Amazing Post Secret week

The Post Secret cards for this week have just posted, and I have to say that it is an amazing bunch of cards. Here are my favorites:

Brain-Imaging in Depressed Moms Shows Blunted Response to Crying Infant

By HealthDay 

Armed with brain scans, researchers have discovered bawling babies trigger a far more muted response in the brains of depressed mothers than in mothers who aren't depressed.

Contrary to a previous theory, "it looks as though depressed mothers are not responding in a more negative way than non-depressed mothers. What we saw was really more of a lack of responding in a positive way," said study lead author Heidemarie K. Laurent in a news release from the University of Oregon.

Laurent is an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming, but she worked on the study as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oregon.

The study, which appears online in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, is the first to examine how the brains of depressed women responded to the crying of babies.

In total, the researchers studied the brains of 22 women using functional magnetic resonance imaging, which measures brain activity through blood flow changes. The women were all first-time mothers with 18-month-old babies.

When the babies cried, the brains of the mothers who weren't depressed lit up in the areas connected to reward and motivation. "In this context, it was interesting to see that the non-depressed mothers were able to respond to this cry sound as a positive cue," Laurent said. "Their response was consistent with wanting to approach their infants. Depressed mothers were really lacking in that response. "

The key message from the study, the researchers noted, was that depression can have a long-lasting impact on mother-infant relationships by dampening the brain's response to a baby's emotional cues.

According to Laurent, the research -- and the levels of activity in the brain -- suggests the challenges of treating depression in mothers. "Some of these prefrontal problems may be changed more easily by addressing current symptoms," Laurent said in the release, "but there may be deeper, longer-lasting deficits at the motivational levels of the brain that will take more time to overcome."

Depression May Worsen Over Time in Addiction-Prone Women

By HealthDay 

Depression symptoms increase over time for women in their 30s and 40s who are prone to addiction problems and antisocial behavior, researchers report.

The new study looked at how personal history, family life and neighborhood instability affected alcoholism symptoms in 273 women over a 12-year period during their early years of marriage and motherhood. The participants lived in the U.S. Midwest.

While alcohol problems and antisocial behavior declined over time, depression symptoms increased among the women. The study also found that the women's partner's and children's problems also had an effect on them. For example, women's symptoms and behaviors worsened if their partner also struggled with addiction and antisocial behavior, such as trouble with the law.

And negative behaviors in their children, such as acting out and getting into trouble, tended to increase the mothers' alcohol problems and antisocial behavior. In addition, the mothers' depression increased when children were sad or isolated.

The researchers also found that the women's alcoholism and depression levels were higher if they lived in an unstable neighborhood, where residents frequently moved in and out.

The study was published in the current online edition of the journal Development and Psychopathology.

"Our findings demonstrate the complexity of the factors affecting changes in alcohol problems, antisocial behavior and depression for these women," senior author Robert Zucker, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Michigan Medical School and director of the U-M Addiction Research Center, said in a University of Michigan Health System news release.

The results challenge the common beliefs that these disorders are either just genetic disorders or caused solely by environmental factors.

"It's really the network of these relationships -- at the biological, social and at the community level -- that influences these disorders over time," Zucker said.

Aerosmith

Welcome to Rock 'n Roll Fridays. Today we picked Aerosmith.

1. Dream On: Do you pay dues or something such as a membership in a union, church, civic group, gang, etc?
Right now I don't

2. Angel: What is your favorite dog breed?
I pretty much love all dogs, but I think my favorite breed is dachshunds, especially when they're puppies

3. Sweet Emotion: Have you ever been backstage at a concert to meet the band? If not, what band would you like to meet backstage?
I've been backstage and met many famous bands. That's the one good thing about being a journalist who interviews musicians

4. Walk This Way: What was the first song you ever danced to at a school dance?
Who would remember that? My first school dance was when I was 11 years old. My memory aint that good

5. Crazy; Ever worn your PJs in public?
At the last newspaper I worked at, I often wore pajama pants to work on Fridays and weekends. My favorite pair of them at the time was these Pillsbury Doughboy pants

6. Cryin: What is the worst film you went to see in the past 5 years?
I normally won't go to a movie if I have any idea that it will be bad, so I only go to good movies

7. Draw The Line: What is your favorite board game?
Scrabble and UpWords, but I don't like to keep score and I like to spell as many dirty words as possible

