Medicurio

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

The phrase “psychological well-being” is used to describe an individual’s emotional health and overall functioning. The author of a study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well‒Being describes psychological well-being as “the combination of feeling good and functioning effectively.”

Researchers also have found that the absence of distress doesn’t necessarily indicate a person has high psychological well-being. High psychological well-being is about feeling happy and doing well. People with high psychological well-being report feeling capable, happy, well-supported, and satisfied with life.

Why It Matters

Studies have discovered that people with higher psychological well-being are more likely to live healthier and longer lives. They are also more likely to enjoy a better quality of life. Better psychological well-being also is associated with fewer social problems.

For instance, research has found that people with high psychological well-being are less likely to engage in criminal activity or abuse drugs and alcohol. In addition, positive psychological well-being tends to predict higher earnings and more prosocial behavior, such as volunteering.

People also are more likely to enjoy positive psychological well-being when they have their basic needs met. Living in a safe area, having enough food, and having adequate shelter are all important factors for emotional health.

If you’re looking to improve your psychological well-being, there are several things you can do to feel and function better. Here’s an overview of four things you an do to improve your overall sense of well-being.

Creating Purpose

Living a life with meaning and purpose is key to improving your psychological well-being. Your purpose doesn’t necessarily have to involve changing the world or finding a career devoted to helping others though.

Instead, you might make it your purpose to be kind every day. Or, your purpose might involve making the world better by encouraging others to take care of the environment or adopt pets from the shelter. Maybe your purpose is being an advocate for those who are hurting like bullied students, the homeless, or victims of abuse.

If you feel like your life lacks purpose, don’t worry. There are many ways you can find purpose in life and build a life that has more meaning. Begin by thinking about the legacy you would like to leave behind. Write down how you’d like to be remembered at the end of your life, or think about the impact you want to leave on the planet. Then, establish some objectives that can help you reach those goals.

Working toward your goals will give you a reason to get out of bed every day, beyond earning money.

Positive Thinking

Thinking positively also improves your psychological well-being. In turn, as your psychological well-being improves, it becomes easier to think positively and feel good overall. Fortunately, you can begin creating that positive cycle with a few simple strategies. Here’s an overview of the ways you can increase the positivity in your life.

Write About a Better Future

Take a few minutes and write down all the good things that could happen to you in the future. Imagine how you could be spending your time and who you would be spending it with if you were living your best life.

You also may want to devise a plan on how you can make that happen. Make small, measurable goals that will help you achieve that better future. Then, put a plan into place. When you’re working toward a better future—even if the steps are really small—it gives you a sense of purpose and something to look forward to.

Recall Positive Life Events

Spend time thinking about some of the best memories of your life. Whether it’s a family vacation you went on 10 years ago or an award you won at work two years ago, recalling the happiest times in your life can bring more positivity to your mindset.

Recognizing the good things that have happened to you over time—the people you have built memories with or the good times that you have experienced—is an important part of improving your well-being. They serve as reminders of the fullness life has to offer, especially when circumstances may be pulling you down.

Perform Acts of Kindness

Doing nice things for other people reminds you that you have the power to make a difference in the world. Giving to others also helps you think more positively and feel happier. Helping a neighbor in need, volunteering for a community activity, or raising money for a charity are just a few simple ways to improve your psychological well-being.

Also, look for ways to be kind to others in your everyday life. Doing so benefits you in a number of ways. In fact, researchers indicate that individual acts of kindness releases both endorphins and oxytocin—the feel good hormones—as well as creates new neural connections.

Consequently, kindness can become a self-reinforcing habit that takes less and less effort to perform. There’s also some evidence linking kindness and healing. So, look for ways to be kind to others and your body and mind will thank you.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness, which means staying in the moment, has been linked to a multitude of benefits, ranging from increased happiness to better resilience.1 Although mindfulness is a skill that takes practice and dedication, over time you can get better at learning how to be present and in the moment. Doing so has a number of benefits too.

For instance, studies suggest that mindfulness helps people manage stress, cope with serious illnesses, and reduce anxiety and depression. In fact, people who practice mindfulness are better able to relax, have improved self-esteem, and possess more enthusiasm over life.

What’s more studies have found a link between mindfulness meditation and changes in the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and emotion. This discovery is not surprising because mindfulness requires you to pay attention to your thoughts, your actions, and your body.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Express Gratitude

Whether you send letters to people telling them how much you appreciate them or you write about the things you feel thankful for in a journal, expressing your gratitude will keep you focused on all the good things in life. You can even express gratitude on social media.

Learning to be grateful in everything you do will become a way of life. You’ll discover you can be thankful for little things like the beauty of sunset as well as the big things like a new job or a visit from friend. Finding things to be thankful for everyday is a simple but effective way to boost your psychological well-being.

Identify Your Strengths

Feeling capable and confident is important. One of the best ways to accomplish this task is to remind yourself of the things you’re good at or the character strengths you possess. Try reflecting on your past achievements and the qualities that helped you succeed.

Write down these things as a reminder of what you have to offer the world. And, if there’s an area that you feel needs improvement, don’t be afraid to list that too. Working on improving yourself is a great way to impact your overall well-being.

Practice Forgiveness

Letting go of past hurt and anger is key to good psychological well-being. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you have to allow that person to hurt you again. Instead, forgiveness is about releasing yourself of the anger that’s holding you back and keeping you bound to that person.

Forgiving another person frees you to put your energy into more positive things rather than ruminating on past hurts and offenses. If the person who wounded you is still a threat to your overall well-being, it also may help to erect some boundaries to safeguard yourself from further unnecessary pain.

Fostering Relationships

Studies show that loneliness takes a serious toll on your emotional and physical health. In fact, one study found that being lonely was as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Just being around people, however, isn’t the solution. Instead, it’s important to form deep connections with other people.

The quality of relationships matters more than the quantity when it comes to improving your psychological well-being.

While contact over social media can be a good way to keep in touch when you can’t visit a friend in person, there’s no real substitute for the benefits of face-to-face contact. Have coffee with a friend, eat dinner with your family, and call a loved one just to chat.

Strong social support also is important to staying psychologically healthy. If you lack a support system, take steps to meet more people. Join community activities, get acquainted with your neighbors, or reach out to old friends.

Types of Wellbeing

Psychological wellbeing includes a number of different aspects:

• Autonomy: the freedom to make your own decisions
• Self-acceptance: satisfaction or happiness with oneself. This includes an awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses. It results in an individual feeling that they are of “unique worth”.
• Mastery: the ability to manage everyday situations.
• Positive relationships with family, friends or others.
• A sense of purpose or meaning in life.
• Personal growth: facing challenges that are manageable and lead to developing new skills or becoming a better person.

Benefits from Wellbeing

Hundreds of research studies have proven, wellbeing doesn’t just feel good – it’s important for happier, healthier living:

• Optimism and positive emotions can reduce the risk of a heart attack by up to 50%. Optimism can be learnt!
• Experiencing three times more positive emotions compared to negative ones leads to a tipping point beyond which we become more resilient to adversity and better able to achieve things.
• Happier people live longer – potentially adding 7½ years to their lifespan.
• Our expression of positive emotions, such as happiness and optimism, influences the people we know, and studies show our positivity can be passed on to others.
• Having high levels of wellbeing has been shown to increase our immunity to infection, lower our risk of some mental health problems, reduce mental decline as we get older, and increase our resilience.
• A high level of wellbeing is as good for heart health and provides as much protection from coronary heart disease as quitting smoking does.

Research also shows that people who report higher levels of wellbeing tend to be:

• More involved in social activities and community groups
• Environmentally responsible
• Experiencing better family and social relationships at home
• More productive at work
• More likely to be working or studying full-time
• more likely to recover quicker from a range of chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes), and
• In young people, higher levels of wellbeing significantly influence alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

• causes,
• consequences and coping with stress, pain and illness.

