl Chambers, Mississippi State University You wear your mask, keep six feet between yourself and others and are committed to safety. But the measures that help minimize your risk of COVID-19 can also have an impact on your interactions with others. As you stroll the aisle of a supermarket, you approach someone who looks…
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Anxiety, Behealthiher, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Depression, Energy, Fatigue, mental health, Self-Care, sleep, Stress
How to Cope With 2020 Burnout
Read More: How to Cope With 2020 BurnoutOn a recent Houseparty call with my three best friends, I burst into tears. “I’m stressed about everything,” I sobbed, surprising myself. “I think I’m going COVID crazy.” Our calls are usually a hoot, but we were all feeling spent. Jessi’s husband had had heart surgery, and no one could visit him because of COVID-19…
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Helicopter Parenting Is Hurting Our Kids
Read More: Helicopter Parenting Is Hurting Our KidsLast summer, Alex Silverman’s 16-year-old son Julian went off with a couple of camp friends to travel around Europe — without his parents. “Julian could be the most prepared 16-year-old I know,” said Alex, a native New Yorker. I’ll have to agree with Alex. Julian sounds incredibly independent for a young person, especially in these…
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Anxiety, Depression, Estrogen, healthy aging, Hormones, Menopause, mental health, Perimenopause, Stress
Dealing With Rage During the Perimenopause Transition and Beyond
Read More: Dealing With Rage During the Perimenopause Transition and BeyondThe rage hit Juliet Doherty like a train. At 48 years old, Doherty had been in perimenopause for two years, living with daily headaches, sore breasts and irregular periods. But it had been manageable. “Naively, I believed that if that was all it was, I would be fine,” Doherty said. That suddenly changed when she…
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Anxiety, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Labor & delivery, mental health, Newborn, Pregnancy, Pregnancy & parenting, Stress
Pregnancy During a Pandemic: the Stress of COVID-19 on Pregnant Women and New Mothers Is Showing
Read More: Pregnancy During a Pandemic: the Stress of COVID-19 on Pregnant Women and New Mothers Is ShowingBy Jennifer C. Ablow, University of Oregon and Elinor Sullivan, Oregon Health & Science University Pregnancy is stressful, to say the least, but COVID-19 brings new challenges to parents of newborns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified pregnant women as a vulnerable population. If infected, they are more likely to be hospitalized…
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I Was Diagnosed With Adult ADHD. Here’s What I Learned
Read More: I Was Diagnosed With Adult ADHD. Here’s What I LearnedI was 21 years old when I finally discovered why I’d managed to do well in school and get into a good college but cried all the time in math class and never remembered where I left my shoes. I’d spent most of my life trying to “get it together,” always with the best intentions.…
