http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/phobias-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 06:55:51 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/viagra-may-have-a-new-competitor-in-the-form-of-oxytocin-99914-1.htm Viagra could have a major competitor on its hands after researchers from University of California claimed that hormone Oxytocin was as sexually arousing to men as the blue pill. Oxytocin is a hormone that is normally used in women to induce labor. However researchers from University of California found that two puffs a day of a nasal spray containing oxytocin improved both the libido and sexual performance in men. The researchers tested the effect of the hormone among men and found that apart ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/viagra-may-have-a-new-competitor-in-the-form-of-oxytocin-99914-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Ways-to-Treat-Anxiety-Phobias-Emerge-from-Research-on-Response-to-Fear-inducing-Stimuli-96275-1.htm How we respond to danger is now differently understood and the human subconscious has a bigger impact on our response than previously thought, according to research led by the University of Exeter. Published today (I8 January), the study shows that our primitive response to fear can contradict our conscious assessment of danger. The findings have implications for how anxiety disorders, such as phobias, are treated. The research also suggests we share a primitive response to fear with other ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Ways-to-Treat-Anxiety-Phobias-Emerge-from-Research-on-Response-to-Fear-inducing-Stimuli-96275-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meeting-324-Facebook-Friends-Helps-Woman-Beat-Phobia-95852-1.htm To overcome her debilitating fear of open spaces, crowds and uncontrolled situations, an agoraphobic woman traveled all over the world to meet all 324 of her Facebook friends. Arlynn Presser, a 51-year-old romance novelist and mother of two, followed up on her New Year resolution for 2011 to get over the anxiety disorder that triggered panic attacks in her. During these attacks, she'd first experience sweating and shortness of breath, and then severe pressure in her chest that felt like a heart attack "I'm scared of travel....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meeting-324-Facebook-Friends-Helps-Woman-Beat-Phobia-95852-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Whiff-of-Love-Hormone-Oxytocin-Helps-Monkeys-Show-More-Kindness-95763-1.htm Oxytocin, the 'love hormone' known for building mother-baby bonds and helping us feel closer toward one another, can also make surly monkeys treat each other a little more kindly, research reveals. Administering the hormone nasally through a kid-sized nebulizer, like a gas mask, a Duke University research team has shown that it can make rhesus macaques pay more attention to each other and make choices that give another monkey a squirt of fruit juice, even when they don't get one themselves....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Whiff-of-Love-Hormone-Oxytocin-Helps-Monkeys-Show-More-Kindness-95763-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Divorce-Phobia-is-Preventing-Young-Couples-from-Getting-Married-95068-1.htm Many young couples fear the ravages of divorce and are afraid of getting married, a new study has suggested. The new research by demographers at Cornell University and the University of Central Oklahoma found that among cohabitating couples, more than two-thirds of the study's respondents admitted to concerns about dealing with the social, legal, emotional and economic consequences of a possible divorce. The study is co-authored by Sharon Sassler, Cornell professor of policy analysis and ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Divorce-Phobia-is-Preventing-Young-Couples-from-Getting-Married-95068-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Whiff-of-Hormone-Oxytocin-may-Help-Introverts-94568-1.htm A new study published in the journal Psychopharmacology suggests that a whiff of oxytocin hormone could be enough to make introverts exhibit extroverted behavior and be more open to ideas. The study was conducted by researchers at Concordia University in Montreal and involved more than 100 students. The researchers gave the studies a nasal spray filled with oxytocin or a placebo and asked them to fill out a questionnaire on how they felt 90 minutes later. The researchers found that those who ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Whiff-of-Hormone-Oxytocin-may-Help-Introverts-94568-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-IPhone-Apps-Help-Rid-of-Fears-Phobias-94534-1.htm A new tool has come to the rescue for those suffering from common phobias that include fear of spiders, flying and dentists. Self Study Apps has the solution for those who have tried endlessly, wasting time and money, trying rid themselves of these phobias? Life can be so much easier without paralyzing thoughts and fears. SSA have created a systematic but friendly and easy process to eliminate phobias! This tools was created by a team of professionals to help decrease and hopefully exonerate fears....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-IPhone-Apps-Help-Rid-of-Fears-Phobias-94534-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Cuddle-Chemical-Oxytocin-Promotes-Negative-Emotions-Too-Study-Finds-88595-1.htm Recent research has revealed that Oxytocin - the "cuddle chemical" hitherto known to promote positive feelings, and the hormone that helps mothers bond with their babies, can promote negative emotions, too. "Quite a number of studies have shown it's actually not that simple," said Andrew Kemp of the University of Sydney, who co-wrote the paper with his colleague Adam Guastella. Recent studies have found that people who were given oxytocin, then played a game of chance with a fake opponent, had more envy and gloating....