The term psychosomatic refers to real physical symptoms that arise from or are influenced by the mind and emotions rather than a specific organic cause in the body (such as an injury or infection). 

A psychosomatic illness originates from or is aggravated by emotional stress and manifests in the body as physical pain and other symptoms. Depression can also contribute to psychosomatic illness, especially when the body’s immune system has been weakened by severe and/or chronic stress. 

A common misconception is that psychosomatic conditions are imaginary or “all in the head.” In reality, physical symptoms of psychosomatic conditions are real and require treatment just as any other illness would. Unfortunately, effective treatment doesn’t always come in a timely or effective manner.

The pervasive social stigma attached to psychosomatic illness may prevent someone from seeking treatment.1 Even when someone does seek treatment, stigma is also present in research and medical communities, at least in part because the mechanisms that drive the stress-illness relationship are not yet fully understood. 

Psychosomatic Symptoms

You may not have thought much about the unique ways stress manifests physically, but it can be helpful to learn how to recognize when you are under extreme stress. Once you identify the signs, you can work on reducing the effect stress has on your health.3 

While it sounds like a complicated undertaking, there are actually some simple ways you can determine if you are overly stressed. 

Common physical signs of stress include:

• “Butterflies” in the stomach
• Racing heart
• Sweaty palms
• Tense muscles

Bodily signs of stress may be different depending on if you are biologically male or female. For example, women often report symptoms such as fatigue despite getting enough sleep, irritability, abdominal bloating, and changes to their menstrual periods. Signs and symptoms of stress in men, on the other hand, are more likely to include chest pain, increased blood pressure, and changes in sex drive. 

Symptoms of stress also vary by age. Children often display stress through their bodies because they haven’t yet developed the language they need to communicate how they feel. For example, a child who is having a hard time at school may have frequent stomachaches and may be sent home or ask to stay home. 

Stress in the teen years can be especially intense, particularly during periods of major social adjustment and hormonal shifts. Sometimes, signs of stress in people in this age group may be missed or attributed to “teen angst” when it is really a sign of adolescent depression. 

The elderly are also prone to depression, as they are often contending with several compounding factors, such as isolation, loss and grief, and chronic or serious health problems. If you are caring for an aging loved one, make sure you know the signs of depression in older adults.  How Stress Impacts Your Health

Causes of Psychosomatic Illness

There are actually different kinds of stress, some of which can be positive. Eustress is what makes life invigorating and interesting. It’s a feeling that makes you want to get up in the morning and keeps you motivated.

If you’ve ever enjoyed the thrill of a roller coaster ride or felt a sense of excitement and fulfillment when completing a project, you’ve experienced “good” stress. On the other hand, if you’ve ever experienced a major loss, gone through a big life change, or endured other stressors, you also know what “bad” stress feels like.6

Just like you can feel the giddiness and uplifting feelings of good stress all over, the negative effects of bad stress can be felt in your mind andyour body. While the exact mechanisms are not completely understood, researchers know that stress and depression can be expressed as physical pain and illness.6 It’s a complex process, but here’s an analogy that might help.

Compare your body to a pressure cooker. If it’s allowed to vent its steam, it works efficiently. If it can’t vent steam, the pressure continues to build until the lid blows off. Now, imagine that the cooker is under pressure already and you apply more pressure to keep the lid on. When the container can no longer hold in all the pressure, it will break at its weakest point.

Like the pressure cooker giving way at the weakest point of its structure, stress-related illness is most likely to develop where your body is already weakened. 

Someone who is under stress and not able to “vent” their emotions or who tries to “keep it all in” will eventually reach an emotional breaking point. It may manifest as physical symptoms or trigger an episode of major depression.

In retrospect, you may realize there were some warning signs or “clues” that such a break was coming—especially in terms of the physical symptoms you experience. For example, if your neck has always been your physical weakness, you may find your pain increases when you are stressed. Back pain, stomach trouble, and headaches are other common ways stress may take up residence in your body.  How Stress Can Make You Sick

Stress can also compromise your immunity. Some people find that when they are stressed, they’re more likely to catch a cold or the flu. They may also get more infections or take longer to get better. 

These chemicals are an important part of the body’s “fight or flight” response to stress and can be very useful. However, if the body has high amounts or they are released continuously over an extended period of time, these chemicals may do more harm than good. 

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Psychosomatic Illness Diagnosis

When you go to your doctor with physical symptoms, they will generally look first for a physical explanation for your pain. If there is no obvious physical cause that they can easily test for, coming up with a diagnosis and plan of treatment may be tricky. 

When this happens, people might feel like their doctor is not taking their symptoms seriously, thinks the person is making it up, or that it’s “all in their head.” When your doctor can’t find a clear physical cause for your pain (such as an injury or an infection), they may ask you about how you feel emotionally.

The hope is that if a source of stress can be identified, it can be treated (just as you would get treated for an injury or illness). When they ask about stress in your life, a doctor doesn’t mean to imply that your pain is not real. Symptoms caused by stress that you feel in your body are very real, they are just caused by a different mechanism that, say, if you broke a bone.

Treatment for Psychosomatic Illness

Your doctor may want you to talk to a mental health professional, but that’s not to say that your physical symptoms only need psychological treatment.9 It is important to learn how to effectively manage stress, but that is often a process and can take time. In the meantime, you need to treat your physical pain and other symptoms.

For example, if you have pain in your neck, learning to cope with stressful triggers can certainly help prevent from happening—but the pain is not only in your mind.

While it might start in your brain, stress can cause a cascade of chemicals in your body that produces inflammation in the muscles of your neck, which in turn causes you pain.9 You may need anti-inflammatory medications or another type of treatment, such as massage and physical therapy to manage your pain.

Another helpful analogy is to think of psychosomatic illness as a flooded river that happens after a dam breaks. The most important step for preventing more flooding is to fix the dam. However, it’s also necessary to handle the flooding that’s already happened while the dam is being repaired. 

Coping with Stress

Once you know how to recognize when you are stressed and have identified sources of stress in your life, the next step is to learn coping mechanisms. One of the first (and most important) is to avoid holding in your feelings.

Like a pressure cooker, stress that is pent up in your body will come out one way or another. The healthiest thing you can do is to develop a controlled way to “vent” instead of letting stress find a weak point and explode. 

As you’re working on developing coping mechanisms for combating stress, check to see if you have been using any unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as overusing alcohol.Stress Relievers That Are Totally Free

There are innumerable methods for healthy coping, it’s just a matter of finding what works best for you. Here are a few ideas to get you started. 

• Be honest with others (and yourself).
• Confide in a friend.
• Do something nice for someone else (and be sure to do nice things for yourself, too).
• Eat a balanced diet, get regular exercise, and create a calming sleep space.
• Explore fun new ways to deal with stress.
• Join a support group.
• Learn relaxation techniques.
• Let go of grudges, patterns of thinking, or relationships that are not healthy or helpful for you.
• Make time for leisure activities you enjoy.
• Take a break if you’re in a stressful situation.

Remember that everyone handles stress in their own way. Two people in the same stressful situation will react very differently. Once you understand the unique way stress affects you both emotionally and physically, you can work on developing healthy and effective ways to manage it.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Counseling Psychology is a specialty within professional psychology that maintains a focus on facilitating personal and interpersonal functioning across the life span.  The specialty  pays particular attention to emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental, and organizational concerns.

The practice of Counseling Psychology encompasses a broad range of culturally-sensitive practices that help people improve their well-being, alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crises, and increase their ability to function better in their lives. With its  attention to both to normal developmental issues and problems associated with physical, emotional, and mental disorders, the specialization holds a unique perspective in the broader practice-based areas of psychology.

Counseling Psychologists serve persons of all ages and cultural backgrounds in both individual and group settings. They also consult regularly with organizations seeking to enhance their effectiveness or the well-being of their members.

