UCLA Friends of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

‘Post-election Stress Disorder’ Sweeps the Nation, PBS NewsHour reported. @arthurbrooks offers advice for dealing with election-induced anxiety and depression: https://www.theatlantic.com//how-deal-2020-electi/616989/

Join us for an inspiring and informative program about #bipolar disorder with renowned author Terri Cheney @cheney.terri and @uclahealth #psychiatrist Dr. Michael Gitlin. Thursday 11/12. 5pm PT Virtual and free. Rsvp link in bio or www.friendsofthesemelinstitute.org

With nearly 70% of Americans expressing apprehension and nervousness over #election2020, is it any wonder so many of us are feeling anxious and stressed. There's even a name for it -- Election Anxiety Disorder. In his role as a director and professor at Chapman University, Dr. Jay Kumar created a helpful video and ""ten tips" you can do for coping with election anxiety. https://www.linkedin.com//ten-tips-coping-election-anxiety

Attention LA County High School Students interested in #film Join us for the inaugural Open Mind Film Festival for Mental Health. High school students throughout Los Angeles County are invited to submit short films highlighting their unique experiences and concerns about mental health. We are interested in stories of people living with mental illnesses, ideas on reducing the stigma of or coping with mental illness, and ways mental health issues impact high school students. ... The timeline for the festival is: February 15: Deadline for submissions May 6: Film Festival Event Selected films will be screened at The James Bridges Theatre on the UCLA campus. If Covid-19 makes a live meeting inadvisable, we will host a virtual festival. For more information about the Open Mind Film Festival, please visit www.FilmFreeway.com/OpenMindFilmFestival. If you have questions, please email [email protected]. We look forward to receiving films from young people you know and seeing you at the Festival in May. #mentalhealth #filmfestival #students #losangeles

Why #Politics Makes People Crazy Here's how politics creates a neurochemical roller coaster. Your #brain evolved to promote survival, so your neurochemicals create a sense of urgency about everything relevant to survival needs. Social needs feel as urgent as physical needs because the survival of your genes depends on it. Politics triggers your happy brain chemicals by creating expectations of your needs being met; but it likewise stimulates unhappy chemicals by illuminating obstacles to meeting your needs. You can easily end up with a roller coaster feeling. @inner.mammal.inst https://www.psychologytoday.com//why-politics-makes-people @psych_today

The Political #Brain Politics offers your inner mammal the safety of a herd ( #oxytocin), the illusion of social importance ( #serotonin), & the promise of new rewards ( #dopamine). But it keeps you focused on the negative ( #cortisol). Find your own path! Thank you to the Inner Mammal and Dr. Loretta Graziano Breuning for this brilliant piece! bit.ly/3ksoDn1 https://www.slideshare.net/LorettaBreun/the-political-brain

Do you have #election2020 Stress Disorder! A recent study from the American Psychological Association found more than two-thirds of adults in the U.S. say the 2020 presidential election is a significant source of stress in their life #mentalhealth #stress https://www.cbsnews.com//americans-battle-with-election-s/

It's #spooky Fact Friday! Why do some people enjoy #Halloween fear while others don't? We know that dopamine is released in response to thrilling situations. The brains of those who enjoy fear lack a brake on dopamine release, resulting in more feelings of pleasure & reward! #neuroscience #happyhalloween #neurology @ucla

@selenagomez Talks @MentalHealth Reform With @kamalaharris

#mentalhealth and the #law Inside the Robe - A Judge's Candid Tale of Criminal Justice in America by Judge Katherine Mader (Ret.) Inside the Robe shines a bright spotlight into the hidden folds of the judging world. The old saw is that judges merely follow the law. Yet following the law can produce wildly different results depending upon each judge’s background, politics, and life experiences. Even the courthouse floor to which a case is assigned can mean the difference b...etween prison and freedom. From her perch behind the bench, Judge Mader witnesses a parade of drug addicts, gang members, mentally ill defendants, pricey private attorneys, jaded prosecutors, and true-believer public defenders. Never before has the judging profession been laid bare for all to see. Judge Katherine Mader spent two decades as a judge in a criminal court, was the LAPD’s first inspector general, a prosecutor in two murder-for-hire trials, and a defense attorney who successfully argued to spare the life of the Hillside Strangler. Jonathan Sherin, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health will join Judge Mader in discussion. Elyn Saks, Ph.D, Orrin B. Evans Distinguished Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, USC Gould School of Law will moderate the discussion Wednesday, November 18 Program begins at 5:00 PM PT Registration link in bio is required for this free program

Laurie Santos, Yale psychology professor and host of "The Happiness Lab" podcast, about coping with stress during challenging times. #pandemic #happiness https://media-exp1.licdn.com//C5605AQFS/videocover-high/0

Are you anxious about #election2020. Here is a De-stress Election-Anxiety Playlist Twelve songs to help you express impatience, agitation, and hope from @theatlantic Follow along on @spotify

Join us for a presentation on #bipolardisorder featuring renowned author, Terri Cheney. Register for this free virtual program on 11/18 at 5PM PT www.friendsofthesemelinstitute.org

Toronto's ASD Band Looks To Raise #Autism Awareness By Example. 'I Got You Babe': A Band For People On The Autism Spectrum Melts Hearts Online People on the autism spectrum can have trouble making sense of the social world. They can also be highly focused. For members of Toronto’s ASD Band, that focus is on music, and it's magical.... When manager Andrew Simon heard three of members of The ASD Band, named for Autism Spectrum Disorder, at a charity concert with Roger Hodgson of Supertramp, he decided to help showcase what people on the spectrum can accomplish. While COVID-19 has made scheduling an in-person concert impossible so far, the band has recorded some of its music. And The ASD Band recently invited people to sing and play along with its version of Sonny and Cher’s I Got You, Babe, leading to a flood of contributions from 11 countries, showcased in this YouTube video. #music https://www.npr.org//band-of-musicians-on-the-autism-spect