Kids' Addiction to Gaming Lead Them to Frustration, Depression and Anxiety Along With Poor Grades in Studies - - New Study at Singapore

Kids love their video games--but according to a new study of more than 3,000 kids in Singapore--kids who considered themselves as addicts and played about 20 hours a week were more likely to be depressed, anxious and have bad grades.

 

Michelle Keiffer has three young boys--including 12 year old Ashton.

Michelle said she can notice a difference when the kids play too much.

"When we have the rainy season or the cold spells and the boys do play more video games because they're indoors we see them get shorter fuses with one another--shorter fuses with the parents," Michelle said.

Psychologist Susan Fletcher isn't surprised by the study which found 1 in 10 kids to be addicts--she said it's not necessarily the video games--but rather the time spent playing them that causes social phobias.

"It kind of takes them out of the game socially so they are less likely to lean the kinds of skills to overcome things or deal with people in a social fashion," Dr. Fletcher said.

Ashton said he knows kids who play too much and have poor social skills--and even worse grades.

"You can tell actually because if it's some kind of game like Xbox 360 or something like that and you can talk online, they kind of get some kind of interaction talking to people but other than that they can't really speak well in public or stuff like that," Ashton said.

But there is good news--researchers also found that when kids stopped playing so much their depression, grades and anxieties got better.

"Well, think about it," Dr. Fletcher said. "You get outside you feel better, depression sometimes is influenced by being in a dark room and so getting outside, getting some fresh air, getting some sun, interacting with other people can really alleviate the symptoms."

As for Michelle--she'll continue to monitor how much time her boys play video games.

"If we didn't really watch them," Michelle said. "We would probably have 24-7 gaming going on at some level."

The study appears in the February edition of Pediatrics.

Anti-Anxiety Pens: Built by a Student at The University of Technology Delft, the Netherlands - - Miguel Bruns Alonso's Prototype Pen Reduces Stress

If all gadgets be like this pen, the world would be less stressed (or not). Built by a student at the University of Technology Delft, the Netherlands, this pen makes writing more difficult if used aggressively. This supposedly makes the writer calmer. But only supposedly.

Miguel Bruns Alonso, his creator, devised the pen so that it detects motion rude and too fast, identified with the nervousness. So it puts up resistance to the use and movement, forcing the person who is writing to use quieter movements. Then, the pen also becomes easier to use.

That would reduce by 5% the rhythm of the heartbeat, according to their research. For him, this is one way to interpret the gadget as the user is feeling and help you relieve stress, tend to be followed in future.

Except that Alonso probably missed some details. Most people, when using a gadget that becomes more difficult to use, just when they are nervous, probably going to lose all patience. Just look at YouTube videos of people destroying computers when they give problems. And imagine if you were in that fateful moment to win a video game, and seeing your blood, control it more difficult to use?

As the pen is still a prototype and has to date hit the market, the inventor still has some time to think if his pen or stress will help even more people.

Know Your Secret Enemy - - Depression at a Glance

Depression At A Glance

* A depressive disorder is a syndrome (group of symptoms) that reflects a sad, blue mood exceeding normal sadness or grief.

* Depressive disorders are characterized not only by negative thoughts, moods, and behaviors but also by specific changes in bodily functions (for example, eating, sleeping, and sexual activity).

* One in 10 people will have a depressive disorder in their lifetime, and in one of 10 cases, the depression is a fatal disease as a result of suicide.

* Some types of depression, especially bipolar depression, run in families.

* While there are many social, psychological, and environmental risk factors for developing depression, some are particularly prevalent in one gender or the other, or in particular age or ethnic groups.

* Depression is diagnosed only clinically in that there is no laboratory test or X-ray for depression. Therefore, it is crucial to see a health practitioner as soon as you notice symptoms of depression in yourself, your friends, or family.

* The first step in getting appropriate treatment is a complete physical and psychological evaluation to determine whether the person, in fact, has a depressive disorder.

* Depression is not a weakness but a serious illness with biological, psychological, and social aspects to its cause, symptoms, and treatment. A person cannot will it away. Untreated, it will worsen. Undertreated, it will return.

* There are many safe and effective medications, particularly the SSRIs, that can be of great help in depression.

* For full recovery from a mood disorder, regardless of whether there is a precipitating factor or it seems to come out of the blue, treatments with medications and/or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and psychotherapy are necessary.

* In the future, through depression research and education, we will continue to improve our treatments, decrease society's burden, and hopefully develop preventive measures.

