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Alfred Binet was a French psychologist best remembered for developing the first widely used intelligence test, often known as the Binet-Simon test. The test originated after the French government commissioned Binet to create an instrument that could identify school kids who needed remedial studies. With his collaborator Theodore Simon, they created the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale.

Lewis Terman later revised the scale and standardized the test with subjects drawn from an American sample, and the test became known as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. The test is still used today and remains one of the most widely used intelligence tests.

Alfred Binet’s Early Life

Alfred Binet was born Alfredo Binetti on July 8, 1857,​ in Nice, France. His father, a physician, and his mother, an artist, divorced when he was young and Binet then moved to Paris with his mother.

After graduating from law school in 1878, Binet planned to follow in his father’s footsteps and enroll in medical school. He began to study science at Sorbonne but soon began educating himself in psychology by reading works by individuals such as Charles Darwin and John Stuart Mill.

Binet’s Career

Binet began working at the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris under the guidance of Jean-Martin Charcot. Afterward, he moved to a position at the Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, where he was the associate director and researcher. In 1894, Binet was appointed the director of the lab and he remained in this position until his death in 1911.

Binet’s early support of Charcot’s research on hypnotism resulted in professional embarrassment when Charcot’s ideas faltered under closer scientific evaluation. He soon turned his interest toward the study of development and intelligence, often basing his research on observations of his two daughters.

The Binet-Simon Test

Binet and colleague Theodore Simon developed a series of tests designed to assess mental abilities. Rather than focus on learned information such as math and reading, Binet instead concentrated on other mental abilities such as attention and memory. The scale they developed became known as the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale.

Psychologist Lewis Terman later revised the test, and became known as the Stanford-Binet. While Binet’s original intent was to use the test to identify children who needed additional academic assistance, the test soon became a means to identify those deemed “feeble-minded” by the eugenics movement. 

This shift in how the test was used is notable since Binet himself believed that the intelligence test he had designed had limitations. He believed that intelligence was complex and could not be fully captured by a single quantitative measure. He also believed that intelligence was not fixed.

Binet’s Contributions to Psychology

Today, Alfred Binet is often cited as one of the most influential psychologists in history. While his intelligence scale serves as the basis for modern intelligence tests, Binet himself did not believe that his test measured a permanent or inborn degree of intelligence.

According to Binet, an individual’s score can vary. He also suggested that motivation and other variables can affect test scores.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious psychological condition characterized by unstable moods and emotions, relationships, and behavior. During a BPD episode, a person may act impulsively, engage in risky behaviors, switch moods quickly, have higher levels of anger, appear numb, or experience paranoia.

An estimated 1.4% of the adult population has borderline personality disorder, with roughly three-quarters of the diagnoses occurring in women. However, it is suggested that this is due to high rates of misdiagnosis in men.

BPD is one of the many personality disorders recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). It is categorized as a cluster B personality disorder, meaning that someone with this type is more likely to be dramatic, overly emotional, and unpredictable in their thoughts or behaviors.

Personality disorders are psychological conditions that begin in adolescence or early adulthood, continue over many years, and, when left untreated, can cause a great deal of distress. Thankfully, the right treatments can help significantly.

Types of Borderline Personality Disorder

Some experts propose that there are different types or subtypes of BPD. However, they often differ on what these types or subtypes may be.

For example, in one 2017 study, researchers classified BPD patients into three clusters: those with “core BPD” features only and those that feature other personality disorders, such as:

• Core BPD symptoms (high frequency of BPD symptoms without any significant overlap with other personality disorder symptoms)
• Extravert/externalizing features (histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial)
• Schizotypal/paranoid features

Another study supports the notion of three subtypes of borderline personality but lists them as:

• Affect dysregulation (which was associated with co-occurring diagnoses of generalized anxiety and panic disorders)
• Rejection sensitivity
• Mentalization failure (the latter of which predicted post-traumatic stress disorder)

A 2015 study of hospitalized BPD patients suggests that there are five subtypes. According to this approach, the different subtypes, in order of their prevalence, are:

• Impulsive (37%)
• Dependent (29%)
• Affective (26%)
• Empty (5%)
• Aggressive (4%)

Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder can interfere with a person’s ability to enjoy life or achieve fulfillment in relationships, work, or school. Because it is a personality disorder, someone may not show signs of BPD until their personality develops, with diagnoses occurring only after patients are over 18 years of age.

