Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Men's Studies' LiveJournal:

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Saturday, July 19th, 2008
1:00 pm [vanks_moul]	Be Emotionally Healthy And Live A Colorful Life! Life without emotions is like an empty canvass. Our life should have some color once in a while, or else life would be completely dull and boring. Emotions are so important in daily life. For that reason, human emotions have been the object of research and study for thousands of years. What has changed over the years has been the general approach to this investigation. For many years, researchers in psychology focused on what seemed to be rational and what could be directly observed through physiology. Hence, emotion was neglected as it was seen as more part of mind than body. All humans have basic emotional needs. These needs can be expressed as feelings, like the need to feel important, accepted, and respected. While all humans share these needs, each differs in the strength of the need, just as some of us need more water, more food, or more sleep. One person may need more freedom and independence, another may need more security and social connections. One may have a greater curiosity and greater need for understanding, while another is content to accept whatever he has been told. Unlike physical health, many people including physicians have somehow neglected the importance of emotional stability. A person's emotional stability is vital in achieving overall health. Emotional stability contributes to the individual's sense of well-being. Without this, one can be prone to internal chaos, depression, despair, and isolation. In fact, emotional health influences other aspects of health such as physical, mental and social health. Stress leads to the release of certain chemicals to prepare us for action. When this is not required, these excessive chemical levels can cause damage to our body over time. Emotional issues may manifest themselves as illness. One very difficult form of stress to cope and manage is emotional stress. It is often self-created, it can come out of nowhere and the stress caused by it only heightens the emotions felt. As the emotional stress increases, the emotions get worse, heightening the emotional stress. Thus, the problem recreates the cause and the problem only gets worse. Emotional stress is often triggered by a dramatic event that puts a person's nervous system under severe strain. This stress-inducing event could be losing a loved one, seeing someone die, ending a relationship, or being put into a life-threatening situation. These emotionally-charged occurences put a severe strain on a person's mind. The incredible strain can cause changes in the way that the brain works. In fact, a severe emotional strain could even cause someone to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Therefore, maitaining emotional health is necessary to achieve optimum health. It requires a multi-dimensional approach. The various aspects of this approach may include counseling, anger management, meditation, and physical exercise. People should not be haunted by emotional stress. Instead, they should look and try to understand where it is coming from. There are various support groups and solutions that are easily accessible to help someone cope with emotional stress and illnesses. One should not dwell on negative feelings and emotions, which can only hamper the beauty of the different colors of life. About the Author: Choose Variety of High Quality Medicines at Online MedicinesEnjoyed Reading this article? More here: Pharmacy Articles Tips to Achieve Your Optimal Weight Loss and Body Shape air travel and heart problems (Comment on this)
Monday, July 14th, 2008
4:56 pm [blackroot]	Calling All Writers! Hey there! I'm an editor for Below the Belt, a virtual forum designed to encourage dialogue about gender, sex, sexuality and their intersections. We're looking for new guest and bimonthly contributors, so check out the site and see if it might be a good fit! Cheers, blackroot/toughstuff (Comment on this)
5:00 pm [vanks_moul]	Schizoaffective Disorder Causes Symptoms Information with Treatment Most people with this illness have periodic episodes, called relapses, when their symptoms surface. Many individuals with schizoaffective disorder are originally diagnosed with manic depression. Schizoaffective disorder is more common in women than in men. Men with schizoaffective disorder tend to exhibit antisocial traits and behavior in contrast to other personality traits. In addition, the age of onset is later for women than for men, and the exact etiology and epidemiology is unclear because of limited research in this area. Estimates of the prevalence of schizoaffective disorder vary widely, but schizoaffective manic patients appear to comprise 3-5% of psychiatric admissions to typical clinical centers. At one point it was widely believed that schizoaffective disorder was associated with increased risk of mood disorders in relatives. This may have been because of the number of patients with psychotic mood disorders who were included in schizoaffective study populations. the cause may be similar to schizophrenia nature