Have you been feeling an uptick in your anxiety levels lately? It's nothing to be ashamed of. According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders affect at least 40 million Americans every year, roughly 18% of the total population. The cause is a complicated dance of various risk factors, including genetics, personality, brain chemistry, and stressful life events. The group notes that the condition is highly treatable, and yet only about 36% of peo

Ask yourself which animals (if any) have self-awareness and you'll open the door to an age-old mystery. A self-aware person is conscious of their own thoughts and feelings, and maybe flaws. In the animal world, the question tends to be more along the lines of "Is this creature aware of itself as an individual separate from the environment?" One possible tool for answering the question is called the "mark test." A mirror is introduced into the creature's surroundings. Most ani

At some point in your life, you have likely been asked to estimate your current pain level on a scale of one to ten. Sounds relatively simple, right? Unfortunately, it appears there are a few hiccups in this process. A new study co-authored by Elizabeth Losin, assistant professor of psychology and director of the Social and Cultural Neuroscience lab at the University of Miami, found that observers tended to view women's pain levels as lower even when the women reported the ex