Over the course of a lifetime 16% of the population will at some time be diagnosed with depression. Which symptoms are experienced, how severe they are, and how long they last depends on the individual. Depression can be successfully treated, even in the most severe cases, and the sooner the sufferer gets treatment the better the chance of recovery.
Read more...
Giving up smoking is a significant stress factor, which can cause irritability, disturbed sleep and other withdrawal symptoms that persist for a long time. Tobacco cravings have been identified as the main culprit in making people fail to quit smoking, and mindfulness practice has proven to be an effective strategy for decreasing such cravings.
Read more...
Research has shown that “mind-wandering” decreases happiness, but also that the practice of meditation over time has the effect of reducing the mind’s wanderings, and furthermore that long-term meditators have more developed connections between brain regions involved in self-monitoring and cognitive control.
Read more...
Scientific research has discovered that meditation has actual, measurable effects on the body that relate to both physiological and emotional-psychological healthy functioning. Such effects have been found not only on long-term meditators, but also on people who have done short meditation courses.
Read more...
Research published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry has shown that taking sleep medications commonly used for treating insomnia and anxiety increases the risk of dying by 36%! The research involved more than 14,000 people over a 12 year period from 1994 to 2007.
Read more...
Sleep deprivation has effects on your ability to drive a car similar to if you have been drinking quite a lot of alcohol. Not getting enough sleep may also lead to heart disease, stroke, and premature death!
Read more...
Sleep disturbances are common for people who have experienced a traumatic event, and are often an indication that severe symptoms of PTSD may develop. Reversely, it also seems like pre-existing sleep problems may diminish people’s resiliency to PTSD.
Read more...
This is an ACADEMIC literature review, written as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Gestalt Therapy. It will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but here it is…
Read more...
