Meow! I am a cat therapist. No, I don’t have the fancy degree and years of experience like my human does—but like other pets in animal-assisted therapy settings, I collaborate with my human to help in the therapy process.

So what is it like to work with a therapy cat? First of all, I’ll introduce myself and welcome you in to the office. Therapy cats are here to make you comfortable; we’re pretty laid back and we like to go with the flow. Therapy cats are used to being handled and being around humans big and small, as well as other animals.

Nervous about going to therapy? Studies show the presence of a therapy cat will lower your anxiety as well as your stress level. Go ahead—pet us. We lower your blood pressure and help your brain release feel-good endorphins like oxytocin. This might help you talk more openly with our humans.

Now, have a seat—I’ve already warmed it up for you.

There are many of us—probably in therapy offices all over the world! Consider us a perk of therapy if we happen to be in the room to accompany you in your journey to better mental health.

My human and I know that working through therapy can be hard. Therapy cats see a lot of people who are in pain, but we can help comfort them in hard times. We’re here for you, just like our human is.

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I can help people of all ages learn and grow while working through mental health issues. Humans have proven that cats like me can even help children with learning difficulties. Some kids read to me. I love the stories of faraway places, but the ones about dogs can be a bit ruff!

I can also lend an ear to someone working out language difficulties or someone experiencing problems with social interaction or anxiety. See, in our many lives we develop many talents!

People like visiting my office—excuse me, my human’s office—because both of us can listen to you without judgment. As for the paperwork? We’ll leave that up to the humans.

Do you live in fear and anxiety? Do you think they protect you? They may—to a degree.

The startle reflex is protective; if we happen to step in front of a moving car, we immediately jump back, and that is a good thing. This reflex originates in the brain stem.

The fight, flight, or freeze response originates in the amygdala in the mid-brain. It is triggered when we sense danger. When we do not feel safe, we react instinctively without being aware of what we just perceived. The amygdala can be compared to a scanner on a submarine that is always on alert for danger. We are mostly unaware that this is happening. If we perceive a threat to our survival or emotional well-being, we generally respond by fighting back, fleeing, or freezing.

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The third level of fear is irrational beliefs and unreasonable expectations. These beliefs are located in our higher brain, the cortex, which is the seat of judgment and executive functioning. Many of our beliefs were formed so early in childhood that they seem like facts that are a part of who we are. Others were adopted later through cultural influences. Challenging or changing these beliefs may bring up more fears and resistance. We are familiar with the way we think and experience and do not know what our world would be like if we changed our beliefs. We can ask ourselves, “Would I rather be right about my way of thinking and collect evidence to prove and validate my beliefs? Or am I willing to challenge my beliefs in a way that would allow me to be happier?”

Anxiety and stress can take a toll on our mental and physical health. At the same time, they can serve us. If we view stress as bad and try to get rid of it, it has a more negative effect. But if we understand it as serving us, the detrimental effects are negated. The degree of fear, stress, or anxiety, and the effect on us, has to do with our beliefs about it. If you’re about to step on stage in front of a few thousand people, do you experience exhilaration, terror, or panic? How you define the event and what you say to yourself about it will determine your stress or relaxation level. Being a little scared but having a lot more excitement may be the best combination for peak performance.

Worry is frequently based on irrational or unreasonable expectations about the future. You may worry about not having enough money. Or you may worry about not being liked, saying or doing the wrong thing, or doubting that you are worthy and valuable. Specific fears or phobias—for example, snakes, bugs, and storms—may also worry you. All of these can haunt you until you find a way to release them. Notice how much you say to yourself, “What if (fill in the blank)?”

Ask yourself, “Do my beliefs protect me or just cause me to feel miserable? Are they beliefs I have chosen or ones I have taken on because that is what others have told me?” Since you decide what to believe, you also decide what not to believe. It is your choice.

