'Personality Genes' May Help Account for Longevity

Laughing, being optimistic, staying engaged in activities, and being outgoing can help you live longer? These personality traits appear to be common among those that live to be 100. May 24, 2012 — "It's in their genes" is a common refrain from scientists when asked about factors that allow centenarians to reach age 100 and beyond. Up until now, research has focused on genetic variations that offer a physiological advantage such as high levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol. But researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University have found that personality traits like being outgoing, optimistic, easygoing, and enjoying laughter as well as staying engaged in activities may also be part of the longevity genes mix.

The findings, published online May 21 in the journal Aging, come from Einstein's Longevity Genes Project, which includes over 500 Ashkenazi Jews over the age of 95, and 700 of their offspring. Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jews were selected because they are genetically homogeneous, making it easier to spot genetic differences within the study population.

Previous studies have indicated that personality arises from underlying genetic mechanisms that may directly affect health. The present study of 243 of the centenarians (average age 97.6 years, 75 percent women) was aimed at detecting genetically-based personality characteristics by developing a brief measure (the Personality Outlook Profile Scale, or POPS) of personality in centenarians.

"When I started working with centenarians, I thought we'd find that they survived so long in part because they were mean and ornery," said Nir Barzilai, M.D., the Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert Chair of Aging Research, director of Einstein's Institute for Aging Research and co-corresponding author of the study. "But when we assessed the personalities of these 243 centenarians, we found qualities that clearly reflect a positive attitude towards life. Most were outgoing, optimistic and easygoing. They considered laughter an important part of life and had a large social network. They expressed emotions openly rather than bottling them up." In addition, the centenarians had lower scores for displaying neurotic personality and higher scores for being conscientious compared with a representative sample of the U.S. population.

"Some evidence indicates that personality can change between the ages of 70 and 100, so we don't know whether our centenarians have maintained their personality traits across their entire lifespans," continued Dr. Barzilai. "Nevertheless, our findings suggest that centenarians share particular personality traits and that genetically-based aspects of personality may play an important role in achieving both good health and exceptional longevity."

The study is titled "Positive attitude towards life and emotional expression as personality phenotypes for centenarians." The POPS was developed by lead author Kaori Kato, Psy.D., now at Weill Cornell Medical College, who validated it through comparisons with two previously established measures of personality traits. Other authors of the study were Richard Zweig, Ph.D., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Einstein and director of the Older Adult Program at Ferkauf, and Gil Atzmon, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and of genetics at Einstein.

Link to article

Yoga Helps Ease Stress Related Medical and Psychological Conditions, Study Suggests

Yoga might increase GABA activity, low GABA (neurotransmitter) is linked to anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, epilepsy, and chronic pain. So practicing yoga might reduce distress from these disorders. Mar. 6, 2012 — An article by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), New York Medical College (NYMC), and the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (CCPS) reviews evidence that yoga may be effective in treating patients with stress-related psychological and medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and cardiac disease. Their theory, which currently appears online in Medical Hypotheses, could be used to develop specific mind-body practices for the prevention and treatment of these conditions in conjunction with standard treatments.

It is hypothesized that stress causes an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system (parasympathetic under-activity and sympathetic over-activity) as well as under-activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA). Low GABA activity occurs in anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, epilepsy, and chronic pain. According to the researchers, the hypothesis advanced in this paper could explain why vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) works to decrease both seizure frequency and the symptoms of depression.

"Western and Eastern medicine complement one another. Yoga is known to improve stress-related nervous system imbalances," said Chris Streeter, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at BUSM and Boston Medical Center, who is the study's lead author. Streeter believes that "This paper provides a theory, based on neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, to understand how yoga helps patients feel better by relieving symptoms in many common disorders."

An earlier study by BUSM researchers comparing a walking group and a yoga group over a 12-week period found no increase in GABA levels in the walking group, whereas the yoga group showed increased GABA levels and decreased anxiety. In another 12-week BUSM study, patients with chronic low back pain responded to a yoga intervention with increased GABA levels and significant reduction in pain compared to a group receiving standard care alone.

In crafting this neurophysiological theory of how yoga affects the nervous system, Streeter collaborated with Patricia Gerbarg, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at NYMC, Domenic A. Ciraulo, MD, chairman of psychiatry at BUSM, Robert Saper, MD MPH, associate professor of family medicine at BUSM, and Richard P. Brown, MD, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at CCPS. They are beginning test these theories by incorporating mind-body therapies such as yoga in their clinical studies of a wide range of stress-related medical and psychological conditions.

Link to article

Meditation makes you more creative

Want to be more creative? Practice open monitoring meditation. Apr. 19, 2012 — Certain meditation techniques can promote creative thinking. This is the outcome of a study by cognitive psychologist Lorenza Colzato and her fellow researchers at Leiden University, published 19 April in Frontiers in Cognition.

This study is a clear indication that the advantages of particular types of meditation extend much further than simply relaxation. The findings support the belief that meditation can have a long-lasting influence on human cognition, including how we think and how we experience events.

Two ingredients of creativity

The study investigates the influences of different types of meditative techniques on the two main ingredients of creativity: divergent and convergent styles of thinking.

• Divergent thinking: Divergent thinking allows many new ideas to be generated. It is measured using the so-called Alternate Uses Task method where participants are required to think up as many uses as possible for a particular object, such as a pen.
• Convergent thinking: Convergent thinking, on the other hand, is a process whereby one possible solution for a particular problem is generated. This method is measured using the Remote Associates Task method, where three unrelated words are presented to the participants, words such as 'time', 'hair' and 'stretch'. The participants are then asked to identify the common link: in this case, 'long'.

Analysis of meditation techniques

Colzato used creativity tasks that measure convergent and divergent thinking to assess which meditation techiques most influence creative activities. The meditation techniques analysed are Open Monitoring and Focused Attention meditation.

• In Open Monitoring meditation the individual is receptive to all the thoughts and sensations experienced without focusing attention on any particular concept or object.
• In Focused Attention meditation the individual focuses on a particular thought or object.

Different types of meditation have different effects

These findings demonstrate that not all forms of meditation have the same effect on creativity. After an Open Monitoring meditation the participants performed better in divergent thinking, and generated more new ideas than previously, but Focused Attention (FA) meditation produced a different result. FA meditation also had no significant effect on convergent thinking leading to resolving a problem.

Link to article

Tuning in to psychology

Can't get to a lecture room, but curious about the latest research in psychology.  Here is a simple and free way to access lectures through iTunes U. Thanks to iTunes U, free psychology lectures are pumping through the earbuds of thousands of students, professionals and curious laypeople around the world.

By Anna Miller

Monitor Staff

January 2013, Vol 44, No. 1

Print version: page 28

Last spring, Daniel Stokols, PhD, of the University of California–Irvine, video recorded his environmental psychology lectures as a first foray into developing an online course. A proponent of face-to-face interactions with students, Stokols saw the videos as a useful supplement to classroom-based learning, not a substitute for it. He uploaded the videos to iTunes U, a component of the iTunes music store that features free academic content, and proceeded with his course as usual. "I thought maybe 100 people would view the course," he says. Fast forward a few months. Apple had featured Stokols's course on its iTunes U homepage. By late July, the course had more student enrollments per week than any other. By September, it had reached 100,000 subscribers and, for months, it remained one of iTunes U's top 10 courses. In November, subscriptions topped 170,000 students.

"It's mind-boggling," says Stokols, who has taught at UCI for nearly 40 years and has "never come close" to reaching that many students. Now, he's heard from a photographer in Germany who says the course has changed the way she interprets her photos; a nurse anesthesia student in Pittsburgh who learned that surgical patients require less pain medication if their beds face windows; and a professor in China who had never heard of environmental psychology before.

"The gratifying part is the feedback from people around the world who are enjoying the material and finding it useful," he says.

Stokols is just one of a growing number of professors turning to iTunes U to host content for their students and share high-quality educational material with the public. Apple launched the platform in 2007; Stanford, UC-Berkeley, MIT and Duke were among the first to sign on. Professors can upload syllabi, handouts, quizzes, slides and links to online resources in addition to audio and video lectures. Students, professionals and curious laypeople can access the courses for free via their computers (PCs included) or with an iPod, iPhone or iPad. The iOS application, which launched in January 2012, had been downloaded more than 14 million times by the end of the year.

