Psych Newsfeed

I have loved music of all kinds as long as I can remember.  My children learned the tunes and words to blues, rock, country, and pop songs along with their nursery rhymes and Disney movie soundtracks.  Imagine my surprise when, as my children entered their teens, music became a source of conflict between us.  I had to stop and evaluate my reaction the day the clichéd parental lament passed through my lips: “Why do you insist on listening to that awful music?!?!?” [read post]

I’ve had ample opportunity over years in the service industry to observe dating practices and to overhear what the happy hour crowd says about each other when they think no one else is listening.  The older “Cougar” involved in or pursuing a relationship with a younger man always draws strong opinions.  Some find it Oedipal and inappropriate, viewing the youthful male as hapless prey.  Others assert that the feminist movement has made woman-older relationships at least as socially acceptable as those in which an older man chooses a younger mate. [read post]

Exposure to stressful situations can result in negative psychological consequences such as PTSD, anxiety disorders, physical illness, and depression, but more and more research is focusing on the potential positive effects of the process of recovery.  The literature points to a number of areas of measurable personal growth achieved by those who have successfully worked through trauma from bereavement, natural disasters, war, abuse, and illness.   [read post]