Make a list of the things you think you are afraid of or worry about and challenge them. Ask if these are beliefs you chose or ones you just grew up believing because your parents, teachers, church, peers, or media told you it’s what you should think.

Be honest with yourself. It is the only way you are going to get to having more rational, reasonable expectations that bring you more peace and happiness.

Despite decades of work to educate the public about the nature of mental health conditions, mental health issues are still accompanied by stigma. Many people perceive that mental health issues happen to people they never see and certainly never care about.

The reality is that almost everyone knows someone with a mental health diagnosis, and such a diagnosis does not in any way mean that a person cannot live a normal, healthy, happy life. About 26% of Americans experience a mental health diagnosis in any given year. Most of these diagnoses are highly treatable conditions.

Anxiety Issues

Anxiety issues make up the most common group of mental health conditions in the United States, with 40 million American adults—or about 18% of the population—experiencing anxiety in any given year. Obsessive compulsion, panic, posttraumatic stress, generalized anxiety, and social phobia are all examples of anxiety disorders. Among people who experience such a disorder, social phobia is the most common, with 15 million people experiencing this condition each year.

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Mood Issues

Mood issues undermine a person’s ability to regulate mood. About 9% of the adult population, or 21 million people, experiences a mood disorder such as depression, bipolar, or dysthymia each year. Depression is the most common mood disorder, affecting almost 15 million people every year. It is also the leading cause of disability among adults.

Attention Deficit

About 11% of children have been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity. This diagnosis isn’t limited to children, though; ADHD affects 4% of adults every year.

Personality Issues

While many therapists and mental health practitioners do not support diagnoses of personality disorders of any kind, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) lists several types of personality diagnoses, and they are still frequently used. Rather than changing the way a person behaves in a specific context, personality disorders fundamentally alter a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Avoidant personality, which leads to avoidance of social situations and chronic feelings of inadequacy, is the most common personality issue, affecting 5% of adults every year. Overall, personality issues affect 9% of adults every year.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse can lead to addiction to substances ranging from alcohol to illicit drugs. About 23 million Americans experience an addiction each year, with only about 10% receiving proper psychological and medical treatment.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these common mental health issues, help is available. Find a therapist near you on by searching the GoodTherapy.org Directory.

References:

1. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder data & statistics. (2013, November 13). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html

2. The numbers count: Mental disorders in America. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml

3. The science of addiction: Drugs, brains, and behavior. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/spring07/articles/spring07pg14-17.html

So, if you’re stressed about something in life—whether it’s an upcoming presentation or performance, or a trip to an unfamiliar territory, or a big party you’re responsible for planning—it may bring you significant relief to, you know, talk about it with someone who has either been there or is going through it with you.

This may seem like a given—like something that doesn’t necessarily require research to confirm. But in the moments when stress and anxiety creep in and become all-consuming, it can be difficult to remember what helps to alleviate them.

According to a study led by Sarah Townsend, an assistant professor at USC Marshall School of Business, it is the specific interaction with a person who genuinely understands your emotion and response, and ideally is also experiencing it at the same time, that will provide measurable relief from stress.

For the study, Townsend and colleagues paired up participants who displayed “emotional similarity” and instructed them to deliver a speech while being videotaped. Each pair was told to discuss their feelings leading up to the presentation with one another, and as this was all happening, their cortisol levels were measured and documented.

They found that within these pairs, the simple act of talking with one another acted as a buffer from experiencing the high levels of stress typically associated with preparing for a speech. The results, which were published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, send the message that finding an emotionally “similar” partner may be key to keeping calm and carrying on when faced with potentially stressful situations.

References:

1. Townsend, S. S. M., Kim, H. S., and Mesquita, B. (2013, December). Are you feeling what I’m feeling? Emotional similarity buffers stress. Social Psychological and Personality Science. doi: 10.1177/1948550613511499. Abstract retrieved from http://spp.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/12/16/1948550613511499.abstract
2. USC Marshall School of Business. (2014, January 29). Two stressed people equals less stress. Press Release. Retrieved from http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-01/umso-tsp012914.php

You’re not paranoid if they really are out to get you. More than 50 years after Ernest Hemingway committed suicide, we know that Hemingway was being tracked and hounded by the FBI, but this revelation seems less significant in a culture dominated by surveillance.

