8. October 2010 by John Schinnerer.

From ScienceDaily…

ScienceDaily (Oct. 7, 2010) — An alarming number of adolescents already battling eating disorders are also intentionally cutting themselves, and health-care providers may be failing to diagnose many instances of such self-injury, according to a new study from Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

The researchers found that 40.8 percent of patients with eating disorders in their study had documented incidents of intentionally harming themselves, most often by cutting and burning. What’s more, the study suggests that inadequate clinical screening might mean the count should be much higher.

“These are very high numbers, but they’re still conservative estimates,” said the study’s lead author, Rebecka Peebles, MD, who was an instructor in pediatrics at Stanford when the research was conducted and is joining the faculty at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Peebles noted that clinicians aren’t routinely asking about this activity. “We ask 97 percent of children 12 years and up if they smoke cigarettes; we need to get that good with screening for self-injurious behavior,” she said.

The study is to be published online Oct. 8 in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Its senior author is James Lock, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of pediatrics. He is also psychiatric director of the Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program at Packard Children’s Hospital.

To conduct the study, the researchers examined the intake evaluation records of 1,432 patients, ages 10-21, who were admitted to the hospital’s eating disorders program from January 1997 through April 2008. Just over 90 percent of all the patients were female, three-quarters of them white, with a mean age of 15. Among the 40.8 percent identified to be physically harming themselves, the mean age was 16. Many of these patients had a history of binging and purging, and 85.2 percent of the self-injurers were cutting themselves.

The researchers also discovered that slightly fewer than half the charts showed that health-care providers had asked patients if they intentionally injured themselves. If patients aren’t asked, they are unlikely to volunteer such information, said Peebles.

Those who were questioned tended to fit previously published profiles of a self-injurer: older, white, female, suffering from bulimia nervosa, or with a history of substance abuse. “The question is, ‘Are we missing other kids who are not meeting this profile?’” Peebles said. “This is part of why we wanted to look at this. If you see an innocent-looking 12-year-old boy, you don’t even think of asking about self-injurious behavior. We need to get much better about universal screening.”

Peebles noted that the profile itself might be flawed. If health-care workers only ask a certain type of patient about a behavior, the profile that emerges will necessarily reflect that bias, she said.

The study did not examine the reasons behind such acts but Peebles said her clinical experience suggested patients “are trying to feel pain.”

“Patients describe a feeling of release that comes when they cut or burn themselves,” she said. “They’ll cut with a razor or a scissor blade. Sometimes we’ve even had kids who will take the tip of a paper clip and gouge holes. To burn themselves, they’ll heat up a metal object and press it to their skin, or they’ll use cigarettes.”

Physicians and other health-care providers at Packard’s Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program now question all new patients about self-injurious behavior. Studies have shown that between 13 and 40 percent of all adolescents engage in some form of self-injury, which is also associated with a higher risk of suicide.

“In clinical practice, kids are fairly open when you engage with them,” Peebles said. “They’ll come in wearing long sleeves, or hiding the marks on their inner thighs. But then when you ask them, they are usually willing to discuss the behavior.”

For full article, click here.

Please Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

I’ve witnessed cutting behaviors on the rise in my practice, particularly in those with borderline personality disorder and eating disorders. I recall it was shock when I first encountered cutting with one of my own family  members nearly 20 years ago. Now I’m seeing it much more frequently. In fact, some high school students are trying to help friends on their own with cutting behaviors. In one case, a high school student who was cutting was encouraged to go to her parents for help. The parent responded by yelling at the child ‘You can’t feel that way. We have a $2 million house. You have everything you could ever want. That’s ridiculous!’

Sometimes cries for attention are really cries for attention and need to be listened to with compassion. Then address them by seeking out professional help.

John Schinnerer Ph.D.

Founder Guide to Self, Inc.

For a free copy of John’s award-winning book on emotional management, visit http://www.GuideToSelf.com. You can get an instant PDF copy in exchange for your name and email address!

 MLA Stanford University Medical Center (2010, October 7). Self-injury behavior not recognized in many youths with eating disorders. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 8, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/10/101007184116.htm

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6. October 2010 by John Schinnerer.

From ScienceDaily…

 ScienceDaily (Oct. 4, 2010) — People match each other’s language styles more during happier periods of their relationship than at other times, according to new research from psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin. “When two people start a conversation, they usually begin talking alike within a matter of seconds,” says James Pennebaker, psychology professor and co-author of the study. “This also happens when people read a book or watch a movie. As soon as the credits roll, they find themselves talking like the author or the central characters.” 

This tendency is called language style matching or LSM. It is the focus of Pennebaker’s and co-author Molly E. Ireland’s study published in the September issue of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. “Because style matching is automatic,” says Ireland, a psychology graduate student, “it serves as an unobtrusive window into people’s close relationships with others.” 