versus nurture. Environmental causes of malnutrition, viral infections, or complication at birth may play a role. Abnormalities of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine could all have a role in this disorder. Causes of Schizoaffective Disorder Common Causes and Risk factors of Schizoaffective Disorder Genetics (heredity) Brain chemistry ( Serotonin and dopamine are neurotransmitters). Environmental/psychological factors. Signs and Symptoms of Schizoaffective Disorder Sign and Symptoms of Schizoaffective Disorder Paranoid thoughts and ideas. Delusions. Hallucinations. Unclear or confused thoughts. Bouts of depression. Thoughts of suicide or homicide. Deficits in attention and memory. Lack of concern about hygiene and physical appearance. Changes in energy and appetite. Treatment of Schizoaffective Disorder Common Treatment of Schizoaffective Disorder Older (tricyclic) antidepressants often worsen schizoaffective disorder. Benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam, clonazepam) often can dramatically reduce the agitation and anxiety of schizoaffective patients. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been used effectively in small percentage of schizoaffective patients, particularly those of the catatonic subtype. Patients with an illness duration of less than 1 year are most responsive. This therapy offers little hope for lasting improvement in chronic schizoaffective patients. Group therapy, combined with drugs, produces somewhat better results than drug treatment alone, particularly with schizoaffective outpatients. This supportive group therapy can be especially helpful in decreasing social isolation and increasing reality testing. Family therapy can significantly decrease relapse rates for the schizoaffective family member. In high-stress families, schizophenic patients given standard aftercare relapse 50-60% of the time in the first year out of hospital. Supportive family therapy can reduce this relapse rate to below 10 percent. Self-Help groups in which family members of schizoaffective patients discuss and share issues, have been particularly helpful in this regard. Behavior therapy in hospital often involves rewarding desired behaviors with specific privileges, such as ground privileges or weekend passes. About the Author: Juliet Cohen writes articles on diseases and conditions and skin disorders. She also writes articles on herbal home remedies. All about Adrenal Fatigue smoking and the possibilities of lung cancer (Comment on this)
Sunday, July 13th, 2008
5:27 pm [princegold]	An Apology My sincerest apologies if I wrote anything that may have offended someone recently. I was intoxicated for days after having a nervous breakdown over my job. I'm really sorry if anyone got their feelings hurt. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 10th, 2008
1:12 am [princegold]	Confused By Women I have gotten real confused over my niece and I don't think I have handled some it well. I never suspected any woman would want to be protected. What I have thought I knew about women must be wrong. Many women seem to thrive, get off on and like being victims. I figure there must be alot of masochistic women but certainly as many masochistic men. I should have told my niece in the past that I would protect her because that is what she wanted to hear from me. She wanted to hear that she is weaker than men, when in all actuality smaller is no disadvantage of all and women are no weaker than men. Her lesbian victim, weaker stance confused me considering she is a violent dangerous personality. It's kind of like how people mispercieve men as being dangerous so many times. I have never been affraid of a man in my life. I have always seen them as much more immature and weaker spiritually than all the years that I have had to fight against women for my real self. (23 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
12:00 pm [vanks_moul]	Remedy or Ripoff Wake Up On Time "I usually pop right out of bed most of the time," says Jackie. Don't ya hate people like Jackie? Most of us are like Shumon and Jessica. "I have to have two alarms every morning," says Shumon. "I set my alarm clock for five forty and then I hit snooze I don't get up until six thirty I tell you that much girl," says Jessica. That's more like it. Misery loves company. But peppy New Jersey mom Cathy Beggan says, she has the answer. "I noticed I had great energy during day when I took certain supplements everyday," says Cathy. So Cathy put the supplements she took every morning, and put them into this one product called Wake Up On Time. "Well, it does help wake you up. I still use my alarm clock but once it goes off I jump out of bed. I don't use the snooze button over and over again So, that is what it is designed to do? to make you want to get up in the morning and have the energy that you need to get out of bed and get going," Cathy states. What's in Wake Up On Time is fairly simple: B complex vitamins, herbal extracts that Cathy says fight fatigue and boost mental concentration and mental awareness, and L-tyrosine. There's no question, what's in wake up on time is safe. But the issue is, does it provide anything extra that one could get in, say, a good multivitamin and a cup of coffee? Stefani Skidell, a registered dietician and Nutritional Manager at SUNY Downstate Medical Center says, "Not in my opinion. Aside from the caffeine that is in it, it is just a B-complex vitamin basically. So yes, I definitely believe that Wake Up on Time is a gimmick." But Cathy points to the numerous emails from happy customers—like these---which prove people truly report they wake up better. "Oh there is a placebo effect. The one thing that is a little questionable to me is the eluthero root and the guarana extract because it is basically caffeine." We asked Cathy for the clinical evidence behind her product's claims. "Well there haven’t been any specific clinical studies in a controlled environment. But what makes this product so unique is the coating over the tablets that delay the release of the ingredients." Cathy says she did study that to prove it works. So maybe, the guarana, combined with the coating, acts as a delayed release caffeine tablet. Whether it's placebo--or a caffeine pill--or something else--those who are using it report they are perkier in the morning. And for those of us who aren't… that's annoying. wakeupontime.com/ About the Author: To find more relatd articles please visit .empowereddoctor.com/specialty_25.html and .empowereddoctor.com/story_1049.html I like it - What Causes Acne (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, June 16th, 2008
1:23 pm [heartrevolt]	The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition is pleased to announce the release of its 2008 GENIUS Survey in partnership with Ernst & Young. GenderPAC works to ensure that classrooms, communities and workplaces are safe for everyone to learn, grow and succeed. The Gender Equality National Index for Universities & Schools (GENIUS), GenderPAC’s most recent effort to end discrimination and promote awareness, encourages colleges and universities to recognize the benefits of a GenderSAFE campus - supportive equitable and protective for all students. Choosing to participate in GENUIS sends a strong public statement that bullying or discriminating based on the race, sex or gender of a student, faculty, or staff member is not tolerated at your institution Fill out the survey at: www.gpac.org/GENIUS2008survey, and make sure that we have data for as many schools as possible. Your voice will help us continue to work towards a safe and welcoming environment for every student (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 20th, 2008
12:22 am [slbruin]	Research Study on Relationships I am currently conducting a research study on relationships and how life experiences can influence these romantic relationships. This is NOT solicitation/spam, this is academic research, and all I need is more men to participate. To participate in you need to be at least 18 years or older and be either currently involved in a romantic relationship for at least one year, OR have previously been in a romantic relationship for at least one year in the past. As an incentive and a thank you for your participation, at the end of the study you can enter to win $50 gift cards from Target.  None of the information you provide will ever be shared with anyone else. Please click on or cut and paste the following link into your browser to participate: www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=L1o7dYx9fO8XNUfjoh2VpA_3d_3d Please feel free to repost the link elsewhere.  I am at a loss at where to advertise it other than here and Craigslist.  Any advice as to where else I can recruit would be appreciated. I want to make sure that men are well-represented in the study. Thanks. (Comment on this)
Monday, March 17th, 2008
3:05 pm [bellahdance]	I want to write my term paper on homosexuality and how it can be found manifest in physical traits - possibly suggesting that it's not a choice, but rather something that can be found in the genes[?]. I really, really like the topic this article. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can find good info on the topic? Or perhaps how to phrase my topic-choice concisely? Thank you! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, March 10th, 2008
5:29 pm [leavingtheeddy]	book recs hey all. i'm interested in doing some reading on masculinity and am looking for some recommendations. what are things that you've read that you've enjoyed or found helpful? anything would be great. thanks so much. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, December 29th, 2007