"What's really heartening is … how hungry people are for good science," says Dacher Keltner, PhD, of UC Berkeley, whose "Psychology of Emotion" course was listed as one of the top five educational downloads in Wired magazine. He regularly gets feedback from listeners, including an employee at a cardboard box-making factory who's found that the lectures make his job bearable and a retired attorney who said that if he had known about the science of emotion earlier, his professional life and marriage would have been different.

Many universities don't appear to have a problem with providing the public with the same content –– but not the credits –– that students pay big bucks for. At Yale, for example, Fred Volkmar's course on autism serves as a reliable source in an Internet pool diluted with millions of websites selling cures for autism. "It's very consistent with Yale's vision of wanting to get quality product out there," he says.

Below is a sampling of some of the psychology courses available on iTunes U. To access the courses, download the iTunes app or go to the iTunes store.

Tuning in to psychology

Thanks to iTunes U, free psychology lectures are pumping through the earbuds of thousands of students, professionals and curious laypeople around the world.

By Anna Miller

Monitor Staff

January 2013, Vol 44, No. 1

Print version: page 28

Last spring, Daniel Stokols, PhD, of the University of California–Irvine, video recorded his environmental psychology lectures as a first foray into developing an online course. A proponent of face-to-face interactions with students, Stokols saw the videos as a useful supplement to classroom-based learning, not a substitute for it. He uploaded the videos to iTunes U, a component of the iTunes music store that features free academic content, and proceeded with his course as usual. "I thought maybe 100 people would view the course," he says. Fast forward a few months. Apple had featured Stokols's course on its iTunes U homepage. By late July, the course had more student enrollments per week than any other. By September, it had reached 100,000 subscribers and, for months, it remained one of iTunes U's top 10 courses. In November, subscriptions topped 170,000 students.

"It's mind-boggling," says Stokols, who has taught at UCI for nearly 40 years and has "never come close" to reaching that many students. Now, he's heard from a photographer in Germany who says the course has changed the way she interprets her photos; a nurse anesthesia student in Pittsburgh who learned that surgical patients require less pain medication if their beds face windows; and a professor in China who had never heard of environmental psychology before.

"The gratifying part is the feedback from people around the world who are enjoying the material and finding it useful," he says.

Stokols is just one of a growing number of professors turning to iTunes U to host content for their students and share high-quality educational material with the public. Apple launched the platform in 2007; Stanford, UC-Berkeley, MIT and Duke were among the first to sign on. Professors can upload syllabi, handouts, quizzes, slides and links to online resources in addition to audio and video lectures. Students, professionals and curious laypeople can access the courses for free via their computers (PCs included) or with an iPod, iPhone or iPad. The iOS application, which launched in January 2012, had been downloaded more than 14 million times by the end of the year.

"What's really heartening is … how hungry people are for good science," says Dacher Keltner, PhD, of UC Berkeley, whose "Psychology of Emotion" course was listed as one of the top five educational downloads in Wired magazine. He regularly gets feedback from listeners, including an employee at a cardboard box-making factory who's found that the lectures make his job bearable and a retired attorney who said that if he had known about the science of emotion earlier, his professional life and marriage would have been different.

Many universities don't appear to have a problem with providing the public with the same content –– but not the credits –– that students pay big bucks for. At Yale, for example, Fred Volkmar's course on autism serves as a reliable source in an Internet pool diluted with millions of websites selling cures for autism. "It's very consistent with Yale's vision of wanting to get quality product out there," he says.

Below is a sampling of some of the psychology courses available on iTunes U. To access the courses, download the iTunes app or go to the iTunes store.

"Environmental psychology"

University of California, Irvine

Instructor: Daniel Stokols, PhD, chancellor's professor of social ecology in the departments of psychology and social behavior, and planning, policy and design

Why tune in? Environmental psychology is about how we're influenced by our everyday surroundings, including our offices, dorm rooms, commutes and exposures to nature. Stokols's course addresses a variety of issues, including how the design of an apartment influences the formation of friendships, why people litter and the consequences of a society suffering from information overload. "Today, there's so much concern about issues of sustainability, public health, pollution and population growth that viewing the world as a system and in ecological terms … is very timely," says Stokols.

Fun fact from the course: People are more likely to throw away trash in a garbage can that's painted decoratively than one that's plain.

"Health psychology"

American University

Instructor: Brian Yates, PhD, professor of psychology

Why tune in? Yates originally intended iTunes U to serve as a resource for his own students, who are challenged to evaluate and change their own habits to promote health. They assess their personal risks, identify what they want to change and maintain, and set up a system of "triggers and flags" that will signal when it's time to seek professional help in the future. The material has caught on — his course is consistently one of the top 10 downloaded from iTunes U and had more than 35,000 enrollees in October. "The field is very exciting. It's young, dynamic, it affects every one of us," says Yates. "That's what psychology is supposed to do."

Surprising fact from the course: One study of HIV-positive men found that those who tended to blame themselves for negative outside events experienced a significantly faster decline in helper T cells, important for maintaining immune function.

"Human emotion"

University of California, Berkeley

Instructor: Dacher Keltner, PhD, professor of psychology and director of Berkeley's Social Interaction Laboratory

Why tune in? Keltner's course has always been well-attended, so it was Berkeley's idea to make it available to the public through iTunes U. The course details fascinating research on art and emotional expression, cultural similarities and differences in non-verbal expressions, and emotion's neurobiological and hormonal underpinnings. "The study of human emotion is new, it's growing and it's relevant to people around the world," says Keltner.

Interesting fact from the course: People can usually accurately convey — and interpret — emotion through nothing more than a brief touch. But in a study conducted by Keltner and his team, there were two instances in which the "touchee" was clueless: When women tried to convey anger to men, and when men tried to communicate sympathy to women. "That fits how emotions are gendered, and how families socialize women into the ways of sympathy and men into the ways of anger that might account for these differences," he says.

"Autism and related disorders"

Yale University

Instructor: Fred Volkmar, MD, chief of child psychiatry at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital

Why tune in? A rotating panel of mental health experts lead this course on the latest autism research, including a lecture by Volkmar's co-instructor, James McPartland, PhD, that details how brain electrophysiology is informing researchers' understanding of social perception in autism. "This is a happy story in the sense that outcomes seem to be getting better with early intervention and protection," says Volkmar, who estimates the course's first lecture has gotten about 21,000 views on iTunes.

Interesting fact from the course: One of the early theories of autism speculated that intelligent parents were more likely to have autistic children. But the idea was likely a selection bias: The people who knew about what's now known as autism were predominantly researchers or other academics. "Now," he says, "you see children with autism everywhere … from all social classes, from every continent on the globe — and it looks remarkably the same. What's different is how people respond to it."

"Great ideas in psychology"

Missouri State University

Instructor: Todd Daniel, professor of psychology and director of Missouri State's RStats (Research, Statistical Training, Analysis and Technical Support) Institute

Why tune in? Daniel is a former radio producer who uses his storytelling skills to bring psychology to life in this introductory course. The course, which is Missouri State's most downloaded podcast, begins with the "Myth of Psyche" and takes the listener through an engaging overview of psychology including lectures on dreaming and hypnosis, a health course dubbed "Why College Is Bad for You" and the truth about Freud. "After I do a lecture in front of a seated class, when it's over, it's gone like a vapor," says Daniel. "I wanted to create something more permanent."

Surprising fact from the course: In 1964, a man named Randy Gardner went 264 hours, or about 11 days, without sleep. He was trying to prove that sleep wasn't all that important, but the changes noted in his cognitive and behavioral functioning proved otherwise — a lesson Daniel tries to impart on his students. "Your best strategy is to get a good night's sleep," he says.

Link to article

New Year, New Tips To Handle Work Stress

By Nerina Garcia-Arcement, Ph.D. Stress is on the rise in the United States. In a recent APA survey, Americans reported a 44% increase in their stress over the past five years. What are people worried about?  Money, relationships, work and the economy are at the top of the list.  Work is a popular concern. Not only are individuals worried about losing their jobs in this down economy but also about increased job responsibilities and difficult interpersonal relationships.  All this worry impacts your sleep, physical and mental health, and productivity. It also erodes your ability to be patient when dealing with others—all things that can make working more difficult and put your job at risk.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. The good news is you can change this. There are simple steps you can take that will help you manage your stress and improve your quality of life. Below are proven stress reduction suggestions you can use at work and at home.

While at work build into your day these three tips.

1. Walk away from what is stressing you and take regular breaks. Time-outs are not just for toddlers. They are an effective coping strategy that will allow you to clear your mind and refocus, as well as be more productive and creative.

