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The Anatomy of a Panic Attack
Panic attacks revolve around terror. Though people mainly associate them with the mind, they’re actually constellations of symptoms, both physical and cognitive. Your brain is seized by fear; your body responds, and it can be hard to make sense of it all. What is a panic attack? Most experts define a panic attack as a sudden onset of intense fear, as opposed to a condition like general anxiety, which usually manifests as almost constant worry. People having panic attacks are bombarded by mental and physical symptoms, which can vary from person to person. ...
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We Could All Learn a Thing or Two From Fans of Lousy Sports Teams
When I attended a Washington Wizards open practice at D.C.’s Capital One Arena earlier this month, the focus was more on spectator entertainment than Rocky-style workouts. The season opener was a week away, and the players ran drills at half speed and engaged in silly skills competitions for fans, including a basketball version of Connect Four. But as a lifelong Wiz devotee, I was having an awestruck, love-you-man moment. Here I was posing for a photo with Phil freakin Chenier. Franchise royalty. My childhood idol. Back in the 1970s, when Chenier was draining jumpers and sporting a Richard Pryor mustache, the team routinely chased titles. These days? Not so much.
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Stop Hurting Your Own Feelings: Tips on Quashing Negative Self-Talk
Do you ever hurt your own feelings? For me, it's a common occurrence. A curt reply to that thoughtful work email, zero responses to that happy hour invitation – little slights like these get my inner critic going. What a dumb thing to say! Of course they don't like you. Who do you think you are? This kind of negative self-talk can get in the way of creating strong relationships with ourselves and others. But there are ways to stop this spiral of thinking, says psychologist Ethan Kross. In moments of hurt or confusion, pause to consider other possibilities. ...
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Zoom and Alcohol Don’t Mix—Looking at Yourself During Online Social Gatherings May Worsen Mood; Alcohol May Increase This Effect
The more a person stares at themselves while talking with a partner in an online chat, the more their mood degrades over the course of the conversation, a new study finds. Alcohol use appears to worsen this effect.
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Failure and Flourishing. Part 3 of 3 With David Myers
In the final discussion with social psychologist David Myers, APS’s Ludmila Nunes talks with him about the third section of his book, in which he applies his psychological insights to the larger world around us.
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Why Do Our Brains Believe Lies?
It’s been an election cycle packed with misinformation and conspiracy theories. So why do so many people believe the lies? Blame the brain. Many of the decisions we make as individuals and as a society depend on accurate information; however, our psychological biases and predispositions make us vulnerable to falsehoods. As a result, misinformation is more likely to be believed, remembered and later recalled — even after we learn that it was false. “On every level, I think that misinformation has the upper hand,” said Nathan Walter, a professor of communication studies at Northwestern University who studies the correction of misinformation. ...
