Is anxiety just another habit? Dr. Judson Brewer discusses his book Unwinding anxiety in an online interview with the Friend’s of the Semel Institute. In their discussion, he lays out how anxiety, like other habits, can be identified, better understood, and adapted into something more…
As Black History Month has just wrapped up, I thought I’d offer some quick reflections on unique issues affecting mental health in the African American community. Mental health concerns like depression and anxiety can of course impact all populations. However, there are specific historical, sociological, and cultural issues…
What is the difference between stress and anxiety? According to a recent article by the American Psychological Association (APA), stress and anxiety are similar in many ways. They can both lead to similar outcomes such as insomnia, fatigue, muscle tension, and irritability among other things.…
In May of 2020 Dr. Rheeda Walker, professor of psychology at University of Houston, published the book, “The unapologetic guide to Black mental health.” Dr. Walker recently joined The Friends of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA to discuss the importance…
Olympic athletes are often able to demonstrate feats of athleticism that would be impossible for the average person. Their athletic abilities could understandably lead people to believe that they must be as remarkable emotionally as they are physically. However, athletes such as Michael Phelps have…
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, spending time at home may have conjured feelings of “family togetherness.” However, after nearly a year of varying degrees of required sheltering in place, many families and couples are finding themselves under stress and at odds with each…
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended much of our daily lives and made it difficult to engage in our favorite pass times. One such pass time for many is high school baseball. Last year, baseball and other spring time sports were cut short due to…
In recent days, we have seen a new strain of COVID-19, a continued rise of COVID-19 cases, political chaos in the United States, and a violent insurrection in the Capitol building. As these events unfold, many people are asking themselves questions such as, “Am I…
This is the last article in our blog series on the crippling mental health phenomenon of panic episodes. To review, here is a brief summary of what we’ve covered in this series: Panic can present in various different ways – mental, emotional, and physiological, as…
Some people often speak about the “Mind-Body connection” as if our minds and our bodies are somehow two separate parts of how we experience life. However, the uncomfortable experience of panic symptoms is one of the clearest ways we know that mind and body are…
Much has been written and researched about Mindfulness and how helpful it can be for our general health, as well as our ability to cope with mentally distressing states, such as panic and anxiety. At its core, mindfulness is essentially a way of intentionally…
Part 4 of this series discussed how preventing a panic attack is much more effective than trying to cope with one once it has started. We also highlighted the need to confront the issues or fears behind the panic, rather than avoid them. We will…