The Best Greater Good Articles of 2024
Here are the 20 best original Greater Good articles from the past year, as determined by a combination of reader popularity and staff votes. 1. What Inside Out 2 Reveals About the Diversity of Emotions, by Demond Hill Jr.: The new Pixar film explores adolescence by bringing its complicated feelings to life. 2. Six Misconceptions […]
What “It Ends With Us” Reveals About Breaking Cycles of Abuse
In a society where cycles of abuse and violence persist across generations, stories like It Ends With Us offer a glimpse of hope. Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, the 2024 film tells Lily Bloom’s troubling yet inspiring journey toward breaking free from intergenerational trauma. Throughout the film, Lily is confronted with complex choices about […]
For the New Year, Try Cultivating Hope
I know I sometimes feel cynicism or despair when I think about the new year, and it seems many of my friends do, too. With so much uncertainty and seemingly intractable world problems needing attention, it can be hard to stay hopeful about where we’re heading. Dr. Jamil Zaki is a professor of psychology at […]
AI-Mental Health Is Coming: Are You Ready?
The Mental health treatment landscape is about to be transformed by artificial intelligence (AI-Mental health). Whether you are a Mental health provider or a person interested in Mental health services, AI is changing the way that treatments are provided, the patient-centered care options that are available to consumers, and how we evaluate the benefits of […]
Transitioning Into Deep Old Age: The Good News and the Bad
I just read two fascinating articles about aging, one of which confirmed my deepest hopes and the other of which activated my deepest fears. I’ll start with the optimistic research: Under the headline, “Study finds slowing of age-related decline in older adults,” ScienceDaily reported on a new study from England which found that “older adults […]
New Year’s Resolution to Quit Alcohol or Other Drugs?
If you are looking to achieve recovery from alcohol or other drugs, the idea of wiping the slate clean as 2024 comes to an end may bring you hope. Yet, if not implemented wisely, New Year’s resolutions tend to fail. Only 9% of people keep their New Year’s resolutions through the whole year. Lest you […]
How to Create Your Own Happiness Bubble in a World of Chaos
Source: Unsplash by Cacquie Nasciemento I recently had a session with a client who has struggled with debiliitating anxiety. When I asked him the standard how are you doing question, he responded with a big smile and said “I’m doing really well. I’m using all of my new skills and living in my own happiness […]
The Affirmation You Should Cultivate for the New Year
Source: Michael Dam/Unsplash Research in psychology supports the effectiveness of affirmations in improving self-confidence and reducing anxiety. A study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience found that self-affirmations activate brain regions associated with reward and self-processing, promoting a positive self-image (Cascio et al., 2016). In a world that often feels overwhelming, chaotic, and impersonal, […]
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Teenage Depression
Because of rising rates of anxiety, depression and other Mental health concerns among adolescents, TMS has been used off-label for many years to treat depression among teenagers. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013-20231 highlights the scope of the problem, with 40 percent […]
How Blood Sugar Impacts Your Brain Health
Source: Austin Perlmutter/DALL-E To think, act, and feel in any way, your brain requires access to large amounts of consistent energy. For most of us, that energy comes in the form of blood sugar (glucose), which is transported into the brain and used by our brain cells. While it’s been well known that very high […]