Addiction and Your Genes

I remember trying my first (and only) cigarette when I was twelve years old.

I lit it up, took a puff and decided that it was truly a hideous thing.

I hated it. The taste. The smell. Nothing about the experience made me feel good. In fact, I felt nauseous. But there are many people who get a "high" right from cigarette one. And it becomes an addiction thereon in.

Research over the last few years has shown us how addiction has a great deal to do with genetic makeup. Read more about how a nicotine receptor gene makes it harder for individuals to kick the smoking habit. This explains why some take to smoking right away, and why others, like me, don't go past the puff of one.

Now, there must be a chocolate receptor gene that I have, but that is for another post, another day.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Perception of Faces: Pareidolia

I love posting about the phenomenon by which the brain interprets indistinct images as specific ones. It's called Pareidolia and here are some new images. Can you see faces here?








Definitely a face here, don'tcha think?











Another face. Kinda monkey-like.















What a happy metal face.








This baby toy is totally smiling.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Flushing Out The Liar

How can we tell who’s lying and who’s not?

Fidgety hands?

Stuttering speech?

Pants on fire?

Actually, it seems that the face will betray true emotion if we look for it. So, it isn't in the sweaty brow, the hesitant words or the shifty eyes. Instead, it's the liar's facial muscles that "crack” or "leak" through, displaying the real emotion. For more read here

Another technique to test for truthfulness is to ask a person to recall his or her story backwards - From end to beginning in sequential stages. Reverse order is harder to create than building a lie from the start. Telling the story from its end to its beginning will be easy for the truth teller.

Interesting stuff . . .and I ain't lying.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

How To Ask For Help

I did an interview with writer Janene Mascerella for The Tyra Banks Show on How To Ask For Help.

Some of us find it easy to ask for help from others. But for many, asking for help is NOT an easy thing to do.

Do these myths keep you stuck?

Myth: It makes us look vulnerable.

Truth: Asking for help creates an atmosphere of empowerment. It communicates to others that, while you may not have the answers, you are willing to find them and make things better.

Myth: Holding things in and keeping personal issues under wraps keeps us secure.

Truth: In reality, not allowing yourself to be "known" keeps you socially isolated, and therefore, insecure. When you seek the counsel of others, you'll not only connect with them, but you'll also realize that you're not alone in your struggle.

Myth: It bother others. Truth: Doing it all can do you in. Being too self-sufficient can create stress levels that tip your physical, emotional and spiritual scales. Myth: Highly successful people never ask for help.

Truth: Actually, successful individuals will tell you that the key to success is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Learning how to delegate, asking for help and letting others show you the way are part of the plan. Successful people are driven and motivated -- and when the going gets tough, the tough ask for help!

Myth: I am a giver. I don't like when others help me.

Truth: Get over it. With practice, you'll learn to be comfortable when others help you. And before long, you'll come to realize that you deserve a helping hand every now and then.

Remember:

Have realistic expectations for the kind of help you are seeking

Express your needs simply and clearly

Let others know you are there to help them as well

Praise your pals for their assistance and pat yourself for asking for help




.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Laughter is SUCH Good Medicine

In the spirit of Laughter is good medicine, enjoy this.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Portable Hugs

Brian Mullen, a doctoral mechanical engineering student at The University of Massachusetts Amherst, has developed a portable hug vest - also known as a "deep-pressure” vest.


The vest, available for children and adults with sensorimotor issues or mental illness, delivers a “portable hug” via Deep Pressure Touch Stimulation (DPTS).



DPTS has been around a while, helping to reduce anxiety and harmful behaviors by providing a calming sensory experience. It has been shown to improve the lives of individuals with Autism, Alzheimer's, Asperger's, ADHD, PTSD and other neuropsychological illnesses. And FYI, blankets, sleeping bags, other clothing and accessories are available in weighted forms.



It's always so cool when technology enhances lives.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Social Anxiety & "Lars & The Real Girl"

Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations.

The anxiety can occur in limited situations — such as a fear of speaking in front of others - writing on a blackboard in front of the class - eating in front of others, just to name a few. It can, however, be quite broad in its scope, leaving an individual so anxious around other people that they seek to be alone. Total avoidance.

Lars & The Real Girl explores aspects of Social Anxiety Disorder and other mental illness in a meaningful way. It is a beautiful, sensitive and smart movie about the origins of mental illness and how to work them through.

If you get the chance, check it out. And if you've seen it, let me know what you think.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad