I was sceptical at first but a miracle brain device helped my anxiety - it's like something clicked in my mind
I became aware of my anxiety in my mid-30s, and since then it has compounded. Now in my mid-40s, I suspect the hormonal changes of perimenopause are also heightening these feelings.
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The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
Your toddler may have up to 96 chemical substances lurking inside of them, scientists discover
Your preschooler might be routinely exposed to as many as 96 potentially harmful chemicals, according to researchers. A new analysis conducted by multiple U.S. institutions has found that 48 chemicals were found in more than half of the urine samples from more than 200 children between the ages of two and four years old. There were 96 chemicals detected in five children. The institutions had tested for 111 chemicals, including plastic-fortifying phthalates, pesticides, benzophenones that are used in sunscreens and cosmetics, bisphenols found in plastic containers and parabens that are commonly used in cosmetics, lotions, shampoos and pharmaceuticals. Exposure to phthalates has been linked to breast cancer, and benzophenones have also been listed as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans.' Previous research has also suggested a possible link between exposure to certain bisphenols and an increased risk of certain cancers. 'Our study shows that childhood exposure to potentially harmful chemicals is widespread. This is alarming because we know early childhood is a critical window for brain and body development,' Deborah Bennett, professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California at Davis, said in a statement. 'Many of these chemicals are known or suspected to interfere with hormones, brain development and immune function.' Bennett is the lead author of the study, which was published on Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. The authors also discovered that 34 of the chemicals they tested for were found in more than 90 percent of the children included in the study. The kids lived in California, Georgia, New York and Washington. Levels in two-year-olds were higher than their older counterparts, and firstborn children had significantly lower chemical levels than their younger siblings. There were also racial disparities, with children from racial and ethnic minority groups found to have higher levels of parabens, several phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil and gasoline. Those chemicals include nine that are not currently tracked in national health surveys, and the researchers noted that many of these chemicals are not routinely monitored. Children are exposed to the chemicals through everyday activities. They may touch contaminated surfaces, breathe indoor and outdoor air and play close to the ground. Frequent hand-to-mouth contact makes them especially vulnerable. Parents can limit their children's' exposure by choosing safer products, maintaining hygiene, ventilating their spaces and cleaning regularly. The researchers noted that more studies are needed to fully understand the long-term health implications of exposure to the chemicals. 'Exposure to certain chemicals in early childhood — such as pesticides, plasticizers and flame retardants — has been linked to developmental delays, hormone disruption and other long-term health issues,' Jiwon Oh, first author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, said. 'This new study highlights the urgent need for expanded biomonitoring and stronger regulations to protect children from harmful exposures.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Air pollution linked to lung cancer-driving DNA mutations, study finds
Air pollution has been linked to a swathe of lung cancer-driving DNA mutations, in a landmark study of people diagnosed with the disease despite never having smoked tobacco. The findings from an investigation into cancer patients around the world helps explain why never-smokers make up a rising proportion of people developing the cancer, a trend the researchers called an 'urgent and growing global problem'. Prof Ludmil Alexandrov, a senior author on the study at the University of California in San Diego, said researchers had observed the 'problematic trend' but had not understood the cause. 'Our research shows that air pollution is strongly associated with the same types of DNA mutations we typically associate with smoking,' he said. The scientists analysed the entire genetic code of lung tumours removed from 871 never-smokers in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia as part of the Sherlock-Lung study. They found that the higher the levels of air pollution in a region, the more cancer-driving and cancer-promoting mutations were present in residents' tumours. Fine-particulate air pollution was particularly linked to mutations in the TP53 gene. These have previously been associated with tobacco smoking. People exposed to greater air pollution also had shorter telomeres, protective strands of DNA found at the ends of chromosomes, which are often compared with the caps on shoelaces. Telomeres tend to shorten with age, so premature telomere shortening is interpreted as a sign of rapid ageing. 'This is an urgent and growing global problem that we are working to understand,' said Dr Maria Teresa Landi, an epidemiologist on the study at the US National Cancer Institute in Maryland. With smoking in decline in many parts of the world, including the UK and the US, never-smokers are making up a larger proportion of lung cancer patients. Current estimates suggest that 10-25% of lung cancers are now diagnosed in never-smokers. Almost all are a form of cancer known as adenocarcinoma. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. About 2.5m new cases are diagnosed globally each year. More than a million of the deaths occur in China, where smoking, air pollution and other environmental contaminants are factors. Recent research found that the highest rates of adenocarcinoma attributable to air pollution were in east Asia. While cases in the UK were much lower, they still amounted to more than 1,100 new diagnoses a year, scientists found. The latest work, published in Nature, identified only a slight rise in cancer-causing mutations in people exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. But the study highlighted a significant risk from certain Chinese herbal medicines that contain aristolochic acid. Signature mutations linked to the herbal medicines were seen almost exclusively in never-smokers from Taiwan. Another mysterious mutational signature was seen in never-smokers but not smokers. 'This is something entirely different,' Alexandrov said.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Psychologist reveals subtle signs you were raised by a narcissistic parent - and what it means for your future
