If your underwear drawer only consists of your one favorite style (or
you've just never put too much thought into what styles and fabrics
fill up your panty collection), try checking out all the different underwear pieces you should own,
according to the experts. That's right — I've sourced four specific
categories of underwear (divvied up by the different activities you do
while wearing them), and come up with 12 awesome styles to fit anyone's
preference.
If you're a loungewear lover, it's time to update your drawers with
pieces that specifically focus on breathability and comfort while you're
sleeping. But if you're often found breaking a sweat, switch it up to
styles specifically created for sporting beneath activewear. (If you're
looking for underwear that stands up to your sprints, check out the pair
of high cut runner-specific undies,
which give your legs plenty of running room, sans chafing). Even if
your particular undies concern is more a question of "Is my panty line
showing?" you better believe there's a style for that, too. They'll keep
your outfit looking on point, and you'll no longer have panty
lines poking through your tights- and leggings-heavy outfits. So without
further ado, ahead are the four undies categories that could benefit
from a little style update — and why.
For Sleeping: Comfortable Undies in Breathable Fabrics
The experts at PopSugar
suggest that "wearing tight underwear or a pair of polyester panties
can lock in moisture and lead to yeast infections," so it's best to
stick to cotton undies overnight while you sleep. Cotton allows for air circulation, which is important when you're sporting your undies for longer periods of time.
These cotton-blend boyshorts
have a flexible elastic waist that won't dig in, as well as comfortable
leg bands that make sure they won't ride up, causing you discomfort
during the night. Bonus: These come in a pack of six with a variety of
cute colors and prints — but you can pick your preference from six
different pattern and style options.
Ultra-Soft, Breathable Cheeksters With Cooling Technology
When you sleep, you want a comfortable panty that has a full shape
and an ultra-soft material that won't ride up while you snooze. The
breathability in this lightweight Climacool underwear
also helps you feel fresh when waking up, which might not happen if
you're sporting constricting panties that retain heat. Bonus: This pair
is tagless for added comfort. Plus, one user said that these cheeksters
are so comfortable, you won't even notice you're wearing them.
Waking up to small leaks and stains on your clothes or sheets is the worst, so wearing leak-proof underwear
to bed can help you sleep a lot sounder — knowing you've got everything
in check. The lining in these comfort stretch panties is water
resistant, keeping moisture from leaking into unwanted places, and
they're breathable and hypoallergenic to keep your downstairs clean and
irritation-free while you sleep. Plus, Joelle Barron, a contributor for Romper,
tried leak-proof underwear for a week and "freaking loved them." Bonus:
This set come in a pack of three cute colors and prints.
For Working Out: Moisture-Wicking Fabrics That Don't Chafe
According to a study done on the subject,
synthetic, sweat-wicking fabrics are better for keeping you comfortable
while working out than their traditional cotton counterparts. The study
said women were particularly receptive when it came to thermoregulatory
benefits, so it's time to get serious about your undies set for
sweating.
Antimicrobial Sport Thong Fights Bacteria
ExOfficio Give-n-Go Sport Mesh Thong (Sizes XS-XL), $10-$22, Amazon
It's no secret that undies can become not-so-pleasant after an active
day of mowing the lawn or taking nieces and nephews to the park in the
warm weather. This active thong
has an antimicrobial treatment in the fabric that reduces odor and
keeps you feeling great. Plus, the mesh fabric is breathable and quick
drying to keep you cool. One user gives this panty five stars for being
"the most comfortable thong she's ever worn."
Dr. Nicole E. Williams of the Gynecology Institute of Chicago told Elle.com
to steer clear of sheer, lace, or silky underwear at the gym. She said,
"when you exercise in non-breathable underwear like that, your vagina
suffocates," which easily causes yeast infections. This machine-washable workout brief features Champion's unique vapor technology that evaporates moisture asap.
With stay-put edges, they'll remain in place until the end of your
workout class — and they're totally breathable with targeted ventilation
(you can even snag the style in purple or pink, too!).