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Cuddle-Chemical-Oxytocin-Promotes-Negative-Emotions-Too-Study-Finds-88595-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Dental-Phobia-83685-1.htm Dental phobia can cause such intense traumatic anxiety that a patient may even cancel a dental visit, according to a survey. Earlier studies had established that the stress that people go through is physiological or psychological. The body responds to this anxiety by releasing catecholamines, epinephrine and norepinephrine, from the adrenal medulla into the cardiovascular system. Dentists need to be aware that early scheduling of appointments, minimizing waiting time, understanding the patient's ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Dental-Phobia-83685-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Symptoms-of-Schizophrenia-Eased-With-Cuddle-Chemical-Oxytocin-71508-1.htm Nasal sprays with the hormone oxytocin, nicknamed the "cuddle chemical", could ease the symptoms of schizophrenia. Oxytocin is called the cuddle chemical because it helps mothers bond with their babies. In the study, 15 participants used the sprays for three weeks only. And most reported measurable improvements in their symptoms in the first trial to test oxytocin in schizophrenia. "It's proof of concept that there's therapeutic potential here," New Scientist quoted David Feifel ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Symptoms-of-Schizophrenia-Eased-With-Cuddle-Chemical-Oxytocin-71508-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Oxytocin-can-be-the-New-Treatment-for-Social-Problems-in-Autism-Study-67467-1.htm A new study shows Oxytocin can improve emotion understanding in autism and similar disorders associated with social dysfunction. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are developmental disorders usually diagnosed in childhood. Children with ASDs have impairments in social interactions and communication, and a tendency towards repetitive behaviors. A hallmark of autism is a difficulty in understanding and reciprocating the emotion of others. Although behavioral therapies can improve some symptoms ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Oxytocin-can-be-the-New-Treatment-for-Social-Problems-in-Autism-Study-67467-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Bizzare-Sexual-Phobia-Prevents-Brit-Woman-from-Having-Sex-Indoors-66715-1.htm Danielle Vincely has a bizarre sexual phobia that prevents her from having sex indoors. The 24-year-old says her sexual claustrophobia ruins her love life as partners soon get tired of her adventurous sex demands on beaches and parks. "Guys love it at first. They think it's kinky making love under the stars in the woods, on beaches, park benches and car bonnets," News of the World quoted her as saying. "But after a while they get annoyed, especially if it's raining, and dump me. Men ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Bizzare-Sexual-Phobia-Prevents-Brit-Woman-from-Having-Sex-Indoors-66715-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Experts-Dismisses-Chinas-HIV-Phobia-as-Prostitute-Guilt-64913-1.htm A mystery illness with HIV-like symptoms has been reported by hundreds of Chinese, but doctors believe it is just "HIV phobia" caused by guilt from having sex with prostitutes. Many patients suspect they are being lied to when their HIV tests come back negative, even those who have had as many as seven tests, News.com.au reports. Doctors are blaming breach of trust between the medical profession and patients due to past instances for the growing HIV phobia. Some ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Experts-Dismisses-Chinas-HIV-Phobia-as-Prostitute-Guilt-64913-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Depression-and-Social-Phobia-Fuel-Teen-Internet-Addiction-59145-1.htm A recent report suggests that teenagers who have psychiatric symptoms such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social phobia, hostility and depression could be more prone to develop an Internet addiction. The study underlined that although the Internet has become one of the most significant information resources for adolescents, addiction to the Internet can negatively impact school performance, family relationships and adolescents' emotional state. "This phenomenon has ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Depression-and-Social-Phobia-Fuel-Teen-Internet-Addiction-59145-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Indian-Farmers-Injecting-Oxytocin-To-Boost-Plant-Growth-Agriculture-Ministry-Enraged-55354-1.htm The "cuddle chemical", or oxytocin, is being used by a large number of Indian farmers to boost the growth of pumpkins and cucumbers. However, the Indian Ministry of Agriculture is adamant on banning the practice, as "indiscriminate use of oxytocin may cause health hazards if taken through vegetables over a period of time". The use of oxytocin in farming has become prevalent in the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab regions in northern India, Oxytocin is known to affect social behaviour in humans, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Indian-Farmers-Injecting-Oxytocin-To-Boost-Plant-Growth-Agriculture-Ministry-Enraged-55354-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Oxytocin-in-New-Love-Potion-may-Help-Couples-Communicate-Better-50686-1.htm Relationships are tricky. Most people think at some point that communicating positively with their partners when discussing stressful issues, like home finances, is an impossible task. But, relax, Swiss researchers are working on a "love potion" that will drive away all such conflicts. Researchers have begun exploring the benefits of oxytocin for helping couples communicate better. Oxytocin has been touted as beneficial for reducing anxiety, producing feelings of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Oxytocin-in-New-Love-Potion-may-Help-Couples-Communicate-Better-50686-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Well-Known-Blood-Pressure-Drug-may-Remove-Post-Traumatic-Stress-and-Phobias-47622-1.htm A well known blood pressure drug can completely cure phobias and post traumatic stress , researchers said. Merel Kindt and her colleagues at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, have revealed that this drug is called the beta blocker propranolol. The researcher points out that people who experienced traumatic events-like rape and car crashes-showed fewer signs of stress while recalling the event when they had been injected with the beta blocker propranolol in experiments conducted in the past....