MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'circumstances'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:55:30 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036275&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F17%2F3-handy-ways-to-help-your-child-overcome-negative-thinking%2F Negative thinking isn’t something that just plagues adults. It also plagues kids. In the book Freeing Your Child From Negative Thinking: Powerful Practical Strategies to Build a Lifetime of Resilience, Flexibility and Happiness, child psychologist Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D, writes that for kids with a “negative thinking bias,” negative thoughts become “the default, the first, last and final word.” Kids simply don’t realize that they have a choice in whether they internalize these thoughts. Instead, they start to see these inaccurate beliefs as absolute truths. Fortunately, Chansky says that parents can help! Whether your child expresses negative thoughts occasionally or on a regular basis, you can help them overcome these harmful patterns of thinking. Below are three activities to... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036275 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 10:17:59 +0100 5036275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952990&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F18%2Famericas-mental-health-budget-cuts-poor-training-and-stephanie-moulton%2F Anybody who’s been an administrator in a community mental health system in America in the past three decades knows the drill. During bust times, state governments actually come close to doing a good job with members of society who are at their most vulnerable. Services are — while never fully-funded — well-funded, and for the most part, there’s enough staff to cover the huge need in communities for mental health care for the poor. But when budgets tighten, the first place governors look to cut are social services. High on the list of social services to be cut are mental health services, because they are often people intensive. Nevermind that most of those people are poorly trained “aides” or others who often have little direct education or experience wit... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952990 Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:11:39 +0100 4952990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893554&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F03%2F6-tips-for-battling-loneliness%2F The more I’ve learned about happiness, the more I’ve come to believe that loneliness is a terrible, common, and important obstacle to consider. A while back, after reading John Cacioppo’s fascinating book Loneliness, I posted Some counter-intuitive facts about loneliness, and several people responded by asking, “Okay, but what do I do about it? What steps can I take to feel less lonely?” I recently finished another fascinating book, Lonely — a memoir by Emily White, about her own experiences and research into loneliness. White doesn’t attempt to give specific advice about how to combat loneliness, but from her book, I gleaned these strategies… 1. Remember that although the distinction can be difficult to draw, loneliness and solitude are dif... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893554 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:22:22 +0100 4893554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841433&cid=t_229387_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmYoiRBgTDyI%2F By George Scoville “Consistent bets for higher oil prices in futures markets have not been particularly lucrative.” “The vast, swaying bulk of America’s military has absolutely nothing to do with effectively combating terrorism—including the large land armies that we deploy to Muslim countries in efforts to destroy and then reconstitute their states.” “‘Poking and prodding’ is what good government does to perfect strangers. And that’s what the Obama administration has been doing, with unusual zeal, for the past 2 1/2 years.” The Cato 2011 State Legislative Guide is designed to help state policymakers free their constituents from the burden of overextended government and addresses unfunded pension liabilities, ballooning Medicaid enr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841433 Thu, 19 May 2011 14:29:22 +0100 4841433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789332&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F05%2Fhelping-schools-with-their-mental-health-needs%2F May is Mental Health Month (if you hadn’t heard), and in keeping with that theme, it’s good to check in to see where mental health resides in various places in society. One of those places is in our schools. Schools can be a helpful frontline in the identification — through screening programs — of at-risk children and teens who may get a mental disorder. In the past decade, schools have also become a necessary component of ensuring students who need mental health treatment have access to something that can help. But University of Missouri researchers caution that when it comes to mental health programs in schools, one size does not fit all. Just trying to implement research-based solutions without truly understanding what the problem is in a particular school or sch... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789332 Thu, 05 May 2011 16:45:24 +0100 4789332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789335&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F04%2Fdo-we-become-what-we-hope-well-become%2F “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” ~Buddha Facebook and other social networking platforms have allowed for reconnections with people who would have been lost to us had we lived in another time.  High school friends I haven’t seen for decades are immediately accessible with a few clicks on my laptop. No other generation in the history of evolution has been able to reach back with such ease into previous sociometric circles to sample how friends have fared throughout their lives.  Other generations have not had the technology to do this, and a new awareness about how early indications during adolescence may affect future life circumstances has become part of our culture.  We can readily see how our teenage buds have managed their lives, and they can see us. Thi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789335 Wed, 04 May 2011 12:33:11 +0100 4789335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693333&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F08%2Fthe-forbidden-fruit-in-relationships%2F A long-term, stable romantic relationship with a committed, caring partner has many psychological benefits, which we know from the oodles of psychological research published about them. So it’s a good thing to try and protect one’s relationship from external influences. One of the most difficult to recover from and damaging influences is cheating. If cheating will harm a relationship (and cheating appears to be one of the primary reasons cited in many, if not most, relationship breakups), what can be done to minimize it? After all, isn’t it human nature — and the nature of temptation — to constantly look for desirable alternatives? One of the ways people look to protect their long-term relationship is to simply remain inattentive to those alternatives. Researc... