Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head that you can’t seem to get out? (Odds suggest you have). Research by James Kellaris indicates that 98% of people experience “stuck song syndrome,” scientifically referred to as an “earworm.” For a subset of lucky individuals, experiencing an earworm is regarded as a positive or …
Trichotillomania is psychiatrically classified as subtype of obsessive compulsive disorder characterized chiefly by the urge to pull out one’s own hair. The condition, also known as “hair pulling disorder,” affects upwards of 2.5 million individuals in the United States at some point during their lives. Onset of trichotillomania occurs most frequently between 9 and 13 …
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is regarded as a subtype of impulse control disorder characterized by impulsive, uncontrollable explosive outbursts of anger, aggression, and/or rage – sometimes accompanied by violence. To be considered intermittent explosive disorder, the explosive outbursts of anger must be triggered in situations and/or conditions in which such anger is unjustified. In other …
Impulse control disorder (ICD) is an overarching classificatory label given to psychiatric disorders characterized by inability to resist impulses (or urges) that yield deleterious implications. Examples of impulse control disorders include: compulsive gambling, incessant sexual encounters, and binge shopping. If unrecognized and/or unaddressed for an extended duration, an impulse control disorder may ruin a person’s: …
Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to transition thoughts between multiple concepts or perspectives. It also refers to the ability to process multiple concepts simultaneously such as the color and shape of an object or perspectives of republicans and democrats. An individual who is able to switch quickly from thinking about one concept, characteristic, or …
Cognitive flexibility refers to the brain’s ability to transition from thinking about one concept to another. The quicker you are able to switch or “shift” your thinking from one dimension (e.g. color of an object) to another (e.g. shape of an object), the greater your level of cognitive flexibility. As an example, let’s say you …
Neurofeedback is a training technique that helps you learn how to consciously change the electrical activity (brain waves) in your brain. All electrical oscillations influence your state of consciousness, arousal, and ability to function. Neurofeedback is based on the idea that many individuals, particularly those with psychological conditions (e.g. ADHD) have suboptimal brain waves in …