2. Take deep breaths. Shallow breathing increases anxiety, while deep, slow breathing helps calm your mind and body.

3. Stretch your tense muscles. For example, progressive muscle relaxation sends your brain a message that you are safe and relaxed which helps reduce stress and anxiety.

While at home, try these habits regularly to decrease your stress.

1. Practice yoga. Even a few minutes will help calm your mind and relax your body.

2. Use imagery. Imagine yourself in a safe place, such as the beach or a cabin in the mountains. If imagining a peaceful place is difficult, you can use memories from a favorite vacation spot or familiar personal sanctuary (even if it’s just your favorite bench in Central Park).  Your memories will trigger positive feelings and distract you from your stress at the same time.

3. Speak to a trusted friend or family member. Share what is upsetting you, whether in person or over the phone. Social support is a great stress reducer and mood enhancer.

Preventing stress before you feel it is even better. Follow these suggestions to stop the stress before it hits.

1. Have open communication with your supervisors/bosses about what projects you are working on and their status.

2. Ask for help when you need it. We all require assistance at some point. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need.

3. Create a detailed list of work requirements and deadlines. This way you don't waste mental energy keeping track of what needs to get done and instead focus on how to accomplish those tasks.

If these tips are not enough, consider talking to a mental health provider that specializes in stress management.

Visit http://www.apapracticecentral.org for more information about stress.

Sleep Problems Cost Billions

What is your insomnia costing you?

Nov. 1, 2012 sciencedaily.com— Insomnia and sleep apnea are turning us into major health service consumers, causing us to be less productive at work, and may even lead to serious accidents.

If you can't sleep at night, you're not alone. Around ten per cent of the population suffer from insomnia, where you have trouble falling asleep, wake up frequently at night, and still feel tired when the morning comes.

"When you feel tired and indisposed, your performance at work suffers," says Børge Sivertsen, professor at UiB's Department of Clinical Psychology and senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Sleep apnea is a more severe problem, affecting four to five per cent of the population. Sufferers can stop breathing for up to 40 seconds several times during the night, putting a huge strain on the heart. As a result, they have many micro-awakenings that stop them from reaching deep sleep.

Bad night, bad day

According to the sleep scientist, a recently-published study from the United States puts the annual losses from insomnia alone at 63.2 billion US dollars annually. Only a third of this was due to actual absence from work; two thirds was due to a loss in productivity while at work.

"An Australian study found that about two per cent of Australia's GDP is lost due to sick leave caused by insomnia and sleep apnea disorder. This shows how common these diseases are and how much they affect work," Sivertsen says.

Danger on the roads

In their own ways, each sleep disorder also has a strong impact on accident statistics. For example, lorry drivers have sedentary jobs, and this increases the risk of developing obesity and sleep apnea.

"The disease is a major cause of the many traffic accidents on American roads," Sivertsen says.

As for insomnia, drug use can cause problems. Sivertsen's studies show that sedatives can cause users to feel less rested during the daytime.

"Sleep medication may work in the short term, but after six weeks of use we noticed a decrease in deep sleep. Sleep may be uninterrupted, but you may not necessarily get quality sleep," he says.

Testing every treatment there is

Sleep disorder sufferers are often major health care users, which leads to an increase in social costs.

"When you feel bad, you will try every treatment there is. There is an overconsumption of alternative methods amongst insomnia sufferers. They often consume too much alcohol and visit their GPs, psychologists, physiotherapists, and chiropractors more often."

Sivertsen wants insomnia treatment to become more accessible, and to include cognitive behavioural therapy.

"Several recent studies show that the Internet can be used to offer good and cost-effective methods of treatment. This is particularly true in areas where sleep centres are few and far between," he suggests.

The University of Bergen (2012, November 1). Sleep problems cost billions. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2012/11/121101110514.htm

Link to article

Mental Illness and Marriage

I was interviewed on how mental illness affects marriage and how to cope. Listen to the podcast.

What kind of impact does mental illness have on a marriage?

In today’s society, it’s becoming more and more common for individuals to be living with some sort of mental health condition or illness like anxiety or depression. And while there are many issues and conditions that present themselves in different, unique ways, oftentimes the effects on a marriage are very similar.

In addition to anxiety and depression, some people suffer from more extreme conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse problems. When these issues creep in without the proper treatment, their impact on a marriage and the individual can be fundamentally problematic. In some situations, the partner without the condition will have to pick up the slack for the other. And in many cases, couples will begin to suffer from tension and exhaustion within their marriage.

Our guest today is Dr. Nerina Garcia, a clinical psychologist with Williamsburg Therapy and Wellness in Brooklyn, NY. Nerina is here to give us some advice about how couples and individuals can learn to cope with mental illnesses within marriages while building a network of support.

To find out more about Nerina and her practice, visit her website or call (917) 816-4449.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Link to podcast

Preventing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder by Facing Trauma Memories

This article discusses the benefits of facing our painful memories, challenging our beliefs about the traumatic experience, self care and breathing exercises.

Nov. 27, 2012 Sciencedaily.com— Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a form of learning that begins at the moment of the exposure to extremely stressful situations and that grows in impact as trauma-related memories are rehearsed and strengthened repeatedly. This somewhat oversimplified view of PTSD yields a powerful prediction: if one could disrupt the rehearsal and strengthening of traumatic memories, a process called reconsolidation of memories, then one might reduce PTSD risk or PTSD severity after potentially traumatic events.

To be certain, it is tricky to attempt to alter traumatic memory reconsolidation. In fact, some early strategies for "trauma debriefing" turned out to strengthen rather than diminish posttraumatic learning.

Despite these challenges, a new study by Dr. Barbara Rothbaum and colleagues reports that a behavioral intervention delivered to patients immediately post-trauma is effective at reducing posttraumatic stress reactions.

"PTSD is a major public health concern," said Rothbaum, professor in Emory's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. "In so many people, what happens immediately after a traumatic event can make things worse or better. Right now, there are no accepted interventions delivered in the immediate aftermath of trauma."

To conduct the study, the researchers approached patients who presented to the local emergency room due to a traumatic event, including rape, car accident, or physical assault. Half of those who agreed to participate received the behavioral intervention, which was started immediately, while the other half did not. All patients were repeatedly assessed for symptoms of depression and stress over a twelve-week period.

The intervention is a modified form of exposure therapy in which a survivor confronts anxiety about a traumatic event by recounting it. Administered over the course of 3 1-hour sessions, the goal is to alter the person's thoughts and feelings about the traumatic event. Trained therapists asked the participants to describe the trauma they just experienced and recorded the description. The patients were instructed to listen to their recordings every day. The therapists also helped the patients look at obtrusive thoughts of guilt or responsibility, and taught them a brief breathing relaxation technique and self care.

They found that the intervention was safe, feasible, and successful at reducing posttraumatic stress reactions, compared to those who were assigned to the assessment-only condition, at 4 and 12 weeks post-injury.

"This study provides an elegant and clinically important test of the trauma reconsolidation hypothesis," commented Dr. John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry.

The implications of this study are immense, Rothbaum explained. "If we know what to do, then we can train emergency workers to intervene with patients on a large scale. In addition to being implemented in the emergency room, it can help on the battlefield, in natural disasters, or after criminal assaults."

She concluded, "More research is needed, but this prevention model could have significant public health implications. A long-standing hope of mental health research is to prevent the development of psychopathology in those at risk instead of being limited to symptom treatment after disease onset."

Elsevier (2012, November 27). Preventing posttraumatic stress disorder by facing trauma memories. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2012/11/121127094102.htm

Link to article

To Drink or Not To Drink At Holiday Work Parties: Easy Steps to Managing The Stress

By Nerina Garcia-Arcement, Ph.D.

Work place holiday parties can be a time to connect with co-workers in a different friendlier setting. Yet for many it can also be stressful and awkward. Stressful because individuals are familiar with their workplace expectations, they have scripts or rules they follow on a regular basis, yet holiday parties create the opportunity for a different social interactions that does not follow familiar rules.  It is a blending of expectations that can create stress and uncertainty about how to behave. One common way to cope with stress or anxiety is drinking alcohol, sometimes to excess.  Some drink as a way to numb or avoid feeling uncomfortable emotions, yet it can lead to problems if done at work. Over drinking at the holiday party can create problems in the workplace if you behaved inappropriately while drunk. Although this is a "party" it is still work related and those rules of conduct still apply. Sober and drunk behavior reflects upon who you are as an employee.