Interventions used by Counseling Psychologists may be either brief or long-term; they are often problem-specific and goal-directed. These activities are guided by a philosophy that values individual differences and diversity and a focus on prevention, development, and adjustment across the life-span.

Counseling psychologists help people of all ages deal with emotional, social, developmental, and other life concerns. These professionals use a variety of strategies to help people manage behavioral issues, cope with stress, alleviate anxiety and distress, and deal with the issues associated with psychological disorders.

Counseling psychology focuses on providing therapeutic treatments to clients who experience a wide variety of symptoms. It is also one of the largest specialty areas within psychology.

The Society of Counseling Psychology describes the field as “a specialty within professional psychology that maintains a focus on facilitating personal and interpersonal functioning across the life span. The specialty pays particular attention to emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental and organizational concerns.”

What Do Counseling Psychologists Do?

Many counseling psychologists provide psychotherapy services, but other career paths are also available. Research, teaching, and vocational counseling are just a few of the possible alternatives to psychotherapy.

Whether they are working with clients in a hospital setting or counseling students in an academic environment, these psychologists rely on a broad range of psychological theories and therapeutic approaches to help people overcome problems and realize their full potential.

Where Do Counseling Psychologists Work?

Counseling psychologists work in a variety of locations, including private businesses, the military, government agencies, consulting practices, and more.

• Some professionals work in academic settings as professors, psychotherapy providers, and researchers.
• Others work in hospitals and mental health clinics, often alongside physicians and other mental health professionals including clinical psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses.
• Still, other counseling psychologists are self-employed in independent practice and offer psychotherapy services to individuals, families, and groups.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Required Education and Training

A Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D. degree is required to become a counseling psychologist. Some students start by earning a bachelor’s degree in a subject such as psychology or social work and then receive a master’s degree in counseling or psychology before entering a doctorate program. In other cases, students can bypass the master’s program and go straight from their undergraduate degree into a five- or six-year doctoral degree program.2

A Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Psychology degree will typically be offered through a university’s psychology department, while the Doctor of Education in counseling psychology can be found at a school’s college of education. Most of these programs receive accreditation through the American Psychological Association (APA).

If you are looking for a program in counseling psychology, start by checking out the list of accredited programs in professional psychology maintained by the APA.

Counseling Psychology vs. Clinical Psychology

Out of all the graduate psychology degrees awarded each year, 56% are in the health service provision subfields: counseling, clinical, and school psychology.3 Counseling psychology shares many commonalities with clinical psychology, but it is also different in several different ways.

Some of the key similarities between counseling and clinical psychology are:4

• Both are trained to provide psychotherapy
• Both often work in hospitals, mental health clinics, academic settings, and independent practice
• Both can be licensed in all 50 states as licensed psychologists and can practice independently

Some of the key differences between the two professions include:4

• There are differences in training and education between the professions
• Clinical psychologists tend to focus on psychopathology
• Counseling psychologists tend to concentrate on overall well-being through the lifespan

While both clinical and counseling psychologists perform psychotherapy, those working as clinicians typically deal with clients experiencing more severe mental illnesses. Counseling psychologists often work with people who are experiencing less severe symptoms. The treatment outlook can also differ between clinical and counseling psychology.

Clinicians often approach mental illness from a medical perspective, while counseling psychologists often take a more general approach that encompasses a range of psychotherapeutic techniques. Of course, the individual approach a therapist takes depends on a variety of factors, including their educational background, training, and theoretical.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Masturbation is a common activity. It’s a natural and safe way to explore your body, feel pleasure, and release built-up sexual tension. It occurs among people of all backgrounds, genders, and races.

Despite the myths, there are actually no physically harmful side effects of masturbation.

However, excessive masturbation can harm your relationships and everyday life. Other than that, masturbation is a fun, normal, and healthy act.

Keep reading to learn more about the side effects and potential health benefits of masturbation.

Side effects of masturbation

Masturbation doesn’t have any harmful side effects. However, some people may feel guilty about masturbating or have issues with chronic masturbation.

Masturbation and guilt

Some people may feel guilty about masturbating because of cultural, spiritual, or religious beliefs.

Masturbation is neither wrong nor immoral, but you may still hear messages that self-pleasure is “dirty” and “shameful.”

If you feel guilty over masturbating, speak with someone you trust about why you feel this way and how you can move past that guilt. Therapists that specialize in sexual health may be a good resource.

Addiction to masturbation

Some people can and do develop an addiction to masturbation. You may be spending too much time masturbating if masturbation causes you to:

• skip your chores or daily activities
• miss work or school
• cancel plans with friends or family
• miss important social events

Addiction to masturbation can harm your relationships and other parts of your life. Masturbating too much may interrupt your work or studies, which can lower productivity.

It may also hurt your romantic relationships and friendships, because you don’t spend as much time with your loved ones as you used to, or don’t pay attention to their needs.

If you’re worried you may have an addiction to masturbation, speak with your doctor or a counselor about ways to cut down on masturbating.

Talk therapy can help you manage your addiction. You could also cut down by replacing masturbation with other activities. Next time you have an urge to masturbate, try:

• going for a run
• writing in a journal
• spending time with friends
• going for a walk

Does masturbation cause a decrease in sexual sensitivity?

For women who have sexual dysfunction, enhanced stimulation — including masturbation — can help increase sexual desire and sensitivity.

In fact, two 2009 studies found that vibrator use among women and men has been linked to an increase in desire, arousal, and overall sexual function. Women also reported an increase in lubrication, while men reported better erectile function, according to the studies.

Masturbation can affect sensitivity during sex for men because of their technique. Research has shown that too tight of a grip on a penis during masturbation can decrease sensation.

Sexual health experts recommend changing your technique during masturbation to restore sensitivity levels during sex.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Benefits of masturbation

Masturbation is a healthy sexual activity. It has many benefits for your physical and mental health.

There are limited studies on the benefits of masturbation, but there are studies on sexual intercourse and stimulation.

Research and anecdotal reports suggest that sexual stimulation, including stimulation through masturbation, may help you:

• relieve built-up stress
• sleep better
• boost your mood
• relax
• feel pleasure
• relieve cramps
• release sexual tension
• have better sex
• better understand your wants and needs

Couples may also mutually masturbate to explore different desires, as well as avoid pregnancy. Self-pleasuring also helps you prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Masturbation and prostate cancer

Some research suggests that regular ejaculation may lower the risk of prostate cancer, though doctors aren’t exactly sure why.

A 2016 study found the risk of prostate cancer decreased by about 20 percent in men who ejaculated at least 21 times a month. A 2003 study also discovered a similar link between frequent ejaculation and lower prostate cancer risk.

There’s no evidence, though, that ejaculating regularly protects against advanced prostate cancer.

Masturbation during pregnancy

Hormone changes during pregnancy cause some pregnant women to feel heightened sexual desire. Masturbation is a safe way to release sexual tension during pregnancy.

Self-pleasure may also help ease pregnancy symptoms, such as lower back pain. You may feel mild, irregular cramping, or Braxton-Hicks contractions, during and after orgasm.

They should fade away. If the contractions don’t disappear and become more painful and frequent, contact your doctor right away.

Masturbation may not be safe for women with high-risk pregnancies. This is because orgasm can increase your chances of labor.

Masturbation doesn’t have the health benefits that sex does.

“It appears that not all orgasms are created equally,” says Tobias S. Köhler, MD, MPH, an associate professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.

Study after study shows that intercourse has all sorts of benefits for men — for your blood pressure, heart and prostate health, pain, and more. You’d think that masturbation would, too. But it doesn’t.

Why would it make a difference whether you ejaculate during sex or on your own? No one’s sure. But your body seems to respond differently. Even the makeup of semen is different if you masturbate instead of having sex.

Still, does it really matter? Have you honestly been masturbating all these years only because you wanted to boost your prostate health? Didn’t think so. But one study, Harvard’s Health Professional Followup, showed that Masturbation may help lower risk of prostate cancer. 