Edward Snowden’s recent revelations about NSA spying have sparked a vigorous public debate, and employers routinely spy on their employees by tracking their email, logging their chats, and checking their Facebooks. Walk down any street or enter any convenience store and the odds are good that there’s a camera filming you. The line between public and private behavior is increasingly blurred. Some people are willing to sacrifice a bit of privacy to feel safer, but what about the psychological effects of all this surveillance?

Decreased Trust in Government

It makes sense that people might feel more afraid of their government when they think they’re being watched, but the effects go deeper. One study found that when people identified with a leader, their trust in that leader actually decreased when they found out they were being watched. Another study found that people’s willingness to put up with surveillance decreases when they realize that they are the ones being watched instead of a mysterious bad guy.

Increased Stress

A sense of privacy can play a significant role in the control people feel over their lives. We all have private thoughts and behaviors that we’d rather keep under wraps, but mass surveillance makes this much more challenging. A hastily typed email message or unfortunate Facebook update can suddenly become public knowledge. As far back as 1996, researchers found that people felt a loss of control when they knew they were being watched.

The mental health effects don’t end there, though. Researchers have found that as surveillance increases, so does anxiety. Anxiety can lead to a host of health conditions, including high blood pressure, obesity, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal problems, and even cancer.

Effects on Relationships

Social networking, email, and text messaging play major roles in helping to maintain relationships with friends and family, especially across geographic distances. When people know they’re being watched, though, they tend to be more circumspect with their communications. What was once a sarcastic inside joke might become something that, taken out of context, reads like a threat. As the zone of privacy around a relationship diminishes, so too might people’s willingness to foster real intimacy and shared understandings.

Conformity

Researchers have known for decades that people tend to conform to what observers expect. In the 1960s, Stanley Milgram demonstrated that research subjects would willingly shock another person—even to the point of putting the person’s life in danger—if told to do so by an authority figure. When people know they’re being watched, they may subtly alter their behavior and communication to meet the expectations of the watcher. For an office worker, this might mean avoiding creative problem-solving. In political life, though, the effects can be even more damaging. The surveillance efforts of dictatorships have traditionally inhibited public involvement in government and shut down opposition. It may be that even in a democracy, surveillance limits dissent.

References:

1. Anxiety and physical illness. (2012, July). Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2008/July/Anxiety_and_physical_illness

2. Anxious people more likely to develop aggressive cancer, study finds. (2012, April 26). Metro. Retrieved from http://metro.co.uk/2012/04/26/anxious-people-more-likely-to-develop-aggressive-cancer-study-finds-404181/

3. Beaumont, P. (n.d.). Fresh claim over role the FBI played in suicide of Ernest Hemingway. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jul/03/fbi-and-ernest-hemingway

4. Borland, J. (2007, August 08). Maybe surveillance is bad, after all. Wired.com. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2007/08/maybe-surveilla/

5. Smith, M. (1992). Employee stress and health complaints in jobs with and without electronic performance monitoring. Applied Ergonomics, 23(1), 17-27. doi: 10.1016/0003-6870(92)90006-H

6. Stanton, J. M., & Barnes-Farrell, J. L. (1996). Effects of electronic performance monitoring on personal control, task satisfaction, and task performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(6), 738-745. doi: 10.1037//0021-9010.81.6.738

7. SubaÅ¡ić, E., Reynolds, K. J., Turner, J. C., Veenstra, K. E., & Haslam, S. A. (2011). Leadership, power and the use of surveillance: Implications of shared social identity for leaders’ capacity to influence. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(1), 170-181. doi: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.12.014

8. York, J. C. (2013, June 25). The chilling effects of surveillance. AlJazeera. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/06/201362574347243214.html

Many people may view young adulthood (defined here in the context of age, typically 18 to 25) as one of the most exciting times in a person’s life. Many young adults are graduating from high school and heading off to college—or graduating college and heading into employment. Some young adults are working full-time jobs and getting full-time paychecks for the first time.

