Researchers have discovered brain cells change following close contact with a stressed individual. Simply put, stress is contagious. Stress can be brought on by big things like existential crises. More commonly, stress comes from trivial, every-day things like walking into a meeting that’s already started. Living in a world dominated by social media, we are constantly forced to compare our lives to those of others. Life is, by nature, unstable and uncertain, which can make stress inevitable. Therefore, it is unsurprising that we find ourselves in the midst of an anxiety epidemic.

The urge is often involuntary—and has little to do with actual remorse.

During a panic attack, your entire body is on high alert. Your heart is pounding and you are breathing too fast and shallow. It can feel like your thoughts are racing, and you can’t think straight no matter what you do. The severity of the symptoms experienced during a panic attack are so intense that it can throw off the rest of your day. It’s understandable that you’d want to do everything you can to make it stop.

A 19th-century philosopher’s nervous breakdown can teach us something about finding peace in a world in crisis. By Adam Etinson.

If each bout of depression, bipolar disorder or PTSD makes another more likely, should sufferers stay on medication for life?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety, but their efficacy relative to placebo has been questioned. We aimed to test how manipulation of verbally induced expectancies, central for placebo, influences SSRI treatment outcome and brain activity in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD).

types of anxiety Types of Anxiety is simply excessive worry or exaggerated reaction to a triggering event. Although most people do not realize,

Ugly People of the World Unite", is the unofficial motto of the club, which has 270 members. Among the club's role models are Angela Merkel, the new German chancellor, whose own lack of regard for her looks has attracted much criticism, the Duchess of Cornwall and the singer, Janis Joplin. (2005)

He was compared to basketball superstars like Charles Barkley and LeBron James. But without comprehensive mental health treatment, Royce White found himself fighting for a new cause.

There is growing evidence for a role of the gut microbiome in shaping behaviour relevant to many psychiatric and neurological disorders. Preclinical studies using germ-free (GF) animals have been essential in contributing to our current understanding of the potential importance of the host microbiome for neurodevelopment and behaviour. In particular, it has been repeatedly demonstrated that manipulation of the gut microbiome modulates anxiety-like behaviours.

Roughly one in five American adults suffer from mental illnesses. Athletes might be more at risk. Here, eight of them tell their authentic stories.

Strolling around the Venice Biennale not long ago I observed how calm people were. They were moving slowly and rhythmically, speaking quietly or not at all, gazing intently at the work on show. Sure they may have been slightly soporific due to 30+ degree temperatures but I am certain that there is something more powerful at work here and research on the well-being benefits of art supports this.

Although high school students may think popularity is of the utmost importance, a new study found that it may not lead to long-term happiness. What mattered more, according to the study published in the journal Child Development, is whether the teens had close friendships they maintained over time.

I’ve always been very open about my past struggles with anxiety and depression. It’s not something I chose and it’s not even always due to external factors. It’s just the result of some faulty wiring in my brain. Que sera sera, right? But just because I’ve come to terms with these struggles doesn’t mean that it’s always been easy. While I’ve been fortunate enough to maintain some semblance of a “functional” life, there have been plenty of times that I nearly broke under the weight of my tainted emotions.

New research sheds light on how psilocybin could help people overcome depressive symptoms. The psychedelic drug appears to promote a change from disconnection to connection and a change from avoidance to acceptance. Psilocybin is the primary mind-altering substance in psychedelic “magic” mushrooms. The drug can profoundly alter the way a person experiences the world by producing changes in mood, sensory perception, time perception, and sense of self.

Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and Albert Einstein College of Medicine studied the link between food allergy and childhood anxiety and depression among a sample of predominantly low socioeconomic status minority children. The results showed that children with a food allergy had a significantly higher prevalence of childhood anxiety.

Patients are ditching opioids and instead using cannabis to treat pain, anxiety, and depression mostly in states where pot is legal, according to a new study. Published in the Journal of Pain Research, the results show that 46 percent of people who used cannabis at least once within the previous 90 days used it as a substitute for prescription drugs that treat pain, anxiety, and depression. The investigators surveyed nearly...

Claustrophobia: fear of confined places. What is Claustrophobia? claus·tro·pho·bi·a ˌklôstrəˈfōbēə/ noun Extreme or irrational fear of confined places.

It's been nearly three years since I lost my mind. I had told people in the past that I'd lost my mind, but I didn't know what I was talking about. For instance, I'd once danced on stage with the Flaming Lips while wearing a giant furry koala suit. I told people "It was amazing! I lost my mind!" But I didn't know what I was talking about. I was just super-excited, quite drunk, and really high.

For many people, treating sleep problems before treating symptoms of anxiety and depression is less stigmatising and might encourage people to seek further help.