Health
Thriving with anxiety: Expert tips on embracing the mental health condition
Facing anxiety head-on and approaching it differently can enhance your life.
That’s according to David H. Rosmarin, PhD, a psychologist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, who delivers the advice in his new book, “Thriving with Anxiety: 9 Tools to Make Your Anxiety Work for You.”
Rosmarin shared with Fox News Digital that overcoming his own journey with anxiety allowed him to better help others.
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In “Thriving with Anxiety,” he writes that he unexpectedly found himself suffering from the disorder as he set up an anxiety clinic in New York City in 2011.
He had already established a name for himself in Boston, but was struggling to get patient referrals in New York while facing mounting expenses and a tough commute between the two cities.
David H. Rosmarin, PhD, recently released a book called “Thriving with Anxiety: 9 Tools to Make Your Anxiety Work for You.” (Anthony Randazza/The Center for Anxiety)
Rosmarin writes, “A wave of anxiety swept over me. This was followed quickly by a sense of self-criticism for being hypocritical, followed by a surge of catastrophic thinking.”
He describes feeling embarrassed and “headed for failure” — wondering how he could help people overcome their anxiety when he was suffering from it himself.
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“Judging yourself for feeling anxious is like beating someone up when they are on the floor in order to get them to stand,” he said.
But he found a way to become more conscientious about making healthy lifestyle choices – eating more nutritious foods, exercising more frequently, and opening up to others about his challenges.
Hidden benefits of anxiety
People who have anxiety are often conscientious and driven, which can help prime them for leadership roles, the book notes.
Having anxiety can also lead to greater understanding and self-acceptance, according to Rosamarin.
Rosmarin is shown speaking at the Center for Anxiety’s fall retreat in New York on Oct. 18, 2023. (The Center for Anxiety)
Anxiety can also lead to empathy, he told Fox News Digital.
“When someone has been through the depths of difficulty, they can see the struggle on another person’s face,” Rosmarin said.
10 NATURAL WAYS TO MANAGE ANXIETY
“They understand what it means to feel uncomfortable, and it can create that compassion.”
Anxiety is not a malady, he said, but “a normal human emotion that we all experience, and we can use it to improve our inner strength, our relationships with others and our spiritual lives.”
5 tips for managing anxiety
Rosmarin offered the following tips for making the most of anxiety.
1. Lean into it
Instead of trying to avoid anxiety, the key is to face or even embrace it, he said.
“We can criticize ourselves for feeling anxious, get upset about it, run away from it … or we can lean into it,” Rosmarin said.
This requires a “healthy dose of self-compassion,” he said — and a recognition that part of being human is feeling overwhelmed at times.
Rosmarin speaks at the Center for Anxiety’s fall retreat in New York on Oct. 18, 2023. “We can criticize ourselves for feeling anxious, get upset about it, run away from it … or we can lean into it,” he said. (The Center for Anxiety)
2. Practice positive self-talk
Rosmarin suggests in his book that people speak kindly to themselves, allow time away from upsetting situations, and avoid self-deprecating language.
“There are ways to build your physical strength and there are ways to build your emotional fortitude.”
When he changed his inner dialogue to speak more gently to himself, he became more self-aware and found the self-acceptance he needed to forge ahead, he writes.
3. Try exposure therapy
Exposure therapy, a mental health practice in which people face their fears, can also help them withstand adversity rather than let it control them, the psychologist said.
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For example, if you are afraid of public speaking, Rosmarin recommends building resilience by raising your hand at a meeting, wearing something that draws attention to yourself, or even singing karaoke.
The psychologist, shown in inset, details how facing anxiety head-on and approaching it differently can enhance your life. (iStock; Anthony Randazza/The Center for Anxiety)
“You don’t have to do this, but you also don’t have to go to the gym and work out,” he said.
“There are ways to build your physical strength and there are ways to build your emotional fortitude.”
The goal of this practice is to get to the point where you don’t care anymore if you are anxious — and even though it’s uncomfortable, it’s not going to stop you, he said.
4. Share your fears
The next step is to share your fears with someone, if possible, and reassure yourself that the anxiety won’t last forever, Rosmarin told Fox News Digital.
“Embrace it … let it ride and let yourself feel the feelings,” he advised.
