Stress Relief Through Others

We have all experienced the benefits of reaching out to and leaning on others to get us through a difficult time. And we also know that we seem to derive more comfort from talking to some people rather than to others. Now, researchers from the University of California, University of Southern California and University of Leuren in Belgium have conducted a study which may clarify an important component of this phenomenon – emotional similarity. In other words, to what degree does the person we are turning to either feel the same thing we are feeling, or has been through something similar to our situation and can relate to what we are feeling. The study design called for placing pairs of individuals in anxiety-provoking situations, measuring how similar they were feeling during the waiting period, and then measuring their stress response when they were finally exposed to the anxiety-inducing situation. Essentially, the results indicated that if the individuals perceived each other to be feeling in a similar fashion, they were able to better tolerate the stressful situation and get through it with less anxiety.

Apparently, misery really does love company, but only if the company we are in is just as miserable as we are. The practical application of this study is that we will experience some comfort and increased capacity to handle a stressful situation when we have someone accompanying us – particularly if that individual is either in the same boat as we are or we perceive that that person has the experience to empathize with us and understand the emotions that we are feeling.

-Dr. Rafael Rivas-Vasquez PsyD – Psychologist

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Do I Have ADHD?

Flickr/wintercool612

Over the past several years, we have seen an increase in adults coming into our practice wondering whether or not they have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  This is not surprising, given the amount of stress that people are under, as well as all the “attention” that ADHD has received recently.  However, many things besides ADHD can produce poor attention, so it may be helpful to review some chief characteristics that are required in order to determine whether an adult meets the criteria for ADHD.

Attention is a complex cognitive process that is regulated by various brain regions and neurotransmitter systems.  Effective attention can be thought of as a two-step process:  We must be able to focus our attention on a primary source of interest (e.g., reading a book), while at the same time blocking or tuning out meaningless distractions.  Many things can cause poor attention, the most common ones being fatigue, stress, depression, and even certain medical conditions (e.g., hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia).

ADHD is thought to represent a certain degree of inefficiency in the frontal lobes, the brain region that is responsible for controlling attention and behavior.  Not only do people with ADHD have difficulty with focus and attention (e.g., distractibility, forgetfulness, procrastination, poor time and task management), they can also have problems with hyperactivity (e.g., restlessness, feeling fidgety, always “on the go”) or impulsivity (e.g., lose temper easily, interrupt others, impatient, difficulty awaiting their turn).  A critical element to make the diagnosis of ADHD in adults is that several of these behaviors must have been present during childhood (before the age of 12) and had to have caused some level of difficulty at home and at school.  It is estimated that 30% to 50% of children with ADHD will continue to manifest symptoms into adulthood, so it certainly is possible that adults presenting with attention and focusing problems have ADHD, but again, there must have been ADHD behaviors present during childhood.

If you present any of these symptoms, it is important to seek a consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.

Dr. Rafael Rivas-Vasquez PsyD – Psychologist

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