Ireland and Pennebaker tracked the language used by almost 2,000 college students as they responded to class assignments written in very different language styles. If the essay question was asked in a dry, confusing way, the students answered accordingly. If asked in a flighty, “Valley girl” way, the students punctuated their answers with “like,” “sorta” and “kinda.” The researchers extended their work by analyzing the written language of famous authors. For example, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung wrote to each other almost weekly over a seven-year period as their careers were developing. Using style-matching statistics, Ireland and Pennebaker were able to chart the two men’s tempestuous relationship from their early days of joint admiration to their final days of mutual contempt by counting the ways they used pronouns, prepositions and other words, such as the, you, a and as, that have little meaning outside the context of the sentence. 

The style-matching approach proved to be a powerful bellwether of marriages as well. Style-matching scores were calculated between poetry written by two pairs of spouses, Victorian poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning and 20th century poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, which mapped major changes in their relationships. “Style words in the spouses’ poems were more similar during happier periods of their relationships and less synchronized toward each relationship’s end,” Ireland says. 

…

Ireland and Pennebaker are investigating whether LSM during everyday conversation can be used to predict the beginning and end of romantic relationships. Style matching has the potential to quickly and easily reveal whether any given pair of people — ranging from business rivals to romantic partners — are psychologically on the same page and what this means for their future together.

For full article, click here.

University of Texas at Austin (2010, October 4). Mimicking other’s language style shows a happy relationship, study suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 5, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/10/101004101322.htm

Have a wonderful day!

John Schinnerer, Ph.D.

Emotion expert

Guide to Self, Inc.

For a free copy of John’s award-winning book on cultivating happiness, managing anger, turning down stress and anxiety and minimizing sadness, click here.

Posted in San Francisco Bay Area, Alamo CA, Well-being, keys to happiness, Free self-help book, Relationship problems, Optimal Human Functioning, Danville CA, Happiness, Emotional IQ, Guide To Self Beginners Guide To Managing Emotion, Emotional mind, Relationships, Emotional management, Dr. John Schinnerer | Print | No Comments »

24. August 2010 by John Schinnerer.

I have been studying the effects of the hormone oxytocin over the past few years. In that time, oxytocin has been shown to

- play a critical role in trust between individuals

- may play a role in turning down the volume on social phobias and anxiety disorders

- be connected to greater generosity

- lead to a shift in brain chemistry that generates increased cooperation

- relate to bonding with infants as well as lovers

- improve relationships with friends and coworkers.

Oxytocin exists at higher levels in females than males. And it’s been known that oxytocin increases upon the birth of a child in new mothers. However, until recently, levels of oxytocin had not been researched in new fathers.

A compelling new study shares the first longitudinal data on oxytocin levels in rookie parents. The study looked at how oxytocin fluctuates in the in first 6 months of 160 newbie parents (i.e. 80 couples) following the birth of their first child.

Three fascinating findings were reported.

The first finding:

At both 6 weeks and 6 months following the birth of their child, fathers’ oxytocin levels were similar to the levels seen in mothers. While oxytocin release is heightened by birth and lactation in mothers, it seems that something  about new parenthood stimulates a corresponding oxytocin release in rookie dads. This is dramatically different from how we once conceptualized oxytocin and it’s involvement in newbie parents. For years, it was thought that females were the caregivers; moms were the ones primarily responsible for bonding and nurturing, and dads tried to stay out of the way.

One of the authors of the study, Dr. Ruth Feldman, called out that this finding “emphasizes the importance of providing opportunities for father-infant interactions immediately after childbirth in order to trigger the neuro-hormonal system that underlies bond formation in humans.”

The second major finding is that there is a relationship between oxytocin levels in the newbie dad and the newbie mom. Generally, oxytocin levels remain consistent within individuals. This finding suggests that something about new parenthood, perhaps enviornmental or hormonal factors, synchronizes oxytocin levels in rookie parents.

The third staggering finding showed that oxytocin levels were related to HOW mom and dad parent; that is what their parenting style is.  Oxytocin was highest in rookie moms who were more affectionate, expressive with positive emotions, gazed more at the baby, and expressed more gentle, loving touches.  In rookie dads, oxytocin was heightened with more touching of the newborn, more frequent cheering the child on to explore the environment, and pointing out new objects to the infant. 

“It is very interesting that elevations in the same hormone were associated with different types of parenting behaviors in mothers and fathers even though the levels of oxytocin within couples were somewhat correlated. These differences may reflect the impact of culture-specific role expectations, but they also may be indicative of distinct circuit effects of oxytocin in the male and female brain,” said Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry.