Before you head to your next spinning class, make sure to have a
selection of seamless underwear on deck. Sandra Lee, M.D., a
board-certified dermatologist, told Womens Health, "if your underwear is old, the elastic becomes exposed and can potentially give you a rash." These three pairs of active underwear
are anti-odor, breathable, and feature vital moisture control to keep
you dry when working up a sweat. Bonus: These panties are machine
washable, and you can choose your favorite three-pack from seven
different color ways.
For runners who are looking for underwear that gives them the most comfortable and simple leg movements, this workout panty with a high cut
is made specifically for your strides. This pair also offers a soft fit
and aerodynamic flat seam stitching. One user loves them so much, that
she buys them for everyday wear.
For Underneath Tight Clothes: No-Line Fabrics
When it comes to fighting a recurring VPL (visible panty line), there are plenty of nifty clothing hacks to employ. Cosmpolitan,
for one, suggests sporting thicker fabrics on top, to minimize lines
underneath. If you're not looking for a complete clothing overhaul
though, it's worth it to check out the laser-cut fabrics and lacy
alternatives to defined underwear lines.
This printed pair of silky panties
are laser cut and barely there, so they're completely no-show under
your tightest outfits. They're also tagless and lightweight, so you'll
be both confident and comfortable in your hot new party dress.
Bonus: These undies are machine washable, and you can pick your favorite
pattern and color from four different options.
A comfortable lace thong that promises no VPLs sounds too good to be true — but with this pair, you'll be wanting to wear a thong under everything.
One size 18 reviewer said they love this pair, as it doesn't dig in at
the wrong places or ride up after wearing them all day. Think wearing
thongs is bad for your downstairs area? Dr. Jill M. Rabin, an Associate
Professor of Women's Health told Huffington Post that unless you have a "predisposition to getting infections," there aren't "really any dangers" to wearing thongs.
For Everyday Wear: Versatile, Multifunctional Styles & Fabrics
When it comes to finding the right undies for your everyday wear,
think of the clothing styles and silhouettes you wear most often first.
According to Alicia Vardo, an intimate apparel examiner, one of the most
important areas to focus on is the crotch. She told Examiner.com,
"The crotch of the panty should fit just right against your body. It
shouldn't bunch up in the back or the front and should be snug." Think
of the underwear styles that often get you this result, and go from
there!
These boyshort undies by Victoria's Secret
were created with everyday wear in mind. They have a full coverage,
mid-rise fit, and they're crafted from an ultra-smooth stretchy
material. They'll look and feel good underneath your denim, dresses, or
short shorts, and the back even features a cute ruche detail.
A lingerie expert told Refinery29,
“Briefs can be absolutely gorgeous and, unless you're trying to hide
panty lines, are great for every day.” This three-pack of machine washable cotton briefs by Calvin Klein
features the classic logo comfort waistband in a different variety of
colors, plus a smooth fabric that's ready for all-day wear. One user
gives this pair top ratings for being a high quality cotton panty that
never causes wedgies (#important).
If you prefer high-waisted fits to lower or mid-rise pants and denim
(same here!), then it's time for you to snag yourself a pair of
comfortable panties with a high waist.
They'll make a world of difference and feel way more balanced
underneath your favorite high-waisted shorts or skinnies. These ones
have a tag-free design for added comfort, and the cool cotton fabric is
breathable and moisture-wicking. One user bought this pair after her
doctor recommended wearing cotton undies (because they're better for your v-region) and loves the fit, even under tightly fitting jeans. Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from
this article, which was created independently from Bustle's editorial
and sales departments.
If you've had a baby or have friends who've recently popped out a bundle of screaming, pooping joy, you may be familiar with "mommy brain"
— a phenomenon wherein pregnant women and new mothers experience
drastic losses of memory and overall brain fog in the months leading up
to and following childbirth. The folk wisdom is that motherhood turns
the brain into a pile of mashed banana for a few months, before it
bounces back to its old self. The realities of pregnancy's and
motherhood's affects on the brain, however, are far more complicated
than that — and recent research indicates that pregnancy reshapes our
brains in ways more far-reaching and permanent than we'd ever thought
before. The good news? A lot of these alterations are, frankly, kind of
awesome.
