There are many forms of healing. In my work as a psychologist I often cite films, novels, music and other forms of art. Congruent with earlier research, a study by Bournemouth University and Queen’s University Belfast has found that music therapy reduces depression in children and adolescents. In this study children from ages 8 to 16 that received music therapy had improved self-esteem and a significant reduction of depression-related symptoms compared to children who received treatment without music therapy. The study also concluded that music helped teens have improved communication skills, and social functioning was improved in all the age groups that were investigated. You can learn more here.
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Everything that is biological is psychological, and everything that is psychological is biological. The brain and body are one. Lowering stress and improving your mental wellbeing can significantly improve your physical wellbeing and lower your chance of contracting illnesses and diseases. Another example of this was found recently by researchers in Norway who were studying the link between heart disease and health anxiety. Study participants were followed over a twelve-year period and monitored for factors such as health, lifestyle, and education levels. And their anxiety levels were also closely monitored. Based on the data, this study concluded that twice as many study participants who had health-related anxiety developed heart disease compared to those who did not have anxiety. Even after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk-factors people with health-related anxiety had a 73% increased risk of developing heart disease. You can read more about this study here.
Dr. David Zuniga was recently featured in a series of videos on multiple myeloma for the WebMD website.
In Face the Fear and Find Support, Dr. Zuniga offers insight on coping and support. How to Tell Others About Your Condition discusses communicating with caregivers and family members, including children. Though these videos specifically target multiple myeloma patients and their families, they are relevant to all cancers and chronic or incurable illnesses. Here’s an article that many of us can use. The idea of decluttering is not new, but interestingly we’re starting to generate research showing the health benefits of decluttering. This article explores the positive benefits of decluttering for mental health, including lowering stress and perhaps even increasing important dimensions of our life such as self-confidence and inner peace. You can read this article here.
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David ZunigaDr. Zuniga is a psychologist, author, and consultant in Austin, Texas. Archives
April 2020
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