8. Big Ten Inch Record: What was your favorite record (or CD) when
you were 18 years old?
Once again, my memory aint that good

9. Janie’s Got A Gun: What was the last IOU written for that you either 
gave or received?
My coworker wrote me one a couple months ago when she borrowed some money for soda

10. Jaded: Are you jaded on a subject or issue?
I think I'm jaded on every subject and issue

11. I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing: What was the last event that you missed that you regret?
My fiance and I keep skipping church. We always seem to be sick or too tired or fighting to go. We can find any excuse to skip it

12. Rag Doll: What is the most miserable thing that happened to you recently?
I have a massive earache going on

13. Love In An Elevator: What is the most unusual place that you have made love?
An exboyfriend and I did it in an outdoor hotel pool in the middle of the night with his best friend swimming around us naked and three old men watching us from the second floor of the hotel. We were drunk as hell

Getting Back to Myself

Thursday Dating Profiles: Getting Back to Myself

1. Please don't judge me by my posted pic...better ones to come soon!!!
Dude, first impressions are everything. I'm going to judge you by your current photo, and I'm sure I will not be contacting you because of how ugly it is

2. Life isn't puppies, kittens, and rainbows all the time.
No, but it should be ... Throw in some candy, and it's awesome

3. My goal is to get back to me over this next year.
So what, are you pretending to be someone fake right now?

4. I can find the good in anyone and feel like I am open and trusting.
I used to think there is good in everyone, but there just isn't good in some people. The only person you can trust is yourself... well hopefully you can trust yourself

5. I give great massages.
Being able to masturbate and please yourself doesn't mean you can give other people "great" massages

6. Please drop me a line if you are interested in me or my cultural background.
Sorry, I'm not cultural. I won't be dropping any sort of line

7. When it comes right down to it, I enjoy putting a smile on someone's face.
Well you better be good at making severely dirty inappropriate jokes cause that's what I think is funny

8. I love the outdoors and being active. Loving sports and the outdoors is a plus.
I hate sports and the outdoors. I'm so not the girl for you

9. If you are looking to someone to grow older with, look no more....
.... cuz you're already old. Haha

10. I appreciate and find the beauty in all seasons, though autumn is my favorite.
I prefer spring

Ashley Judd

Here's Wednesday Wickedness! Today we picked Ashley Judd.

1. Do you think there is any realistic point of trying to teach abstinence?
I think abstinence should be taught, but I also think that sexual safety information should be taught at the same time. People need to learn about condoms, birth control, STDs, etc., or they will just make mistakes in the future. If you just tell them to not have sex, you'll just drive them to do it. People always want to do what they're told not to do

2. What are you a fan of (sport or non-sport)?
Right now, my biggest fan obsession is "Vampire Diaries," and who can blame me when the cast members look like this?

3. How much alone time do you need in a relationship?
If I have a choice, I'd rather be alone 99% of the time

4. What outdoor activity is your favorite?
Swimming

5. What video games are you into?
I like Tetris-style puzzle games

6. Tell us about a time that you thought you were in love, only to find out that it was only physical attraction?
Hmm, every time I look at Ian Somerhalder on "Vampire Diaries" ... LOL

7. How perceptive are you with new people in you meet?
I think I'm a pretty good judge of character and insightful into people's deep dark secrets

8. If you have kids was it because you were ready? If not when did you decide that?
When did I decide what? I don't get the question

9. What’s the best of pop culture that works for you in 2011?
I love the current vampire/werewolf obsession in pop culture right now. I, of course, loved vampires before it was cool

10. When was the time that someone made you feel pressured?
I keep getting people asking me if my fiance and i have set our wedding date yet. We have not, and I don't see why it's anyone's business as to why we haven't figured out a date yet. People need to stop bugging us about it

Project 365 - photos 40-49

This is Oreo glaring at me for crying loudly and interrupting his sleep ...

This is Pearlz. I was bored and needed a laugh so I trapped her in a laundry basket. She was not pleased, and Oreo kept taunting her the entire time she was under the basket ...

This is a stuffed dog that my fiance gave me for Valentine's Day

This cloud struck me as odd. It looks like a tornado. I thought it was cool

Study finds many graphic YouTube self-harm videos

By The Associated Press

YouTube videos on cutting and other self-injury methods are an alarming new trend, attract millions of hits and could serve as a how-to for troubled viewers, a study warns.