Why does having a baby change our brains? We're still
figuring that out — but many of the changes appear to be due to the massive hormonal changes
that occur in our bodies when we carry a child. Some of the brain
changes have also clearly developed in order to help mothers cope and
bond with their new children.
The idea that a mother's brain endures a few months of bizarre fogginess (which, in reality, is probably due to sleep deprivation
rather than hormones) and then "snaps back" to its previous pre-baby
incarnation is as unrealistic as all those celebrity mothers claiming
they lost 50 pounds of pregnancy weight by just chanting and lifting baby bottles out of the fridge. But rather than bemoaning the way motherhood changes our brains, we should be celebrating.
So new moms, welcome to your new post-pregnancy brain. It's actually seriously cool.
1. Your Brain Literally Becomes Bigger
People who believe that old line about motherhood making women become
flaky can go get bent. It turns out that, in reality, the amount of gray matter in a woman's brain
increases a small amount after she gives birth. She'll see particular
growth in areas that will be of use during motherhood (which we'll get
to later), but the general result is a definite increase in size.
2. You're More Prone To Obsessive Behavior
The parts of the brain
that regulate patterns and decision-making are a few of the areas that
get a gray-matter boost after birth. Why? Most likely because it helps
women regularly monitor and care for their kid. This boost also results
in an increased likelihood of obsessive behaviors: 11 percent of
postpartum women surveyed in a 2013 study reported feeling obsessive about certain things, like cleaning surfaces, checking their baby's breathing, and worrying about hurting them.
3. You Can Better Cope With Stress
The amygdala is the part of the brain linked to both pleasure and fear — and it not only grows significantly in size after a woman gives birth;
it stays enlarged for the rest of her life. A big amygdala doesn't make
you paranoid, though — rather, the amygdala plays a key role in how the
body emotionally responds to huge stresses, like trauma (or, say,
suddenly being responsible for a tiny human being). Having a bigger
amygdala helps women cope with the huge pressures of raising a child, as well as bond with them emotionally.
It's not universal, though: A study found that the biggest change in amygdala size happened in women who seriously bonded with their babies and couldn't stop gushing about them.
4. You're High On Love
There's a very real scientific reason why mothers don't just abandon
their babies on the side of a mountain every time they manage to somehow
poo on the ceiling. Childbirth intensely sensitizes the dopamine
network of the brain, which is the system that produces feelings of love
and happiness. It's formally called the "maternal dopaminergic reward system" (if you want to get catchy). A 2015 discussion in The Atlantic revealed that an MRI scan of the brain of a mother bonding with her infant looks a lot like the MRI scan of someone who is falling in love: Both events trigger your brain to release the same shower of feel-good chemicals that basically tint everything rosy.
5. You Have A Sharper Sense Of Smell
This is just weird. Part of the "neurogenesis," or
stimulation of new cells, that occurs in the brains of women who've just
given birth is focused exclusively on one thing: developing a truly
superior sense of smell. The process seems to be kick-started by the arrival of prolactin,
a hormone related to a woman's ability to express milk. Scientists
think this might be because women have always needed to be able to
distinguish and delight in their own baby's particular smell — especially in the past, when babies were more likely to be raised in communal groups.
6. You Have Better Memory And Spatial Awareness
If you've had kids, you can officially tackle that complex 3-D
modeling project with confidence — because having a child improves the
brain's plasticity, increasing memory and spatial awareness. It's because the postpartum brain's hippocampus — which creates our memory
— gets a boost in gray matter. So, far from inducing brain fog, having a
baby actually strengthens women's cognitive capacity and ability to
retain information in their brain.
7. You're At Increased Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
The brain changes that happen to mothers aren't all good
news, though. The increased flow of hormones, particularly estrogen,
that occurs during pregnancy might make mothers more vulnerable to
degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's later in life. Motherhood
might help fight some brain-related degeneration, however. We aren't exactly sure about why, what warning signals it sets off, or how we can prevent it — but scientists are on the case.
But overall, the ways motherhood rewires your brain are awesome. So
don't worry about the baby fog believers — instead, stay busy enjoying
your new superpowers (okay, maybe having a keen sense of smell isn't
always a superpower...like when there's a dirty diaper around)
Chinese New Year reminds people very well of how rich they are. One
of the best traits of Chinese people is their ability to save and
accumulate wealth from small pennies. Do you want to try something new
to save up?
