The Face of Mental Illness

Hi Everyone!

Which of the following, if any, would you guess is mentally ill?

The Answer?

Could be any one, all of the above or even none of the above and that is the point!

Glenn Close has an article "Mental Illness: The Stigma of Silence" in which she discusses this very point. She discusses from personal experience from having family members who are mentally ill and compares the perception society has from distorted views from media, in particular roles she has even played in Fatal Attraction and other movies. We tend to have an image that someone who is mentally ill is suppose to look like the following picture when this is rarely the case. We think of them as different, a monster or NOT LIKE YOU or your loved ones. Hmmm!

Glenn Close & others are now trying to change this image through an organization called Bring Change 2 Mind. Watch the video below & then there are more on the site!

The Happiest Place on Earth!

Hi Everyone!

When is the last time you were so happy you actually jumped for Joy?! :-)

In Intro we discuss what the research finds makes people happy and what people think will make them happy but really doesn't.

Where do you think the Happiest place on earth is? Nope not Disney! :-)

Oprah's show today looks at Happiness around the world. The show highlights Denmark, which is found as the happiest place on earth. Are you wondering why they were chosen? What is so special about them? Well what if we didn't have poverty, homeless and unemployment? What if we lost our job & the government paid 90% of our salary for four years? What if we got 12 months PAID maternity leave? Free college? Yes, I'm also thinking I could be happy there! :-) Take a look at the link & read more about Denmark & some other countries who are higher than America. Where are we? 23rd! Hmmm...

Come On, Get Happy!

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! :-) I can still remember my friend saying she could not stay out to play anymore because The Partridge Family was going to be on tv. I had not heard of it. I went inside myself to watch & instantly fell in love with David Cassidy. Well, he was the Zac Efron of the time! :-) I was 5 years old when the show began.

Scientific American Mind has an article by Melinda Wenner entitled, "Smile! It Could Make You Happier". This article basically discusses the Facial Feedback Hypothesis we discuss in Intro Psych. It discusses how those who can't frown, due to Botox treatments, are on average happier and those who do frown experience pain more intensely. They may try to inhibit frowning for those in pain to see if it helps relieve a person's pain. Some researchers have shown though if we do not express our negative feelings, they actually "leak" into other areas. Take a look at the article & SMILE! :-)

APA: Changing Sexual Orientation

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to update you on the recent APA vote stating mental health professionals should not tell homosexual clients that they can change their sexual orientation through treatment. The vote was 125-4. A task force did not find any evidence that it is possible after looking at 83 studies conducted from 1960 on. This was of particular concern when adolescents were being forced into therapy. You can read about this in more detail if you like at the links below:

Psychologists Repudiate Gay-To-Straight Therapy by David Crary Aug. 5th

Insufficient Evidence That Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Work, Says APA

How Many Zzzz Do You Need?

Are you getting enough sleep lately? Many people do not. Wouldn't you like to be able to function effectively on less hours of sleep? There are a few people who can. Scientific American has an article "Rare Genetic Mutation Lets Some People Function With Less Sleep" by Katharine Harmon. In this article they describe the mutation of the DEC2 gene which allows one function perfectly healthy with only 6 hours of sleep.

Preventing Alzheimers

Hi Everyone!

In class we talk about a number of variables concerning Wellness & Stress - nutrition, exercise, blood pressure etc. In Scientific American Mind Jonah Lehrer interviews Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy in "Can Alzheimer's Be Cured?" and interestingly enough these variables are precisely the ones we all need to keep in check to keep our brains healthy prevent Alzheimers & slow its progression.

Take 2 Laughs & Call Me In The Morning!

Hi Everyone!

Do you like to laugh? Like making people laugh? Well keep on laughing! An article in Scientific American Mind called "How Humor Makes You Friendlier, Sexier" by Steve Ayan, describes the benefits on well-being from laughter & humor. It also states that women find men who have a sense of humor sexier!

Got Road Rage?

Hi Everyone!


Have you ever experienced Road Rage? Have you be a victim of it? Well you are not alone! Scientific American Mind is reporting about 90% of us are. An article by Hal Arkowitz and Scott Lilienfeld called "How To Fight Road Rage" they state that younger drivers and males tend to be more prone to road rage. The article mentions a number of variables seem to be related to whether one will display aggression to other drivers and some types of therapy which have been found to be successful.

Mirror, Mirror in the Brain

In Intro our text discusses Mirror Neurons. Daniel Lametti has an article in the June Scientific American Mind called "Mirroring Behavior" which explains how this research began over an ice cream cone and explains how the findings may help us understand behaviors we observe in others and why others, like those who are Autistic may not have this ability.

It's The Cookies!

Hi Everyone!

In Intro we explore Animal Intelligence, from Chimpanzees doing arithmatic, crows and Chimpanzees using tools to Dolphins understanding Semantically Reversible Sentences. Scientific American has a short piece by Tina Adler called Fact or Fiction: Dogs Can Talk (vs communicate). The article also mentions the research with Rico, the border collie, who learned the names for 200 objects.

