Episodes

It’s not unusual for a child younger than 4 to have as many as nine tantrums per week. These can feature episodes of crying, kicking, stomping, hitting and pushing that last five to 10 minutes. Most children outgrow this behavior by kindergarten. For children whose tantrums continue as they get older and become something that is not developmentally appropriate, professional help may be in order. Anger issues are the most common reason children are referred for mental health treatment. Tune is an...

When you picture a narcissist, you might think of someone who is grandiose, attention-seeking and arrogant—also known as overt narcissism. However, there’s another, less obvious type of narcissism as well—covert narcissism. These types of narcissists may show fewer outward hallmarks of the disorder, making them more challenging to identify, but they still have an excessive need for attention and admiration and generally lack empathy for others. Covert narcissism is also referred to as vulnerable...

Mania is a state of elevated energy, mood, and behavior, most often seen in those with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or who have taken certain drugs or medications. While the feelings present in mania can be positive, energetic, or even euphoric, they may also manifest more negatively—as emotions like irritation, anxiety, or grandiosity. Mania can range from mild (known as hypomania) to severe; at its most extreme, mania can trigger delusions, violence, and an increased risk of sui...

A panic attack is a sudden rush of fear and anxiety that causes both physical and psychological symptoms. The level of fear experienced is unrealistic and out of proportion to the events or circumstances that trigger the panic attack. Anyone can have a single panic attack, but frequent and ongoing episodes may be a sign of a panic or anxiety disorder that requires close medical attention and treatment. Tune in and learn all about panic attacks, how to slow them down and end them!

What does the word commitment suggest? It usually evokes a strong sense of intention and focus. It typically is accompanied by a statement of purpose or a plan of action. Very often, we utilize this word in regard to proclamations we may make about the seriousness of our relationships. For example, “I’m in a committed relationship,” or “I’m completely committed to this relationship.” In such circumstances, what exactly are we saying? We take it for granted that the word or the expression means t...

Happiness is an electrifying and elusive state. Philosophers, theologians, psychologists, and even economists have long sought to define it. And since the 1990s, a whole branch of psychology—positive psychology—has been dedicated to pinning it down. More than simply positive mood, happiness is a state of well-being that encompasses living a good life, one with a sense of meaning and deep contentment. Feeling joyful has its health perks as well. A growing body of research also suggests that happi...

Repression is a defense mechanism in which people push difficult or unacceptable thoughts out of conscious awareness. Repressed memories were a cornerstone of Freud’s psychoanalyticframework. He believed that people repressed memories that were too difficult to confront, particularly traumatic memories, and expelled them from conscious thought. This idea launched a long controversy in the field of psychology. The notion that people repress traumatic memories that can be recovered in therapy has ...

Passive aggression is a way of expressing negative feelings, such as anger or annoyance, indirectly instead of directly. Passive-aggressive behaviors are often difficult to identify and can sabotage relationships at home and at work. Instead of getting visibly angry, some people express their hostility in passive-aggressive ways designed to hurt and confuse their target. Most people will have to deal with passive aggression from others in their personal and professional lives at one time or anot...

The belief that love is true when it lasts is not an outdated concept. In her 2015 song, True Love, Ariana Grande describes how her relationship grew into true love from kisses to a commitment to last forever. But how can a person know that a relationship will last forever? Lovers don’t expect that even a genuine relationship will consist only of passionate positive emotions. In 1960, Buddy Holly’s song, True Love Ways, was released posthumously. Written as a wedding gift for his wife, Holly’s s...

Whether or not we are granted a fresh start every year, the world is set up so that we believe it’s possible. But a fresh start doesn’t just involve starting something new, it means letting go of the past – in the form of jobs, relationships, living arrangements, body types, overall health – doing whatever it takes to get out of the rut you’ve been stuck in. Letting go is the flip side of starting over. Most of the time it feels easier to stay with people, places, positions – until forward motio...

Fathers make unique contributions to language development in their children; fathers actually matter more in this sense. When fathers use more words with preschool children during play, children have more advanced language skills a year later. Children whose fathers play with them, read to them, take them on outings, and help care for them have fewer behavioral problems in their early school years and a lesser likelihood of delinquency as adolescents. Tune in a learn what it takes to be a great ...

One of the most prevalent—and damaging—themes in our culture is the need to be right. It's one of those essential memes that we take for granted. It is so deeply embedded in our belief system and in the collective psyche that we never even pause to consider it. It would really serve us to inquire why it is so compelling. Before we begin to look at that, let's just reflect on how it impacts our lives. From the more personal and mundane battles over who said what in the midst of an argument to the...