If you tend to over drink at holiday work parties, here are a few steps you can take to protect yourself from overindulging.

1. Explore what triggers you to drink. Such as: Do you feel anxious when you walk into the party alone? Do you worry about having to speak to certain co-workers? Do you find it difficult to say “no” when encouraged to have another drink by coworkers?

2. Prepare yourself before the event by engaging in stress reduction activities. If you know that interacting socially with co-workers is stressful or anxiety provoking try activities such as deep breathing, imagining yourself in a peaceful place, reading a chapter of a favorite book, and/or progressive muscle relaxation.

3. Create a plan to managing your feelings and triggers before and during the party. Recognize your triggers and walk away from them or surround yourself with positive supportive coworkers that don't encourage excessive drinking.

4. Stick to your specific plan regarding drinking. If you are not going to drink at all then remove yourself from that temptation by holding a cup with soda throughout the party or staying away from the beverage area. Take steps to succeed with the plan, such as letting your coworker friends know you are not drinking at the party. If you decide to set a limit to your drinking, remember that once you start drinking inhibitions lower and you might be tempted to alter your original plan and it becomes more difficult to keep track of how many drinks you had.

5. Invite a friend to attend with you or shorten the length of time you stay at the party if you know the party is a trigger and difficult to manage by yourself. You are not expected to stay for the entire time.

If you are concerned about how stressed and anxious you feel when faced with an invitation to a social gathering or that you over drink when at parties, then you ought to consider speaking to your primary care physician or a mental health provider to evaluate if these actions are a sign of a more serious problem such as depression, an anxiety disorder, or substance abuse disorder.

Childhood Trauma Leaves Mark On DNA of Some Victims: Gene-Environment Interaction Causes Lifelong Dysregulation of Stress Hormones

How we live and what happens to us changes our genes. Trauma in early childhood can change DNA and lead to PTSD, anxiety and depression.

Dec. 2, 2012 from Sciencedaily.com— Abused children are at high risk of anxiety and mood disorders, as traumatic experience induces lasting changes to their gene regulation. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich have now documented for the first time that genetic variants of the FKBP5 gene can influence epigenetic alterations in this gene induced by early trauma.

In individuals with a genetic predisposition, trauma causes long-term changes in DNA methylation leading to a lasting dysregulation of the stress hormone system. As a result, those affected find themselves less able to cope with stressful situations throughout their lives, frequently leading to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety disorders in adulthood. Doctors and scientists hope these discoveries will yield new treatment strategies tailored to individual patients, as well as increased public awareness of the importance of protecting children from trauma and its consequences.

Many human illnesses arise from the interaction of individual genes and environmental influences. Traumatic events, especially in childhood, constitute high risk factors for the emergence of psychiatric illnesses in later life. However, whether early stress actually leads to a psychiatric disorder depends largely on his or her genetic predisposition.

Research Group Leader Elisabeth Binder of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry examined the DNA of almost 2000 Afro-Americans who had been repeatedly and severely traumatised as adults or in childhood. One-third of trauma victims had become ill and was now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder rose with increasing severity of abuse only in the carriers of a specific genetic variant in the FKBP5 gene. FKPB5 determines how effectively the organism can react to stress, and by this regulates the entire stress hormone system. The scientists hoped to cast light on the mechanisms of this gene-environment interaction by comparing modifications of the DNA sequence of victims who had not become ill with that of those who had.

The Munich-based Max Planck scientists were then able to demonstrate that the genetic FKBP5 variant does make a physiological difference to those affected, also in nerve cells. Extreme stress and the associated high concentrations of stress hormones bring about what is called an epigenetic change. A methyl group is broken off the DNA at this point, causing a marked increase in FKBP5 activity. This lasting epigenetic change is generated primarily through childhood traumatisation. Consequently, no disease-related demethylation of the FKBP5 gene was detected in participants who were traumatised in adulthood only.

Torsten Klengel, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, explains the findings of the study as follows: "Depending on genetic predisposition, childhood trauma can leave permanent epigenetic marks on the DNA, further de-repressing FKBP5 transcription. The consequence is a permanent dysregulation of the victim's stress hormone system, which can ultimately lead to psychiatric illness. Decisive for victims of childhood abuse, however, is that the stress-induced epigenetic changes can only occur if their DNA has a specific sequence."

This recent study improves our understanding of psychiatric illnesses which arise from the interaction of environmental and genetic factors. The results will help tailor treatment particularly for patients who were exposed to trauma in early childhood, thereby greatly increasing their risk of illness.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (2012, December 2). Childhood trauma leaves mark on DNA of some victims: Gene-environment interaction causes lifelong dysregulation of stress hormones. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2012/12/121202164057.htm

Link to article

El Huracán Sandy: Como Lidiar con las Secuelas Emocionales

Por Nerina Garcia,-Arcement Ph.D. Traducción por Carla Saad, B.A.

Los desastres naturales, como el Huracán Sandy, nos recuerdan que tan vulnerables somos.  Entre más cercano haya sido la experiencia de uno con el huracán, la reacción que uno sentirá después podrá ser más intensa.  Al sobrevivir un desastre natural como el Huracán Sandy, uno puede sentir estrés, ansiedad, depresión y síntomas del trastorno de estrés postraumático.  Si usted ha sufrido de problemas emocionales en el pasado, el enfrentarse con un evento estresante, como el Huracán Sandy, puede exacerbar éstas condiciones pre-existentes.

Algunas de las reacciones emocionales típicas que uno puede sentir tras vivir un desastre natural incluyen sentimientos de incredulidad, sentirse confundido o indefenso, irritabilidad, tristeza, miedo, dificultad para concentrarse y para tomar decisiones, sentirse preocupado y pensar constantemente acerca de lo que paso durante/después de la tormenta, sentir preocupación por consecuencias negativas que puedan llegar a ocurrir, y sentir que uno está volviendo a vivir los eventos del desastre.  Algunas de las reacciones físicas comunes que uno puede tener incluyen: dificultad para dormir, tener pesadillas, sentirse nervioso y sobresaltarse con facilidad, latidos rápidos del corazón, problemas para respirar, dolor de cabeza y sentirse tembloroso.

Hay varias cosas que usted puede hacer para sentirse mejor si ha notado que está teniendo éstos problemas:

1. No se aísle: Busque apoyo de gente querida, amigos y vecinos que entiendan lo que usted está viviendo. Esto le ayudará a darse cuenta que no está solo, y no es el único que siente éste dolor.
2. Hable con amigos y gente querida acerca de como se siente: El expresar sus preocupaciones, miedos, ansiedades, tristeza, sentimientos de incredulidad y confusión puede ser un proceso curativo y catártico.
3. Limite ver noticieros: Ver las imágenes de destrucción únicamente recuerdan la experiencia traumática y reafirman los sentimientos de miedo y vulnerabilidad.
4. Participe en actividades de recursos de socorro: El ser voluntario y donar su tiempo en esfuerzos de ayuda humanitaria le ayudará a sentir mayor control y sentir que puede causar un impacto positivo. Ayudar a otras personas a sentir menos dolor, le puede ayudar a aliviar su propio dolor.
5. Participe en pasatiempos o en actividades positivas: El participar en actividades que uno disfruta le ayuda a distraerse y en no pensar en su aflicción, y le recordará que aún existe belleza y creatividad en el mundo, y no solamente destrucción.
6. 6.      Manténgase activo: Haga ejercicio, o salga a dar caminatas. Estas actividades le ayudarán a no pensar en sus problemas. El mantener el cuerpo activo le ayuda a liberar hormonas que reducen el estrés.

Si después de intentar éstos consejos usted todavía se siento afligido, considere hablar con un experto en problemas de salud mental o con un consejero espiritual.  El sobrevivir un desastre natural puede tener impactos negativos y duraderos en la manera en que nos sentimos y en la que vemos el mundo.  El enfrentar el dolor emocional lo antes posible reduce las probabilidades de que los síntomas de estrés, ansiedad, depresión y del trastorno de estrés postraumático sean duraderos, y persistan en los años por venir.

Managing and supporting grieving employees

I was quoted in this article discussing the benefits of supporting employees through their grief. By www.hrmonline

Losing a close friend or family member, a child or spouse, is a nightmare for all of us and when it happens to a co-worker or employer then we can struggle to know how to support. While there are policies in place for grievance leave, what do you do when the affect is felt for weeks or months

Licensed therapist Steve Havertz knows from experience the difference between having a supportive manager, and management that seems to view your struggle as a cost to them.