The jar system of saving has been tested by many. If you want to make
a difference in your money management skill, then you need to try this
jar system. This method was popularized here in the Philippines through
an interview of a local beauty queen. She gave an advice by sharing how
she personally manages her finances and how she can still save for the
future. This beauty queen is no other than Miriam Quiambao:
The 6-jar money management system was originally published in T. Hary
Eker’s book, entitled Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. The following is
the condensed version of how to save with this jar system:
To start, you have to divide your income according to different
purposes as soon as you receive this income (from any source). Then,
place each share into different jars. You can use mason jars, empty
water bottles, or some old tumblers. Any container will do!
Please note that you should start with the amount of your income with
all the taxes removed. However, ensure that no expense has been
deducted yet.
JAR 1: The Necessity Account Jar
The first jar serves as the necessity jar. It covers all your basic
expenses, such as rent, bills, food, and transportation. All the
expenses that you need for the activities of daily living should be
accounted here. According to the jar system, you should allocate 55% of
your earnings to this jar.
JAR 2: The Play Account Jar
The second jar may become your favorite because this jar covers the
play expenses, that is, the purchases that you do not usually make.
Examples of the purchases covered under this account are spa treatment,
movie night out, dining out, or anything that you enjoy. The main
purpose of this jar is to give you joy in this stressful life. Note that
you should allocate only 10% of your income on this jar. You need to
spend it wisely and moderately.
JAR 3: The Financial Freedom Account
This jar is named as The Financial Freedom Account because it is your
ticket for such freedom. The money that you will allocate in this jar
should never be spent because you will use this money to invest, so that
you will have passive income streams. You should allocate 10% of your
earnings on this jar. The only time that you will spend the money from
this account is when you have become financially free. Spend only the
returns of your investment and not the principal itself. Financial
freedom is your main goal before you hit your retirement. The earlier
you attain this freedom, the better.
JAR 4: The Education Account
The fourth jar is meant for your personal growth through education.
Money that will be placed in this jar should be used to purchase CDs and
books and to attend seminars or anything that has an educational value
that gives you additional knowledge. The examples for such are not
limited to having postgraduate degrees. You can always learn a musical
instrument, take cooking lessons, learn jujitsu, and the list goes on.
Always remember that you are the most valuable asset that you have.
There is no other great way to use your money but to use it for the
betterment of yourself. Note that you should allocate only 10% of your
income on this jar.
JAR 5: The Long-Term Savings for Spending Account
The money in this fifth jar is meant for large purchases in the
future. You need to allocate 10% of your earnings for this jar. You can
use the money on this jar for vacations abroad, to buy real estate, for
your contingency fund, or for your children’s education. Anything
planned for the future falls under this category. You may have more than
one long-term savings for spending account, but you should divide the
allocated 10% for this jar to the number of jars that will fall under
this category.
JAR 6: The Give Account
The last but not the least is the jar that contains the money that
you will give to others. Some call this as the charity jar because they
allocate the money in this jar for their chosen charity. The money kept
in this jar is used for giving your family or friends some presents on
birthdays, holidays, or any other special occasion. You can also share
the contents of this jar to those who are less fortunate. You should
allocate 5% of your earnings for this account.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, the jar system is a guide to help you allocate and set
your priorities straight. This will help you to be systematic and will
prevent you from overspending. Through the JAR system, you will
gradually see the importance of planning, saving, and investing. This
will eventually help you out to attain your main goal, which is to
attain financial freedom, and to enjoy life more in the future without
hesitations.