The expert suggests that people speak kindly, give themselves time away from upsetting situations and avoid self-deprecating language. (iStock)
5. Seek calm
The last step, which Rosmarin said is the most important, is to let go.
The psychologist mentioned that humans have a “built-in cooling system” called the “rest and digest” system — which helps the body calm down.
“We’re human beings, and we don’t have control over everything,” he noted.
“The more we accept that, the more serenity we can have.”
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Rosmarin’s Center for Anxiety now operates clinics in three states, treating nearly 1,500 patients each year, he told Fox News Digital.
“Thriving with Anxiety: 9 Tools to Make Your Anxiety Work for You” is published by Harper Horizon.
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A highly contagious digestive virus is surging across the U.S., experts warn.
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, causes acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach and intestines — which can lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain.
The virus primarily affects infants and young children, but there have also been outbreaks in elderly populations, such as nursing homes.
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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the week ending April 4, out of 2,329 rotavirus tests, 7.3% were positive for the infection. Last year’s highest infection rate was 6.77% as of the week ending April 19.
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, causes acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach and intestines — which can lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain. (iStock)
“We’re seeing a lot of rotavirus in the wastewater right now,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, confirmed to Fox News Digital. “Testing for rotavirus is way down, but the percentage of positive tests is up.”
While the virus typically peaks in the spring, it is not currently slowing down, he noted.
Why cases may be rising
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, M.D., a medical editor at GoodRx who is based in California, said there are several possible reasons for the rotavirus spike.
“Vaccine rates are down overall among young children, as they decreased during COVID,” she told Fox News Digital. “This means there’s a growing number of infants and young children who are vulnerable to infection.”
The rotavirus vaccine series must be completed by the time a child is 8 months old, she noted.
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As a result of the declining vaccinations, herd immunity isn’t protecting vulnerable children, according to Pinto-Garcia. “Children who haven’t finished the vaccine series yet, are too young to get vaccinated, or can’t get the vaccine due to medical illness are more likely to get exposed to the illness because other children aren’t vaccinated,” she said.
Siegel noted that before the vaccine became available, rotavirus resulted in 55,000 to 70,000 in the U.S. per year.
“Vaccine rates are down overall among young children, as they decreased during COVID,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. “This means there’s a growing number of infants and young children who are vulnerable to infection.” (iStock)
“I am concerned that the vaccination rate has been declining over the past seven years and is continuing to decline in the current climate of vaccine skepticism,” he said.
Surveillance methods are also much better than they used to be, Pinto-Garcia noted, which means public health experts are able to pick up and track cases better than ever before.
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“But we see that rotavirus-related healthcare visits are also up, so improved detection is not the only reason we are seeing this spike,” she said.
The COVID pandemic also disrupted the pattern of infections, according to Pinto-Garcia, so it’s “tricky” to compare the current levels against older cycles.
“It’s possible that what we are seeing is still some post-pandemic rebound, but it’s unlikely that this year’s pattern is fully explained by just this factor,” she added.
Transmission and risk
Dr. Zachary Hoy, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Pediatrix Medical Group based in Nashville, Tennessee, often sees young patients with rotavirus.
“Rotavirus is spread via the fecal-oral route, meaning that a person comes into contact with virus droplets from contact with other children or adults, or from contact with objects such as toys that have been contaminated with the virus from someone who is sick,” he told Fox News Digital. “This can lead to outbreaks, especially at schools where many young children share the same toys.”
“It’s possible that what we are seeing is still some post-pandemic rebound, but it’s unlikely that this year’s pattern is fully explained by just this factor.”
Rotavirus is associated with many dehydration cases in the hospital due to the degree of diarrhea, according to Hoy.
In some severe cases, the virus can lead to seizures due to electrolyte imbalances from dehydration and loss of electrolytes in the stool.
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“Younger children do not have the reserves that older children and adults have, so they can become more dehydrated quicker and develop more severe electrolyte imbalances, leading to more severe infections,” Hoy said.
“Patients with problems with their immune systems or on medications that can decrease their immune systems can have more severe and prolonged infections, too.”
Treatment and care
Because rotavirus is a viral infection, antibiotics are not effective against it. There is no specific antiviral treatment for the condition, with doctors typically recommending supportive care.
“The mainstay of treatment is hospitalization for rehydration via intravenous (IV) fluids,” Hoy told Fox News Digital. “Sometimes it can take up to two to three days of IV fluids to help get patients rehydrated.”
