Posts Written By Ruth Crook

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Research finds that people with anorexia have distortions in spatial perception
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Can pets actually make us happier?
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What’s your perception of depression?
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The science of why we LOL!
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How microaggresions single people out
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Research finds that people with anorexia have distortions in spatial perception

by on ·Psychology

Eating disorders are misunderstood.

They aren’t an intense diet or plan and they can take over a person’s life, mentally and physically. NAMI ( the National Alliance on Mental Illness) reports that around 1 in 20 people will be affected by an ED at some point in their lives.

Anorexia (AN) is a common eating disorder and it’s a condition where a person will literally starve themselves and over-exercise to lose weight. Because their goal is to get and stay thin by any means necessary. it’s a condition that is very extreme and incredibly motivated. Though not classified as an ED, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a condition in which where a person will obsess over their physical appearance to a point of dysfunctionality.

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How microaggresions single people out

by on ·Psychology

We all have uncomfortable moments in life.

It may involve realizing we had a stain on our shirt all day, or accidentally pushing on a ‘pull’ door but those moments hardly ever cross the line from embarrassing to painful. However, when those cases are pointedly aimed at a particular group, because of color or identity, the line is crossed regularly. A comment made ‘in good fun’ could in fact be disturbing to the one addressed. Such actions are called ‘microaggressions.’

Dr. Derald Sue, a professor of psychology and education, classifies microaggressions  as “the everyday slights, indignities, put-downs, and insults that people of color, women, LGBT populations, or those who are marginalized experience in their day-to-day interactions with people.”

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Can pets actually make us happier?

by on ·Psychology

Some people may think you’re crazy if you talk to your animals. Even though many pet-owners talk to their pets, involve them in group activities and even treat them as part of the family, we all know that they aren’t like your best friend Tim or Kylie. Or.. What if they are? Even though they don’t speak human, research shows that pets can fulfill social needs similarly to their human counterparts. Allen R. McConnell, a professor of Psychology at Miami University, conducted some lab experiments that show that pets can help everyday people feel happier with themselves and their lives.

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The science of why we LOL!

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People generally feel pretty good when they laugh, and we expect people are happy when they hear it. Even when you laugh as a distraction, or in reaction to something unpleasant, it helps put you in better spirits. Why is that?

It turns out it’s not just a human thing. Laughter is observed in many mammals, of all ages. It can be observed during play, tickling, and often around friends. Laughter is also a social thing. We are thirty times more likely to laugh when we’re with other people than when we are alone.

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What’s your perception of depression?

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Depression sucks. It sucks the life out of you, leaving you wondering if you will ever find happiness, energy or motivation; You may even question if you deserve the things you so earnestly desire. Sometimes depression can last a little while and at other times it seems endless. Depression causes real problems that can affect every part of a person’s life. Some believe that depression is an ‘addiction’ to self-pity, a downward spiral based on recurring thoughts that a person is never good enough and that the world is against them. Dr. Grieger calls the phenomenon a ‘victim’ mindset, where a person refuses to take responsibility for themselves or their happiness (consciously or not), and blames their problems on circumstances or people. Others like world renowned life coach Anthony Robbins refers to it as ‘learned helplessness;’ a person fails at something, repeatedly, whether by their own fault or not, and ‘learns’ that what they do doesn’t matter. So they stop trying. Some people view depression as a serious illness that has specific causes and treatments. They identify depression as a medical malady that requires medication, sometimes therapy, and then is over and done with. Others think that depression is just a mood that hits now and then, but will eventually pass, whether action is taken or not. The range of perspectives pertaining to depression are vast.

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