Takeaway

Masturbation is a healthy, natural, and safe way to practice self-care and improve your health.

Masturbating may have many benefits for your mind and body. Despite the possibility of addiction, there are no harmful side effects.

Feel free to enjoy self-pleasure without guilt or shame. Speak with a therapist or someone you trust about any negative feelings you have.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Sex is an important factor in your life

Sex and sexuality are a part of life. Aside from reproduction, sex can be about intimacy and pleasure. Sexual activity, penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI), or masturbation, can offer many surprising benefits to all facets of your life:

• physical
• intellectual
• emotional
• psychological
• social

Sexual health is more than avoiding diseases and unplanned pregnancies. It’s also about recognizing that sex can be an important part of your life, according to the American Sexual Health Association.

Sex may give a boost to certain aspects of people’s well-being and physical health, some research suggests. However, several studies on the subject are now outdated, and not all potential benefits apply to everyone.

Scientific research has highlighted several possible benefits besides procreation that come with sexual intercourse. These pluses include preserving heart health in some people, reducing blood pressure, and boosting immunity.

Sex can also improve mood, relationships, and mental well-being.

In this article, we look at the possible health benefits of sex and highlight relevant research, focusing on the physical rather than emotional aspects.

Helping heart health

Partnered sex may be benefical for cardiovascular health.

Partnered sex appears to have some protective effect on cardiovascular health, especially in women.

A 2016 study looked at the potential health benefits of sexual activity with a regular partner.

This research found that sexually active women have a lower risk of cardiac events later in life.

However, the study also concluded that high levels of sexual activity might increase the risk of cardiovascular events in men. This conclusion contradicts most earlier research, and further studies are necessary to verify this risk.

Males and females with heart problems should ask a doctor about how much sex is safe for them. They should also be specific about the regularity and intensity with which they have sex, as this may affect the potential strain on the heart.

Reducing blood pressure

The same 2016 study also measured blood pressure as one of the markers of heart health. The researchers found that older women who expressed satisfaction with their sex lives were less likely to have high blood pressure.

However, the study authors did not find the same results in older men.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), high blood pressure can affect both libido and a man’s ability to achieve and maintain an erection.

Medication for high blood pressure can also reduce libido and cause erectile dysfunction.

While this does not confirm a benefit, it may show a link between blood pressure and sexual health.

Many people with high blood pressure, or hypertension, have safety concerns when it comes to sexual intercourse.

While it is always important to speak with a doctor, it is usually safe for people with high blood pressure to have sex.

If hypertension medication is causing sexual difficulties, a person can talk to their doctor who may be able to prescribe a different medication or dosage to relieve the adverse effects.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Boosting the immune system

Research is inconclusive about whether regular sex can boost the immune system.

Some early research found that regular sex increased the effectiveness of the immune system.

Researchers found that people who had frequent sex, which they defined as one to two times per week, had more immunoglobin A (IgA) in their system than others. IgA is an antibody that lives in the mucosal tissue, such as the salivary glands, nose, and vaginal tissue.

However, it is important to recognize that this study appeared in 2004, and researchers have not repeated it since. A new study might yield different results.

A more recent study looked at a small group of women to see if there were differences between the immune activity of those who were sexually active and those who are not.

The study examined their immune system’s ability to kill different infectious pathogens at various points in the menstrual cycle.

While the results suggest that there might be some differences between the groups, the authors say more research is necessary before drawing any conclusions.

Reducing prostate cancer risk

An early study, again from 2004, found that high frequency of ejaculation may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

The study investigated almost 30,000 males, looking at how often they ejaculated at different points in their life.

They concluded that those who ejaculated more than 21 times per month had a lower risk of prostate cancer than men who only ejaculated 4–7 times per month.

In 2016, the researchers extended this study for an additional 10 years to continue their research on the participants’ risk for developing prostate cancer.

This follow-up confirmed the initial findings. The males who ejaculated most frequently had a lower risk for prostate cancer those who ejaculated less often

Dig deeper into the health topics you care about most. Subscribe to our facts-first newsletter today.

Relieving stress

Sex can serve as a natural way to relieve stress. A 2019 study looked at the effect that intimacy with a partner had on cortisol levels. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that circulates the body in response to stress.

The researchers found that expressions of intimacy, whether sexual or not, helped to bring cortisol levels in both males and female back within normal range.

Sex triggers the release of oxytocin, endorphins, and other “feel-good” hormones, which may be responsible for this stress reducing effect.

Improving sleep

Hormones released during sex may improve sleep.

The National Sleep Foundation suggest that sexual activity has hormonal benefits for sleep.

The same hormones that reduce stress and anxiety are also responsible for inducing sleepiness. Sex leads to the release of oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins throughout the body.

After a person has an orgasm, another hormone called prolactin starts to circulate. Prolactin induces feelings of satisfaction and relaxation.

Improves Women’s Bladder Control

A strong pelvic floor is important for avoiding incontinence, something that will affect about 30% of women at some point in their lives.

Good sex is like a workout for your pelvic floor muscles. When you have an orgasm, it causes contractions in those muscles, which strengthens them.

Counts as Exercise

“Sex is a really great form of exercise,” Pinzone says. It won’t replace the treadmill, but it counts for something.

Sex uses about five calories per minute, four more calories than watching TV. It gives you a one-two punch: It bumps up your heart rate and uses various muscles.

So get busy! You may even want to clear your schedule to make time for it on a regular basis. “Like with exercise, consistency helps maximize the benefits,” Pinzone says.

Lowers Heart Attack Risk

A good sex life is good for your heart. Besides being a great way to raise your heart rate, sex helps keep your estrogen and testosterone levels in balance.

“When either one of those is low you begin to get lots of problems, like osteoporosis and even heart disease,” Pinzone says.

Having sex more often may help. During one study, men who had sex at least twice a week were half as likely to die of heart disease as men who had sex rarely.

Lessens Pain

Before you reach for an aspirin, try for an orgasm.

“Orgasm can block pain,” says Barry R. Komisaruk, PhD, a distinguished service professor at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. It releases a hormone that helps raise your pain threshold.

Stimulation without orgasm can also do the trick. “We’ve found that vaginal stimulation can block chronic back and leg pain, and many women have told us that genital self-stimulation can reduce menstrual cramps, arthritic pain, and in some cases even headache,” Komisaruk says.

Precautions

While sex can be a pleasurable and potentially healthful activity, it is essential to remember that sex without protection can pose a risk to overall health.

People who have sex without using contraceptives have a risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies. Using a condom or other contraceptive method can reduce the risk of these outcomes.

If a person has multiple partners, they can bring down the risk by reducing the number of people with whom they have sexual contact.

If sex becomes painful or causes bleeding, a person should talk to a healthcare professional.

How sex benefits all genders

In men

A recent review found that men who had more frequent penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI) had less risk of developing prostate cancer.

One study found that men who averaged having 4.6 to 7 ejaculations a week were 36 percent less likely to receive a prostate cancer diagnosis before the age of 70. This is in comparison to men who reported ejaculating 2.3 or fewer times a week on average.

For men, sex may even affect your mortality. One study that had a 10 year follow-up reported that men who had frequent orgasms (defined as two or more a week) had a 50 percent lower mortality risk than those who had sex less often.

Although results are conflicting, the quality and health of your sperm may increase with increased sexual activity, as some research suggests.

In women

Having an orgasm increases blood flow and releases natural pain-relieving chemicals.

Sexual activity in women can:

• improve bladder control
• reduce incontinence
• relieve menstrual and premenstrual cramps
• improve fertility
• build stronger pelvic muscles
• help produce more vaginal lubrication
• potentially protect you against endometriosis, or the growing of tissue outside your uterus

The act of sex can help strengthen your pelvic floor. A strengthened pelvic floor can also offer benefits like less pain during sex and reduced chance of a vaginal prolapse. One study shows that PVI can result in reflexive vaginal contractions caused by penile thrusting.