Those who have an extreme competitive streak may have been raised by parents with toxic narcissistic traits, psychologists have warned. Being a chronic people pleaser is another telltale sign that a person's parents carry the disturbing personality traits that are linked to mental illness and relationship problems. Professor Wendy Behary and Dr Craig Malkin say there are six tell-tale signs your parents may have these characteristics, and revealed, in a recent interview, how to 'break the cycle' and not copy their behaviour. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a mental health condition characterised by a 'pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration and lack of empathy', according to official sources. It is estimated that up to one in 20 people in the UK may suffer with the disorder to some degree, with experts such as Prof Behary claiming it is underdiagnosed. Prof Behary, who specialises in treating people with narcissistic personality disorder, and director of the Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey, warned that the first tell-tale sign that someone was raised by a narcissist is that they are unable to say no. 'They're not able to say "I matter, I have needs",' she told HuffPost. Dr Craig Malkin, a leading psychologist, explained that children of narcissist parents have been made to feel 'sick, crazy or selfish for expressing the most basic of needs', resulting in them becoming a complete push-over in later life. Another key sign that a person was raised by a narcissist is evidence that they themselves have a toxic personality. According to Dr Malkin, these toxic traits— including manipulating situations to make others feel small, gaslighting and guilt-tripping—are often learned behaviours. Therefore, it is not uncommon for 'strong-willed children, who are more extroverted from birth, to become narcissistic themselves in a game of "If you can't beat them, join them," he said. The experts added that children of narcissistic parents will often be over-competitive with their siblings. 'Extremely narcissistic people love to put people on pedestals—almost as much as they enjoy knocking them off them', Dr Malkin explained. And fourth on the list: 'You spent your entire childhood putting out fires and maintaining the peace.' According to Prof Behary, children of narcissistic parents often end up burdening a lot more of the emotional toll of life than their parents, meaning at times they feel more like a partner than a child. She said: 'It's the sense of drama that the child feels they have to manage. In order to do that, they really have to forfeit a lot of their own innate childhood needs.' Those who pride themselves on external validation, through school and adult life, may have been raised by parents with toxic personality traits, the experts claimed. 'The child of the narcissist learns that the only thing that matters is what [they] can produce in the world,' Dr Malkin said. This is because narcissists often have an extreme need for higher accomplishment and social status worthy of praise. Finally, the experts revealed that children of a narcissist often struggle to form a sense of self. This is because narcissistic parents will often try to live vicariously through their children, pushing them into careers they would have liked for themselves. 'Many children of narcissists will say "I always felt like I was poised to be more of a reflection of my [parent] rather than be my own person,' Prof Behary explained. Those who exhibit narcissistic tendencies, often learned from their parents, are more likely to develop mental health problems, have relationship difficulties and struggle with substance abuse, studies show. Having a narcissistic parent can also cause siblings to drift apart, as they both fight for the limelight with one child often receiving high praise, and the other blame and resentment. This rejection can lead to children adopting the same toxic traits as their parents, out of fear that they could be ridiculed by outsiders. However, the experts said that this destructive cycle can be broken. 'Children of narcissists who find themselves name-calling and hurling insults aren't without hope, but they need to roll up their sleeves and work hard emotionally.' To break the cycle, the psychologists said the first step is acknowledging the needs your parent may have failed to meet when you were a child, and practice acceptance. Dr Malkin continued: '[Children of narcissistic parents] need to become comfortable feeling ― and expressing ― vulnerable feelings like sadness, loneliness, fear, and overwhelm with those they love.' However, he warned that in some cases, a person who was raised by a narcissist should consider limiting contact with their parents in later life. The three key warning signs that a parent may be life-destroying are abuse, denial and psychopathy. In this case, psychopathy—characterised by a web of lies and manipulation—indicates that this person may actually lack the ability to empathise with others, Dr Malkin warned. 'No one should ever have to put up with emotional or physical abuse, and if parents can't acknowledge the fact there's a problem in the first place, there's little chance that anything will change.' He added: 'Abusers are 100 per cent responsible for their abuse, and only they can stop it. 'Until they do, interactions won't be safe.'
