DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Therapists Trade the Couch for the Great Outdoors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sometimes a pine cone is just a pine cone. “Growing up, I had some challenges,” Ms. Oppenheimer said, referring to her prickly teenage past, “some struggles with managing my emotions.”But her grandmother, who died four years ago, was soft like the feather, and gave her unconditional love that reminded Ms. Oppenheimer how important it was to treat herself with “soothing tenderness,” especially when she became self-critical. Ms. Oppenheimer and her clinical supervisor, Heidi Schreiber-Pan, were visiting Talmar, a nonprofit farm that offers therapeutic programs and vocational training — a short drive from the busy road and nondescript strip malls near their office. At the farm, the only sounds were a burbling stream, trilling birds and several inches of snow crunching beneath their feet. It was the perfect location to teach Ms. Oppenheimer therapeutic techniques that make use of the natural world.

Persons: Rachel Oppenheimer, ” Ms, Oppenheimer, Ms, Heidi Schreiber Organizations: Chesapeake Mental Health, “ Locations: Towson, Md

☆ Feeling Stuck? Here Are 5 Ways to Jumpstart Your Life.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

From the outside, it looked as though Adam Alter was gliding along. At 28, he had earned a doctorate in psychology from Princeton and soon afterward landed a job as a tenure-track professor at the N.Y.U. But he felt stuck. Preparing to teach while simultaneously doing research became overwhelming, especially after having just emerged from five intense years of graduate school. And although he was often surrounded by people in New York City, he missed having a close network of friends.

Persons: Adam Alter, ”, ” Dr, Alter Organizations: Princeton, Stern School of Business Locations: New York City

☆ Why Some Seniors Are Choosing Pot Over Pills
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Christina Caron | More About Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Seniors are one of the fastest-growing populations of cannabis users in the United States. In 2007, only about 0.4 percent of people age 65 and older in the United States had reported using cannabis in the past year, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. During the course of his illness, her husband, now 79, had developed insomnia. Doctors prescribed pills to help him rest, but “nothing really worked,” she said. At one point, he reacted so negatively to a medicine he ended up in the hospital.

Persons: Nancy Herring, ” Organizations: National Survey Locations: United States

☆ How an ‘Effort-Reward Imbalance’ Can Make Work Miserable
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Christina Caron | More About Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But studies have shown that humans are hard-wired to want their fair share, as are other animals that have cooperative relationships, like monkeys, birds and wolves. In one famous experiment, researchers trained two capuchin monkeys to hand them tokens in exchange for a cucumber snack. The other monkey, who continued to receive cucumbers, looked enraged, shook the walls of her enclosure and hurled the cucumbers out of reach. In the workplace, psychologists refer to this as effort-reward imbalance. In humans, the perception that you are getting less than others for the same amount of work can contribute to symptoms associated with burnout and lead to a higher risk of depression.

Persons: Sarah Brosnan Organizations: Georgia State University

☆ The Beauty of a Silent Walk
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Christina Caron | More About Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The silent walk is TikTok’s latest wellness obsession, a blend of meditation and exercise that aims to improve mental health. Unlike the similarly trendy “hot girl walk,” a four-mile odyssey that requires goal-setting and giving thanks, the silent walk does not involve multitasking. The fact that the silent walk is nothing new has attracted a chorus of critics; “Gen Z thinks it just invented walking,” they say. But silent walking feels relevant right now because many of us have become tethered to our devices, she added. The question then becomes: “How do we counteract that?” Ms. Lorre said.

Persons: Z, Arielle Lorre, ”, Lorre, Ms Organizations: Environmental Psychology Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Can’t Sleep? Try This Proven Alternative to Medication.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Christina Caron | More About Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A recent poll from the National Sleep Foundation, for example, found a link between poor sleep health and depressive symptoms. In addition, studies have shown that a lack of sleep can lead otherwise healthy people to experience anxiety and distress. Fortunately, there is a well-studied and proven treatment for insomnia that generally works in eight sessions or less: cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or C.B.T.-I. Yet it is rarely the first thing people try, said Aric Prather, a sleep researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who treats patients with insomnia. According to a 2020 survey from the Centers for Disease Control, more than 8 percent of adults reported taking sleep medication every day or most days to help them fall or stay asleep.