Psychology has largely focused on the various things that can go wrong with the human mind, including different forms of mental illness and how we react to traumatic events in the world. While positive psychology tries to remedy that by focusing on topics such as happiness and self-fulfillment, the countless research studies exploring what it means to live more fully tend not to be known outside the academic community. Even though the popular media is now bursting with stories and articles descr...

Many of the people I work with tell me they feel restless, knowing there is “something more” to do with their careers and their lives. They also feel a little sad and maybe resentful. Is this you? As you look back on this year, do you feel grateful for what has occurred or relief that it is finally over?Actually, you can feel unfulfilled when life is good and when it isn’t. You can be busy and successful but sense emptiness inside. Or you can be on the other end where you feel nothing is how you...

Unemployment has especially hurt older workers in this recession. Workers 55 years old and older are more likely to be unemployed and spend longer looking for a new job than is the case for younger workers. They also often experience discrimination. This exacerbates the mental stresses associated with unemployment, adding to other health worries in the pandemic and further eroding older workers’ financial security. Unemployment has been more widespread among the oldest workers than among somewha...

Living without passion, positive expectations, or enthusiasm can become painful. But feeling hopeless doesn’t have to be permanent. We all have our own definitions of hope and hopelessness, but the emotions we experience are real and valid. Feeling hopeless may be a natural, universal response to personal and world events that impact our lives. It can also be a symptom of depression, adjustment disorders, and other mental health conditions. Tune in and and learn how to work our way out of hopele...

Politics is something that has become inescapable in our social media focused society. We all know a person that uses a social media platform to start arguments with people they disagree with politically. Often spreading misinformation that will heavily sway other people’s beliefs as well. (Strandberg et al. 2018) This behavior has always been a part of our internet culture as social media allows people to reach a larger audience than ever before. (Nelson, 2018) However, this type of behavior ha...

Gluttony is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of food and drink, and it's something pretty much all of us are guilty of from time to time. We all love to eat, and we especially crave rich, calorie-packed foods. Knowing that we “shouldn’t” often makes little difference. How often has your willpowercollapsed at the sight of a scrumptious chocolate cake? Our drive to eat goes way beyond basic hunger. There is a drive within all of us to eat, eat, and eat some more. What’s worse is that this ...

Don’t reduce Gen Z students to zombies on smartphones. Eighty-three percent prefer face-to-face communication versus texting, phone, or email, but many feel they’ve lacked adequate socialization or training for in-person conversation. They struggle with small talk, and hiding behind their phones is a crutch they turn to when they feel intimidated by the situation. Also, just because they’re comfortable with technology doesn’t necessarily make them tech savvy. Especially germane in this time of r...

Sexual self-esteem influences almost every sexual decision you make, from who you engage with and when to whether you constrain yourself and how. However, very little is known about sexual self-esteem and who has more or less of it. This is particularly important because sexual self-esteem and sexual satisfaction are closely related. Several studies suggest that lower sexual self-esteem negatively impacts sexual satisfaction. Another study reported the results of an experiment to test the effect...

Just as psychology studies pretty much everything a human could ever partake in, it also studies religion. The science of psychology is an attempt to analyze every part of the human experience and behavior. The psychology of religion aims to uncover the impact of relationships in religion in order to predict behaviors. It is meant to connect religious consciousness with religious patterns and behaviors. While many psychologists have defined religion in their own ways throughout the years, it is ...

Psychological warfare involves a mental or emotional type of battle, as opposed to practicing physical combat. Psychological warfare utilizes specific designs, including propaganda and menacing statements, that aim to adversely affect an enemy's rationale and actions. Several intended effects of psychological warfare may include the control, pressure, or weakening of the enemy, in both mind and body. Today our media uses psychological warfare to gaslight America. We live in a dishonest majority ...

Just as definitions of happiness change, so too does our ability to handle adversity. Numerous tales exist of people undergoing tremendous hardships -- cancer, losing a job, a bad breakup -- and finding themselves in the end as happy as or happier than ever. Despite the difficulty in pinning down what happiness is and how to achieve it. Tune in and learn how to boost your happiness!

Parents are intentionally left in the dark about the harmful ideas on gender being peddled to their kids. Gender identity” was once just a fringe concept of postmodern philosophy. Today, it’s regularly causing real-world harm to children and teenagers (particularly girls) across the country in sports, schools, and even youth camps. The blatant promotion of transgenderism has infiltrated schools without parental consent and at the expense of academic learning. Gender-identity school policies and ...