Numerous opportunities lie before these young, vibrant individuals. Some are moving out of their parents’ homes and experiencing a new-found freedom—no curfew, no one nagging them to do chores, etc. Young adults are often making their own rules, and more importantly, they are expected to make their own decisions.

Within the transition of “kid” to “adult” lies a multitude of variables that influence how a young person is defined, almost overnight. The change in how a young adult is described semantically (“kid” vs. “adult”) implies and may even dictate expectations. For example, “kids” are not necessarily expected to be employed and earn money to take care of themselves, whereas employment is expected by society for “adults.”

[fat_widget_right]Society has an expectation that young adults graduating high school should have not only decided which college to attend (prior to graduating from high school), but should also have chosen their major, which may dictate the career/employment that will financially sustain them until retirement. Young adults may also feel the pressure or expectation of finding the “perfect” job—or at least one that will pay the rent. This is not so easy in today’s economy.

Yes, the context of a young adult’s life can seemingly—and sometimes literally—change overnight. This change or transition can result in depression or increased anxiety expressed in the form of inability to make decisions or lack of motivation.

Although these new responsibilities and expectations are necessary in becoming a productive and self-sustaining individual, a degree of mindfulness and compassion for young adults should be practiced by parents, caretakers, and mentors. Society may sometimes take for granted that once an individual hits a certain age or reaches a certain milestone, such as high school or college graduation, he or she automatically gets this magical system upgrade and knows how to be an adult. While some individuals glide through this transition, others may have some difficulty.

So how can parents, caretakers, and mentors support this transition? Here are some tips:

1. Acknowledge this important life transition. Don’t take it for granted.
2. Give permission to make mistakes. Young adults are making important decisions about their futures for the first time, and they need to know they do not have to make perfect choices.
3. Be a sounding board without judgment. Give advice only if advice is solicited. Though usually well-intentioned by the advice giver, sometimes the advice receiver can perceive it as doubt in his or her decisions.
4. Step back and let young adults make choices and decisions, even if they appear stuck. If you make decisions for them, it may impede this new decision-making skill that is now required.
5. Consider counseling. Having an outside third party to talk to may be beneficial for young adults who are expressing difficulty with the expectations of this life transition, especially if it is resulting in significant depression or anxiety.

Remember, even those who have been practicing adulthood for decades struggle from time to time. Mindfulness and gentle guidance are keys to support.

Tornado season is well underway, initiated this year by the recent tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, but severe storms and natural disasters can happen at any time. These events leave residents devastated and entire communities completely decimated. Round-the-clock news coverage tends to fade afterward, making it easy to forget about these events altogether. But for the people who survive massive disasters, the consequences last much longer than the news cycle, and extend much deeper than property damage and scrapes.

Shock

In the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, the first reaction is often a combination of shock and denial. Sometimes this can make it challenging to take the necessary steps to begin picking up the pieces—calling insurance, assessing what property was lost, even finding temporary housing. But shock tends to give way to much stronger feelings, which can hit days, weeks, or months after a disaster strikes.

Feelings of Insecurity

Home is a place that most people spend their entire lives believing is a place of safety and refuge. But when a storm comes tearing through your house, this security can go out the window. People who have survived storms may experience nightmares, anxiety, extreme concerns about storm safety, or obsessive preparation to avoid the next disaster. The insecurity can be especially pronounced in children, who may feel constantly unsafe.