Persons: Aric Prather Organizations: National Sleep Foundation, University of California, Centers for Disease Control Locations: United States, San Francisco

☆ As the School Year Begins, Families Struggle to Find A.D.H.D. Medication
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Christina Caron | More About Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the spring, Riana Shaw Robinson learned that her 11-year-old son, Madison, had sprinted out of class to chase a squirrel through his school’s courtyard in Berkeley, Calif.It’s not how her sixth grader would typically behave. With Adderall, he was calmer and better able to focus. “He actually had a taste for what relief could look like,” Ms. Robinson said. But for nearly a year now the medication — Madison takes the generic version — has been difficult to find. He has had to skip doses, sometimes for up to two weeks, because nearby pharmacies have been out of stock.

Persons: Riana Shaw Robinson, Madison, It’s, Madison hadn’t, Ms, Robinson, Adderall Locations: Berkeley, Calif

☆ How to Feel Happier at Work When You Have the Urge to Quit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Christina Caron | More About Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Minda Harts was 35 and working as a fund-raiser, she was feeling increasingly frustrated. Her manager viewed her as a “utility player” who could be “put anywhere” and still get the job done. And a recent survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association reported that about one-in-five workers say they work in a toxic workplace. Ms. Harts considered quitting, she said, but realized that wasn’t the optimal solution. Years later, when Ms. Harts finally did decide to leave, she used her new skills to start her own company.

Persons: Minda Harts, ”, “, Harts Organizations: Pew Research Center, American Psychological Association

☆ How to Discuss Pain With Your Doctor
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Christina Caron | More About Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The women had heard that IVF would be hard, but many of them were in shock at how painful the procedure was. “I was sweating profusely and telling them I was just in too much pain — they had to stop.”Their stories were featured on “The Retrievals,” a new podcast from Serial Productions and The New York Times. It chronicles what happened when about 200 women at a Yale fertility clinic underwent egg retrievals with insufficient pain relief because a nurse was stealing their pain medication, fentanyl, from the clinic and replacing it with saline. The fourth episode of the five-part series will be posted on Thursday. What these women experienced was unusual, but pain mismanagement at the hands of providers is pervasive.

Persons: “ Organizations: Productions, The New York Times Locations: Yale

☆ Is the New 988 Suicide Hotline Working?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Christina Caron | More About Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The three-digit dialing code for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline became available in July of last year after receiving bipartisan support. Almost one million of those contacts were answered by Veterans Crisis Line, which is linked to 988. In fact, 988 does not currently use geolocation, so those who call the hotline remain anonymous unless they choose to disclose identifying information. But you don’t need to be in crisis or suicidal to call 988 and speak with a counselor. “It’s our hope that people will come to us before they are in a mental health crisis,” said Tia Dole, chief officer of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at Vibrant Emotional Health, the New York-based nonprofit that manages the Lifeline for SAMHSA.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, “, ”, Tia Dole Organizations: Lifeline, Crisis, Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA Locations: New York

☆ Record a Win Every Day — and Other Ways to Practice Gratitude
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Christina Caron | More About Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jancee Dunn is out this week. I’m Christina Caron, a reporter on the Well desk, filling in. Nowadays the practice of letter writing feels almost quaint, but when I examined the science behind gratitude in June, I learned that expressing it doesn’t need to be time-consuming. Cultivating a grateful outlook, and taking a few minutes a day to count our blessings, can also reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, increase self-esteem and improve life satisfaction. As one expert put it: “Gratitude seems to be the gift that keeps on giving.”In that spirit, we asked New York Times readers to tell us how they practice gratitude, and we received nearly 800 responses.

