Home

Articles Archive

List of all articles published on DrAngelAdams.com. Click on the titles to read full articles.

Articles

  • Mindfulness Meditation... Why It Works | Dr Angel Adams, Dr Patricia Papciak
    March 9, 2009

    There are numerous studies on how meditation helps to lessen stress and improve overall well-being. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of the Stress Reduction Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, was a pioneer in recognising that mindfulness meditation could be helpful for adult patients suffering from chronic pain. He developed a secular version of the Buddhist practice, which he called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). There are currently over a thousand studies published in peer review journals. Kabat-Zinn's MBSR program has been found to reduce not only chronic pain but also high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, alleviate depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders and substance abuse.

    ... Read more
  • A Day of Adventure | Dr Angel Adams, Dr Patricia Papciak
    March 2, 2009

    The word "adventure" conjures up many different ideas for different people. The first thing in our heads might be something that happened on a camping trip or a vacation somewhere. Why is that? Is it that something happened that was unexpected? Sometimes we hear people say, "Well I had quite an adventure today." And then they tell of a mishap on the road or someone extraordinary they ran into while out and about. Books are often entitled, The Adventures of ... and they tell stories of intrigue, real or imaginary.

    We would venture to say that the word adventure generally elicits a positive response from people. It makes one curious about what the "adventure" is or was. Even if the adventure turns out to have a negative ending, there is something mysterious and engaging about the idea that something happened to someone that was unexpected.

    ... Read more
  • Is Your Teen a Night Owl? Developing Good Sleep Habits | Dr Angel Adams, PhD
    February 23, 2009

    In a previous newsletter I wrote about how every human being has a biological clock that, among other things, generates “wake-sleep” cycles. When these biological rhythms are altered by such things as jet lag, night work, or events lasting until or after midnight it can impair normal functions.

    ... Read more
  • Good Grief! What's so Great about Grief? | Dr Angel Adams, Dr Patricia Papciak
    February 16, 2009

    You might be asking yourself, how could this topic be inspirational and what could possibly be good about grief? This is an especially heartbreaking question for someone who has just suffered a painful loss, perhaps associated with divorce, death of a child, a parent, or a beloved pet, a missed opportunity, or a lost job. Grief is an overwhelming emotion and part of the human experience as everyone in this world will grieve at one time or another.

    ... Read more
  • Are You Good at Counting Sheep? | Dr Angel Adams, PhD
    February 9, 2009

    "Counting sheep" is a phrase that is deeply engrained into our culture’s notion of sleep. I thought an article on healthy sleep habits was a relevant topic for parents who sometimes struggle with getting their youngsters to bed. Did you know that our magnificent bodies have a biological clock inside of them? As living organisms, we co-ordinate our activities with a day-night cycle caused by the rotation of the earth.

    ... Read more
  • Parenting a Child with ADHD: The Challenges and the Joys | Dr Angel Adam, PhD
    February 2, 2009

    Parents who have children with ADHD love them, as they are usually quirky, think outside the box, are straight forward with their feelings, energetic, charming, and creative. Parents also know that they can be demanding, fiery, and very difficult to raise. Sometimes parents can feel shattered and helpless and don’t know where to turn.

    ... Read more
  • Choosing Hope over Fear | Dr Angel Adams
    January 26, 2009

    Last Tuesday, 20th January, 2009 I was co-facilitating a social skills group comprised of boys aged 9 to 11 at the NHS and we were fortunate to be in a room where there was a colour TV. Towards the end of the group I switched it on just as President Barack Obama was being sworn into office. I knew that the boys would remember this day in history just as I did when I was a young child watching JFK's presidential inauguration on a black-and-white television. This time it was thrilling to watch it on a big colour screen and even more earth-shaking to know that this man was the son of an African and an American taking the oath of office. As Obama was captivating millions on TV through his eloquence and brilliance as an orator, it suddenly became very quiet in the room and the boys were spell-bound as they listened to his every word. After his speech the most amazing thing happened: the boys' topics of conversations changed... they were deeper, more thoughtful... no more talk about Batman. Instead they began sharing spontaneously about their families, their values and their hopes.

    ... Read more
  • Yes! Gratitude Helps | Dr Angel Adams, PhD
    January 19, 2009

    In my last article, I wrote about Dr Emmons' cutting edge research on the nature of gratitude. He defines gratitude as: "A virtue and an emotion — a knowing awareness that we are the recipients of goodness". His view is that gratitude is the best approach to life. Now let's continue to Dr Emmons' next 5 outstanding prescriptions for the basic practice of gratitude...

    ... Read more
  • Does Gratitude Help? | Dr Angel Adams, PhD
    January 12, 2009

    Recently one of my friends told me about a book called Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Dr. Robert Emmons. It's a fascinating book that shows his very poignant research findings which are relevant for all of us who are struggling with financial issues, parenting challenges, and everyday trials and tribulations. Dr. Emmons stated that at first he thought gratitude was a simplistic emotion, but he discovered in fact that it is a very complex phenomenon that can measurably change people's lives.

    ... Read more
  • Start your New Year with Three Kinds of Forgiveness | Dr. Angel Adams, PhD
    January 5, 2009

    On Friday 20th December I watched an interview on the BBC of two ex-hostages that made me think about how I wanted to frame the upcoming New Year of 2009, and I wanted to share this with you.

    ... Read more