Symptoms of borderline personality often appear and can create significant problems in the following areas:

• Behaviors: BPD is associated with a tendency to engage in risky and impulsive behaviors, such as going on shopping sprees, excessive drug or alcohol use, engaging in promiscuous or risky sex, or binge eating. They’re also more prone to engage in self-harming behaviors, such as cutting or burning and attempting suicide.
• Emotions: Emotional instability is a key feature of BPD. Individuals feel like they’re on an emotional roller coaster with quick mood shifts (i.e., going from feeling okay to feeling extremely down or blue within a few minutes). Mood changes can last from minutes to days and are often intense. Anger, anxiety, and overwhelming emptiness are common as well.
• Relationships: People with borderline personality disorder tend to have intense relationships with loved ones characterized by frequent conflict, arguments, and break-ups. BPD is associated with an intense fear of being abandoned by loved ones. This leads to difficulty trusting others and attempts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, putting a strain on relationships. It’s also common for someone with BPD to have a ‘favorite person,’ or someone they feel they cannot live without.
• Self-image: Individuals with BPD have difficulties related to the stability of their sense of self. They report many ups and downs in how they feel about themselves. One moment, they may feel good about themselves, but the next, they may think they are bad or even evil.
• Stress-related changes in thinking: Under conditions of stress, people with borderline personality disorder may experience changes in thinking, including paranoid thoughts (for example, thoughts that others may be trying to cause them harm) or dissociation (feeling spaced out, numb, or like they’re not really in their body).

Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder

BPD is diagnosed by evaluating an individual’s symptoms and reviewing their medical history. A healthcare provider may also perform a physical exam and order lab tests to rule out medical illnesses that might be contributing to the symptoms.

At this time, there is no definitive borderline personality disorder test. Instead, to be diagnosed with BPD, the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) indicates that the individual must experience five or more of the nine symptoms of BPD, which are:

• Efforts to avoid abandonment
• Emotional instability
• Feelings of emptiness
• Identity disturbances
• Impulsive behaviors
• Inappropriate, intense anger
• Unstable interpersonal relationships
• Suicidal or self-harming behaviors
• Transient paranoid or dissociative symptoms

Conditions with Similar Symptoms

When making their diagnosis, a health provider or therapist will also rule out other mental health conditions that can cause symptoms similar to those experienced with BPD. Conditions that have overlapping symptoms with borderline personality disorder include:

Making this differentiation is important to finding the right treatment. For example, when comparing borderline personality disorder vs. bipolar disorder, the mood changes in people with BPD are often shorter in term, while people with bipolar tend to experience mood changes that last days or weeks.

Co-Occurring Conditions

It’s common for borderline personality disorder to co-occur with certain other mental conditions, known as comorbidities, sometimes making it more challenging to diagnose. Conditions often co-existing with BPD include:

Causes of Borderline Personality Disorder

Like most psychological disorders, the exact cause of BPD is not known. However, research suggests that some combination of nature (biology or genetics) and nurture (environment) is at play.

A few of the proposed causes of borderline personality disorder include:

• Brain structure: There is evidence of differences in brain structure and function in individuals with BPD, especially in the parts of the brain that affect impulse control and emotional regulation. However, it’s unclear if these differences are a result of having BPD or if they are part of the cause.
• Genetics: There appears to be a genetic component to borderline personality disorder, as it’s not uncommon for close family members to have this condition.
• Negative experiences: Many people diagnosed with BPD have experienced childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect, or were separated from their caregivers at an early age. At the same time, not all people with BPD had one of these childhood experiences, and conversely, many people who have had them do not develop BPD.