Havertz lost his wife in 2003, but leave constraints meant he had to return to work after just 10 days. Despite the quick turnaround the positive relationship he had with his manager made it easier to manage a return to work.

“I had a great relationship with my boss and she was always asking how I was doing. That made a huge difference. I felt supported and she was understanding and supportive,” he said. “I thought I was an expert on grief and loss until I actually experienced it two times. Now I really am an expert personally and professionally.”

A few years later Havertz’ young daughter was diagnosed with cancer. He worked hard to balance full-time work with her cancer treatments, but while his direct supervisor was supportive he received emails from the “uppers” querying why he needed the leave.

“It left a very bad taste in my mouth,” he said. “Then when Emmalee died [in 2009], my boss has changed and the ‘uppers’ were the same and both not supportive. I was did not dare talk about any of my feelings and even let them know I was struggling.”

With further conflict over the next six to 12 months, Havertz ended up leaving the company. The difference wasn’t in how much leave he got, but in how caring his company was.

“It make all the difference if the EE feels support and is asked how they are doing for months after the loss. Talk to them weekly to see how they are carrying to load of work, emotions, family and personal health. I don't think the amount of time off is the issue, it is the amount of concern felt and support given.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by New York clinical psychologist Nerina Garcia-Arcement, who said supporting employees is economically, as well as morally responsible. Grieving employees often feel emotionally and cognitively impaired and are less productive.

“They will likely not be as productive, as their attention, memory and concentration will be impacted by their emotional response to their loss,” Garcia-Arcement said. “This is a time when employers can show sensitivity and as a by-product gain increased loyalty and appreciation from an employee.

That employee is likely to return to work feeling grateful for the support they received from their employer and "give" back to their employers through increase productivity, Garcia-Arcement added.

link to article

8 Ways Kids Can Give Thanks

Appreciating our blessings and taking time to notice what we are grateful for helps us feel happier and reduces depression. This is a great article about how to instill gratitude in children. These helpful tips are appropriate for all ages, whether children or adults. By nurturing a sense of gratitude from an early age, your children will learn to appreciate big and small blessings.

By Ansley Roan

Teaching kids to be thankful doesn't involve guilt trips or lectures on the less fortunate, and the benefits will last longer than the turkey sandwiches. Grateful children may grow into happier adults, according to Christine Carter, Ph.D., author of Raising Happiness and director of the Greater Good Parents program at the University of California at Berkeley. "Pioneering social scientists think that 40 percent of our happiness comes from intentional, chosen activities throughout the day. Thankfulness is not a fixed trait. It's a skill that can be cultivated, like kicking a soccer ball or speaking French," Dr. Carter says. Because Thanksgiving is high season for gratitude, it's an ideal time to talk to your children about remembering the blessings. Try these easy and interesting tips to teach your children to develop a habit of thankfulness.

Shop, Buy, and Share

Trips to the grocery store, drugstore, or toy store can be opportunities to think of others. Next time you're stocking up, encourage your children to pick one or two canned goods to donate to a Thanksgiving food drive or a food bank. Shelters also need donations of personal care items (soap, toothpaste, diapers) or new clothing (warm socks, jackets). Check with local shelters to see what they need, and have kids choose the supplies. They'll learn to think of others and start to appreciate the necessities they ordinarily take for granted. National toy drives, like Toys for Tots, provide new gifts for children. Ask your kids to imagine what children their age might want, and then help them buy it. The item could be something on their wish list or even something they already have and love, like a cherished teddy bear.

De-clutter and Donate

Encourage your children to donate toys they no longer use or clothes they've outgrown. Let them know that some things they don't need might be useful for another child. Suggest that they consider a short list of items to donate, and then bring them to a drop-off place such as the Salvation Army. Involve them in considering what they don't want anymore so they will have new appreciation for their toys and clothes. Just remember not to force it: If they're not ready to give something away, that's okay. Avoid warning the kids that they won't get something new to replace what they give away; they may associate sacrifice with loss or punishment. Instead, find other ways to cultivate a sense of gratitude and helping others.

Volunteer Your Time

Look for opportunities to volunteer as a family. Friends and neighbors may know of a group that can use the help. Serve food at nearby shelters or put together care packages for senior citizens or soldiers oversees. Show how giving time, not just money or objects, is another way of helping others and acknowledging gratitude for what you already have. Or devote time to neighbors or other family members by scheduling a group project to rake leaves for an elderly relative or cook a meal for someone who's under the weather.

Showcase History

Even young kids draw turkeys or learn about the Pilgrims in classrooms. Ask your child (or the teacher) about the lesson plans and build on those at home. Have little ones imagine what the Pilgrims might have been grateful for that first Thanksgiving in Plymouth. They may have been grateful to be with each other or to be living in a new country. The more advanced the lesson, the more possibilities. Kids can also imagine what the Pilgrims might appreciate in your house today. They might enjoy good food and the time with family, as well as modern conveniences like heat and hot water.

Write Notes of Appreciation

Ask your kids to write a handwritten note to someone they're thankful for; if kids are too young to write, have them a draw picture instead. Ask them to consider who makes their lives better or brighter. Is it the babysitter? A favorite aunt? A family friend who always remembers birthdays? When children reflect on who they want to write to, they learn to value people in their lives who have touched them. No doubt the recipient will appreciate a note from the heart, too. Plus, you can spread the blessings by composing more than one note!

Don't Forget Family

Many parents teach their children to say thank you when they receive a gift, but family members often forget to thank each other for everyday favors. "I think we lack ways to talk about gratitude," Dr. Carter says. "My kids have picked up notions of what romantic love is from Disney movies, but they probably couldn't say a word about how Cinderella feels thankful for all that her fairy godmother has given her. We don't talk much about good things that come from other people's efforts." Set an example by thanking your children and your spouse. Saying "Thank you for cleaning your room" or "Thank you for sharing with your brother," not only lets children know that their efforts (like folding laundry or running errands) are appreciated, it also instills the idea that "thank you" is not reserved for the birthday bonanza. Children see gratitude in action, and it's good for household harmony too.

Appreciate Small Moments

Take time to appreciate the good things with your kids. Use travel time in the car as an opportunity to share something positive, perhaps by saying, "Look at the pretty leaves on that tree" or "Wasn't it fun to make that drawing in class today?" These simple conversation starters encourage children to contemplate and appreciate the blessings around them. When you tuck them into bed, ask what they're grateful for that particular day. Gradually weave these observations and questions into your time together to cultivate thankfulness.

Keep Gratitude Going

Long after the turkey is eaten and football season ends, continue to practice thankfulness throughout the year. In the summer, donate your time when charities and food banks need extra help because regular volunteers are on vacation. One of the most practical ways to inspire gratitude is also the simplest. You don't have to be involved in big projects all the time. Set aside time to name one or two things every person in the family is grateful for each day. "Researchers have found that people who practice gratitude feel considerably happier (25 percent) than those in a control group," Dr. Carter says. "They are more joyful, enthusiastic, interested, and determined. Grateful people are more likely to be both kind and helpful." Raising children with those traits would be enough to make any parent thankful.

Copyright © 2011 Meredith Corporation.

Ansley Roan is a freelance writer and editor in New York City. She writes about faith and spirituality, health, and parenting. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Glamour, and Teen People.

link to article

Trauma and Disaster: Helping Teens Manage the Impact of Hurricane Sandy

Listen to my interview on The Mary Waldon Show on the emotional impact and how to cope with Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Sandy has had a tremendous impact on countless families up and down the east coast of the United States. Such an event can leave even the most well-informed parent with questions and concerns.What is the potential impact of natural disasters and other traumas on teenagers? What can parents do to help mitigate the impact of Hurricane Sandy? What is an expected reaction to such extreme events, and what kinds of reactions indicate a need for professional intervention? For answers to these and other related questions, please tune in to The Mary Waldon Show to hear the insight and expertise of Dr. Nerina Garcia-Arcement, an expert in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Link to radio show

Bite, chew, savor

Mindfulness can help reduce anxiety and new research shows it can help with overeating. This article discusses the importance of mindfulness to gaining awareness of our eating habits and the role food plays in our emotions. 

Jean Kristeller reconnects people with their hunger and other inner experiences to curb overeating.