Antisocial personality disorder (also known as dissocial personality disorder, psychopathy, and sociopathy) is a personality disorder, characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for, or violation of, the rights of others. An impoverished moral sense or conscience is often apparent, as well as a history of crime, legal problems, and/or impulsive and aggressive behavior.[1]
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is the name of the disorder as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Dissocial personality disorder is the name of a similar or equivalent concept defined in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems
(ICD), where it states that the diagnosis includes antisocial
personality disorder. Both manuals have similar but not identical
criteria for diagnosing the disorder.[2] Both have also stated that their diagnoses have been referred to, or include what is referred to, as psychopathy or sociopathy,
but distinctions have been made between the conceptualizations of
antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy, with many researchers
arguing that psychopathy is a disorder that overlaps with but is
distinguishable from ASPD.The following conditions commonly coexist with ASPD:[23]
When combined with alcoholism, people may show frontal function deficits on neuropsychological tests greater than those associated with each condition.
Brief psychotic disorder is a period of psychosis whose duration is generally shorter, non-recurring, and not caused by another condition.
The disorder is characterized by a sudden onset of psychotic symptoms, which may include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior, or catatonic behavior. The symptoms must not be caused by schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder or mania in bipolar disorder. They must also not be caused by a drug (such as amphetamines) or medical condition (such as a brain tumor).
The term bouffée délirante describes an acute nonaffective and
nonschizophrenic psychotic disorder, which is largely similar to
DSM-III-R and DSM-IV brief psychotic and schizophreniform disorders.[1]
Symptoms generally last at least a day, but not more than a month,
and there is an eventual return to full baseline functioning. It may
occur in response to a significant stressor in one's life, or in other situations where a stressor is not apparent, including in the weeks following birth.
In diagnosis, a careful distinction is considered for culturally
appropriate behaviors, such as religious beliefs and activities. It is
believed to be connected to or synonymous with a variety of culture-specific phenomena such as latah, koro, and amok.[2]
There are three forms of brief psychotic disorder: 1. Brief psychotic
disorder with a stressor, such as a trauma or death in the family. 2.
Brief psychotic disorder without a stressor, there is no obvious
stressor. 3. Brief psychotic disorder with postpartum onset. Usually
occurs about four weeks after giving birth.
Frequency
The exact incidence and prevalence of brief psychotic disorder is not known, but it is generally considered uncommon.[3]
Internationally, it occurs twice as often in women than men, and even
more often in women in the United States. It typically occurs in the
late 30s and early 40s.[2]
The exact cause of brief psychotic disorder is not known. One theory
suggests a genetic link, because the disorder is more common in people
who have family members with mood disorders, such as depression or
bipolar disorder. Another theory suggests that the disorder is caused by
poor coping skills, as a defense against or escape from a particularly
frightening or stressful situation. These factors may create a
vulnerability to develop brief psychotic disorder. In most cases, the
disorder is triggered by a major stress or traumatic event. Childbirth
may trigger the disorder in some women.[4] Approximately 1 in 10,000 women experience brief psychotic disorder shortly after childbirth.[5]
Adapted screenplays may follow books very closely, or may be
completely different. When characters are gay or lesbian - or have had
some significant same-sex experiences - screenwriters sometimes sidestep
those facets of their stories entirely when it comes to the big screen.
1. Corporal Fife, The Thin Red Line
The third chapter in James Jones' World War II novel,
originally published in 1962, depicts a green-behind-the ears Corporal
Fife bunking in a shelter tent next to Private Bead, a fellow member of
Charlie Company, during a rainy night. (The two are played by Adrien
Brody and Nick Stahl, respectively, in Terrence Malick's 1998 film
adaptation.) It's a pretty in-depth exploration of one of the realities
of war that American mothers and housewives at the time maybe didn't
want to face: Their men had needs.
Jones writes:
What could a guy do? Nothing, that was what ... Unless
guys helped each other out now and then. It was either that, or find
yourself a queer cook or baker someplace, or it was nothing. Guys could
help each other out, Bead supposed.
“Well, what do you say?” he said cheerfully. “Shall we help each other out?” I’ll do it to you if you’ll do it to me.”
Bead, finding that he was not rebuffed, now became more confident in
his voice and in his salesmanship. Apparently it made no difference to
him and did not worry him that he was suggesting something homosexual
... As he started to crawl over to Fife’s side of the little tent he
stopped and said: “I just dont want you to think I’m no queer, or
nothing like that.”
“Well, dont you get the idea I am, either,” Fife had answered.