Risk Factors for Borderline Personality Disorder

Certain factors may increase your risk of developing BPD. They include:

• Being abandoned during childhood or adolescence
• Experiencing abuse (sexual, physical, or emotional)
• Having a disruption in your family life
• Poor communication skills within the family unit

Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder

At one time, experts believed that borderline personality was unlikely to respond to treatment. However, research has since shown that BPD is very treatable. Since BPD is associated with risky behaviors, self-harm, and suicide, treatment can help curb these behaviors.

Getting help from a mental health professional is critical. With consistent treatment, you can live a better quality of life with fewer symptoms. Find someone who specializes in BPD and can provide treatments targeted to this condition. This is important because if you aren’t getting the right treatment, it may not be as effective.

The usual order of treatment for borderline personality disorder includes psychotherapy, medication, then other treatments.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is the standard treatment for BPD. Depending on your situation, this treatment option may also include the involvement of your family, friends, or caregivers.

Examples of psychotherapy that are specific to BPD include:

• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that teaches you how to be present, also builds skills related to coping with stress, emotional regulation, and relationship improvement
• Mentalization-based treatment (MBT), which helps someone with borderline personality disorder better recognize how their thoughts and feelings are associated with their behaviors
• Group therapy, or engaging in treatment with others who also have BPD, also learning from them and their experiences

Medication

Your mental health professional may recommend that you take medication to help treat certain borderline personality disorder symptoms, such as depression or mood swings. Medications prescribed to help treat BPD symptoms often fall into one of the following categories:

Other Treatments

In times of crisis, hospitalization or more intensive treatments may be necessary for someone with borderline personality disorder. Inpatient treatment for BPD is common, with roughly 79% of individuals with this condition being hospitalized at least once and 60% having multiple hospitalizations.

Complications of Borderline Personality Disorder

If left untreated, people with BPD have a higher risk of developing depression and other behaviors that can negatively impact their health, some of which include:

Coping With Borderline Personality Disorder

If you have borderline personality disorder, there are things you can do that will help improve your ability to function and cope. Steps you can take that can improve your quality of life include:

• Seek appropriate treatment: If you think that you or a loved one may have BPD, it’s imperative to seek the help of a licensed mental health professional, such as a mental health counselor, social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist.
• Get an accurate diagnosis: It’s important to remember that many of the symptoms of BPD are symptoms that everyone experiences from time to time. Also, some borderline personality disorder symptoms overlap with other mental and physical conditions. Only a licensed professional can diagnose BPD.

Borderline Personality Disorder Discussion Guide

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• Work with your health provider or therapist on a treatment plan: The good news is that once a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder is made, there is hope. Your therapist or healthcare provider can help determine a plan of action, which may include psychotherapy, medications, or other treatments.
• Stick to your treatment plan: Research has shown that with good, consistent treatment, BPD symptoms can be reduced significantly. Some people who were once diagnosed with borderline personality no longer meet the criteria for the disorder with treatment and time.
• Know your triggers. Triggers for borderline personality disorder can include memories of a past experience or feeling rejected or abandoned by a family member or close friend. Recognizing your triggers can help you create strategies for dealing with them effectively when they appear.
• Give it time: For reasons that are unclear, the symptoms of BPD tend to decrease during middle age, with many people starting to see improvements around age 40.

The terms “psychologist” and “psychiatrist” are often used interchangeably to describe anyone who provides therapy services, but the two professions and the services they provide differ in terms of content and scope. In order to decide which professional might be best suited for providing your mental healthcare treatment, it is important to be aware of the differences between these professions.

Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist: Key Differences

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are able to prescribe psychotropic medications, which they do in conjunction with providing psychotherapy, though medical and pharmacological interventions are often their focus.

Though many psychologists hold doctorate degrees, they are not medical doctors, and most cannot prescribe medications. Rather, they solely provide psychotherapy, which may involve cognitive and behavioral interventions or psychodynamic or psychoanalytic approaches.

Education, Training, and Credentials

While psychologists and psychiatrists may have some overlapping responsibilities, such as conducting psychotherapy and performing research, their educational and professional licensure backgrounds differ.

