All posts tagged: Healing

‘A Sweetness From Nowhere’ CPH:DOX Film Trailer: Transphobia, Healing

‘A Sweetness From Nowhere’ CPH:DOX Film Trailer: Transphobia, Healing

Published by Daniella Wilson

A Sweetness From Nowhere. That is the title of the new film by Swedish artist Ester Bergsmark (Something Must Break), which just world premiering at the 23rd edition of the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival (CPH:DOX). And as always, she merges art forms in what is described “a contemporary hybrid of forms and strategies.” So, get ready for an unusual experience that takes on the themes of assault and transphobia. “The material is existential, lived experience rests in the body, and the political struggles are personal,” highlights a synopsis. “When there’s no other way out, we play dead – a tactic we share with jellyfish. In 2011 in Berlin, a haunting shout triggers a journey of survival. At the heart of the film is a story of lust, of finding your way back to life after being stuck in a frozen state. Through fantasy, the body, and unexpected connections between time, nature, and healing, A Sweetness From Nowhere unfolds into a joyful exploration and curious search. A pure hybrid film about transformation and healing, woven with …

Frostbitten lizard found in Rhode Island is healing

Frostbitten lizard found in Rhode Island is healing

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. While shoveling his driveway during yet another winter storm, a man in Providence, Rhode Island found something rather unexpected—a very cold giant lizard. Fortunately, the animal rehabilitation experts at the New England Wildlife Center found that besides being very dehydrated and having frostbite on its tongue and toes, the female tegu named Frankie was doing okay.  Tegus are large South American reptiles, so how did Frankie end up in the middle of a snowstorm in New England? Tess Gannaway, a veterinarian at the wildlife center who treated Frankie, tells Popular Science that she was probably someone’s pet.  “Given their size they often roam folk’s homes like dogs or cats and there is a chance that in warmer months Frankie escaped and was surviving on her own outside until the weather got too cold for her to manage,” Gannaway explains. There’s also the more unfortunate possibility that the lizard was recently abandoned. Either way, Frankie was likely unable to pull …

Is it a disorder or a healing mechanism?

Is it a disorder or a healing mechanism?

Published by José Betancourt

The concept of masochism often evokes images of whips, chains, and leather. While these elements can certainly be part of the picture, the scientific and historical reality is far more nuanced. At its core, masochism refers to the experience of finding pleasure or gratification in pain, humiliation, or submission. This seeming paradox has puzzled psychologists and neurologists for over a century. How can a sensation designed to warn the body of danger become a source of enjoyment? Recent research suggests the answer lies in a complex interplay of biology, psychology, and social context. Scientists are finding that pain and pleasure share overlapping neural pathways. They also suggest that the context in which pain occurs can fundamentally alter how the brain processes it. To understand masochism, one must look beyond the physical sensation and examine the mind of the person experiencing it. The Historical Origins The word “masochism” has a literary origin. It was coined in 1883 by the German neurologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing. He derived the term from the name of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, an …

When Anxiety Medication Gets in the Way of Healing

When Anxiety Medication Gets in the Way of Healing

Published by Jenni Sidey

What if the medication you are taking to reduce your anxiety is interfering with your ability to manage anxiety? Benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, Librium, and Restoril reduce activity in the amygdala, which helps you feel better; they also interfere with the new learning required for self-managing emotional distress. If you are using benzodiazepines for ongoing anxiety management, you may want to learn about the risks of only temporarily feeling less distressed and develop new skills to manage anxiety. More than 30 million adults in the United States take benzodiazepines, more than any other psychiatric drug. This prescribing trend continues despite the widespread abuse of the medication, addiction, and significant risks associated with regular use. Benzodiazepines bind GABA receptors in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter that puts the brakes on brain activity. Benzodiazepines enhance GABA’s ability to inhibit brain activity, specifically in the amygdala where the brain responds to life events that might be interpreted as a threat. The Medication-Dependence Cycle Within two to four weeks of regularly taking a benzodiazepine, the …