Uncategorized

Prejudice and oppression deeply affect people. Research has focused on discrimination based on gender, race and ethnicity, less so on socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, age, degrees of disability and religious affiliation. Differences exist for each type of discrimination but fundamental dynamics and consequences are similar. People who are members of multiple groups face further complexities.…

Anxiety and anger are two strong emotions that can feel unpleasant, overwhelming, even all-consuming. overlap and join in many of our reactions and share a number of characteristics. As with all emotions, both are necessary and serve a purpose. Anger is a sign of warning, prompting a reaction of warding off or self- protection. Without…

“What could I do instead of smoke when I get angry at my kids? I have no idea.” “I went back to smoking last time I quit because I got in trouble at work. I was nasty to my boss. I don’t want that to happen this time.” Smoking and anger are connected in a…

How the body responds to anger in the moment affects the body long after the moment has passed. An automatic response to anger, known as the fight-or-flight syndrome, produces physiological changes: increased blood pressure and heart rate, constriction of blood vessels, increased muscle tension and changes in hormone and insulin levels. Williams and Williams in…

Changing Behavior Passive-aggression is anger that is subtle or indirect. Reacting passive-aggressively is based on the individual’s inability or unwillingness to express anger directly, causing behaviors aimed to intimidate, upset, hurt, and sabotage other people. Hidden anger also hides feelings such as shame and fear of intimacy, failure or uncertainty. For example, a passive-aggressive worker…

Passive aggression is also referred to as hidden anger. This behavior occurs when anger is not expressed directly. Sometimes the hostility is clear, as when one family member in conflict with another makes sarcastic remarks during dinner. Most often, only after a pattern of particular behavior does it occur to others that anger is the…

As reported by Hara E. Marano in Psychology Today (2003), the National Sleep Foundation found that most adults do not get as much sleep as they need. We all know how we feel after a bad night. What we may not realize is how dangerous sleep deprivation can be. Studies show negative effects of sleep…

Have you ever been moving along paying bills on-line, writing a report and your computer dies? Do you have a new cell phone and can’t figure out how to put it on vibrate? In moments of aggravation, have you ever imagined heaving your laptop out the window or screaming when yet another urgent e-mail arrives?…

The American Chronic Pain Association defines chronic pain as “pain that continues a month or more beyond the usual recovery period for an illness or injury”. Chronic pain is the most common cause of disability in adults and affects one in three people in this country. Causes include cancer, neuropathy, headaches, untreated or poorly treated…

For those of us with siblings, memories of play and affection coexist with memories of fighting and competition. Sibling relationships exist across a lifetime and substantially affect our quality of life. Sibling rivalry is a familiar phrase when speaking about children and adolescents growing up together. Rivalry also extends into adulthood. The legacy of early…