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Blood draws are often necessary to evaluate patients’ electrolyte levels, such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, according to the doctor.
“If these electrolyte levels are significantly low, sometimes patients need special IV solutions or individual electrolyte medications,” he added.
“The mainstay of treatment is hospitalization for rehydration via intravenous (IV) fluids,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Dr. Daniel Park, medical director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at UNC Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, noted that most children recover with supportive care, but parents should seek medical attention if a child shows signs of dehydration. Those include decreased urination, lethargy or inability to keep fluids down.
“While rare, rotavirus can be life-threatening in vulnerable populations, especially very young infants or children with underlying medical conditions,” Park told Fox News Digital.
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Prevention strategies
Given the lack of antiviral medications for rotavirus, doctors emphasize the importance of prevention, primarily the vaccine.
There are two rotavirus vaccines – Rotateq (a three-dose series) and Rotarix (a two-dose series). They are given starting at age 2 months as oral drops, not injections, according to Hoy.
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“It’s important to get the rotavirus vaccines on schedule, because these younger infants are at greatest risk if they get rotavirus,” he advised.
Other recommended prevention methods include handwashing with soap and water.
Every day we’re faced with a zillion small choices: Go to sleep early, or watch one more episode of that Netflix drama. Call an old friend to catch up, or cruise social media. Of course, no single action will guarantee a long, healthy life or doom you to an early grave. But those little daily decisions do add up, and over the long term they can make a difference when it comes to both your longevity and your health span, the amount of life spent in relatively good health.
Scroll through this theoretical “day in the life” and select the option that best fits your typical day. Not every situation will apply perfectly, but think about which choice you’d be most likely to make. This isn’t a formal scientific assessment. The goal here isn’t to assign you a “good” or “bad” score, but to help you understand the central factors that shape the way we age and how long we live.
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A study from Harvard Medical School indicates natural selection has favored the red hair gene, resulting in a potential increase in the number of redheaded people as humanity continues to evolve.
By analyzing nearly 16,000 ancient genomes spanning 10,000 years, researchers identified a list of traits that nature is actively pushing forward. Among the most prominent were the genetic variants for red hair.
“Perhaps having red hair was beneficial 4,000 years ago, or perhaps it came along for the ride with a more important trait,” the authors noted.
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The study, published in the journal Nature, relied on a large database of ancient DNA from West Eurasia. Using new computing methods, the team was able to filter out random fluctuations in DNA to identify what it called “directional selection.”
Directional selection happens when a particular version of a gene gives an organism a strong survival or reproductive advantage, causing it to become more common in a population faster than it would by chance, according to experts.
Directional selection is when a specific gene provides such significant benefits that it rises in frequency across a population much faster than random chance. (iStock)
Prior to this study, scientists only knew of about 21 such instances in human history, one of which was lactose tolerance. This new research uncovered hundreds more.
“With these new techniques and a large amount of ancient genomic data, we can now watch how selection shaped biology in real time,” Ali Akbari, first author of the study and senior staff scientist in the lab of Harvard geneticist David Reich, said in a press release.
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The data showed that genetic markers for red hair are among 479 gene variants that have been strongly favored over the past 10,000 years. One likely explanation, the researchers said, is a major shift in human history: the transition to farming.
Scientists have long pointed to vitamin D synthesis as a likely driver for the rise of traits like fair skin and light hair. (iStock)
As humans moved away from hunting and gathering and settled into agricultural societies, their environment and behavior changed radically, triggering an evolutionary “acceleration.”
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While the Harvard study provides the first definitive statistical proof that red hair was actively selected during the rise of farming, the researchers noted that the exact prehistoric benefit still requires more study.
However, scientists have long pointed to vitamin D synthesis as a likely driver for the rise of these light-pigmented traits in northern climates.
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While redheads remain a minority of the global population today, the Harvard study’s analysis suggests that they may not be an evolutionary accident.
While redheads remain a minority of the global population today, the Harvard study’s analysis suggests they may not be an evolutionary accident. (iStock)
Instead, the red hair trait was “boosted” by natural selection as humans adapted to the challenges of a modern world, according to the researchers.
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The researchers urged caution in how these findings are interpreted.
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“What a variant is associated with now is not necessarily why an allele propagated,” the authors noted.
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