Kill Anxiety - - Some Useful Tips to Stop Anxiety Naturally

A certain amount of anxiety is actually essential in life, and it can even be beneficial in certain situations. But when routine stress piles up over a period of time and doesn't get released, it can be a source of a wide variety of anxiety symptoms and even panic attacks.

Studies even show that anxiety can be harmful to our physical health. Many researches have shown that anxiousness and anxiety actually deteriorate our immune systems, reducing our body's ability to fight against infection and illness. Certainly, anxiety also takes a big charge on our "mental

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Depression: Signs, Symptoms, Causes and Help

Feeling down from time to time is a normal part of life. But when emptiness and despair take hold and won't go away, it may be depression. More than just the temporary "blues," the lows of depression make it tough to function and enjoy life like you once did. Hobbies and friends don’t interest you like they used to; you’re exhausted all the time; and just getting through the day can be overwhelming. When you’re depressed, things may feel hopeless, but with help and support you can get better. But first, you need to understand depression. Learning about depression—including its signs, symptoms, causes, and treatment—is the first step to overcoming the problem.

What is depression?

We all go through ups and downs in our mood. Sadness is a normal reaction to life’s struggles, setbacks, and disappointments. Many people use the word “depression” to explain these kinds of feelings, but depression is much more than just sadness.

Some people describe depression as “living in a black hole” or having a feeling of impending doom. However, some depressed people don't feel sad at all—instead, they feel lifeless, empty, and apathetic.

Whatever the symptoms, depression is different from normal sadness in that it engulfs your day-to-day life, interfering with your ability to work, study, eat, sleep, and have fun. The feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness are intense and unrelenting, with little, if any, relief.

Signs and symptoms of depression

Depression varies from person to person, but there are some common signs and symptoms. It’s important to remember that these symptoms can be part of life’s normal lows. But the more symptoms you have, the stronger they are, and the longer they’ve lasted—the more likely it is that you’re dealing with depression. When these symptoms are overwhelming and disabling, that's when it's time to seek help.

Common signs and symptoms of depression

• Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.


• Loss of interest in daily activities.

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Kill Anxiety ... Before It Kills You!

A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression:

Our innate desire is to be happy, and when we move away from it, we experience fear.

This fear is actually millions of years old, for it arises from the biological programming of our species.

While we may not have to contend with a sabre-toothed tiger on any given day, we still use those very reactions to deal with events looming ahead.

We think, "Will I be fired for making that mistake at work?" or "Will I be able to meet the mortgage after I fix the car?" or "Will my health continue to decline?" or "Will my relationship fall apart after that argument we just fell into?"

Running questions with this type of urgency and helplessness trains our brains to prepare now for future danger by loading our bodies up with the stress hormone cortisol.

Anxiety is our anticipation of a dangerous future. We imagine having even less of the little that we have today.

This anxiety does not help us in any way to meet the future any better. In fact, it weakens and exhausts us. We usually worry most about things that we can't even control. Worrying about your dental visit, for example, will not make the visit better.

Anxiety, in fact, is a silent killer. It is enervating, and it drains you of purpose and hope, faith and initiative. It fogs up your thinking. And it makes the body susceptible to illness.

When anxiety--a fear of an event in the future--is high enough then you feel a deep sense of helplessness. This, in turn, translates into depression. You even begin to view the past as disappointing.

Caught between a miserable past and a frightening future you create a pattern of emotions that can lead to a variety of mood disorders, including manic-depression.

How do we escape from this vicious cycle?

Here is what I did 20 years ago and I have never since suffered from any serious mood disorder.

I started to cultivate my awareness of my mood swings--from elation to black despair.

I did this by basically watching myself when I was manic, and watching myself when I was depressed, and watching what I did to turn on these states. For example to get depressed, I used my love of literature to focus on dark, morbid, and unhappy stories about life. And to get elated, I would talk a lot, move very quickly, and do things in a dramatic way.

An interesting thing happened when I made my unconscious behavior conscious. I could not take my mood shifts seriously.

This is what I learned from that experience: when you are able to observe yourself over the course of a few weeks, you develop a curious detachment.

A paradoxical situation developed for me: I found it difficult to stay anxious and depressed when I was observing myself feeling anxious and depressed.

Ultimately, anxiety and depression are culturally-induced patterns of thinking that can be overcome through a deliberate cultivation of awareness. When you become your own observer, you weed out the unconscious habits that afflict you.

Despite the billions of dollars spent to heal anxiety and depression, and all the mood disorders and behavioral anomalies that arise from them, the cure is simple, quick, and free.