Food restriction, like exercise, triggers a biological program that stimulates the restoration of energy balance following a decrease in the amount of energy stored. This response involves genetic and hormonal components that in turn drive food intake (i.e., hunger). Previous studies linked this biological response to a reduction of anxiety in both humans and rodents. The chemical changes that occur during food restriction have shown similar anxiolytic effects (i.e., reduce anxiety) as exercise does. NEUROPEPTIDE Y & GRHELIN The main players in the chemical reaction triggered by food rest ..read more

Studies show that yoga is associated with more anxiety reduction than any other exercises; for example one study finds that in women with high levels of self-reported anxiety, two months of yoga reduced state (i.e., transitory)  and trait (i.e., permanent, a personality characterisitc) anxiety compared to no treatment. Similarly, there is evidence in the literature that yoga has beneficial effects in anxiety disorders, such as significant reduction of anxiety and depression symptoms in PTSD. In generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), one theory suggests that worry mitigates anxiety symptoms ..read more

VOLATILE MOOD If you are excessively irritable and sometimes display raging anger, you are likely experiencing underlying anxiety. The uncertainty associated with a diagnosis of cancer is often very difficult to bear, because no matter what is done the good news are not guaranteed. As a result, we are buried in a sea of worries that can sometimes become so out of control that the act of worrying can also become a source of worries as well. Obvious signs are fits of anger that are disproportionate to the situation and that are uncharacteristic of your personality. You may not be aware of it, b ..read more

Clinical reports document the existence of an intimate relationship between anger and compulsive checking in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Particularly, studies show that elevated levels of anger are often reported among individuals with OCD symptoms; however, greater anger has been reported among OCD individuals with checking compulsions. CAUSES OF ANGER AMONG OCD CHECKERS It has been suggested that this pattern of negative emotions could be a consequence of frustration from inability to resolve doubts despite checking incessantly. Intolerance of uncertainty and perfectionism could in ..read more

Studies indicate that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) have an inflated sense of responsibility for the safety of others. Notably, they feel responsible for potential negative outcomes associated with their obsessions, which in turn triggers compulsive checking. By contrast, compulsive checkers placed under conditions of low or reduced responsibility experience less distress and have decreased urges to check. Thus, it has been proposed that inflated responsibility occurs in all individuals with OCD, including those with washing and other compulsions, and in turn it plays ..read more

Generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD) is characterized by deficits in the social realm, including difficulty in emotion processing, excessive attention towards critical faces and threatening social signals, and avoidance of eye contact. Those deficits have been linked to hyperactivity in a brain region called the amygdala under conditions of threat. For example imaging studies report heightened amygdala activity in patients with GSAD when viewing fearful and angry faces. OXYTOCIN By contrast, Oxytocin is a neuropeptide associated with trust and willingness to accept social risks in inter ..read more

Hoarding represents a severe form of psychopathology that is often seen in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A hoarder typically acquires a large amount of material possessions and fails to discard any, leading to debilitating clutter, impairment and distress. In addition, they often demonstrate low insight into their problem and show poor decision-making skills. DISTRESS TOLERANCE In fact, hoarding has been explained in terms of a cognitive dysfunction wherein the individual collects and fails to discard things as a dysfunctional coping mechanism to feeling distressed ove ..read more

NOTE! You can find here various other self-report questionnaires/quizzes under the sub-category “MENTAL HEALTH SELF-AWARENESS” in both “ANXIETY AND MENTAL HEALTH” and “HACKING SOCIAL ANXIETY” at the top of the page In a therapeutic setting, symptoms of anxiety are assessed and measured on a scale, as one of many tools used to screen for the presence and severity of anxiety. Typically, a scale is a questionnaire that is administered by a clinician in some cases or by the self in others. Each one lists a series of particular symptoms on a temporal continuum to help assess severity. Those li ..read more

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts that take the form of obsessions coupled with repetitive, often ritualistic, behaviors. Those behaviors are called compulsions, because the individual does not have the ability to choose not to perform the actions. Often they seem irrational and sometimes even disturbing to the person, but she is compelled to perform them, because they are designed to relieve the anxiety and silence the intrusive thoughts. A review of the literature on brain imaging reveals the role that specific brain areas play in the devel ..read more

The new year is upon us, filling us with hope and excitement. After all, it is a time when we feel like we can finally shed our old skin and grow a fresh new one.  It is also the only time when we are motivated to engage in self-introspection, which is a process that leaves us vulnerable and bare. Intention Setting Indeed, during introspection we are forced to revisit our old choices and re-evaluate our decision-making process in order to create better choices for the future. Sometimes, it can be a painful process, especially if we are unhappy with the direction our life has taken, that ..read more