8:43 pm [x_windansea_x]	Issues of masculinity and unresolved issues of status [This was originally a response to a post, but I thought it brought up good points, so I want to get others' feedback. The original post is several posts down.] Masculinity is, of course, very important to men. But I think there's an online trend of "promoting" or at least "studying" masculinity and I think the trend, its practitioners and many things associated with it are pathetic and effeminate. I won't say anything new about masculinity - a desire for dominance; persistence; pride; maybe wisdom. But I try to imagine great men from history and I cannot, AT ALL, imagine them worrying about masculinity as such. I'm reading a book about Hassan ibn-Sabbah right now (master of fortress Alamut and founder of the Ismaili Assassin sect) and I cannot picture him thinking about masculinity. Nor can I picture even his novices, who are described as just young men undergoing military and diplomatic training, as worrying about this. They act (and I believe, think) like normal men act (and think) around one another. I was, however, thinking about STATUS - now, status is probably more important. I had this discussion yesterday: what if you have healthy self-esteem and you are in order but your social and sex lives are not in order. You seem normal, decently risky, etc, but -- people aren't thrilled about you. Now, sure, you can treat it with indifference (which I guess would be masculine) but then at the end of the day you'd still be by yourself as opposed to partying with fun, sexy people. I haven't thought of an answer to this yet.   (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, December 30th, 2007
6:23 am [vanks_moul]	Just How Dangerous Is OxyContin, Anyway? Just How Dangerous Is OxyContin, Anyway?  by: Albert Frantz OxyContin belongs to a family of drugs called opioids, which are derived from the opium poppy and are among the most common drugs used to address both chronic and acute pain. Due their abuse and addictive potential, they are nearly always prescribed with caution. Opioids suppress the body's response to pain by acting on what is called the mu receptor, which is a molecule that bonds with the body's natural pain killers. The mu receptor is thus the body's most significant pain gateway. It also bonds with opiate drugs such as heroin and morphine. This receptor affects not only the experience of pain but also of euphoria, which contributes to the addictive potential of these drugs. Unfortunately, medical textbooks inform us that all opioids have been abused, and there is no way around their high abuse potential. To control distribution of addictive drugs, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classifies drugs for regulatory purpose into schedules, of which there are five. Schedule 1 drugs, like raw opium and LSD, are as close to completely prohibited as is possible (they're permitted, for instance, in special laboratory research circumstances), while schedule 5 drugs are common over-the-counter medications that pose extremely little risk of addiction or abuse. Where do opioids fit into the picture? Oh, they're in with their schedule 2 neighbors heroin, cocaine, morphine, amphetamine and the like. All except oxycodone (the active ingredient in OxyContin), which despite an addictive potential comparable to heroin is in the more "harmless" schedule 3! OxyContin has been popping up in the news quite a lot lately. It's become the drug of choice among new addicts. In fact, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, between 50 and 90 percent of new patients admitted to drug rehabilitation programs in the states most severely affected by OxyContin abuse (West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Virginia) list OxyContin as their drug of choice. To be fair, chronic pain sufferers are seeking relief from their pain, rather than a dangerous high, and medication certainly plays a useful role in pain management in many circumstances. Further, OxyContin becomes most addictive when its long-acting time-release safeguard is circumvented, usually by chewing the pill, thus releasing the active drug oxycodone all at once. Patients using the drug legally, for its intended purpose and under their doctor's supervision are clearly at less risk. Still, the risk is definite and grows over time, as all opioids are known to diminish in effectiveness over time, mandating either higher doses or opioid rotation (temporarily switching to a new opioid) or both. Further, withdrawal symptoms can be experienced when patients stop taking opioids, making them crave more drugs. In fact, many patients report that their sensation of pain is worse after ceasing treatment than it was before they started! (In some cases, such as cancer, this effect could be attributed to the progression of the disease.) Surely it's best never to get started along this vicious cycle. Let us understand that even dangerously addictive drugs have their legitimate medical uses, one of which may indeed be to relieve chronic pain sufferers of their plight. Still, regardless of whether or not you and your doctor choose drugs as one means of treatment, never forget that pain is a message that you're doing the wrong thing or you're doing things wrong. Listen to your body. Don't shoot the messenger. weight loss drug Serious Dieting Tips, Humorous Explanations (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 30th, 2007
1:01 am [musicpsych]	I posted these questions in my own journal, and I thought I'd post them here, too. How do you define masculinity? Like, not a dictionary definition, but your own personal definition? If you are male, how does this apply to your own life? Is it something you actively think about, or is it something that just "is" and you only think about it when prompted? Do you believe in the whole "alpha male" thing as applied to humans, or is that just a label people apply in certain situations? (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, December 1st, 2006