Requirements for Psychologists

Psychologists receive graduate training in psychology and pursue either a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) in clinical or counseling psychology.

Doctorate programs typically take five to seven years to complete and most states require an additional one- or two-year-long internship in order to gain licensure. Other states require another year or two of supervised practice before granting full licensure.

During their education, those pursuing either a PhD or PsyD doctoral degree take courses in:

• Personality development
• Psychological research methods
• Treatment approaches
• Psychological theories
• Cognitive therapies
• Behavioral therapies

The PhD degree option tends to be more research-oriented. Those who earn a PhD in clinical or counseling psychology receive extensive training in research methods and complete a dissertation.

The PsyD degree option, on the other hand, tends to be more practice-oriented. Students who pursue this degree option spend more time learning about and practicing clinical approaches and treatment methods.

Like psychiatrists, psychologists utilize the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to diagnose people who are experiencing symptoms of mental illness. They often use psychological tests such as personality tests, clinical interviews, behavioral assessments, and IQ tests in order to get a better idea of how a client is functioning.

Requirements for Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists are physicians who have specific training in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses. In order to become a psychiatrist, students first earn an undergraduate degree before they attend medical school and receive an MD.

After finishing their medical training, psychiatrists also complete an additional four years of residency training in mental health. This residency often involves working in the psychiatric unit of a hospital. They also work with a wide variety of patients, ranging from children to adults, who may have behavioral problems, emotional difficulties, or some sort of psychiatric disorder.

During this medical residency, those specializing in psychiatry receive training and practice in how to diagnose and treat different psychiatric conditions, such as:

Psychiatrists receive training in different psychotherapy treatment modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a popular treatment approach that has been shown to have a high level of effectiveness in the treatment of a wide variety of psychiatric conditions, including anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, stress, and anger issues.

Psychiatrists also receive additional training in a specific area of interest, such as geriatric psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addictions, and other areas. Some may then choose to specialize further by completing a fellowship in an area like neuropsychiatry, geriatrics, adolescent psychiatry, or psychopharmacology.

Prescriptive Authority: Psychologists vs. Psychiatrists

A second important distinction between the two careers is that psychiatrists can prescribe medications, while, in most states, psychologists cannot. However, there has been a recent push to grant prescribing powers to psychologists.

Seven states—New Mexico, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Louisiana—now grant prescribing privileges to medical psychologists holding a post-doctoral master’s degree or equivalent in clinical psychopharmacology.

Kevin McGuinness, chairman of the Commissioned Corps Mental Health Functional Advisory Group, explained, “For those interested in a career in psychology as a prescriber, it is important to know that certain federal employees and uniformed commissioned officers (Army, Air Force, Public Health Service, Navy, etc.) that are licensed in one state as a medical psychologist may prescribe in any other state to which they are assigned by the federal government.”

Do They Offer Different Treatments?

While the two professions are distinct, psychologists and psychiatrists both play important roles in mental health treatment. Very often, they work in collaboration with one another to provide the best possible treatment for an individual.

For example, patients may begin by seeing their primary care physician about the psychological symptoms that they are experiencing. Their doctor may then refer them to a psychologist for further evaluation. That psychologist may observe, assess, and diagnose the patient before referring them to a psychiatrist who can prescribe and monitor medications.

The psychologist and psychiatrist may work together, with the psychologist offering behavioral interventions and the psychiatrist providing or adjusting medication in order to best address the patient’s symptoms. The type of approach needed often depends on the severity of the symptoms and the needs and wishes of the patient.

Research suggests that people have different preferences about whether they want psychotherapy alone or in combination with medication. These preferences can affect what professionals they see. It can be helpful to consider how each professional might approach the treatment of specific conditions before deciding which treatment options might be right for you.

For conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and trauma, a psychiatrist may focus on using prescription medications to manage symptoms, whereas a psychologist would concentrate on psychotherapy to help address negative beliefs and encourage behavior changes. It is important to note that a number of factors go into determining which professional might be best equipped to handle treatment, including how comfortable you feel with them.

