The arrival of spring is often prime time for hay fever, but adolescents seem to be able to develop an allergy to their parents, either intermittent or chronic, at any time of the year. This allergy usually has a sudden onset around age 13 and can last for months or, in some cases, years. While it’s no fun to become the parent who cannot order …more
Want to enjoy the deep, mystical sleep of our ancestors? Turn your lights off at dusk.
March 8th, 2018 - By Jen in neuroAgility News, SleepWhat if you could meditate like a Tibetan lama with no instruction whatsoever — and without having to subscribe to any religious beliefs? People hear a question like that and, unless they are particularly gullible, they assume they’re about to be scammed. But in this case there is nothing to buy — no tapes, no app, no religious agenda that gets sprung on you at …more
Learn How to Do Nothing With the Dutch Concept of Niksen
January 26th, 2018 - By Jen in Anxiety, Neurofeedback News, UncategorizedInstead of constantly occupying your mind with what you need to do next or bouncing from one task to another, niksen is the practice of slowing it all down. As Mecking writes, it’s a welcome reprieve from societal expectations about work and productivity that permeates the culture. Read full article: lifehacker, “Learn How to Do Nothing With the Dutch Concept of Niksen.”
10 Alternative Therapies for ADD & ADHD
January 16th, 2018 - By Jen in Information on ADD/ADHDFaced with the dilemma of potential misdiagnosis, conventional drug side effects, and a high rate of conventional treatment failure, I’m going to venture that it’s logical to seek out alternative ADHD therapies and basic lifestyle strategies that can either complement or, in some cases, replace those prescribed by the doctor. Let’s look at a few of the more popular or emerging recommendations. Read full article: …more
CU Boulder to lead Pac-12 research initiative on student-athlete concussions
November 17th, 2017 - By Jen in Athletic/Performance Enhancement, Mild/Traumatic Brain InjuryThe Pac-12 Conference announced today that CU Boulder has been selected to lead its Student-Athlete Health and Well-Being Concussion Coordinating Unit (PCCU), a multi-year, multi-site research initiative that will establish best practices and clinical infrastructure for advancing education on traumatic brain injury in student-athletes through the use of SyncThink EYE-SYNC technology, a world leader in neuro-technology with foundational intellectual property in eye-tracking. Read full article: …more
Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety?
October 12th, 2017 - By Jen in Anxiety, TeensParents, therapists and schools are struggling to figure out whether helping anxious teenagers means protecting them or pushing them to face their fears. Read full article: The New York Times Magazine, “Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety?”
Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?
August 14th, 2017 - By Jen in TeensAround 2012, I noticed abrupt shifts in teen behaviors and emotional states. The gentle slopes of the line graphs became steep mountains and sheer cliffs, and many of the distinctive characteristics of the Millennial generation began to disappear. In all my analyses of generational data—some reaching back to the 1930s—I had never seen anything like it. Read full article: The Atlantic, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a …more
No, Your Teen Doesn’t Hate You. It’s Just Summer.
June 27th, 2017 - By Jen in TeensAs summer gets underway, teenagers may be home more often, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see more of them. If they retreat to their rooms for hours or seem cagey about their plans, don’t take it personally. Following are four truths about teens that may help you and your adolescent coexist. Read full article: The New York Times, “No, Your Teen Doesn’t Hate You. …more
More than a third of teenage girls experience depression, new study says
June 13th, 2017 - By Jen in Psychotherapy, TeensA large new study out this week contains some alarming data about the state of children’s mental health in the United States, finding that depression in many children appears to start as early as age 11. By the time they hit age 17, the analysis found, 13.6 percent of boys and a staggering 36.1 percent of girls have been or are depressed. Read full article: The Washington Post, “More …more
When I Was Your Age’ And Other Pitfalls Of Talking To Teens About Stress
April 27th, 2017 - By Jen in TeensIt’s difficult to have a teenager’s mind. The brain develops rapidly during the adolescent years, which partially explains why teens experience anger, sadness and frustration so intensely… During these tumultuous years, hormones surge, bodies change and adolescents must face a number of social and academic challenges, such as managing their relationships, coping with peer rejection and,— especially this time of year — graduating from high …more