When you perceive a threat, your autonomic nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. The fight or flight (stress) response is a function of the sympathetic system, which is a part of our autonomic nervous system. The result is that your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten,…
In our fast paced society and culture that values youth, individuality, material things and accomplishments, more and more people struggle in their search for meaning and connection to some larger purpose. This especially becomes important when dealing with life-changing events,…
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that can develop following a traumatic event that threatens your safety or makes you feel helpless. Most people associate PTSD with battle-scarred soldiers – and military combat is the most common cause in men – but any overwhelming life experience can trigger PTSD,…
Today, chronic diseases are among the most prevalent, costly, and preventable of all health problems. Chronic diseases are now the major cause of death and disability worldwide and they account for 59% of the 57 million deaths annually and 46% of the global burden of disease.
Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one – and this type of loss does often cause the most intense grief.
Receiving a diagnosis of “infertility” can make you feel helpless, frustrated and depressed. The stress of infertility is a two way street. The emotional experience can’t help but create tension in one’s body. And tension in one’s body can’t help but intensify the worry that you are somehow contributing to the problem.
Feeling down from time to time is a normal part of life as it’s impossible to escape life’s ups and downs. Feeling unhappy or sad in response to disappointment, loss, frustration or a medical condition is normal. Many people use the word “depression” to explain these kinds of feelings,…
Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) causes serious shifts in a person’s mood, energy, thinking, and behavior – from the highs of mania on one extreme, to the lows of depression on the other. More than just a fleeting good or bad mood, the cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months.
It’s normal to worry and feel tense or scared when under pressure or facing a stressful situation. Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when we feel threatened. Although it may be unpleasant, anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, anxiety can help us stay alert and focused,…
Social drinking is common and popular is many cultures all over the world. In several cultures, for example, a glass of wine or beer with a meal is common practice. Celebrations are often punctuated with a glass of champagne or other celebratory cocktail. And in many jobs, going out for drinks is the norm.