10:28 am [lupinlover]	I am writing a Research Paper for my Sociology class and I need to find more males (only males-- it's about how men react to female emotions/crying) to take my survey. So if you'd like to help me out, I would be eternally grateful. ( Survey! ) (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, November 13th, 2006
4:33 pm [johnnyboysriot]	My name is Johnny. I am a student working to transfer to a UNI to major in psychology and human sexuality. I am currently conducting a research study on the paraphilias/atypical sexual variations that involve urophilia (arousal from urine/urination), coprophilia (arousal from feces/defecation), and emetophilia (arousal from vomit/vomiting). I am running a very basic survey as part of my project. I am looking for participants that would be willing to take 20 seconds or less to anonymously fill out my survey. The survey is rather flimsy as I am not basing my survey on a specific population. My intention is to get a generalized idea of how many people (at random) fantasize or engage in urophilia, coprophilia, and/or emetophilia, as well as which ones favor one another. This will add some jazz to my project. To avoid bias answers, I am posting my survey in communities that I feel will be open minded and mature and not only just fetish based communites. I would like to get about 500 participants total. I really appreciate your help. Thank you. http://www.opinionpower.com/Surveys/274042553.html (Comment on this)
Sunday, November 5th, 2006
10:28 pm [eggplantcurse]	Greetings! Hey there, I am new to this community and just wanted to say I am enjoying reading all your posts and will contribute something soon enough! Pit (Comment on this)
Friday, August 25th, 2006
4:53 pm [differenceblog]	The study of gender differences differenceblog: I'm about two weeks into a semi-scholarly new blog about the study of gender differences (both intentional and incidental). There's a new post every weekday discussing some aspect of gender differences, and then a commentary post on the same theme, giving a perspective on it from my life in two genders. If that's something you'd be interested in, please stop by and let me know what you think. I'm also looking for suggestions on where else to mention the blog to find interested readers. Thanks. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2006
9:27 pm [mediaprophet]	This anti-evolution "backlash" is doing GREAT THINGS for sociobiology. Why? Until recently, social scientsists have been terrified of applying ideas of evolution to society. Theories like memetics and sociology of science (how ideas come to gain strength) and other things within social psychology have been killed for fear of being too conservative. After all, the Nazis and robber barons used social darwinism to justify exploitation and even murder. Sociologists hate exploitation and shy away from conservativism. But guess what? Evolution has become branded liberal again! Everything evolution is liberal, so we're seeing an explosion of ideas of evolution applied to ideas themselves, from studies of internet communications to studies of scientific fads; even to the sociology of sociology! So thank you, Kansas. Word. (Comment on this)
8:53 pm [mediaprophet]	Politically and personally, the change has equally profound effects. Some lesbians view it as a kind of disloyalty bordering on gender treason. ( rambling thoughts ) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, August 13th, 2006
10:38 pm [orchidia]	Pornography and relationships...... Hi, all. I am a 27 year old female who has been married and divorced once, and then, I married again. I have never really taken on any 'titles' to my points of view. I have strong feelings about things, but I have never classified them into a group of other's beliefs. I have never found one system of beliefs that fit everything I think and feel, so I don't bother trying to find one. I don't believe in God or any spiritual entity, but I do have my own ideas about morality. I am curious how different people in this community might feel about pornography. I am curious if one feels it is okay at a certain point in life when one is not married or in a relationship. I am curious about one's feelings of its use inside a marriage with or without a spouse who consents to it. I am curious how one thinks their spouse should react to it. I am curious if one thinks it affects how he/she looks at him/herself. I am curious if one thinks it affects how he/she looks at others. I am curious how one thinks it changes their expectations in real sexual relationships. I am curious if one thinks it creates intimacy issues inside a relationship. There are many other curiosities I can come up with, and if you are curious about my own viewpoint, you can read my own personal journal entry on it, which was the last entry I made in my own journal. I am curious about this, obviously that I am posting it in this community, in a male viewpoint, as pornography is mainly geared towards men, and I believe them to be the main consumers of pornographic material. (19 Comments |Comment on this)