Women who continue to be sexually active after menopause are less likely to have significant vaginal atrophy, or the thinning of vaginal walls. Vaginal atrophy can cause pain during sex and urinary symptoms.

How can sex benefit your mental health?

Sexual activity, with a partner or through masturbation, can provide important psychological and emotional benefits. Like exercise, sex can help reduce stress and anxiety and increase happiness.

Studies suggest that sexual activity (defined as PVI) may correlate with:

• increased satisfaction with your mental health
• increased levels of trust, intimacy, and love in your relationships
• improved ability to perceive, identify, and express emotions
• lessened use of your immature psychological defense mechanism, or the mental processes to reduce distress from emotional conflict

At an older age, sexual activity may affect your well-being and ability to think. Research found that sexually active adults between 50 to 90 years old had better memory. They were also less likely to feel depressed and lonely.

Confidence booster

Frequent sexual activity, whether with a partner or alone, can make you look younger. This is partially due to the release of estrogen during sex.

One study found a correlation between frequent sexual activity and looking significantly younger (between seven to 12 years younger). The majority of these individuals were also comfortable expressing their sexuality and sexual identity.

Social benefits

Sex can help you connect to your partner, thanks to oxytocin. Oxytocin can play a role in developing relationships. You may find that consistent, mutual sexual pleasure helps with bonding within a relationship.

Coupled partners often have increased relationship satisfaction when they fulfill one another’s sexual desires. You may find positive growth in your relationship when you’re able to express yourself and your sexual desires.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

A tremendous amount of social and emotional development takes place during early childhood. As kids experience temper tantrums, mood swings, and an expanding social world, they must learn more about their emotions as well as those of other people.

Social-Emotional Experiences of Early Childhood

Throughout the toddler years, temper tantrums are quite common. There’s a good reason why people often refer to this stage as the “terrible twos”!

Toddlers tend to have rapid mood swings. While their emotions can be very intense, these feelings also tend to be quite short-lived. You might be stunned at how your child can go from screaming hysterically about a toy at one moment to sitting in front of the television quietly watching a favorite show just moments later.

Children at this age can be very possessive and have difficulty sharing. Learning to get along with other children is an essential skill, however. In just a few short years, your child will go from spending most of their time with family and close friends to spending a large chunk of the day interacting, learning, and playing with other kids at school.

Emotional development and social skills are essential for school readiness. Examples of such abilities include paying attention to adult figures, transitioning easily from one activity to the next, and cooperating with other kids.

Help Kids Develop Social and Emotional Skills

So how can you help your child learn how to play well with others? Social competence not only involves the ability to cooperate with peers; it also includes such things as the ability to show empathy, express feelings, and share generously. Fortunately, there are plenty of things that you can do to help your kids develop these all-important social and emotional skills.

Model Appropriate Behaviors

Observation plays a vital role in how young children learn new things. If your child sees you sharing, expressing gratitude, being helpful, and sharing feelings, your child will have a good solid understanding of how to interact with other people outside the home.

You can model these responses in your own household with both your child and other members of the family. Every time you say “please” or “thank you,” you are demonstrating how you would like your children to behave.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Reinforce Good Behavior

Most importantly, be sure to offer praise when your children demonstrate good social behaviors. Helping your children feel good about themselves also plays an important role in developing a sense of empathy and emotional competence. By creating a positive climate where children are allowed to share their feelings, children will naturally begin to become more generous and thoughtful.

Reinforcement not only makes young children feel good about themselves, but it also helps them understand why certain behaviors are desirable and worthy of praise.

Teach Empathy

Parents can also boost empathy and build emotional intelligence by encouraging their children to think about how other people feel. Start by inquiring about your child’s own feelings, asking about events in your child’s life. “How did you feel when you lost your toy?” “How did that story make you feel?”

Once children become skilled at expressing their own emotional reactions, begin asking questions about how other people may feel. “How do you think Nadia felt when you took away the toy she was playing with?”

By responding to questions about emotions, children can begin to think about how their own actions might impact the emotions of those around them.

Teach Cooperation

Cooperation is one skill that benefits tremendously from direct experience. Giving your child the opportunity to interact and play with other kids is one of the best ways to teach them how to relate to others. While your toddler may find playing with peers frustrating at times, since kids often lack patience and the ability to share, things will gradually begin to improve with age and experience.

As children play and interact, they also begin to develop social problem-solving skills. Early attempts might involve plenty of arguments and conflict with siblings and peers, but eventually, kids learn how to negotiate and compromise with other children.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Emotional intelligence, otherwise known as EQ, helps us better understand what motivates others. It also helps us work more cooperatively with others.

The more skillful you are at discerning the feelings behind others’ signals the better you will be able to control the signals you send back to them. As a result, you will be more successful in life.

Emotional intelligence is a widely discussed topic in psychology and it has received extensive media attention over the past two decades (Matthews, et. al 2002).

Emotional intelligence is a set of skills that are thought to contribute to the appraisal of emotions in oneself and others. It can also help contribute to the effective regulation of emotions as well as feelings (Salovey & Mayer, 1990).

In comparison to emotional intelligence, the idea of an IQ tends to be more focused on solving problems. This is a much more clear-cut way of looking at things when compared to something like EQ.

However, as we know, there are many other factors involved when it comes to predicting success.

In the 90’s, Salovey and Mayer suggested that one’s ability to understand, regulate and use emotions could actually be measured and studied.

The publication of Goleman’s emotional intelligence book in 1995 signified the beginning of a new trend. As a result, this concept became much more widely recognized.

While not everyone agrees with the idea of Goleman’s model of emotional intelligence, there is general agreement that it does exist, and that it is a factor that comes into play in terms of professional and personal success.

Goleman’s prototype describes Emotional Intelligence or EQ in terms of five realms that are split among four sections. Two of these realms are related to personal competencies while others are related to social competencies.

5 Key Emotional Intelligence Skills

Have you ever known people who always seem to keep their cool, who are able to handle even the most awkward social situations with grace, and who always seem to make others feel at ease? Chances are pretty high that those individuals possess what psychologists refer to as emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence involves the ability to understand and manage emotions. Experts agree that this type of intelligence plays an important role in success, and some have suggested that emotional intelligence, or EQ, might even be more important than IQ. In any case, research has suggested that possessing emotional intelligence skills is linked to everything from decision-making to academic achievement.

So what does it take to be emotionally intelligent? Psychologist and author Daniel Goleman has suggested that there are five components of emotional intelligence. Fortunately, you can learn to improve these emotional intelligence skills. By working on and increasing these skills, you can become more emotionally intelligent.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness, or the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, is a critical emotional intelligence skill. Beyond just recognizing your emotions, however, is being aware of the effect of your actions, moods, and emotions on other people.

To become self-aware, you must be capable of monitoring your own emotions, recognizing different emotional reactions, and then correctly identifying each particular emotion. Self-aware individuals also recognize the relationships between the things they feel and how they behave.

These individuals are also capable of recognizing their own strengths and limitations, are open to new information and experiences, and learn from their interactions with others. Goleman suggests that people who possess self-awareness have a good sense of humor, are confident in themselves and their abilities, and are aware of how other people perceive them.

How to Improve Self-Awareness

• Ask for constructive feedback
• Keep a journal
• Learn new skills
• Meditate
• Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions
• Pursue your passions
• Practice mindfulness
• Reflect on your experiences
• Set goals
• Use positive self-talk
• Work on building a growth mindset

Self-Regulation

In addition to being aware of your own emotions and the impact you have on others, emotional intelligence requires you to be able to regulate and manage your emotions.

This doesn’t mean putting emotions on lockdown and hiding your true feelings—it simply means waiting for the right time and place to express them. Self-regulation is all about expressing your emotions appropriately.