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Well-Known-Blood-Pressure-Drug-may-Remove-Post-Traumatic-Stress-and-Phobias-47622-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Britons-Weirdest-Phobias-Exposed-45685-1.htm While spiders and heights are common sources of anxiety, a fear of frozen peas and a dread of kneecaps have emerged as some of Britain's most bizarre phobias. David Allison, a therapist based at Addenbrooke's hospital, in Cambridge, was filmed treating some of the worst sufferers in an ITV1 documentary. The film will be shown next week, reports the Telegraph. One patient in the UK is so terrified of frogs that she sprints from her car to her front door in case one is lurking in the garden....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Britons-Weirdest-Phobias-Exposed-45685-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Secret-Phobias-of-Celebs-Revealed-42567-1.htm Even celebrities are not free from having phobias like the rest of the world, and heading the list is English singer Cheryl Cole, who has been revealed to have a phobia for cotton wool. The Girls Aloud member, who finds cotton wool to be very unpleasant, will just not let it get anywhere near her. "I went to the dentist the other day and he put it in my mouth and I felt violated for the whole day," the Sun quoted her as saying. "I hate cotton wool. I never use it, not for taking my make-up off or anything....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Secret-Phobias-of-Celebs-Revealed-42567-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Fear-of-Spiders-and-Scared-of-the-Web-Dilemma-for-Oz-Researchers-Offering-Phobia-Treatment-42420-1.htm From fear of spiders to fear of the website crashing! Unbelievably, researchers responsible for creating a website that offers free online treatment for fear of spiders (arachnophobia) are now scared their venture might crash due to the overwhelming response. However, the group behind the website, Feardrop, still wants people to test out their treatment. University of Tasmania psychiatry researcher Philippa Cannan, one of the persons behind the online treatment website, points out that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Fear-of-Spiders-and-Scared-of-the-Web-Dilemma-for-Oz-Researchers-Offering-Phobia-Treatment-42420-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Oxytocin-Could-Help-Us-Remember-Happy-Faces-Study-39953-1.htm Oxytocin, a hormone necessary for breast-feeding may actually help us in remembering happy faces, suggests a new study. The study shows oxytocin promotes social association by enhancing the encoding of positive social memories. There is increasing evidence that oxytocin, which has been originally studied as the "milk let-down factor," plays an important role in social bonding and maternal behaviors. The latest study scheduled for publication in the August 1st issue of Biological Psychiatry ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Oxytocin-Could-Help-Us-Remember-Happy-Faces-Study-39953-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Know-Your-Celebrities-Secret-Phobias-39011-1.htm Whether it's cockroaches or heights, spiders or flying - everyone has a fear, and if you thought that the phenomenon of phobias do not exist for celebrities, then you need to think twice. The survey of more than 1000 people including celebrities has revealed some of celebrities' deepest fears. With Scarlett Johansson it is the fear of cockroaches. "I once knew a girl who actually had giant African cockroaches as pets, and she would play with them and fuss over them. She often tried to get me to touch one, but I wouldn't....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Know-Your-Celebrities-Secret-Phobias-39011-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Oxytocin-A-Promise-for-Victims-of-Social-Phobia-38374-1.htm Shy is a common word and needs no introduction. All of us have been shy at some time or the other, often as children, and have grown up to be confident adults. Yet, some people continue to 'suffer' varying degrees of shyness, accompanied by anxiety and fear in social situations. In acute cases, victims cannot have a conversation even with family members without breaking into cold sweat, palpitations, blushing and an awful feeling enveloping them. The experience is so unnerving that victims feel ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Oxytocin-A-Promise-for-Victims-of-Social-Phobia-38374-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Bodys-Natural-Pain-relief-System-May-Curb-Phobias-37035-1.htm A new study has revealed that body's natural pain killing system may aid in blocking phobias. It has long been known that combining an innocuous stimulus (such as a tone) with something aversive (such as a shock to the feet), animals, including humans, learn to show a "conditioned fear" response. And both the learning and the instigation of the 'conditioned fear' response occur in a part of the brain known as the amygdala. Moreover, people showing this response actually tend to experience ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Bodys-Natural-Pain-relief-System-May-Curb-Phobias-37035-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Altered-Dopamine-Activity-Linked-to-Social-Phobia-36651-1.htm