We are designed to feel anxiety. Anxiety is protective because it helps us survive by warning us of dangers.
Everyone experiences anxiety, although some of us get so anxious that we wonder if we can handle it. And sometimes our anxiety may be unreliable, giving us false alerts.
Luckily, there are a number of relatively simple, effective, and inexpensive ways to deal with anxiety. ...continue reading
If you're experiencing chronic pain, you already know how terribly debilitating it can be. This video shows how one person gets relief from severe chronic pain with Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is also effective for migraines and headaches. ...continue reading
Anyone who has struggled with an addiction will tell you that addictions are very difficult to beat. Even those who desperately want to quit may go to rehab multiple times before succeeding.
For over three decades, neurofeedback successfully helped reduce cravings and resolve any underlying issues that may be driving addictive behavior. In a 1989 study of veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder, 80% of clients were able to remain sober for at least 18 months. Most of the clients also were able to eliminate their PTSD symptoms. ...continue reading
Mental health providers and other professionals often talk about a child or adult's "dysregulation" and "self-regulation," but these terms are often left undefined. A 2017 summary and the 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services help define self-regulation and show the complex social, biological, and environmental factors involved in development of self-regulation.
The summary defines self-regulation as "the act of managing one’s thoughts and feelings to engage in goal-directed actions such as organizing behavior, controlling impulses, and solving problems constructively."
Being able to self-regulate helps us succeed in many aspects of life, including creating satisfying relationships, tolerating difficulty, prospering in school and work, managing finances, and maintaining physical and mental health. Self-regulation is a critical life skill. ...continue reading
If you're wondering how to motivate your child or teen to do their school work, you're not alone. Many parents struggle with this.
An article on motivation noted how difficult it is to motivate kids to do their school work.
That article describes several approaches for encouraging others to change their behavior:
Behavioral methods often begin with economic or moral incentives, but ideally culminate with the student learning to work for internal or intrinsic incentives.
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Therapeutic farms use work in a natural environment to improve mental health.
Did you know that the State of Maryland was actually an innovator in this approach over a century ago?
In the 1970s I spent a summer working with older men at the Springfield State Hospital in Sykesville, MD. Long before Springfield was a mental institution, it was an estate and working farm, originally developed as the dowry for the daughter of a wealthy Baltimorean, William Patterson. His daughter was intended to marry Napoleon Bonaparte's brother, Jerome Bonaparte, although the marriage was later blocked by Napoleon.
In 1896, the State of Maryland transformed Springfield into a mental institution. Springfield was intended as an advance, using a more humane medical model for care instead of the prior practice of housing the "insane" in almshouses and poor farms ...continue reading