Those who are skilled in self-regulation tend to be flexible and adapt well to change. They are also good at managing conflict and diffusing tense or difficult situations.

Goleman also suggests that those with strong self-regulation skills are high in conscientiousness. They are thoughtful about how they influence others, and they take responsibility for their own actions.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

How to Improve Self-Regulation

• Be mindful of your thoughts and feelings.
• Build distress tolerance skills.
• Find ways to manage difficult emotions.
• Look at challenges as opportunities.
• Practice your communication skills.
• Recognize that you have a choice in how you respond.
• Use cognitive reframing to change thought patterns and emotional responses.
• Work on accepting your emotions.

Social Skills

Being able to interact well with others is another important aspect of emotional intelligence. Having strong social skills allows people to build meaningful relationships with other people and develop a stronger understanding of themselves and others.

True emotional understanding involves more than just understanding your own emotions and those of others. You also need to be able to put this information to work in your daily interactions and communications.

In professional settings, managers benefit by being able to build relationships and connections with employees. Workers benefit from being able to develop a strong rapport with leaders and co-workers. Important social skills include active listening, verbal communication skills, nonverbal communication skills, leadership, and persuasiveness.

How to Improve Social Skills

• Ask open-ended questions.
• Find icebreakers that will help start conversations.
• Notice other people’s social skills.
• Practice good eye contact.
• Practice your social skills.
• Practice active listening.
• Show interest in others.
• Watch your body language.

Empathy

Empathy, or the ability to understand how others are feeling, is absolutely critical to emotional intelligence. But it involves more than just being able to recognize the emotional states of others.

It also involves your responses to people based on this information. When you sense that someone is feeling sad or hopeless, how do you respond? You might treat them with extra care and concern, or you might make an effort to buoy their spirits.

Being empathetic also allows you to understand the power dynamics that often influence social relationships, especially in workplace settings. This is important for guiding your interactions with different people you encounter each day.

Those competent in this area are able to sense who possesses power in different relationships. They also understand how these forces influence feelings and behaviors. Because of this, they can accurately interpret different situations that hinge on such power dynamics.

How to Build Empathy

• Be willing to share your own feelings.
• Engage in a cause such as a community project. 
• Listen to other people.
• Practice loving-kindness meditation.
• Talk to new people.
• Try to imagine yourself in someone else’s place.

5

Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is another important emotional intelligence skill. People who are emotionally intelligent are motivated by things beyond external rewards like fame, money, recognition, and acclaim.

Instead, they have a passion to fulfill their own inner needs and goals. They seek internal rewards, experience flow from being totally in tune with an activity, and pursue peak experiences.

Those who are competent in this area tend to be action-oriented. They set goals, have a high need for achievement, and are always looking for ways to do better. They also tend to be very committed and are good at taking initiative.

How to Improve Motivation

• Avoid overusing extrinsic rewards.
• Celebrate your results.
• Focus on setting small, measurable goals.
• Introduce challenges to keep things interesting.
• Set goals to help build intrinsic motivation.
• Work with a friend or co-worker to find accountability.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Lifespan development involves the exploration of biological, cognitive, and psychosocial changes and constancies that occur throughout the entire course of life. It has been presented as a theoretical perspective, proposing several fundamental, theoretical, and methodological principles about the nature of human development. An attempt by researchers has been made to examine whether research on the nature of development suggests a specific metatheoretical worldview. Several beliefs, taken together, form the “family of perspectives” that contribute to this particular view.

German psychologist Paul Baltes, a leading expert on lifespan development and aging, developed one of the approaches to studying development called the lifespan perspective. This approach is based on several key principles:

• Development occurs across one’s entire life, or is lifelong.
• Development is multidimensional, meaning it involves the dynamic interaction of factors like physical, emotional, and psychosocial development
• Development is multidirectional and results in gains and losses throughout life
• Development is plastic, meaning that characteristics are malleable or changeable.
• Development is influenced by contextual and socio-cultural influences.
• Development is multidisciplinary.

Development is lifelong

Lifelong development means that development is not completed in infancy or childhood or at any specific age; it encompasses the entire lifespan, from conception to death. The study of development traditionally focused almost exclusively on the changes occurring from conception to adolescence and the gradual decline in old age; it was believed that the five or six decades after adolescence yielded little to no developmental change at all. The current view reflects the possibility that specific changes in development can occur later in life, without having been established at birth. The early events of one’s childhood can be transformed by later events in one’s life. This belief clearly emphasizes that all stages of the lifespan contribute to the regulation of the nature of human development.

Many diverse patterns of change, such as direction, timing, and order, can vary among individuals and affect the ways in which they develop. For example, the developmental timing of events can affect individuals in different ways because of their current level of maturity and understanding. As individuals move through life, they are faced with many challenges, opportunities, and situations that impact their development. Remembering that development is a lifelong process helps us gain a wider perspective on the meaning and impact of each event.

Development is multidimensional

By multidimensionality, Baltes is referring to the fact that a complex interplay of factors influence development across the lifespan, including biological, cognitive, and socioemotional changes. Baltes argues that a dynamic interaction of these factors is what influences an individual’s development.

For example, in adolescence, puberty consists of physiological and physical changes with changes in hormone levels, the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics, alterations in height and weight, and several other bodily changes. But these are not the only types of changes taking place; there are also cognitive changes, including the development of advanced cognitive faculties such as the ability to think abstractly. There are also emotional and social changes involving regulating emotions, interacting with peers, and possibly dating. The fact that the term puberty encompasses such a broad range of domains illustrates the multidimensionality component of development (think back to the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains of human development we discussed earlier in this module).

Development is multidirectional

Baltes states that the development of a particular domain does not occur in a strictly linear fashion but that development of certain traits can be characterized as having the capacity for both an increase and decrease in efficacy over the course of an individual’s life.

If we use the example of puberty again, we can see that certain domains may improve or decline in effectiveness during this time. For example, self-regulation is one domain of puberty which undergoes profound multidirectional changes during the adolescent period. During childhood, individuals have difficulty effectively regulating their actions and impulsive behaviors. Scholars have noted that this lack of effective regulation often results in children engaging in behaviors without fully considering the consequences of their actions. Over the course of puberty, neuronal changes modify this unregulated behavior by increasing the ability to regulate emotions and impulses. Inversely, the ability for adolescents to engage in spontaneous activity and creativity, both domains commonly associated with impulse behavior, decrease over the adolescent period in response to changes in cognition. Neuronal changes to the limbic system and prefrontal cortex of the brain, which begin in puberty lead to the development of self-regulation, and the ability to consider the consequences of one’s actions (though recent brain research reveals that this connection will continue to develop into early adulthood).

Extending on the premise of multidirectionality, Baltes also argued that development is influenced by the “joint expression of features of growth (gain) and decline (loss)” This relation between developmental gains and losses occurs in a direction to selectively optimize particular capacities. This requires the sacrificing of other functions, a process known as selective optimization with compensation. According to the process of selective optimization, individuals prioritize particular functions above others, reducing the adaptive capacity of particulars for specialization and improved efficacy of other modalities.

The acquisition of effective self-regulation in adolescents illustrates this gain/loss concept. As adolescents gain the ability to effectively regulate their actions, they may be forced to sacrifice other features to selectively optimize their reactions. For example, individuals may sacrifice their capacity to be spontaneous or creative if they are constantly required to make thoughtful decisions and regulate their emotions. Adolescents may also be forced to sacrifice their fast reaction times toward processing stimuli in favor of being able to fully consider the consequences of their actions.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Development is plastic

Plasticity denotes intrapersonal variability and focuses heavily on the potentials and limits of the nature of human development. The notion of plasticity emphasizes that there are many possible developmental outcomes and that the nature of human development is much more open and pluralistic than originally implied by traditional views; there is no single pathway that must be taken in an individual’s development across the lifespan. Plasticity is imperative to current research because the potential for intervention is derived from the notion of plasticity in development. Undesired development or behaviors could potentially be prevented or changed.