It’s critical to keep in mind the importance of both the mom and the dad in the raising of infants and young children. Let’s get both involved from the get go. The roles are distinctly different, yet both are essential. Both have a place in the development of healthy humans.

 Cheers,

John Schinnerer, Ph.D.

Founder Guide to Self, Inc.

Anger management tools for fathers and husbands

Free award-winning self-help book at

http://www.GuideToSelf.com

1.Ilanit Gordon, Orna Zagoory-Sharon, James F. Leckman, and Ruth Feldman. Oxytocin and the Development of Parenting in Humans. Biological Psychiatry, 2010; 68 (4): 377 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.02.005

 MLA Elsevier (2010, August 22). Oxytocin: It’s a Mom and Pop Thing. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/08/100820101207.htm

Posted in San Francisco Bay Area, Well-being, Alamo CA, Optimal Human Functioning, Danville CA, San Ramon CA, Gender differences, Men's feelings, Free self-help book, Oxytocin, Men and Women, Self-help book, Real Men Real Emotion, Emotion & learning, Raising optimistic children, Staying calm, Social anxiety disorder, Anxiety, Emotional IQ, Dr. John Schinnerer, Guide To Self Beginners Guide To Managing Emotion, Emotional mind, Relationships, Science of love, The human brain, Men's emotions, Managing Anxiety, Positive Psychology | Print | No Comments »

12. August 2010 by John Schinnerer.

On the CBS “Early Show” this morning, there was a piece on anger management training. The focus was on the prevalence of anger at work. This seems to be a timely topic given the angry outbursts of folks such as Mel Gibson and others. I can’t imagine being on set with him.
While most of the tools discussed looked at stress management, brief mention was made of emotional intelligence. Emotional IQ is a key comoponent of any anger management training worth it’s salt.

In all anger management programs I’ve constructed consist of several key components:

Anger Management (ways to turn Down the volume on anger and tools to turn up the volume on positive emotions to replace the anger)

Stress Management (proven methods to turn down stress and pressure)

Communication Skills (tools to become more appropriately assertive) and

Emotional Intelligence (teaching ways to instantly identify and manage emotions in self and others).

For the best in anger management training, check out a free video series at http://www.GuideToSelf.com, along with a free copy of  my award-winning eBook ‘Guide to Self: The Beginner’s Guide to Managing Emotion and Thought.’

To life, love and laughter,
John Schinnerer Ph.D.

Posted in Real Men Real Emotion, Self-help book, Self-improvement book, Men's feelings, De-escalating anger, San Francisco Bay Area, Well-being, keys to happiness, Anger management therapy, Free self-help book, Anger in the workplace, Emotional terrorists, Workplace bullies, Managing anger, Courage and Anxiety, Optimal Human Functioning, Violence and abuse, Victims of bullying, Happiness, Anxiety, Emotional IQ, Measuring emotions, Dr. John Schinnerer, Guide To Self Beginners Guide To Managing Emotion, Depression, Danville CA, Emotion & productivity, Resiliency, Relationships, Anger Management, Alexithymia, Managing stress | Print | No Comments »

2. August 2010 by John Schinnerer.

This is a comment I posted after a lovely young woman asked about anger management therapy for her husband. She was close to her wit’s end; sick of his constant annoyance, criticisms and irritability. She was asking if anyone knew of any possible way to get her husband to learn new ways of relating or if her only option was divorce.

Dear Kristin:

I’ve been working on designing free online anger management classes to teach men the latest scientifically proven tools for anger management therapy. My background is as a Ph.D. in ed psychology from U.C. Berkeley. I wrote an award-winning book in 2007 on proven tools to turn down the volume on negative emotions, such as anger and irritability, and techniques to turn up the volume on positive emotions, like love, happiness and curiosity.

From my years of research on the mind, I’ve found that merely targeting the anger is necessary but insufficient. As the brain is always looking to maintain a balance or homeostasis, we must teach these two paths simultaneously (turn up the positive and turn down the negative feelings).

I’ve had such success with this process and my clients that I’ve been asked to share the message with a wider audience. Typically, my clients ask “Shouldn’t everyone learn these tools?” To which my answer is “absolutely.” So I’m offering these tools for free at http://www.guidetoself.com. There you can receive a free copy of the eBook, free video lessons and free articles.

The entire process sidesteps the whole issue of shame, embarrassment and fear that men often feel when they seek outside “help”. Using these videos, men can learn useful, proven, concrete tools in the privacy of their own home. This makes it possible to help men who might not otherwise find a way to learn these invaluable tools. 

I hope and pray this is of use to you and your husband!

Best,
John Schinnerer, Ph.D.
Founder Guide to Self
http://www.GuideToSelf.com

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