Decoding Emotions & BPD

Hi Everyone!

April's issue of Scientific American Mind discusses the "Roots of Problem Personalities." Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg reports the research which suggests those diagnosed with Borderline Personality have difficulty decoding emotions, in particular trust. This difficulty decoding emotions leads to their impulsivity and negative emotions. Research has also found a particular area in the brain which seems to play a role for this lack of decoding ability.

It's Just Space

Hi Everyone!

If you had a choice, which of the above environments would you prefer to work in? Did you pick the 2nd? Look at the the corners, the colors, the lighting, generally the warmth for each. Do you think this would make a difference in your mood and productivity?

Well, even Jonas Salk apparently felt the environment you work in can make an influence on how productive you are. Salk had architects design his institute in a way which would be more conducive to discoverying solutions.

In April's edition of Scientific American Mind, Emily Anthes article "How Room Designs Affect Your Work and Mood" explains research has found the design of a room can affect how we think, what we focus on, our patterns of sleep, student success, emotions such as relaxation, anxiety, aggression, depression and psychosis, and how we interact with others.

Think about the rooms you spend the most time in. Is there anything you can do to make it more beneficial to your mood and productivity?

Curing Homosexuality?

Hi Everyone!

The April issue of Scientific American has an article entitled "Can Psychiatrists Really "Cure" Homosexuality?" by Thomas Maier. The article suggests that Masters' & Johnson fabricated their Conversion Therapy Cases. Many of those who worked with Masters & Johnson do not recall any conversion cases being worked on.

It's A Full Moon!

Hi Everyone!

Do you believe a full moon makes people behave abnormally? A short article from February's issue of Scientific American Mind called "Luancy and the Full Moon" by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz state some research which found 45% of college students do believe this. In the article they also discuss how this idea got started and what the research actually has found. Take a look, there was just a full moon on the 11th! :-)

Choked!

Hi Everyone!

Have you ever choked under pressure? Maybe it was the speech you had to make? Perhaps finishing up that term paper? Perhaps making the game winning goal/point? Maybe asking that girl out? ;-) Why does this happen? The February edition of Scientific American Mind has an article entitled, "How To Avoid Choking Under Pressure" by Elizabeth Svoboda. The article discusses how thoughts an behaviors you think will help under stressful situations may actually be causing you to choke. Hopefully if you change these thoughts & behaviors you will choke less in the future.

Stressed Out Babies

Hi Everyone!

This short article entitled, "Is Baby's Stress Inherited from the Parents?" by Emily Anthes in February's Scientific American Mind explains how some babies are born with different form of a gene which influences how they handle stressful events. The article also goes on to state parenting style can also influence their future stress responses.

Playing Lately?

Hi Everyone!


How much did you play as a child? Not just board games, but free imaginative play, like the picture of this boy with the blocks? When is the last time you played like this? The January edition of Scientific American Mind has an very interesting article by Melinda Wenner called "The Serious Need for Play." The article suggests there are serious consequences in adulthood for those who do not engage in imaginative play during childhood. These consequnences occur neurologically, emotionally and socially. So get those pots & pans out again & get playing!

Signs of Intelligence

In Intro Psych we watch "Inside the Animal Mind: Are Animals Intelligent?" In this video they discuss many examples of animals being intelligent, including chimpanzees performing arithmetic, Jane Goodall's finding of tool making and Kohler's experiment on Insight. Take a look at this recent piece in Scientific American entitled "Planning of the Apes: Zoo Chimp Plots Rock Attacks on Visitors." It explains the recent story of a chimpanzee in a Sweden zoo who demonstrated intelligence by collecting & throwing rocks at them. This behavior requires planning for the future. They also explain the link between testosterone and aggression and some other examples of intelligence.

Older Fathers

Hi Everyone!

For quite some time now a mother's age has been associated with disorders such as Down's Syndrome but the age of the father has not really been a concern. The Feb/Mar issue of Scientific American Mind reports some new research on how the age when a man becomes a father increases the odds of their child developing mental illness, in particular Schizophrenia, Autism & Bi Polar Disorder. Check out "The Father Factor" by Pau Raeburn for more details.

Sick & Stressed

Hi Everyone!

How have you been feeling lately? Are tissues a stable for you? Can't seem to get rid of that bug? Well, you just might want to work on reducing your stress. Some new research confirms Stress may be the reason those bugs just love you and do not want to leave. Check out the article "The Danger of Stress" by Melinda Wenner in Scientific American.

Daniel Tammet

Hi Everyone!

Some of you might remember the discussion about Daniel Tammet in class the last few years. Here is an interview in Scientific American with him "Inside the Savant Mind: Tips for Thinking from an Extraordinary Thinker." It is originally from Mind Matters by the editor Jonah Lehrer. Daniel explains what he thinks about IQ & provides some ideas for creativity & memory.