Persons: Jancee Dunn, I’m Christina Caron Organizations: ”, New York Times Locations: California

☆ When Does Anxiety Become a Problem?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday, a panel of influential medical experts recommended for the first time that doctors screen all adult patients under 65 for symptoms of anxiety. There are millions of Americans who struggle with anxiety: About 1 in 5 adults in the United States has an anxiety disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Having some anxiety isn’t necessarily a problem: Experts say an internal alarm system benefits us in different ways, helping to improve our performance or recognition of danger and encouraging us to be more conscientious. How do you distinguish the protective anxiety from the more problematic anxiety? And, given that the panel did not recommend screenings for older adults, what do you do if you’re 65 or older and have been feeling anxious?

Persons: we’re Organizations: U.S . Preventive Services Task Force, National Alliance, Mental Locations: United States

☆ How to Stay Calm During a Bumpy Flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

On a recent flight to Chicago, Allison Levy said she was “white-knuckling” the armrest as the plane rumbled and shook for brief periods of time. Ms. Levy, 47, who lives in Arlington, Va., started to take deep breaths and tried to reassure herself: “It’s like a bumpy road — it’s not a big deal.”But, she added, “if I knew the person next to me, I’d definitely grip their thigh.”Airplane turbulence, which is usually caused by large changes in airflow in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, is generally a minor nuisance. But this year alone, there have been multiple instances of severe turbulence on flights that have led to dozens of passenger injuries. And scientists have warned that we may have bumpier flights in the years ahead because of elevated carbon dioxide emissions that are warming the atmosphere, which can alter the speed and direction of the wind.

Persons: Allison Levy, Levy, “ Locations: Chicago, Arlington , Va

☆ Gratitude Really is Good for You. Here’s What the Science Shows.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2022, Stacy Batten said, her “whole year was on fire.”Her husband died of cancer, and her father died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. And she moved across the country from Seattle to Fairfield County, Conn., after selling the home that she had lived in for 26 years. In her devastation, she noticed that she felt better when she looked for the good parts of each day. So she took a large Mason jar and turned it into a “gratitude jar,” which she now keeps on her night stand. Every night, she writes down a few things that she is grateful for on a scrap of paper and drops it inside.

Persons: Stacy Batten, ”, ” Batten, Robert A, Emmons Locations: Seattle, Fairfield County, Conn

☆ The Connection Between Seasonal Allergies and Mental Health
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Seasonal allergies can be miserable. The sneezing, congestion and itchy, watery eyes can feel like a terrible cold that won’t go away, especially now that pollen seasons are getting longer and more intense. Not only are the physical symptoms draining, but a growing body of research also shows an association between allergic rhinitis — commonly known as hay fever — and mood disorders like anxiety and depression. The relationship between allergens and mood disorders “really is underrecognized, not only in the general population but even among health care practitioners,” said Dr. David A. Gudis, chief of the division of rhinology and anterior skull base surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. But given that millions of Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, it’s an important link for both doctors and patients to understand, he added, in order to speak openly about any mental health concerns and to ensure the best possible treatments.

☆ How to Feel Less Lonely, According to the Surgeon General
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It might be scary at first, but remember that people are wired to connect, Dr. Murthy added. How often have you caught yourself looking at your phone while someone is speaking with you? “Listening is as important as what we say.”While you’re at it, scale back on social media. “And we lose a lot of that when we are communicating electronically.”When people call, pick up the phone. You see it’s a call from your best friend from college whom you haven’t caught up with in a long time.

☆ Gun Violence Has Changed Us
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Christina Caron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

On a hot day in July, he got into an argument with a man at the bike store. The man eventually left, but later returned — this time with a gun. Fear was a unifying thread, regardless of whether someone had directly encountered gun violence. Mass shootings, though only a fraction of the number of gun murders nationwide, are also on the rise. One survey, conducted by the Harris Poll for the American Psychological Association, found that more than seven in 10 adults cited gun violence as a significant source of stress.

Search resuls for: "Christina Caron"

17 mentions found