Posttraumatic Stress

Extreme stress is common in the aftermath of a storm. But when it persists for months, it can lead to posttraumatic stress (PTSD). People with PTSD may experience flashbacks to the storms, panic attacks, an extreme startle reflex, persistent avoidance of things that remind them of the storm, and anxiety and depression. PTSD can also interfere with a person’s ability to control emotions, leading to angry outbursts or crying spells, for example.

Other Mental Health Conditions

PTSD isn’t the only long-term consequence of surviving a natural disaster. For people already experiencing a mental illness, a traumatic event can make symptoms worse. And for others, a natural disaster can spark depression, extreme stress, generalized anxiety, eating and food issues, obsessive-compulsion, and a host of other problems. Sometimes these issues arise as a result of a person’s attempts to control the environment after a storm takes away control.

Effects on First Responders

Storm survivors aren’t the only people who suffer when a natural disaster hits. People who are on the scene at the time of the storm or who witness the immediate aftermath—including first responders such as police officers and fire fighters as well as the media—can also experience psychological symptoms. They could be haunted by people they were unable to save, by images of injured people, or by the massive nature of the destruction. Some witnesses may even feel guilt that someone else’s home or life was destroyed but theirs wasn’t. The symptoms for witnesses and first responders are often the same, including PTSD, depression, and other mental health conditions, and people who are present in the aftermath of a storm may need as much help and support as the victims.

References:

1. Hellmich, N. (2013, May 21). Kids who survived tornado face emotional after-effects. USA Today. Retrieved from usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/21/psychologist-impact-kids-disasters/2346773/
2. Pearson, C. (2013, May 21). Oklahoma tornado PTSD: How survivors are coping. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/oklahoma-tornado-ptsd_n_3314640.html
3. Rossi, B. (n.d.). The psychological aftermath of the Oklahoma tornados. WSJ This Morning RSS. Retrieved from blogs.wsj.com/wsjam/2013/05/22/the-psychological-aftermath-of-the-oklahoma-tornados/

Many people have problems with daily life that begin in the brain. There are many ways this can occur. High levels of stress over time can cause problems with sleep, energy, and mood. A mild traumatic brain injury from a car accident or sports injury may cause difficulty with memory and attention span, and may induce depression. Exposure to chemicals such as those used in chemotherapy can cause problems with mental clarity, leading to a condition referred to as “chemo brain.” Problems with focus, concentration, and attention can be related to a variety of psychiatric diagnoses or sleep deprivation. Is taking medication always the answer?

The Low Energy Neurofeedback System (LENS) was developed in the early 1990s by Len Ochs, PhD, a northern California psychologist. LENS was created as an alternative to medication for brain-based problems and is often used along with psychotherapy. LENS is a computer-based software program that is connected to an EEG box, which measures brainwaves. LENS directly stimulates biochemical changes that are thought to help the brain regulate itself.

The brain is both a biochemical and a bioelectrical system. Medication works on the chemical system, while LENS works on the electrical system. We might think of LENS helping the brain to reboot, like a computer that is no longer functioning optimally. LENS is just as safe and effective as traditional neurofeedback, and works much more quickly, saving both time and money.

Process of Treatment

The treatment itself consists of sitting quietly in a comfortable chair with your eyes gently closed, while the neurofeedback practitioner applies a tiny electrode with conductive paste to your scalp to both measure the brainwave activity and to deliver treatment. It is a completely painless and noninvasive procedure and most find it very relaxing.

Treatment consists of invisible radio frequency waves that are 4,000 times weaker than what your brain is exposed to each time you hold a cellular phone to your head. Not only is the feedback signal incredibly weak, but the length of exposure to it is extremely short. The duration of actual feedback during a typical LENS session is from one second to one minute per site on the head. It might seem impossible that a signal so weak could do anything at all, but it is effective because the brain can respond to the low-energy signal, whereas it would react and defend against a stronger one.