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693333 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:30:13 +0100 4693333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615190&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F19%2Fwhat-hurts-your-facebook-friends%2F With Facebook and other social networking websites such an integral part of many people’s lives, you have to wonder — what kinds of things do people do that hurt their social networking “friends?” It’s a brave new world online, where a misstep on a social networking website like Facebook can result in hurt feelings between real friends. A researcher was interested in figuring out (Tokunaga, 2011) which of our online behaviors on social networking websites were more likely to lead to the greatest hurt feelings amongst our online “friends.” He found three specific things a person can do that can lead to hurt feelings on sites such as Facebook and Myspace. Here’s what he found out. The researcher’s sample consisted of 197 undergraduate st... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615190 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 11:51:43 +0100 4615190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600579&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F16%2F10-reasons-why-someone-in-therapy-may-not-be-getting-better%2F A few months ago I was called to be an expert witness at the county court. Not my favorite thing to do. What makes it hard is the tendency lawyers have to ask complex questions and expect a “Yes” or “No” answer. I have learned to slow myself down, detach myself from the process, and be absolutely truthful while remaining as unprovoked as possible. Otherwise it is an exhausting exercise. One question did get me going, though. It revolved around whether or not a person can change and what causes a person in therapy to improve or not improve. The conversation below is a dramatic re-enactment of real events… Lawyer: Under what circumstances does a person in therapy not get well? Me: Are you assuming the therapist is perfect? Because one reason a person does not i... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600579 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:35:35 +0100 4600579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560354&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F08%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-march-8-2011%2F My first year of grad school was one of the most relaxing years of my life. Sounds crazy right? But the reason for my surprising sense of peace and tranquility, despite the stress of moving to a new city and all the papers and presentations that come with getting your masters, was due to one simple word. Meditation. My first course in the semester was, “Stress Management 101.” My daily homework assignment consisted of an hour’s worth of meditation on my own time and than 3 hours of talking about and practicing mindfulness meditation in class at night. Basically, on top of sleeping better, I was spending a good part of my day focused on being relaxed. Boy do I miss those times. But then I wondered what the difference was between now and then? Why do I need a homework assig... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560354 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:46:36 +0100 4560354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507352&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F22%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-february-22-2011%2F This article looks at bipolar disorder in Hollywood. (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507352 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:54:13 +0100 4507352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314050&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Foptimism-and-the-psychology-of-chance-encounters%2F “…chance encounters play a prominent role in shaping the course of human lives.” ~ Albert Bandura Former president, American Psychological Association “Did you ever observe to whom the accidents happen? Chance favors only the prepared mind.” ~ Louis Pasteur A friend of mine recently went through a tough time: a personal crisis. She was scouring for signs of something positive, anything that would offer a ray of hope or light for her situation. She decided to go out for some tea when she encountered a woman, unknown to her, who began chatting about the trials and tribulations of her life. The woman spoke of gratitude for those who had courage, and at the end of what was essentially a monologue the woman said to my friend: “Everybody goes through difficulties. Surround yourse... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314050 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:05:00 +0100 4314050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197140&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F24%2Fchange-is-hard-but-not-impossible%2F A lot of “Health 2.0″ tools seek to help people change their behaviors to lead more healthy, productive lives. This is an admirable goal, and one I wholeheartedly endorse. Some of the tools are really “gee-whiz” neat! However, many people involved with building Health 2.0 tools have little or no formal background in human behavior. How do you expect to build tools that seek to change human behavior, with no human behavior experts — you know, psychologists — consulting with you or on your staff? That’s like trying to write a piece of software without a programmer. In reply to a query on this topic, and how people change their behavior, I wrote the following over at the Society for Participatory Medicine’s e-patients.net blog. I think it enca... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197140 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:57:57 +0100 4197140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125064&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F01%2Fbad-mommy-the-baby-blues-and-postpartum-depression%2F Eighteen years ago, when I gave birth to my son, I was a wreck; depressed and racked with guilt over it. I learned later I wasn’t alone. Many mothers felt the same way when their kids were born, only they kept it quiet. Today, thank God, the silence is broken and women can admit just how imperfect their mommy-ness feels at times. Back in the old days, however, it was odd for a woman to confess that she didn’t feel a strong traditional pull to be a mother. We’re talking way back — before cell phones, before the Internet, before Facebook, even before reality television shows! For my husband and me, circumstances beyond our control forced us to consider life without children. Having the choice taken away from us because of my chronic illness was depressing and we had to wo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125064 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:56:02 +0100 4125064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671784&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F17%2Fput-down-your-iphone-while-driving%2F Not only is it dangerous to drive while talking on your mobile phone or iPhone or Blackberry, it’s also not good for your relationship either. So says a professor who thinks that if driving while distracted by your technological gadget is bad enough, imagine what trying to hold up your end of the conversation in your relationship might be. Relationships rely on good, clear communication. Driving relies on good, clear undivided attention and no distraction. The two don’t seem entirely compatible, so it seems to reason the good professor has a point. “In general, cell phone usage while driving might lead to missed relationship stop lights, slow reactions to dangerous relationship circumstances, loss of control of one’s part of the interaction, and interaction mistakes that co... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671784 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:28:19 +0100 3671784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354532&cid=t_229387_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fremembering-farrahs-brave-cancer-battle%2F The Oscars are always fun to watch. This year’s awards couldn’t pass without a little controversy though. During the In Memoriam segment, Farrah Fawcett was not included among the actors shown and I was a little perturbed when the segment ended and her face was not shown on screen with the other actors that had passed away during the year. Farah lost her battle with anal cancer and I wrote a blog to commemorate her just after her death. I think she was such a big icon during my life, and especially when I was a young woman, that I almost feel snubbed that they forgot her. Her battle with cancer was chronicled by herself and was terrifically brave.  Her death reminded me that although I beat cancer once I still need to be vigilant against this foe. In my life it claimed a breast, i... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354532 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:59:10 +0100 3354532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346653&cid=t_229387_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhappiness-and-breast-cancer%2F Are you happy? I don’t mean happy with your life, or happy with your job or happy with your mate. I mean are you happy despite everything that might not be great in your life right now? I guess I should ask instead; are you a happy person? When I was thinking about what makes me happy I realized that I don’t need anything to make me happy. I am happy a lot of the time. Not the silly superficial happy, or the happy that comes with always finding people to party with, but really happy. In people who are happy there is just a sense of cheerfulness and optimism. These people have the ability to bounce back from sad and tragic places and move on. We can find the cancer in a body and the lump in a breast, but no one has found where happy resides. Is it in the heart or the head? I do ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346653 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:35:12 +0100 3346653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441691&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F27%2Ftermination-10-tips-when-ending-psychotherapy%2F The end of the psychotherapy relationship is a difficult phase of therapy. Perhaps the second most difficult one, next to actually making the decision to try out psychotherapy in the first place and pour your heart out to a complete stranger (albeit a professional). Therapists call the end of therapy “termination,” which doesn’t help in the “let’s give this a warm, fuzzy-feeling name to make it sound as least scary as possible” department. In everyday society, we typically “terminate” bugs or contracts, not relationships. But that’s psychology for you, always promoting psychobabble when simply calling it “ending therapy” would’ve sufficed. Ending any relationship for most of us is not something that comes easily, or is... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441691 Wed, 27 May 2009 10:00:30 +0100 2441691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240890&cid=t_229387_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F05%2Fmore-thoughts-on-motherhood-and-depression%2F The post I wrote earlier only seemed to stir up more thoughts about depression and motherhood. Of course, you could insert whatever mental illness into the place of depression and many of the consequences and outcomes would be similar. So here goes round two of motherhood and depression from a mom who’s been there. Many women feel the pressure to be supermoms — do it all with a smile and have it all at the end of the day. This is so difficult to fulfill that women often feel like they come up short. Somewhere somehow something has to give. Many families certainly have to sacrifice to make ends meet, and especially now the economy isn’t making it any easier. But it’s just this type of “be everything to everyone” kind of expectation that can get moms in a ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240890 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:29:33 +0100 2240890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=966971&cid=t_229387_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F172962733%2F Oh my goodness. I found the coolest simulated open heart surgery “game”. It is very elementary on an anatomical level and has 3 different levels you can choose from. At the surgeon level, that would be mid-grade, I was successful. At the specialist level… not so much! In fact they advised me to “call my lawyer”. Haha. While it is only a depiction of what open heart surgery really consists of, it is fairly accurate. I have scrubbed open heart before and the simulation follows the same basic steps just without the complications, risks and unforeseen circumstances of real surgery. Give it a try and let me know how you do. You know you want to! Share This (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=966971 Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:00:38 +0100 966971