By Amy Novotney

November 2012, Vol 43, No. 10

Print version: page 42

Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full. It sounds simple, yet for many Americans, it's anything but, says clinical psychologist Jean Kristeller, PhD. Barraged by advertisements for high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar foods, and confronted with restaurant portions fit for two or three people, it's all too easy these days to forget what the experiences of hunger and satiety feel like, she says.

"We eat when it's time to eat, when food is put in front of us or because we need to handle feelings of anger, anxiety, depression or simple boredom," says Kristeller, a psychology professor at Indiana State University and president and co-founder of The Center for Mindful Eating.

Kristeller has developed an intervention called Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) that blends "mindful eating" exercises, such as being aware of hunger, chewing food slowly, tuning in to taste and noticing fullness, with mindfulness meditation practice to cultivate more general moment-to-moment awareness of self. Psychologists around the country are using it to help binge and compulsive eaters, diabetics, and people who are mildly and moderately obese to regulate their eating and avoid weight gain.

"Traditional techniques for tackling the obesity epidemic often don't take into account the strong drivers of eating: negative emotions, cravings and impulsivity, particularly in the face of highly palatable food," says University of California, San Francisco, psychology professor Elissa Epel, PhD, who has collaborated with Kristeller on several research studies using MB-EAT. "Mindfulness training gives us more control over these strong drives and makes us more aware of the triggers of overeating that come from outside of us."

Kristeller advocates no particular diet — and no foods are off-limits. She teaches students to savor their food while eating, rather than mindlessly eating while watching television, surfing the Internet or reading the paper.

It's this everyday applicability that makes Kristeller's approach so valuable, says social psychologist Ronna Kabatznick, PhD, a former consultant to Weight Watchers International. "It's one thing to have these strategies in textbooks, but she's embodied them by teaching people very specific skills such as how to enjoy a buffet or restaurant meal," Kabatznick says. "She's simplified mindful eating for everyday living."

Saying goodbye to super-size

Kristeller's MB-EAT 10-week course teaches people that, once they pay attention to their body's signals, brownies and chocolate cake are best experienced and savored in just a few bites.

"Our taste buds are chemical sensors that tire quickly," she says. "The first few bites of a food taste better than the next few bites, and after a large amount, we may have very little taste experience left at all."

Participants in her training programs — those who struggle with food and weight issues and health-care professionals interested in helping them — focus on three mindfulness practices: awareness of hunger and what it feels like in the body, awareness of what it feels like to be full, and the practice of savoring — slowing down to truly taste food and be mindful of the various flavors and sensory experiences associated with each bite. A variety of foods — including chocolate — are used in the program, and Kristeller even assigns participants increasingly challenging homework assignments, such as going to a buffet. She teaches them that by attending to how much they are enjoying the food and recognizing the point at which it stops being as enjoyable, they can eat much smaller amounts, leave food on their plates and return for seconds if they still want more.

"It's about finding satisfaction in quality, not quantity," Kristeller says. She also teaches people not to beat themselves up if they overeat, but to see this as a learning experience.

With funding from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, Kristeller has proven the program's effectiveness. She's completed two studies — one at Indiana State University, another with Ruth Wolever, PhD, at Duke University — with more than 100 binge eaters and obese non-bingers. She's found that binge eaters who take her MB-EAT program reduce their bingeing from four times per week, on average, to about once a week. When they do binge, she says, they report that the binges are much smaller and feel less out of control. Participants also report that their depression decreased (Journal of Health Psychology, 1999; Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 2011). Both bingers and non-bingers also improve significantly on other indicators of more balanced eating and emotional regulation. Furthermore, these effects are proportional to the amount of mindfulness meditation practice that is reported.

Other researchers are testing her program as a treatment for obesity. Gayle Timmerman, PhD, RN, at the University of Texas at Austin, has successfully adapted it for use with eating restaurant meals, showing a significant impact on weight and dietary intake. Epel and her associate, Jennifer Daubenmier, PhD, recently paired MB-EAT with stress reduction exercises in an intervention with obese women. They found that the more mindfulness the women practiced, the more their anxiety, chronic stress and deep belly fat decreased. Obese participants in the mindfulness program also maintained their body weight while those in the control group increased their weight over the same period of time (Journal of Obesity, 2011). And in an ongoing study with overweight pregnant women, Kristeller, Epel, Daubenmier and Cassandra Vieten, PhD, director of research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, are teaching participants similar mindful-eating techniques in an effort to help these mothers-to-be avoid excessive weight gain.

"One lesson we've learned is that with the effort and attention to eating taught in the MB-EAT program, people can change their relationship with food very quickly, and within a few sessions, they're often starting to eat differently," Epel says.

The three-minute raisin

Kristeller's interest in meditation began as an undergraduate at Swarthmore College, where she read about research on how meditation can help lower blood pressure and heart rate and reduce ruminative thinking. Kristeller began meditating to reduce the stress of college and immediately found that it calmed her "chattering mind," she says. Later, as a doctoral student at Yale studying food intake regulation with Judith Rodin, PhD, and self-regulation theory with Gary Schwartz, PhD, Kristeller began using meditation to treat eating disorders.

"Judy was identifying how a lot of the disregulation in eating behavior was from people's lack of tuning in to their hunger signals," Kristeller says. "I thought you could help people tune back into those experiences."

After graduating from Yale in 1983, she joined the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where she met Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, and took part in his eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Kabat-Zinn introduced her to an exercise where participants slowly eat three raisins as a way to begin to cultivate mindful awareness.

"A light bulb, so to speak, went off for me during this exercise," Kristeller says. "I saw it as another way to help ground people in their experience of eating, and began thinking about how to do this more systematically, particularly around the kinds of foods that people eat that get them in trouble — the high-sweet, high-fat foods. I wondered what would happen if people started engaging with those foods this way." Now, thanks to her research and her clients' enthusiastic feedback, she knows.

Link to article

Hurricane Sandy: Coping with the Emotional Aftermath

By Nerina Garcia-Arcement, Ph.D. Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy, remind us of our vulnerability. The closer the impact of the hurricane to you the more intense your reaction can be. Surviving a natural disaster such as Hurricane Sandy can bring about stress, anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress symptoms. If you have experienced emotional distress in the past, then a major stressor such as Hurricane Sandy is likely to exacerbate a pre-existing condition.

Typical emotional reactions include disbelief, feeling confused or helpless, irritability, sadness, fear, difficulty focusing and making decisions, feeling preoccupied and ruminating about what happened during/after the storm, worrying about what future negative things could occur, and re-experiencing events from the disaster. Common physical reactions are sleep problems, nightmares, feeling jumpy and being easily startled, racing heart, trouble breathing, headaches and trembling.

If you notice you are experiencing these problems there are actions you can take to feel better:

1. Do not isolate yourself: Seek out support from loved ones, friends and neighbors that know what you are going through.  This will help you realize you are not alone in your pain.
2. Talk to friends and loved ones about how you are feeling: Expressing your worries, fears, anxieties, sadness, disbelief and confusion can be healing and cathartic.
3. Limit your news watching: Seeing the images of destruction simply reminds you of your traumatic experience and reinforces your feelings of fear and vulnerability.
4. Donate or volunteer your time through relief efforts: This will help you feel more in control and that you can make a difference. Aiding others through their pain helps reduce your own.
5. Engage in hobbies or life affirming activities: Doing things you enjoy will help distract you from your distress and remind you that there is beauty and creativity in the world, not just destruction.
6. Stay Active: Exercise or go outside for walks. These activities will get your mind off of your problems.  Getting your body moving will help release hormones that relieve stress.

If you find you are still distressed after trying these suggestions, consider talking to a mental health professional or a faith based adviser. Surviving a natural disaster can have a lasting negative impact on how you see the world and how you feel. Addressing your emotional pain now can reduce the chances of your stress, anxiety, depression or PTSD symptoms lasting for years into the future.

What Can I Do to Help? 5 Things You Can Do for Someone With Cancer

I was quoted regarding how to help and offer support to a loved one with a cancer diagnosis.

2 0 1 2Aug13

What Can I Do to Help? 5 Things You Can Do for Someone With Cancer

Posted by Staff

When it comes to a loved one being diagnosed with cancer, it can be hard to know the right things to do for them. Everyone has different preferences and ways of dealing with hard times, but there is always something you can do! Here are the best tips and pieces of advice from those who should know best!