Neurofeedback clinicians have noticed a strong connection between excessive activity in the EEG, particularly in the slower brainwaves, and difficulties with mood, energy, focus, and mental clarity. Trauma and stress tend to cause EEG suppression, in which the brain protects itself from overload and seizure activity by reducing activity, which in turn limits functioning. In this case, the person doesn’t have the full range of emotions, thoughts and abilities they once had. LENS helps to normalize both excess activity and suppression in the EEG, and people feel better and are able to do more of what they want. Most people who receive LENS treatment report feeling more calm, relaxed, and in control of themselves.

Who Can Benefit from LENS?

We all know individuals who are rigid and inflexible, who are stuck in patterns of thinking and feeling that make them miserable, and yet they just can’t seem to change. Some people struggle because they seem to be perpetually stuck in overdrive — unable to wind down at the end of the day, or even to sit still for very long without excessive fidgeting, foot tapping, knuckle cracking, or frequent smoking breaks. Other people seem to be perpetually shut down emotionally and physically, with a sad, downcast appearance, low energy, and minimal interaction with others.

These patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving are both psychological and physiological. Releasing suppression and reducing excess activity in the brain allows the person to begin to feel that change is possible, so they can begin to make new choices and form new habits. Psychotherapy combined with LENS neurofeedback treatment is optimal in these cases. LENS helps make the brain more flexible and therapy provides the support and coaching for how to make changes and develop new patterns in how we deal with our thoughts and emotions.

One woman I worked with, “Linda,” a middle-aged attorney, had suffered a mild traumatic brain injury ten years ago during a car accident. Her doctors told her, “this is as good as it’s going to get” when she complained of memory problems, headaches, insomnia, and the feeling that her brain “just didn’t work right anymore.” Since then, she was forced to give up her law practice because of these limitations. Her self-esteem and relationships suffered, leading to depression and a feeling of hopelessness about the future.

Linda began to respond to LENS within four or five sessions. Over the course of the four months I worked with her, I saw her twice weekly and each time we met, I noted and she reported improvements. She became giddy when she suddenly realized she could remember words that she had not been able to think of in over a decade without effort. As her limitations were eliminated, her mood brightened as well.

When I first met Linda she presented as someone who had given up and was just going through the motions, appearing disheveled, with dirty hair and stained and wrinkled clothing. She arrived smiling on the day of our final LENS session, her hair and nails freshly done, wearing a bright and flattering dress. As she left, she tearfully thanked me for “giving me my life back.” She had already announced to friends and family she was reopening her law practice and was open for new referrals.

Experiencing such discomfort when there is seemingly no reason for the discomfort can be confusing, and even a little scary. You may be comforted to know that it is also quite common. We all have vague feelings of unrest at times, and they often pass just as quickly and mysteriously as they arrived. However, it sounds like this is something that you have been struggling with for a while now, and perhaps it is even intensifying. When these feelings persist, I believe it is a cue that it is time to enlist some support in sorting things out. Partnering with a therapist can provide the supportive relationship and the dedicated time and space to explore this.

Over the years, I’ve had many people come in for therapy with much the same scenario you presented—committed relationship, good job, and stable finances, but unhappy, perpetually anxious, or, as you say, unable to relax. It typically doesn’t take too much probing before we are able to identify one or more areas in someone’s life where there is dissatisfaction. Thoroughly exploring these areas creates an opportunity to develop insight into the source of the unrest. Once there is a deeper understanding of what is actually happening, concrete steps can be taken to address it. Sometimes the solution is less concrete, however. For some, the dilemma is more existential in nature—they are seeking answers to questions about the meaning and purpose of life. In these cases, therapy provides an opportunity to explore these questions while providing the support that may be needed when no definitive answers materialize.

Though I can’t be sure what exactly is causing your unrest, I sense that you have reached a level of frustration that is pushing you to address it. You took the brave step of writing in with your question. I encourage you to continue taking brave steps and find a therapist who can help you sort through what you are experiencing. It might be scary and even painful, but in the end, you just might find yourself able to relax.

