What Is Skin Picking Disorder?

This behavior can lead to injuries, skin lesions, infections, and scarring. The condition can also create considerable distress and disruptions in a person’s life. This condition comes off as strongly linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder, although there are important differences between the conditions. Science Photo Library / Getty Images Treatment for skin picking disorder typically involves psychotherapy, although medications may also sometimes be prescribed. As a result, people with pathologic skin picking often have difficulty maintaining steady employment orinterpersonal relationships....

April 26, 2025 · 2 min · 217 words · Melissa Vasquez

What Is Sleep Hygiene?

It also plays a significant role in your physical and mental health. The two often go hand-in-hand. Sleep disturbances can happen as a result of mental health problems. Verywell / Laura Porter Thats because sleep and stress appear to have a causal relationship. So, it comes as no surprise that the quality and amount of sleep is being impacted by stress. Could You Be Dealing With a Sleep Disorder? Here are some tips to practice healthy sleep hygiene....

April 26, 2025 · 1 min · 207 words · Brittany Vang

What Is Sleep Therapy?

FatCamera / Getty Images Not sleeping wellcan leave you tired, irritable, and unable to concentrate. Sleep therapy is a form of therapy designed to improve the quality of your sleep. It can help with sleep disorders likeinsomnia, and may also help with other mental and physical health conditions. FatCamera / Getty Images saysSabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a professor and clinical psychologist in New York City. CBT-I is the gold standard of evidence-based treatment for sleep problems, says Romanoff....

April 26, 2025 · 2 min · 348 words · Victoria Mcmillan

What Is Slut-Shaming?

While anyone can be slut-shamed, it most commonly happens to female-presenting people and gay men. It is a form ofbullying. What Is a “Slut”? Bhupi / Getty Images In current times, the word slut is used as a pejorative, or insult. And why don’t we slut-shame straight men? When women, trans people, and gender-expansive people fight for equality and equity, pushback occurs. Slut-shaming is one form of pushback. You may be wondering if slut-shaming is actually all that harmful to those it happens to....

April 26, 2025 · 2 min · 233 words · Lori Porter

What Is Smoker's Flu?

Smoker’s flu refers to the physical effects of detoxing fromnicotineand thechemicals in cigarettes and tobacco products. These symptoms can mimic those of an illness. Most former smokers are familiar with these common symptoms of withdrawal. Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin While unpleasant, it’s normal to experience such symptoms when you are quitting smoking. Such cravings often make it more difficult to quit. Increased coughing is a common problem for people when they first quit smoking....

April 26, 2025 · 4 min · 659 words · Cindy Rodriguez

What Is Social Communication Disorder?

SCD typically appears during early child development. It is often confused with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) because of similar traits, making diagnoses tricky. To get an accurate diagnosis, doctors must eliminate the possibility ofASDand vice versa. SDI Productions / Getty Images SCD is a relatively new discovery. They may develop a vocabulary, understand grammar and individual words but arent aware of pragmatic language. SCD can impact speaking, writing, gestures and sign language....

April 26, 2025 · 1 min · 197 words · Eric Michael

What Is Social Psychology, Exactly?

What Is Social Psychology, Exactly? The three primary focuses of social psychology are social thinking, social behavior, and social influence. Social psychology is based on certain concepts or principles. asiseeit/Getty Images Consider how you might behave if you were alone versus if there were other people in the room. Real-Life Examples of Social Psychology Social psychology encompasses a wide range of social topics. Because the people around us shape our thoughts, feelings,moods, attitudes, and perceptions....

April 26, 2025 · 2 min · 340 words · Luis Rollins

What Is Social Reinforcement?

Martin Barraud / Getty Images What Is Social Reinforcement? Reinforcement can either encourage or discourage us from engaging in a behavior. How Does Social Reinforcement Work? Martin Barraud / Getty Images In a famous study conducted in 1968, researchers looked at school-age children who spent little time studying. The children were then given praise and attention for their study efforts. In some cases, thisattentiondoes not even need to come from an outside source....

April 26, 2025 · 2 min · 348 words · Joel Wells III

What Is Sociocultural Theory?

How does society influence individual development? This theory has become increasingly prominent since the 1990sand can be applied in education, socialization, and play. According to Vygotsky, human development relies on social interaction and, therefore, can differ among cultures. Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell Sociocultural theory stresses the role that social interaction plays inpsychological development. According to Vygotsky, learning is based on interacting with other people. Once this has occurred, the information is then integrated on the individual level....

April 26, 2025 · 3 min · 446 words · Samantha Griffith

What Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy?

What is solution-focused brief therapy? Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a strength-based approach to psychotherapy that focuses on solution-building rather than problem-solving. The SFBT therapist believes that change in life is inevitable. FatCamera / Getty Images Because someone creates their own reality, they may as well change for the better. In SFBT, the therapist is a skilled conversation facilitator. They do not present themselves as an expert but instead comes from a “not-knowing” point of view....

April 26, 2025 · 2 min · 366 words · Stephanie Russell

What Is Somatic Therapy?

This body-centric approach works by helping to release stress, tension, and trauma from the body. In addition, somatic experiencing therapy sessions include bothtalk therapyand mind-body exercises. Beyond the standard somatic therapy, numerous subgroups use its framework in specific ways. AlenaPaulus / Getty Images It is used for a variety of mental and physical health issues. If you’re doing somatic therapy in person, touch is often involved. Because of that, it’s wise to ensure you don’t mind being touched by another person....

April 26, 2025 · 1 min · 212 words · Laura Cox

What Is Stalking?

What Constitutes Stalking Stalking involves behaviors towards a person that make them feel unsafe. There are numerous behaviors that count as stalking. They include: Why People Stalk There are several reasons one person might stalk another. People who stalk often suffer fromdelusionsand/or delusional thinking. This reason for stalking may also be associated with delusions or delusional thinking. However, the person committing the stalking likely sees it differently. The Effects of Stalking Stalking is dangerous to its victims on both emotional and physical levels....

April 26, 2025 · 2 min · 298 words · Theresa Mitchell

What Is Step 11 of AA?

Having a meaningful spiritual practice can help people connect with something greater than themselves. Explore some of the things you could do to tackle this step of your recovery. What Is Step 11? Westend61 / Getty Images Alcoholics Anonymous states as an organization, it is non-religious but rather spiritual in design. Its cornerstone is that members find a higher purpose or higher power. Some prefer to call the higher power “God,” others avoid the word altogether....

April 26, 2025 · 1 min · 203 words · Rebecca Williams MD