Search Results for: kessler/2009/11/nerf-guns-–-what-are-we-afraid-of/2009/11/nerf-guns-–-what-are-we-afraid-of/2009/11/your-role-in-your-childs-development/2009/06/communicating-with-children

The Perfect ‘Imperfect’ Relationship

…gical side of things is the fact that most people, to varying degrees, are afraid of intimacy, even if this fear is unconscious. These fears tend to surface more and more as affections deepen and relationships get more serious. Love makes life more meaningful, and therefore more fragile and frightening to lose. In addition, the affections of a partner can counter negative core beliefs we have about ourselves. These harsh self-perceptions may make…

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The Sweet Spot: Relief from the Fear of Death through Mindfulness

…elps kids become resilient, in spite of life’s unanswerable questions. But children aren’t the only ones who fear the vast, menacing concept of death. Plenty of adults grapple with it, too, and sometimes there is no one to connect with when we are afraid. In such moments, we can still feel relief and comfort. Like finding safety in the eye of a storm, there is a way we can be present to the moment and to ourselves that can calm us down and bring p…

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VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine on Somatic Experiencing Approach and Titration

…Alive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine on the development of the Somatic Experiencing Approach and the concept of titration. Dr. Peter A. Levine: As I started to work with many people and we would see symptoms often connected with what we would think as being relatively benign experiences: falling off bicycles, being in accidents, having invasive medical procedures, I mean these all seemed like ordinary things. And of…

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Are You Single for the Right Reasons?

…eel too close. Most of us, who have a history of strained connections, are afraid to be vulnerable. For many people, the idea of getting into a relationship feels like it would threaten their very identity – like they’d lose a part of who they are. They think of entering a relationship as a sacrifice. They believe they’d be losing their sense of independence and freedom and could miss out on future possibilities. The truth is, in a good relationsh…

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The Critical Inner Voice

Evicting the "Obnoxious Roommate" In Your Head

…can relate to childhood experiences in which we felt hurt, embarrassed or afraid. What we may not recognize, however, is how these stressful or traumatic experiences have actually shaped the way we currently feel about ourselves. The voices we internalize can come from parents, caretakers, teachers, bullies – anyone who had an impact on us early in life. Unfortunately, the times we are affected most in our development occur in moments of stress,…

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Depression in Mothers

…symptoms of depression starting to arise around the time they start having children. Common symptoms of depression include: lack of energy, disrupted sleep patterns, difficulty concentrating, a feeling of emptiness, a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, feelings of guilt or shame, a loss of appetite or a tendency to overeat, and at its most extreme, even thoughts of suicide. These symptoms can arise at any point in a mother’s life, and it…

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Social Anxiety vs. Shyness: The Difference Between Social Anxiety and Shyness

…y can impair one’s work functioning and cause conflicts in family life. In children, social anxiety can interfere with academic achievement, school attendance, social hobbies, and making friends. Furthermore, the lack of self-confidence of social anxiety sufferers tends to result in poor assertiveness skills, and often leads to other psychiatric conditions, such as depression, other anxiety disorders, and substance abuse. Effective Treatment for S…

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What Gets in the Way of You Having an Orgasm?

…r sexuality, believing that sex itself is dirty or wrong. Even today, many children receive the message that sex is sinful or immoral. These beliefs may be internalized and later leave a person conflicted in a sexual situation, holding back feeling fully excited, because that would be a sin or proof that they are bad. Both societal and family influences have a serious (albeit unconscious) effect on our views of sex. However, some of these effects…

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What’s Up with Boredom?

…Their lives are filled with highly charged experiences. From video games, role-playing games and movies filled with graphic computer generated images and surround sound, they have come to expect a certain threshold of experience. Even some of their food is beefed up with synthetic flavor enhancers. Consider the impact of “on demand” media, personal playlists and fast food. This generation has little need to wait or endure something that was not o…

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Teaching in Prisons: An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Sheldon Solomon

…the face of death. In a lively and candid style, Dr. Solomon discusses the development of Terror Management Theory, the ways in which people form defenses against death anxiety and the concept of life affirming death awareness, arguing that we can “accept the reality of the human condition and parlay that into bringing out the best in us. ” He also addresses the societal effects of death awareness, including the social nature of human beings, the…

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