Sincerely,
Sarah

The green-eyed monster of envy is often viewed as an emotion that leads to bad behavior. Envy can also be painful for those experiencing it. Longing for a new home or enviously watching friends post vacation photos on Facebook can slowly eat away at your self-esteem and harm your relationships with others.

Envy and jealousy may be used interchangeably, but there’s actually a meaningful distinction. While jealousy is the fear of losing something you already have – such as a spouse – envy is pain over something you don’t have – a flashy car, a perfect family, or a good marriage. Social networking can increase envy, and the media often fuels feelings of envy by parading an endless supply of things you do not, or cannot, have. You don’t have to permanently live with envy. There are several things you can do to cope with the overwhelming emotions that come with it.

[fat_widget_right]Deconstruct It
When you feel that first pang of envy, don’t ignore it, but don’t continue feeding it. Instead, try to deconstruct it. What’s really behind the envy? Envy can tell you a lot about what you want – a vacation, a successful spouse, a new job. And if you listen to your feelings of envy and interrogate them, you’re more likely to arrive at useful information about yourself. Question why you’re feeling envy, what is missing in your own life, and if any other emotions – such as anxiety or frustration – could partially account for your envious feelings.

Focus on Gratitude
You might not have a million dollar beach house, but you do have something to be grateful for; everyone does. Rather than fixating on what you don’t have, make gratitude a long-term strategy. Make a list of things you’re grateful for – no matter how small – each day. And when you feel pangs of envy, replace each envious thought with a moment of gratitude for something fabulous about your own life.

Get a Reality Check
When you’re marveling at someone’s social networking profile or alumni newsletter update, it’s easy to forget that everyone has a public and private face. We all strive to put our best face forward. That classmate or co-worker who seems to have an amazing life may be secretly struggling. Don’t believe the hype about other people. Instead, realize that everyone struggles with something and you might not know what the inside view of another person’s life is.

Decide What You Want
Rather than wallowing in envy, resolve to take steps to get your own life on track. Envy can be a positive emotion when it empowers healthy goal-setting. When you’re feeling envious, ask yourself what it is about another person’s life that you envy, then make a list of the steps you can take to reach your goals. By taking a minuscule step every day, you can get on track to have the life you want, of which you can be proud.

Help Others
While there may always be people who have things you don’t have, there are also almost certainly people who have much less than you. Helping others can offer an effective perspective adjustment. It also feels good all on its own. Try volunteering at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen, and use your volunteer experience as an opportunity to take stock of all you have instead of all that you’re lacking.

References:

1. Controlling envy. (n.d.). Dr. Phil.com. Retrieved from http://drphil.com/articles/article/340
2. Keeping envy and jealousy under control. (n.d.). University of Rochester Medical Center. Retrieved from http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1
3. Matousek, M. (2012, May 29). When friends get rich or famous (or both). Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ethical-wisdom/201205/when-friends-get-rich-or-famous-or-both

We all know an adrenaline junkie: the friend who jumps out of airplanes for fun, the sibling who spends her time traveling to war-ravaged countries, or the co-worker who spends her weekends speeding on a motorcycle. Adrenaline rushes are readily available at just about every turn. A number of factors can affect whether a person ends up a risk taker or a quiet homebody, but there’s evidence that a little risk-taking now and again is good for almost everyone.

Effects on the Brain

Risk-taking causes real changes in the brain, which might account for why risk-takers quickly seem to become adrenaline addicts. Major risks release adrenaline, which can lead to a quick rush, and dopamine, which causes intense feelings of pleasure. While these chemicals contribute to a powerful high in most people, the feelings can be especially addictive to people who are struggling with feelings of sadness or depression. Over time, risk-taking can function much like a drug. Risk-takers may need bigger risks to get the same rush, and mundane daily activities can start to seem boring and painful.

