Description: Consider these two questions for a moment. 1. Who uses cannabis, psilocybin, or LSD? and 2. Who should (under a doctor’s supervision) use cannabis, psilocybin, or LSD? Unless your answer to the second question is “Anyone who wants to” the number of people, if any, that you have in your second list will likely… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Health Psychology
Campfires Are in Your Genes
Description: What does sitting around a campfire with friends do for you? Yes, it can keep you warm, it can give you something to do after dark when camping with minimal artificial light, it can give you a chance to exchange scary stories but what can it also do for your physical and possibly mental… Read more »
The Scream We Need Now and Then
Description: Does this sound like an emotionally balanced movie plotline? A cute beagle puppy is killed in a home invasion robbery, but that event leads to the vengeful killing of a large number of Russian mobsters. You may recognize this as the plot of the first John Wick movie which may or may not been… Read more »
Conflicting Statements Regarding the Supply of and Demand for Mental Health Services During Covid
Description: Consider the titles of the two articles listed immediately below in the Sources section of this post. They both appeared on the same day in the same online media source and were illustrated by the same photo (see either article). Before going to look at either article think for a minute about how you… Read more »
Gave Life to Flow: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Description: Have you heard the term “flow”? It is a concept out of Positive Psychology that tries to capture how a very wide range of people experience a deep focus when doing something that matters to them. The psychologist who crafted the concept and called it flow was Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Mihaly passed away earlier this… Read more »
Teens and Covid: Maybe the Kids are Alright!
Description: Is statement this true? Teenagers are struggling with a significant increase in mental health issues due to the social impacts of the Covid pandemic. You have heard this more than once or twice, haven’t you? Have you taken a closer look to see if there is actually any data supporting this statement? Think for… Read more »
Dementia and Elder Care: Could Robo-Pets Be Part of an Answer?
Description: Consider these statements. The number of elderly people who are living alone and who do or will need some support to remain on their own is growing very quickly. The costs of providing this care can be prohibitive and finding enough people to provide what care can be paid for is also becoming increasingly… Read more »
Horror and Anxiety: Therapeutic?
Description: Evaluate the usefulness of the following two statements. People who are worried about what is going on with the Covid pandemic shous watch movies like Contagion (about a run-away pandemic). OR, people who are trying to deal with anxiety and nightmares should watch Zombie films or televisions shows (e.g., The Walking Dead) before bed…. Read more »
Is Post-Covid a New Start Opportunity?
Description: There is a palpable sense (if you pause quietly and look for it) that we are all very close to getting a restart opportunity. While we will have to wait a bit for the Delta variant to rage, we will be able to get back to things again soon. We could simply breathe a… Read more »
Smartphone Addition: Should it be in the DSM?
Description: Do you know anyone (including yourself) who you think might be addicted to their smartphone? They cannot put it down or they cannot bear to be separated from it and they must return home and get it immediately if they forget it. There are some suggestions that smartphone addiction should be considered for addition… Read more »
Books for Success!