As an example, recently researchers have been analyzing how other senses compensate for the loss of vision in blind individuals. Without visual input, blind humans have demonstrated that tactile and auditory functions still fully develop and they can use tactile and auditory cues to perceive the world around them. One experiment designed by Röder and colleagues (1999) compared the auditory localization skills of people who are blind with people who are sighted by having participants locate sounds presented either centrally or peripherally (lateral) to them. Both congenitally blind adults and sighted adults could locate a sound presented in front of them with precision but people who are blind were clearly superior in locating sounds presented laterally. Currently, brain-imaging studies have revealed that the sensory cortices in the brain are reorganized after visual deprivation. These findings suggest that when vision is absent in development, the auditory cortices in the brain recruit areas that are normally devoted to vision, thus becoming further refined.

Development is contextual

In Baltes’ theory, the paradigm of contextualism refers to the idea that three systems of biological and environmental influences work together to influence development. Development occurs in context and varies from person to person, depending on factors such as a person’s biology, family, school, church, profession, nationality, and ethnicity. Baltes identified three types of influences that operate throughout the life course: normative age-graded influences, normative history-graded influences, and nonnormative influences. Baltes wrote that these three influences operate throughout the life course, their effects accumulate with time, and, as a dynamic package, they are responsible for how lives develop.

Normative age-graded influences are those biological and environmental factors that have a strong correlation with chronological age, such as puberty or menopause, or age-based social practices such as beginning school or entering retirement. Normative history-graded influences are associated with a specific time period that defines the broader environmental and cultural context in which an individual develops. For example, development and identity are influenced by historical events of the people who experience them, such as the Great Depression, WWII, Vietnam, the Cold War, the War on Terror, or advances in technology.

Other Contextual Influences on Development: Cohort, Socioeconomic Status, and Culture

What is meant by the word “context”? It means that we are influenced by when and where we live. Our actions, beliefs, and values are a response to the circumstances surrounding us. Sternberg describes contextual intelligence as the ability to understand what is called for in a situation (Sternberg, 1996). The key here is to understand that behaviors, motivations, emotions, and choices are all part of a bigger picture. Our concerns are such because of who we are socially, where we live, and when we live; they are part of a social climate and set of realities that surround us. Important social factors include cohort, social class, gender, race, ethnicity, and age. Let’s begin by exploring two of these: cohort and social class. 

A cohort is a group of people who are born at roughly the same time period in a particular society. Cohorts share histories and contexts for living. Members of a cohort have experienced the same historical events and cultural climates which have an impact on the values, priorities, and goals that may guide their lives.

Development is Multidisciplinary

Any single discipline’s account of development across the lifespan would not be able to express all aspects of this theoretical framework. That is why it is suggested explicitly by lifespan researchers that a combination of disciplines is necessary to understand development. Psychologists, sociologists, neuroscientists, anthropologists, educators, economists, historians, medical researchers, and others may all be interested and involved in research related to the normative age-graded, normative history-graded, and nonnormative influences that help shape development. Many disciplines are able to contribute important concepts that integrate knowledge, which may ultimately result in the formation of a new and enriched understanding of development across the lifespan.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Introduction

“Health care is an important determinant of health. Lifestyles are important determinants of health. But… it is factors in the social environment that determine access to health services and influence lifestyle choices in the first place.” WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan

Many factors combine together to affect the health of individuals and communities. Whether a person is healthy or unhealthy is determined by his/her circumstances and environment. To a large extent, factors such as where we live, the state of our environment, genetics, our income and education level, and our relationships with friends and family all have considerable impacts on health, whereas the more commonly considered factors such as access and use of health care services often have less of an impact.

Determinants of Health

The range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors that influence health status are known as determinants of health.
These can be classified as:

1. the social and economic environment,
2. the physical environment,
3. the person’s individual characteristics and behaviours.

There are many commonly accepted determinants of health but there is no single definition.  The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) has broadly categorised the determinants of health and these have been summarised below:

Policy-making

Policies at the local, state and federal level affect individual and population health. Increasing taxes on tobacco sales, for example, can improve population health by reducing the number of people using tobacco products.

Social Factors

Social and physical determinants of health reflect the conditions of the environment in which people are born, live, learn, play, work and age. Also known as social determinants of health, they impact a wide range of health, functioning and quality-of-life outcomes. They represent economic and political systems, physical and social environments, as well as health service access.

Examples include:

• Availability of resources to meet daily needs, such as educational and job opportunities, living wages or healthful foods
• Social norms and attitudes such as discrimination
• Exposure to crime, violence and social disorder
• Social support and social interactions
• Socioeconomic conditions such as concentrated poverty
• Quality schools
• Transportation options
• Urbanisation and the built environment such as buildings or transportation
• Worksites, schools and recreational settings

Health Services

Both access to health services and the quality of health services can impact health.  Barriers to accessing health services include lack of availability, high cost, lack of insurance coverage and limited language access.  These barriers to accessing health services lead to unmet health needs, delays in receiving appropriate care, inability to get preventive services as well as hospitalizations that could have been prevented.

Individual Behaviour

Individual behaviors such as diet, physical activity, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use also play a role in health outcomes.

Biology and Genetics

Some biological and genetic factors affect specific populations more than others.  Examples of biological and genetic determinants of health include age, sex, inherited conditions and genetic make-up.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Improving Health World Wide

WHO have identified three “common interventions” for improving health conditions world wide:

1. Education

A large number of studies have demonstrated a strong link between better education and better health, and education has been shown to be a reliable predictor of lower mortality rates. The probability of being in good or very good health is higher for people with university or post-secondary education.

2. Social Protection

Countries with some sort of social protection (i.e. a safety net or social security system) show improved health and economic outcomes in circumstances where people become unable to earn a living.

3. Urban Development

The physical environment where communities live has a great impact on the health of the residents. Factors which have a negative impact on health include overcrowding, damp living conditions and crime (in particular fear of crime). The WHO concludes that health outcomes “are largely determined by the accessibility to adequate housing and to healthy and safe urban environments and by transport conditions”.

Relevance to Physiotherapy

In our contact time with our patients, we spend a lot of time understanding their health and social status. In other words, we explore the determinants that might be affecting their health and in particular ones that we can influence. The model we use to analyse and understand these determinants of health is the biopsychosocial model of health care.

It is essential that health care workers dedicated to improving health increase their effectiveness by addressing the “upstream” causes of health in the community and by engaging in ways to change the broad policies, systems and environments that shape the social and economic conditions that, in turn, so strongly influence health.  Swain et al describe opportunities for the health-care professional to address social determinants of health. They suggest that to be most effective at improving the health of families and communities and to ensure the greatest impact for the investment of resources, health professionals need to expand their repertoire of skills and activities both with their individual patients and in the policy arena.

who’s response

The determinants of health include:

• the social and economic environment,
• the physical environment, and
• the person’s individual characteristics and behaviours.

The context of people’s lives determine their health, and so blaming individuals for having poor health or crediting them for good health is inappropriate. Individuals are unlikely to be able to directly control many of the determinants of health. These determinants—or things that make people healthy or not—include the above factors, and many others:

• Income and social status – higher income and social status are linked to better health. The greater the gap between the richest and poorest people, the greater the differences in health.
• Education – low education levels are linked with poor health, more stress and lower self-confidence.
• Physical environment – safe water and clean air, healthy workplaces, safe houses, communities and roads all contribute to good health. Employment and working conditions – people in employment are healthier, particularly those who have more control over their working conditions
• Social support networks – greater support from families, friends and communities is linked to better health. Culture – customs and traditions, and the beliefs of the family and community all affect health.
• Genetics – inheritance plays a part in determining lifespan, healthiness and the likelihood of developing certain illnesses. Personal behaviour and coping skills – balanced eating, keeping active, smoking, drinking, and how we deal with life’s stresses and challenges all affect health.
• Health services – access and use of services that prevent and treat disease influences health
• Gender – Men and women suffer from different types of diseases at different ages

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

The word health refers to a state of complete emotional and physical well-being. Healthcare exists to help people maintain this optimal state of health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthcare costs in the United States were $3.5 trillion in 2017.