Personality

Personality plays a major role in an individual’s propensity for risk-taking behavior. While it might seem like those who worry excessively don’t make for ideal risk-takers, some studies indicate that people who score high on neuroticism – a combination of anxiety, moodiness, and worry – are more likely to become risk-takers. The data is not conclusive, though, and some studies have found that risk-takers actually score lower on measures of neuroticism than the general population.

Personality can also affect the kinds of risks a person is willing to take. The dedicated smoker might be terrified of heights, driving, or illness, without ever recognizing that smoking is a risky behavior. Some adrenaline junkies have a preferred risk-taking behavior, and this could be correlated with personality. People who love novelty, for example, might travel to dangerous locations, while people who are highly physical might get their adrenaline rush from rock climbing or mountain biking.

Culture and Peers

Cultural influences play a huge role in whether or not people are willing to take risks. As travel – particularly to remote locations – has become a part of the educational path of middle class students, more and more students are willing to travel to potentially risky locations. Peer pressure plays a huge role in risk-taking, and study after study has shown that people are more likely to take risks in a group setting.

Benefits of Risk-Taking

While some risky behaviors might not be worth their potential consequences, risk-taking in small doses is almost universally beneficial for your brain and mental health. Novel experiences can help to ward off depression and reinvigorate a stale relationship. Risk-taking is often a necessary prerequisite for starting a new business or launching a new career, and the excitement associated with uncertainty can be a powerful antidote to boredom and even depression. Because dopamine produces a natural high, risk-taking behaviors can help you get a positive mood and a new perspective without the risks associated with drug use.

References:

1. Adrenaline rush: The science of risk. (n.d.). Museum of Science, Boston. Retrieved from http://www.mos.org/imax/adrenaline-rush
2. Gardner, M., & Steinberg, L. (2005). Peer Influence on Risk Taking, Risk Preference, and Risky Decision Making in Adolescence and Adulthood: An Experimental Study. Developmental Psychology, 41(4), 625-635. doi: 10.1037/0012-1649.41.4.625
3. Park, A. (n.d.). Why we take risks — it’s the dopamine. Time. Retrieved December 30, 2008, from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1869106,00.html

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often have personality features that mimic those found in depression, anxiety, and even obsessive compulsion (OC). Behaviors such as extreme punctuality, perfectionism, rigidity, harm avoidance, and unwillingness to seek out novel experiences are common in all of these illnesses. New research has begun to explore whether or not any of these personality types are common in people with PD and, if so, whether any of these traits act as predictors of PD, or merely comorbid symptoms. To look at the relationships between PD and personality traits further, Alessandra Nicoletti of the Department of Hygiene, Public Health, and Neuroscience at the University of Catania in Italy recently conducted a study involving 100 clients with PD and 100 without. She evaluated the personality traits of all of the participants and found that OC was present in 40% of the PD participants and 10% of the non-PD participants.

Nicoletti noted that OC personality and Parkinsonian personality both present with similar cognitive and behavioral traits. She believes that even though there is an overlap in symptoms, it has not been shown that OC personality predicts later Parkinson’s. However, some research has suggested a predictive quality in OC personality for future OC. Nicoletti believes the shared traits present in both personality types are the result of similar neurological circuitry, rather than genetic predisposition to Parkinson’s.

The second most common personality type was depressive, accounting for 14 PD participants and four control participants. This personality is characterized by avoidant behaviors and negative affect, which can also be present in individuals with PD alone. Nicoletti added, “Considering the well known high prevalence of depression among the PD patients, we are aware that in some case distinguishing between these two conditions can be difficult.” She hopes that future work will examine this personality type and others more thoroughly in order to establish whether they provide an early indication of Parkinson’s risk or they merely exist as comorbid conditions.

Reference:

1. Nicoletti, A., Luca, A., Raciti, L., Contrafatto, D., Bruno, E., et al. (2013). Obsessive compulsive personality disorder and Parkinson’s disease. PLoS ONE 8(1): e54822. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054822