Many videos show bloody live enactments or graphic photos of people cutting their arms or legs with razors or other sharp objects, the study found. Many also glamorize self-injury and few videos discourage it, the study authors said.

They also feature haunting music and rich imagery that may attract young self-injurers and trigger the behavior, especially in those who have just started to self-injure, the authors suggest.

Canadian psychologist Stephen Lewis, a study co-author, said he found more than 5,000 YouTube videos on self-injury. The study focused on 100 videos the authors found in December 2009. Their analysis was published online Monday in Pediatrics.

The 100 videos were viewed more than 2 million times and generated many online comments.

Parents and mental health professionals should be aware of the YouTube postings and that the videos might be perpetuating the problem, said Lewis, an assistant professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

The study's authors also recommended that YouTube provide helpful resources or links when people enter search terms for "self-injury." A company spokeswoman said YouTube is looking into the feasibility of the suggestion.

She said the site has policies against graphic content and content that encourages dangerous activities. It relies on viewers to flag questionable videos, and a YouTube team reviews and removes those in violation of those policies. Self-injury videos are among those that have been removed.

Self-injury is most common among young people. Between 14 percent and 24 percent of teens and young adults have engaged in self-injury at least once, Lewis said. Cutting is among the most common methods.

Psychologist Tracy Knight, an associate professor at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill., is interviewed in a documentary-style YouTube video about cutting that has been viewed more than 14,000 times and generated more than 80 comments.

Knight said the video was done by a student and he didn't know it was on YouTube. The video's opening scenes include a young woman poking a sharp tool into her leg.

Knight said such videos may inadvertently trigger self-harm, but that YouTube also can serve a benefit by taking self-injury out of the closet and into the public realm.

"It makes it open for social discussion . . . in a way that was not possible when it was secret," he said.

Lewis said therapists who treat self-injurers should consider asking their patients if they watch these videos and counsel them about possible effects. Parents, too, should be aware that kids may be watching the videos and discuss the issue with them, he said.

Self-injurers typically are struggling with feelings of anger, sadness, depression or other emotional troubles, and usually don't cut deep enough to cause major harm, said Barent Walsh, a therapist and author of a book on self-injury treatment.

Self-injuring "is oddly effective in reducing emotional distress" in people who have poor coping skills, Walsh said.

He said it's well-known that photos and websites about self-injury can trigger the behavior in people who already self-injure or who are tempted to do it. But he said the study results are important and raise concerns that YouTube "may well be the most powerful influence of them all because of its nature."

I'm Alive

There is something coming that is really exciting to me. It has the possibility of being something wonderful.

Soon an online crisis network called IMAlive will be launched through a partnership between the Kristin Brooks Hope Center, To Write Love On Her Arms and PostSecret. I'm not positive when it will be launched, but I hope it happens soon.

Its website says, "Many people are unwilling or unable to reach out to traditional crisis hotlines. Studies show that compared to telephone and face-to-face communication, people are most comfortable and willing to reach out for help online via written communication. More than ever, people are communicating through instant messaging and phone texting. The primary current forms of crisis intervention and suicide prevention are telephone hotlines and face-to-face (i.e. counseling and treatment centers). There is a tremendous need for an online network."

Go to http://www.pickupthephone.org/IMAlive/ for information on how to volunteer or donate to the cause.

Stupid Questions

Monday Mayhem's Stupid Questions

1. How and why does one become a modern day pirate?

Well according to eHow:

1. Decide on a name. You can either use one of the many internet quizzes or think of one yourself. Names sometimes focus on a physical attribute or use a nasty adjective (e.g., dirty, rotten). Read up on some of your favorite pirates for inspiration. Have fun with it.
2. Learn the colloquial sayings. September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day, and basic pirate language can be found and referenced on the site. Feel free to do research beyond what they have listed, but this is a good place to start. Learn a new word everyday. Learn a song or two.
3. Take a fencing class. Sword play is a staple of any pirate's life, so branch out and learn the basics of fencing. Not only will you learn some combat skills, but it is also a great work-out.
4. Learn how to sail. Take a sailing class or go sailing with a friend. Learn the vocabulary of the ship parts, directions and movements of the ocean.
5. Get acquainted with the sea. Visit the ocean and spend some time getting to know the sights and smells.
6. Decide on a wardrobe, hair style and weapon of choice. Research fashions of pirates in the past as well as the pirates in the movies. Take inspiration from them and create your own look.
7. Show off your new skills! Visit a Renaissance Faire or one of several pirate festivals held around the year across the country. St. Petersburg, Florida, and Ojai, California, are two of many cities that offer festivals year round. Can't find one near you? Organize your fellow pirate-lovers and have your own festival!