1. Send letters, care packages or gift cards that offer a little extra support and help.

My coworkers went together and got me a very generous Visa Giftcard that we could use anywhere to help offset some of our gas, medication and other miscellaneous costs. This was incredibly nice and generous of them and really came in handy at a time when we needed some relief. -- Laura Ybarra, currently undergoing chemo for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Choose gifts that are personal and useful that they will appreciate. My favorites are an e-reader that can be downloaded with books by that person's favorite author or an iPod shuffle that can be loaded with their favorite music. These are great welcome distractions during the long hours of chemo or waiting in a doctor's office. -- Lisa Lurie, cancer survivor and co-founder of Cancer Be Glammed.

Visits may be too much for someone who is severely ill or weak from treatment. If that's the case, get some greeting cards and mail one each day to the patient. Yes, snail mail -- it brightens someone's spirits to know they're thought of. Include jokes, affirmations, inspirational sayings and cartoons. -- Tina Tessina, psychotherapist and author.

2. Think of the other family members and caregivers. They need support, too!

If the person has children, schedule a few outings or daytrips with them. The parent can rest and recover at home, knowing that the kids are safe and having fun. -- Stacey Vitiello, breast cancer physician and radiologist.

Reach out to the spouse, parent or significant other to ask them what you can do to help. They will know best. Offer to bring a meal, do grocery shopping or any other errand with which they may need assistance. -- Helen Szablya, Peritoneal Carcinomatosis survivor.

If you’re not the main caretaker, ask that person how they’re doing. Offer them support. Give them a break. Bring over a dvd movie, a piece of fruit, some cookies—something for the caretaker alone, or that they can share. Give the caretaker has a few hours of “me time” while you stay with the patient. -- Claudia Mulcahy, breast cancer surivivor.

3. Keep things as normal as possible by being yourself and doing activities together!

I needed to live everyday as though my cancer was not there. Even if it is just doing one activity that the person loves and can handle. Let them decide to a degree to what they can handle as well.-- Laura Ann Tull, breast cancer survivor.

Be yourself and be present. Don’t shy away and disappear and don’t try to be another person. They want the person you were BEFORE the cancer diagnosis. -- Susan Bratton, Chief Executive Officer of Meals To Heal.

Encourage them to get out of their home. Come over and take a walk with them, drive them around the block or simply sit outside with them. -- Nerina Garcia-Arcement, Ph.D Licensed Clinical Psychologist.

4. Ask, don’t assume.

Instead of assuming what they need, simply ask. Many friends and family of patients think that they should already know what they need, and what they should be doing for them. They will appreciate your straightforwardness. -- Molly Tyler, Director of e+CancerHome.

Ask if the patient wants to get phone calls, and then call within the acceptable hours to give news, or to listen, but don't make the patient do the talking unless he or she wants to. -- Tina Tessina, psychotherapist and author.

5. Suggest support programs and websites.

Encourage the cancer patient or their support team to create a website so they can post the progress and not receive a million calls each day. -- Helen Szablya, Peritoneal Carcinomatosis survivor.

When someone is going through treatment for an illness, it’s hard for them to answer the phone and stay in touch with all the people who want to talk to them. Caring Bridge is a great service that they can use to keep everyone informed about how they are and in addition people can send them good wishes. -- Lisa Lurie, cancer survivor, co-founder of Cancer Be Glammed.

Encourage your friend or family member to join a cancer support group, this form of social support can extend their life. -- Nina Garcia-Arcement, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist.

Link to article

Naming the Shame that Can Cripple

I was quoted on the causes of shame, how to cope and treatment options. By Marcia G. Yerman

When Amy Ferris asked me to contribute an essay to Dancing at the Shame Prom: Sharing the Stories That Kept Us Small, I wasn't sure that I had any shame. Then, when I thought about it, I realized that I did. I just hadn't framed it that way. I agreed to participate. After I handed in my essay, I heard back from co-editor Hollye Dexter. "I think you are holding back," she said. "Can you go a little deeper?" So I did. Along with twenty-six other women, I wrote openly about issues that had impacted my life.

Now that the book is out, I have taken off my memoirist hat and am writing as health journalist. Reading the stories that encompassed familial alcoholism, sexual abuse, parental suicide, distorted body images, hoarding, alienation, and racial identity anxiety - I wanted to get to the psychological root of how shame shapes who we are and how we live our lives.

I interviewed four practitioners who shared insights that were both clinical and revelatory. We focused on how shame specifically impacts girls and women. Many of their observations and verbiage overlapped. To a person, they all began the conversation by drawing a distinction between shame and guilt.

Shame is a feeling or belief that screams, "I am bad." Guilt is evidenced as, "I did something bad." Shame is feeling worthless. Guilt is external; you can fix it. Specifically, shame is, "I am damaged."

Amber Lewter, EdS., LAPC, whose background includes working as a survivor advocate at a rape crisis center, told me, "When women define themselves as being bad, it creates low self-esteem and a poor sense of self-worth." Treating those who have experienced childhood sexual trauma, Lewter sees women coming in for counseling with a lot of "shoulds" ("I should have told someone.").

She conducts an exploration of shame through expanding awareness of external factors, pointing out that what happened "was beyond the control" of the patient. She believes that shame is more of an issue for women because they are "relationship-centric" and therefore bring childhood shame and a "less than" mindset into their adult relationships.

Ph.D. and Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Nerina Garcia-Arcement, qualifies shame as "an insidious emotion, often at the root of mental health problems like depression and anxiety." She sees shame as creating "a sense of isolation which poisons an individual's self-esteem."

She told me, "My patients feel silenced due to their shame. Often, they can't even speak out loud what they feel ashamed about." Garcia-Arcement defines shame as a reflection of a "core value." Therefore, what results is a need to cover up what we feel ashamed about.

She related, "The power of shame is that it silences us and creates internal negative dialogue, such as, 'I wasn't good enough. I deserved it.' So we want to stay invisible. We don't want to feel vulnerable. This stunts our ability to grow." Garcia-Arcement explained how the fallout of shame translates into a "fear of takings risks."

"A silent killer," is how Lori Freson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, describes shame. Her practice specializes in women's issues and self-esteem.

"Women don't always acknowledge shame as a presenting problem," she said. "Women can have body image problems and not realize it is shame."

She spelled out, "Shame about our bodies can lead to isolation, depression, and eating disorders." Shame about sexual abuse can lead to "avoidance of intimacy, relationships, sexual problems, and self-harm." Shame about an addiction "can delay or sabotage" efforts to recover.

Finally, she added the key observation, "Shame is connected to self-perception and how you think people perceive you."

Founder of the Critical Therapy Center, Silvia M. Dutchevici, spoke at length about how our culture "plays into our perceptions." Her philosophy embraces a holistic approach. "Psychology is not in a vacuum," she emphasized. She referenced the issue of race, class, gender, ideology, and economic status. Her point of view is that "society has issues as well," forcing people to "adapt to a false criteria rather than challenging that criteria."

Dutchevici was crystal clear in her assessment. "For women in particular, depending on the trauma, feelings of shame may arise from our culture's imposition of gender roles and the way women have been socially conditioned regarding their view of themselves. The more a society demands perfectionism," Dutchevici continued, "the more we have shame."

Both Freson and Garcia-Arcement addressed this element as well.

"A lot of shame comes from external societal factors," Freson said. "People want to be accepted. People are afraid of being different. Shame among women and girls is more prevalent because of cultural standards."

Freson pointed to celebrity media and fashion magazines. "People shut shame down because they want to have the perfect image." Her message about shame to young girls is, "You don't have to be perfect. Be your best self."

"The core expectation for women," said Garcia-Arcement, "is that we can do it all. Be beautiful and be everything to everybody." When girls and women buy into cultural norms they "learn to hate their bodies and themselves." It all comes back to not being "good enough." Garcia-Arcement illustrated shame from the ground level of family dynamics, up and outward toward group identification.

"Our family is a reflection of who we are," she said. "So if there is a family behavior [alcoholism, suicide, sexual abuse, domestic violence], it's still a part of us." Treatment by Garcia-Arcement entails the challenges faced by people of color. She identified that if a person from a minority community does something that the rest of the group is not proud of - it is seen as a "personal reflection on who they are."

In tandem, Dutchevici - a political refugee from Romania - touched on the use of shame as a tool of control in promoting a specific ideology. Shame also operates by keeping group memberships and affiliations intact.

So what can be done? All four women I spoke with communicated the need to explore an individual's experience through expanding consciousness.

