Step One: Forget everything you know about chronic pain.

Welcome to 5/15/13 podcast of The Healthy Mind with Dr. Zafirides. This week, I discuss the mind-body relationship between our emotions and physical pain. You'll learn how our brain uses physical pain as a purposeful, survival-based refuge from deeper emotional pain. Using the existing research, I discuss significant inconsistencies in the current medical understanding of chronic pain. This is information you need to know. Don't believe anyone who tells you that you have to live with chronic pain forever. If you or some you [...]

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Researchers identify yet another healthy reason to consider adding oily fish or fish oil supplements to your diet.

Data from more than 180 research papers suggests fish oils could minimize the effects that junk food can have on the brain. This review was recently completed by researchers at the University of Liverpool.

Research [...]

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Individuals who used the emotional strategy of reappraisal experienced less anxiety than those who suppressed their feelings.

How do you handle stress? Do you tend to see the glass as half-empty or half-full?Do you tend to express your emotions or are you a "stuffer"?

New research suggests that the way you regulate your emotions, in bad times and in [...]

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Is  fear and doubt holding you back? 

Welcome to 5/8/13 podcast of The Healthy Mind with Dr. Zafirides. This week, Dr. Z dives in to the topic of fear. Using a story about a life lesson learned from a diving board, he takes you on a journey into the way our mind works when it comes to fear and anxiety. He explains why this happens and provides you with "swimmingly-good" (sorry, we couldn't resist!) tips to help you tame your fears - starting today! Join us for a very empowering podcast. You'll really [...]

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Researchers identify a "stress" protein that reduces new brain cell production and is linked to depression.

Research from King's College London reveals the detailed mechanism behind how stress hormones reduce the number of new brain cells - a process considered to be linked to depression. The researchers identified a key protein responsible for the long-term detrimental effect of stress on cells, and importantly, successfully used a drug compound to block this effect, offering a potential new [...]

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A new study finds that chronic pain after stressful events has a specific biological basis.

A new study led by University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers is the first to identify a genetic risk factor for persistent pain after traumatic events such as motor vehicle collision and sexual assault. The study is to be published in the journal, Pain. 

"Our study findings indicate that mechanisms influencing chronic pain development [...]

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Anger doesn't have to destroy your family.

Welcome to 5/1/13 podcast of The Healthy Mind with Dr. Zafirides. This week, Dr. Z takes on the topic of family conflict and anger.  Why do we tend to hurt the ones we love the most? The answer will really surprise you. Dr. Z goes through the psychology of anger and why family members are so vulnerable. But don't despair... there is hope! Dr. Z provides several tips to help you more effectively deal with family conflict and anger. You don't want to miss this week's [...]

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People who closely followed the Mediterranean diet were significantly less likely to develop problems with their thinking and memory skills.

The largest study to date finds that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, chicken and salad dressing) while avoiding saturated fats, meat and dairy foods may be linked to preserving memory and thinking abilities. However, the same association was not found in people with diabetes. 

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Being forced to exercise may still help reduce anxiety and depression just as exercising voluntarily does.

We all know that exercise does our mind and body good. In addition to protection against stress-related disorders,  previous research has shown that people who exercise are more are more satisfied with life . And scientists know that the perception of control can benefit a person's mental health. But it has been an open question whether a person who feels forced to exercise (ie. eliminating [...]

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This risk factor can be used to predict which individuals are likely to experience a depressive episode in the future, even if they've never had a depressive episode before. 

A new study with college roommates shows that a particular style of thinking that makes people vulnerable to depression can actually "rub off" on others, increasing their symptoms of depression six months later.

The research, from psychological scientists Gerald Haeffel and [...]

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