As to why someone would do it... who knows?

2. What would happen if a government actually balanced it's budget? Could it actually ever happen?
I doubt it will ever happen. I think we're already too screwed to ever make it balanced

3. What do you think of this "Royal Wedding" stuff?
I don't give a crap about it

4. Is Gaga really a Madonna-wanna-be? Or is she her own phenomena?
Lady Gaga is a freak. Madonna is a ... well... I have no idea what she is, but they're totally different

5. What do swimsuits actually have to do with a Sports Magazine?
Well swimming can be a sport, but many of the swimsuits in magazines would never work for professional swimming. Basically it's just a way for Sports Illustrated to make money

6.  What is the stupidest thing you witnessed this past week?
Me saying "I have nothing against goats. I just don't like their cheese" at work

7. What is an "Ugly American"? Are they really uglier than other people?
George W Bush is an ugly American

8. If you could name your new virtual pet anything you wanted to, what would you name it?
I have a PetVille pet on Facebook named Binky. I really don't know why I named it that. It was the first thing that came to me

9. Is winter (or whatever season you are in at the moment) really over?  How would you even  know?
I live in Oklahoma. Our weather is so crazy that you don't know what the weather is going to be five hours from now. It changes so often. I hope winter is over, but I'm not going to venture a guess at whether it's over or not

10. Make up a new word to replace any 'four letter word' and share it with us in a sentence so we can use it too. You don't have to tell us what the 'four letter word is'. We can guess it.
I would love to sneezledorff Ryan Reynolds

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Today is the start of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

Here is some information via the awareness week's official website -- http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org: 

The aim of NEDAwareness Week is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses — not choices — and it’s important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder.

Eating disorders are complex conditions that arise from a combination of long-standing behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, biological and social factors. As our natural body size and shape is largely determined by genetics, fighting our natural size and shape can lead to unhealthy dieting practices, poor body image and decreased self-esteem. While eating disorders may begin with preoccupations with food and weight, they are about much more than food. Recent research has shown that genetic factors create vulnerabilities that place individuals at risk for acting on cultural pressures and messages and triggering behaviors such as dieting or obsessive exercise.

In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Approximately 15 million more are struggling with binge eating disorder.

The Very Late Meme

Sunday Stealing: The Very Late Meme

1. Make a list of 5 things that you can see without getting up:
The TV, my laptop, the dogs, several piles of random crap, lots of unfiled receipts from mystery shopping assignments

2. How do you style your hair?
I part it down the middle, put a little hair spray on it, and then put it up in a big hair clip

3. What are you wearing now?
Blue jeans, brown long sleeve T-shirt, and white socks. No shoes right now

4. What's your occupation?
Journalist and mystery shopper

5. What do you hear right now?
A TV commercial and my dog Oreo scratching himself

6. Who was the last person you hugged?
I assume it was my fiance

7. What is/was for dinner?
I ate some Chinese food on a mystery shopping assignment. It's not settling well in my stomach 

8. What did you do today?
Did 3 mystery shopping assignments, went shopping for some baby clothes for my brother's future baby, and am now watching TV while lying on my couch

9. Dog person or cat person?
Mostly a dog person, but I like cats too

10. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?
Tiffani

11. What was the last thing that you bought?
Baby clothes

12. If you could afford to go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Right now, it would be anywhere where I could get a lot of sleep

13. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Probably in the same place I'm at right now, just 5 years older

14. Where's your birthmark?
I was born with a white streak through my hair. It's still there

15. What are you doing this weekend?
Mystery shopping and sleeping

16. Which book are you reading at the moment?
None at the moments. I'm waiting for a Vampire Diaries book to come. I pre-ordered it

17. The last movie you've seen?
I actually can't remember for sure. It may have been "It's Kind of A Funny Story." That's at least the last one I saw in the theater. I can't remember if I rented one since then or not

18. What are you doing tomorrow?
More mystery shopping and sleeping

Two Post Secret cards

There are only two Post Secret cards that stood out to me this week ...

I figured out that 158.723 in the Dewey Decimal System is an "Applied Psychology" book. One website says: "Works that focus on burnout are classed in 158.723 Job burnout." I guess that makes sense with this card