Lewter articulated about introducing an awareness of "external factors." Freson, who maintains that if "shame is not exposed and dealt with it can destroy your relationships and your life," believes the more exposure the topic gets the more taboos are broken down.

Applauding the premise of the book, Freson sees it functioning as a tool for dialogue while enabling readers to discover, "Oh. It's not just me. I'm not the only one."

Dutchevici agreed. "The more people come out and talk about shame, the less power it has." She reiterated that it was important to "name the emotion."

"The first step is to realize that you are not alone," Garcia-Arcement reiterated. She uses a combination of talk therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and insight-oriented work. She suggested mindfulness exercises, trying to connect the mind and body, sitting with your feelings, and being in the moment. Garcia-Arcement stressed the power of stories, advising the importance of sharing one's story.

"Empathy is essential to healing. If you can't say it out loud yet, write it down. Excise it from yourself. Writing is a useful tool, as there is no witness to the shame." An important element of eventually sharing the narrative is that it helps individuals "normalize their experience," through a realization that they are not alone and not to blame.

(The Shame Prom has a Tumblr blog where anyone can post a shame narrative, either with her name or anonymously).

Garcia-Arcement said definitively, "Everyone has shame. We just don't want to look at it."

In her essay, Elizabeth Geitz wrote, "I've learned letting go of shame is one of the most freeing things I've ever done. I've learned that I don't have to dance at the Shame Prom forever. The dress, the shoes, the long-wilted corsage are now gone.

"The music has finally stopped."

Link to article

Maternal Depression Can Impact Children's Health

Maternal depression is a topic that is difficult to discuss out loud. Mothers often feel shame as they struggle to cope with the demands of motherhood.  In this article I am quoted on the impact depression has on mothers and their children. I share helpful coping strategies and treatment options.

By Rheyanne Weaver HERWriter September 20, 2012 - 7:25am

Maternal depression is not only an ongoing struggle for mothers, but research suggests children of depressed mothers can be impacted in multiple ways.

For example, a recent study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders noted that mothers who are depressed have a reduced responsiveness toward infant distress, which can lead to harmful effects on the child.

However, the small pilot study stated that women who received cognitive behavioral therapy treatment had a reduction in their depression and as a result, were also more responsive toward infant distress.

Another study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children ages 4 and 5 were more likely to be short for their age if their mothers were depressed starting around nine months after the child was born.

An article about the study on Medpage Today stated that children of depressed mothers could have an “increased stress response,” which could lead to higher cortisol levels and lower levels of growth hormones. This could lead to a shorter height.

Mothers with depression might practice “poor parenting behaviors and feeding practices” as well, and children might form an insecure attachment with depressed mothers.

The article added that stunted growth at a young age is associated with various negative outcomes, such as poor development, reduced scholastic performance, smaller body size as an adult, and higher levels of death.

Nerina Garcia-Arcement, a licensed clinical psychologist, said in an email that there are many negative health outcomes for children of depressed mothers. For example, children of depressed mothers tend to visit the emergency room more often, and they might even develop depression in their teens.

“A depressed mother often is less responsive to their child's needs (i.e., when distressed, hungry) and does not have the emotional and physical energy to play and cuddle with their child,” Garcia-Arcement said.

“This can be disruptive to forming a secure and healthy emotional bond with each other. When a child does not feel safe and secure they can go on to become isolated, have difficulties making friends and develop anxiety and depression.”

Mothers suffering from depression need to make treatment a priority for their own health as well as their children’s.

“A parent is modeling for a child how to cope with challenges,” Garcia-Arcement said.

“The best example a mother could set for her child is that when you don't feel well, you don't ignore it. Instead you prioritize your well-being and you seek out help. Things they can do includes speaking to a mental health professional, reaching out to friends and family for social support, attending mom groups in person or participating online.”

She suggested that mothers make a point of getting out of the house every day for 15 minutes minimum. It is best to exercise, but mothers can even take their children for a walk or saunter in the neighborhood or at the mall with their babies in a stroller.

“Mothers should ask for child care assistance from their partner, family or friends in order to have time to do things alone,” Garcia-Arcement said.

“Moms need time [to] rest and catch up on sleep (sleep deprivation makes depression worse). They must do something kind for themselves, such as taking a hot bath, reading a book, getting a massage, engaging in a neglected hobby, and watching a comedy that will make them laugh. Reach out and meet up with a supportive friend.”

She also suggested spending bonding time with children for at least 10 minutes a day, which can lead to a greater connection, and children can also feel more safe and secure.

Ramani Durvasula, a psychology professor at California State University, said in an email that since mothers tend to be primary caregivers, children can suffer in many aspects of life if their mothers are depressed.

For example, children might not receive the nutrition they need and might have reduced sleep. They could also develop anxiety, depression and social withdrawal.

Mothers need to eat healthy, sleep and exercise consistently. Especially for women who have a history of depression, it’s important to make a plan for increased support once the baby comes.

“Many mothers try to be superwoman/supermom - and maternal depression is not part of that plan,” Durvasula said.

“Lots of times people write it off to fatigue and stress, and untreated depression can get worse and worse. Depression is a treatable disorder, and when there are children involved it is critical that it be managed to ensure the health of mother and children.”

Link to article

Organizing Your Life

I was recently on the Colin Lively Show, discussing how to declutter your mind.  The entire show was filled with helpful tips on how to better organize your home, office and mind. The description for the show is below:

Oh lord, if this show wasn’t sent from on-high, than it was Hildamae’s dying wish coming true: get Colin to clean his room! So, there it is, the cat is out of my Birkin bag: I can be rather messy. But aren’t we all? Whether it be in mind, life, schedule, desk, purse, closet, or your inbox, somewhere you are a little messy; and a little messy can lead to a great deal of stress. It is, as Dawn Falcone put it, “stuck energy.” For me, Consuelo un-sticks my stuck energy four times a week, but that doesn’t cover all my bases: I still need to go to Dr. Feldheim, my therapist, and Dr. Koplowitz, my psychiatrist, to get my mind in order.

I was stunned to learn that our outer world is very much a reflection of our inner world. For instance, a messy desk can be a sign of a stressful work environment or chronic work overload. It is important to create systems that keep our lives orderly and neat. We do not need to be neat freaks, but organization is one of the keys to happiness. Growing up, we polished the silver under the iron fist of Hildamae, she said the harder we scrubbed the more we would feel her love. Boy was she right! Three hours of polishing spoons made my wrist feel so loved that they were practically stuck in an arthritic state until my mid-40s. “Sheets tight enough on which to bounce a quarter,” she would demand. By the time I went to college, I had had enough Old Dutch Cleanser, Clorox and Bon-Ami running through my blood that I vowed never to clean again. And I have not touched a mop since!

This week I will be speaking with three personal organizers and a psychologist, and we are going see how we can change our state of mind with a Swiffer, or two, or forty-seven.

This week I will be speaking with three personal organizers and a psychologist, and we are going see how we can change our state of mind with a Swiffer, or two, or forty-seven.

Dawn Falcone is not only passionate about organization, she knows it has a HUGE impact on personal sanity, success, and overall stress level. She emphasizes the point that reducing clutter and chaos will ultimately bring reward in the form of clarity, serenity, and time. She works closely with her clients to design spaces that reflect their personality and spirit. Dawn is a proud member of the (National Association of Professional Organizers) and is a certified interior environmental coach. Her work has appeared in many publications including: Real Simple, Woman’s World, Home And Garden Television, and Apartment Therapy.

Bonnie Joy Dewkett is the founder of The Joyful Organizer and is an organizing expert, author, motivational speaker, and radio personality – oh and she is an expert in time management! Boy oh boy does she know how to block-out a day!

Andrea Brundage of Simple Organized Solutions (S.O.S.) offers personalized hands-on organizational solutions to help small-to-medium sized business owners and homeowners function in efficient and organized environments. In partnership with its clients, S.O.S. creates “sensible solutions for your organizational needs.”

Dr. Nerina Garcia-Arcement is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Clinical Assistant Professor, in the Dept. of Psychiatry, at NYU School of Medicine. She specializes in challenges associated with life transitions, stress, anxiety, and depression.She provides a holistic therapeutic session by using a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and insight oriented/psychodynamic techniques to identify current problems, develop individualized strategies to ease stress, and gain insight into understanding one’s patterns in behavior. Dr. Garcia strongly advocates the act of self exploration, which helps us understand the way we think and act, it will also help shed light on our behaviors that worked in the past but are not effective any longer.

Link to podcast/show

Organizing Your Life