2. Justin McLeod, The Man Without a Face
Photo courtesy of Giant Bomb
The title character in Mel Gibson's directorial debut, also played by
Gibson, was originally gay in Isabelle Holland's 1972 novel. "The fact
that the (McLeod) character was gay was prohibitive in selling the
book," Holland's book agent Lisa Callamaro told the Los Angeles Times in 1993.
3. Pussy Galore, Goldfinger
Photo courtesy of The Times UK
Ian Fleming's seventh 007 book has Pussy Galore running an outfit of
lesbian cat burglars. In the third James Bond film of the same name,
actress Honor Blackman's Bond girl has a far more suppressed sexual
orientation. (Her character's hair is also switched from brunette to
blonde.) Although in both the novel and the movie, Bond has no issue
proving his own heterosexuality by forcing himself on her in a barn. Fleming's novel suggests his super spy holds enough sexual prowess to make any gay woman hop the fence.
4. Don Birnam, The Lost Weekend
Photo courtesy of Watch the Academies)
Billy Wilder's character study of Don Birnam, a failed writer turned
alcoholic, swept the Academy Awards in 1946, winning Best Picture,
Director (Wilder), Actor (Ray Milland) and Screenplay (Wilder, Charles
Brackett). But author Charles Jackson didn't connect the boozing to a
losing career in publishing. In his ranty novel, Birnam tormented himself over memories from his adolescence.
Excerpted from "Part Two: The Wife" in Jackson's novel:
When, at what time, had he deliberately ignored the
responsibility and opportunity that beckoned him? Oh, he could put his
finger on a dozen such moments ... Some were more revealing than others;
one he would never forget.
What went on between them in the carriage-sheds back of the
Presbyterian Church, several afternoons a week, in the backseat of an
abandoned carriage that hadn’t been used for years—used for anything but
this …
5. Paul Varjak, Breakfast at Tiffany's
Photo courtesy of The Skinny Stiletto
Screenwriter George Axelrod updated Truman Capote's WWII-Era novella
to fit into 1961 Manhattan. "Nothing really happened in the book," the
scribe has been widely quoted. "All we had was this glorious girl—a
perfect part for Audrie Hepburn. What we had to do was devise a story,
get a central romantic relationship, and make the hero a red-blooded
heterosexual."
George Peppard's leading man in Blake Edwards' silver screen classic
was hardly the same love interest on celluloid as he was in Capote's
text. In section 16 of the novella, Holly Golightly (played by Audrey
Hepburn on film) referred to him as a "Maude"—which was understood in
the gay underworld at the time as slang for male prostitute.
6. Rorschach, Watchmen
Photo courtesy of Hero Complex
Writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons' archetypical Batman
character had a soft spot for his partner in crime, Nite Owl, although
it was never explicit (it is, however, the subject of much fan
speculation). In the movie version, there simply was no time for the
love that dare not speak its name, even though it was only whispered in
the comics at best.
7. Ruth Jamison, Fried Green Tomatoes
Photo courtesy of hubpages
Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
has a pretty clear-cut intimate relationship defined between Ruth and
Idgie. The 1991 movie? Zilch. Flagg's screenplay has Ruth (Mary-Louise
Parker) hung up on the deceased Buddy Threadgoode (Chris O'Donnell).
8. Ben, Ben-Hur
Photo courtesy of Home Theater Forum
As far as his Hollywood career went, Gore Vidal had a reputation for
taking liberties with original source material. When it came to the
chariot epic starring Charlton Heston, the historian made an exact
effort at finding a romantic connection in Lew Wallace's 1880 manuscript
between the title character and his friend Messala (Stephen Boyd in the
1959 film). According to a letter
Vidal received from Heston, he and director William Wyler roundly
rejected the loose interpretation from Lew Wallace's 1880 manuscript.
Ben stayed as straight as they could make him in a sandal drama.
9. Brick Pollitt, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Photo courtesy of Cinema Nostalgia
Another Hollywood alcoholic inexplicably drowned in his own sorrows.