However, despite this expenditure, people in the U.S. have a lower life expectancy than people in other developed countries. This is due to a variety of factors, including access to healthcare and lifestyle choices.

Good health is central to handling stress and living a longer, more active life. In this article, we explain the meaning of good health, the types of health a person needs to consider, and how to preserve good health.

What is health?

Regular exercise contributes to good health.

In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health with a phrase that modern authorities still apply.

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

“A resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities.”

This means that health is a resource to support an individual’s function in wider society, rather than an end in itself. A healthful lifestyle provides the means to lead a full life with meaning and purpose.

In 2009, researchers publishing inThe Lancet defined health as the ability of a body to adapt to new threats and infirmities.

They base this definition on the idea that the past few decades have seen modern science take significant strides in the awareness of diseases by understanding how they work, discovering new ways to slow or stop them, and acknowledging that an absence of pathology may not be possible.

Types

Mental and physical health are probably the two most frequently discussed types of health.

Spiritual, emotional, and financial health also contribute to overall health. Medical experts have linked these to lower stress levels and improved mental and physical well-being.

People with better financial health, for example, may worry less about finances and have the means to buy fresh food more regularly. Those with good spiritual health may feel a sense of calm and purpose that fuels good mental health.

Health inequities affect all of us differently. Visit our dedicated hub for an in-depth look at social disparities in health and what we can do to correct them.

Physical health

A person who has good physical health is likely to have bodily functions and processes working at their peak.

This is not only due not only to an absence of disease. Regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and adequate rest all contribute to good health. People receive medical treatment to maintain the balance, when necessary.

Physical well-being involves pursuing a healthful lifestyle to decrease the risk of disease. Maintaining physical fitness, for example, can protect and develop the endurance of a person’s breathing and heart function, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition.

Looking after physical health and well-being also involves reducing the risk of an injury or health issue, such as:

• minimizing hazards in the workplace
• using contraception when having sex
• practicing effective hygiene
• avoiding the use of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs
• taking the recommended vaccines for a specific condition or country when traveling

Good physical health can work in tandem with mental health to improve a person’s overall quality of life.

For example, mental illness, such as depression, may increase the risk of drug use disorders, according to a 2008 study. This can go on to adversely affect physical health.

Mental health

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, mental health refers to a person’s emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Mental health is as important as physical health as part of a full, active lifestyle.

It is harder to define mental health than physical health because many psychological diagnoses depend on an individual’s perception of their experience.

With improvements in testing, however, doctors are now able to identify some physical signs of some types of mental illness in CT scans and genetic tests.

Good mental health is not only categorized by the absence of depression, anxiety, or another disorder. It also depends on a person’s ability to:

• enjoy life
• bounce back after difficult experiences and adapt to adversity
• balance different elements of life, such as family and finances
• feel safe and secure
• achieve their full potential

Physical and mental health have strong connections. For example, if a chronic illness affects a person’s ability to complete their regular tasks, it may lead to depression and stress. These feelings could be due to financial problems or mobility issues.

A mental illness, such as depression or anorexia, can affect body weight and overall function.

It is important to approach “health” as a whole, rather than as a series of separate factors. All types of health are linked, and people should aim for overall well-being and balance as the keys to good health.

Dig deeper into the health topics you care about most. Subscribe to our facts-first newsletter today.

Factors for good health

Good health depends on a wide range of factors.

Genetic factors

A person is born with a variety of genes. In some people, an unusual genetic pattern or change can lead to a less-than-optimum level of health. People may inherit genes from their parents that increase their risk for certain health conditions.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com

Environmental factors

Environmental factors play a role in health. Sometimes, the environment alone is enough to impact health. Other times, an environmental trigger can cause illness in a person who has an increased genetic risk of a particular disease.

Access to healthcare plays a role, but the WHO suggest that the following factors may have a more significant impact on health than this:

• where a person lives
• the state of the surrounding environment
• genetics
• their income
• their level of education
• employment status

It is possible to categorize these as follows:

• The social and economic environment: This may include the financial status of a family or community, as well as the social culture and quality of relationships.
• The physical environment: This includes which germs exist in an area, as well as pollution levels.
• A person’s characteristics and behaviors: A person’s genetic makeup and lifestyle choices can affect their overall health.

According to some studies, the higher a person’s socioeconomic status (SES), the more likely they are to enjoy good health, have a good education, get a well-paid job, and afford good healthcare in times of illness or injury.

They also maintain that people with low socioeconomic status are more likely to experience stress due to daily living, such as financial difficulties, marital disruption, and unemployment.

Social factors may also impact on the risk of poor health for people with lower SES, such as marginalization and discrimination.

A low SES often means reduced access to healthcare. A 2018 study in Frontiers in Pharmacology indicated that people in developed countries with universal healthcare services have longer life expectancies than those in developed countries without universal healthcare.

Cultural issues can affect health. The traditions and customs of a society and a family’s response to them can have a good or bad impact on health.

According to the Seven Countries Study, researchers studied people in select European countries and found that those who ate a healthful diet had a lower 20-year death rate.

The study indicated that people who ate a healthful diet are more likely to consume high levels of fruits, vegetables, and olives than people who regularly consume fast food.

The study also found that people who followed the Mediterranean diet had a lower 10-year all-cause mortality rate. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , this diet can help protect a person’s heart and reduce the risk of several diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cancer, and diseases that cause the brain and nerves to break down.

How a person manages stress will also affect their health. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, people who smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, or take illicit drugs to manage stressful situations are more likely to develop health problems than those who manage stress through a healthful diet, relaxation techniques, and exercise.

Preserving health

The best way to maintain health is to preserve it through a healthful lifestyle rather than waiting until sickness or infirmity to address health problems. People use the name wellness to describe this continuous state of enhanced well-being.

“Wellness is the optimal state of health of individuals and groups. There are two focal concerns: the realization of the fullest potential of an individual physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually, and economically, and the fulfillment of one’s roles and expectations in the family, community, place of worship, and other settings.”

Wellness promotes active awareness of and participating in measures that preserve health, both as an individual and in the community. Maintaining wellness and optimal health is a lifelong, daily commitment.

Steps that can help people attain wellness include:

• eating a balanced, nutritious diet from as many natural sources as possible
• engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise every week, according to the American Heart Association
• screening for diseases that may present a risk
• learning to manage stress effectively
• engaging in activities that provide purpose
• connecting with and caring for other people
• maintaining a positive outlook on life
• defining a value system and putting it into action

The definition of peak health is highly individual, as are the steps a person may take to get there. Every person has different health goals and a variety of ways to achieve them.

It may not be possible to avoid disease altogether. However, a person should do as much as they can to develop resilience and prepare the body and mind to deal with illnesses as they arise.

WHO remains firmly committed to the principles set out in the preamble to the Constitution

• Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
  
• The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.
  
• The health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent on the fullest co-operation of individuals and States.
  
• The achievement of any State in the promotion and protection of health is of value to all.
  
• Unequal development in different countries in the promotion of health and control of diseases, especially communicable disease, is a common danger.
  
• Healthy development of the child is of basic importance; the ability to live harmoniously in a changing total environment is essential to such development.
• The extension to all peoples of the benefits of medical, psychological and related knowledge is essential to the fullest attainment of health.
  
• Informed opinion and active co-operation on the part of the public are of the utmost importance in the improvement of the health of the people.
  
• Governments have a responsibility for the health of their peoples which can be fulfilled only by the provision of adequate health and social measures

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT OR BOOK A CONSULANT – Sargam.dange.18@gmail.com