Scientists in The Netherlands have unearthed evidence that altered dopamine activity in the brain may give rise to social phobia. The finding reported by researchers at the Leiden University Medical Center results from a study wherein densities of elements of the serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitter systems were compared in the brains of 12 persons diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, and 12 healthy people in the control group. The persons in the experimental group had never taken ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Altered-Dopamine-Activity-Linked-to-Social-Phobia-36651-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/A-Girl-With-the-Worlds-Most-Bizarre-Phobias-Fear-of-Buttons-35773-1.htm A 22-year-old Britain girl is battling with one of the world's most bizarre phobias - fear of buttons. Gillian Linkins can't even stand in the same room as friends and family, who wear them. The sight of buttons sends her into panic attacks. She realised her phobia at the age of seven, when she refused to put on her school blouse. "I've had the fear as long as I remember. My mum says I freaked out when it was time to get dressed," The Sun quoted her as saying. Moreover, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/A-Girl-With-the-Worlds-Most-Bizarre-Phobias-Fear-of-Buttons-35773-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Work-Phobia-Requires-Careful-Treatment-25473-1.htm A new study has found that work phobia is not related to laziness; rather it is a real illness requiring careful treatment. The researchers said that a fear of the workplace and the accompanying problems are not merely a fabrication of the neurotic mind, it is altogether a separate condition that doctors must be dealing with. The team suggests that work-related phobia is an anxiety disorder, but it is different as it can arise in people who do not experience general anxiety disorders. Prof ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Work-Phobia-Requires-Careful-Treatment-25473-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=15358 A recent study has successfully confirmed that anxiety disorders may not be just an independent malady but oft linked to a co existent physical disorder among those who suffer from it causing marked debility and difficulty in doing daily chores and effecting work efficiency. Archives of Internal Medicine, in its edition dated October 23rd reports this study which concurs that very often anxiety disorders are associated with underlying conditions like arthritis, and disorders of thyroid function ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=15358 http://www.medindia.net/news/ Needle phobia or fear of needles can be overcome by decorating them with flowers, butterflies, and smiley faces according to researchers at the University of New Mexico's (UNM) Health Sciences Center. The researchers say that fear of needles can impact the care a patient receives. Many children become hysterical at the sight of needles, whereas some adults avoid the doctor's office altogether. The researchers said that decorated needles appeared to make the patients less stressed, thereby increasing the quality of care....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ http://www.medindia.net/news/ While Robert Bruce renewed his motivation to fight setbacks after watching a spider weave its web, after falling to the ground many a time, there are quite a few of us , who cannot look a spider in the eye, let alone fathom its mastery over the web ! If creeps and spiders make you run a mile, here's something to bolster your confidence to fight fearful situations. Arachnophobia, or any phobia for that matter could be alleviated with a dose of the stress hormone, cortisol, researchers say via a study, published this week....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=8884 Phobia is an anxiety disorder characterised by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations. Psychologists do not know exactly what causes this. To overcome this scientists have developed a new treatment, which is still in the trial stage. The remedy developed by a Swiss-led research team contains a human hormone called cortisol, which the body produces naturally in times of stress or fear to help subdue the panic response, reported the online edition of Nature. Previous ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=8884 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=6244 A study was conducted by Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, M.D., Ph.D., NIMH Genes Cognition and Psychosis Program, and found that hormone oxytocin weeks the brain's fear centre. When a brain imaging study was done at National Institutes of Health's (NIH) (and) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) it revealed that oxytocin boosts trust and reduces the functioning of amygdale (fear circuitry) and disrupts its relay station as a response to the fear stimuli. Previous analysis of this chemical with the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=6244 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=5466 Paruresis manifests in an inability to urinate in public restrooms followed by a considerable avoidance behavior.Recently, a study, to be published in the Journal of iAnxiety Disorders/i (available online 8 April 2005), was initiated on the assumption that paruresis is a form of social phobia. They hypothesized that paruretic subjects differ from pure social phobic subjects only in the severity of paruretic symptoms, not in the severity of social anxiety symptoms or lower urinary tract symptoms....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=5466 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=3250 http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=3250