Brick (Paul Newman) grieves the loss of his friend Skipper, who
committed suicide, and won't sleep with his wife Maggie (Elizabeth
Taylor). He just drinks whiskey on the rocks and leaves Maggie to wonder
how she's "gone through this horrible transformation." But Tennessee Williams's play remains ambiguous, pushing its audience to raise questions about Brick's sexuality.
10. Celie Johnson, The Color Purple
Photo courtesy the Telegraph
Steven Spielberg's 1985 Oscar bait let Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) and Shug (Margaret Avery) steal a smooch which Goldberg characterized as
"about love and tenderness ... It has nothing to do with lesbianism. It
has to do with, her eyes are opened, now she understands." Alice
Walker's epistolary novel takes the pair way further than a kiss.
11. Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln
Photo courtesy of Slate
This one's a bit of a stretch, but biographer Carl Sandburg famously
wrote in 1926 that the 16th president had "a streak of lavender, and
spots soft as May violets" in specific reference to the connection
between Lincoln and his roommate Joshua Speed. The details of the
Illinois boys' relationship have been highly contested for years,
although Lincoln screenwriter Tony Kushner stated in an
interview that, after the six years he spent working on the script for
Steven Spielberg, "there is some reason to speculate that Lincoln might
have been bisexual or gay."
Kushner left that part out. "I find it difficult to believe that
Lincoln was [with] anybody," during that time, Kushner said, because the
president was likely "ground to a pulp by the war and by the pressures
of his job."
A new study shows that people with generalized anxiety disorder
unconsciously label harmless things as threats, which may serve to
further their anxiety. These findings were published last week in the
journal Current Biology.
Psychologists recognize several forms of clinical anxiety. The most common is generalized anxiety disorder,
or GAD, in which people frequently feel very worried or anxious even
when it seems like there’s nothing to worry about. Some studies have
suggested that anxiety disorders may stem from a process called overgeneralization.
In overgeneralization, the brain lumps both safe and unsafe things
together and labels them all unsafe. For this reason, the researchers
also call this the “better safe than sorry” approach. Our brains
naturally pay more attention to negative or threatening information in
our environments. If anxious people perceive more threats in the world
around them, it would make a lot of sense for them to be worried.
To find out if overgeneralization was involved, researchers recruited
28 people diagnosed with GAD and 16 people without anxiety and brought
them into the lab. The experiment had two parts: training and testing.
In the training section, study participants learned to differentiate
between three different sounds. Each sound was tied to a different
outcome; pressing a key could lead to winning money (the “positive”
tone), losing money (the “negative” tone), or nothing (the “neutral”
tone).
In the second phase of the experiment, researchers played 15
different sounds for the participants and asked them to press a key when
they heard a sound they recognized from the training phase. If they
guessed right, they’d win money, but if they guessed wrong, the
researchers would take some of their money back.
Because of the risk of losing money, the best strategy for everyone
would be a conservative one—not pressing the button much at all based on
the assumption that most of the tones were new. But anxious
participants were trigger-happy, believing they’d heard many of the
unfamiliar tones before. The experience of winning and losing money in
training had made a strong emotional impression on them, which led them
to overgeneralize new information as relevant.
The researchers also administered brain scans during the testing
phase. They found notable differences between anxious and non-anxious
brains. While they were focused on parsing new information, anxious
people showed more activation in several parts of the brain, including
the amygdala, a region associated with fear and worry.
"We show that in patients with anxiety, emotional experience induces
plasticity in brain circuits that lasts after the experience is over,"
senior co-author Rony Paz said in
a press release. "Such plastic changes occur in primary circuits that
later mediate the response to new stimuli, resulting in an inability to
discriminate between the originally experienced stimulus and a new
similar stimulus. Therefore, anxiety patients respond emotionally to
such new stimuli as well, resulting in anxiety even in apparently
irrelevant new situations. Importantly, they cannot control this, as it
is a perceptual inability to discriminate."
Paz noted that in dangerous circumstances, the hyper-vigilance
associated with anxiety might be a good thing. The problem is that most
circumstances aren’t dangerous. "Anxiety traits can be completely
normal, and even beneficial evolutionarily," he says. "Yet an emotional
event, even minor sometimes, can induce brain changes that might lead to
full-blown anxiety.