Should You See a Psychologist or a Psychiatrist?

So is it better to see a psychologist or a psychiatrist? Both professionals can provide mental health assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, so choosing between the two professionals often depends on what you hope to get out of treatment.

• If you want to use medication to relieve symptoms of a mental health problem, consider seeing a psychiatrist.
• If you want to try one-on-on psychotherapy, consider seeing a psychologist. 
• Seeking a psychologist may be helpful if you are interested in addressing relationship issues with your partner or a family member.
• If you are experiencing symptoms of a serious mental illness, consider seeing a psychiatrist.

Finding a mental health professional that is a good fit is not always a straightforward task. You might start by asking your doctor to refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist or ask family and friends if they have personal recommendations. If you decide you want to see a psychiatrist, you will generally need to get a referral from your primary care provider.

Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist Careers

If you are considering a career as a therapist, you will need to determine which career path is best for you. Options you might consider include:

• Psychologist: This can be a great choice if you are interested in providing psychotherapy, administering psychological tests, and conducting research.
• Psychiatrist: This can be a great choice if you have an interest in medicine and want to be able to prescribe medications to your patients.
• Social worker or counselor: A career in another human services field such as social work or counseling can be a great choice if you want to help people but aren’t interested in spending five to eight years in graduate school. These professionals are also qualified to provide mental health services depending on training and experience. Both social work and counseling typically require two or three years of graduate study.
• Psychiatric nursing: Psychiatric nursing is another great career option for students interested in medicine. Advanced psychiatric nurses hold a master’s degree or higher in psychiatric-mental health nursing and are able to assess patients, diagnose disorders, provide psychotherapy, and prescribe medications.

Life as a Psychologist or Psychiatrist

Work/life balance and work settings are other factors that students should consider when choosing between a career as a psychologist or psychiatrist. Both medical school and graduate school are rigorous and require a significant investment of time, resources, and energy.

A medical residency can be grueling, and students should feel comfortable working in medical settings if they opt to enter the field of psychiatry. After graduating, psychiatrists who choose to work in hospital settings may be required to work long hours or be on-call.

Psychologists also face similar demands. Some psychologists may choose to work in hospital settings, while others can be found in mental health clinics, government agencies, academic settings, and private practice.

Professionals in this field may find that they need to work evening and weekend hours in order to accommodate clients who work during typical business hours. Like psychiatrists, psychologists working in the mental health field may also need to be on-call at times or be able to respond to emergency situations.

Job Outlook for Psychologists vs. Psychiatrists

According to the “Occupational Outlook Handbook” published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the job outlook for psychologists and psychiatrists is expected to grow over the next decade.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median salary for psychologists as of May 2023 was $117,750 per year. The median annual salary for psychiatrists in May 2023 was considerably higher at $256,930.

The stereotype of the “angry drunk” may be rooted in fact, at least for some people in whom anger and alcohol are associated. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, the use of alcohol is more closely associated with aggressive behavior than any other type of psychotropic substance. But drinking alcohol can elicit different behaviors in different people.

“Alcohol is involved in half of all murders, rapes, and assaults,” said Robert O. Pihl, professor of psychology and psychiatry at McGill University. “But the dynamics of this association are complicated, which is why any research that focuses on explaining this relationship is important for society in general.”

This article discusses some of the facts behind the stereotype of the “angry drunk” and explores the connection between anger and alcohol.

Understanding Anger and Aggression 

Anger is an intense emotion you feel when something has gone wrong or someone has wronged you. Aggression refers to a range of behaviors that can result in both physical and psychological harm to yourself, others, or objects in the environment.

“Trait anger” refers to a person’s general tendency to experience chronic anger over time. An angry person tends to seek out stimuli that activate feelings of anger. This may explain why they are angry more often and act more aggressively than someone who does not have this personality trait.

How Alcohol Affects Anger and Aggression

Alcohol can provoke different emotional responses for different people. For example, it can make some people sad and others angry. If you have a natural tendency to be angry, drinking alcohol may cause you to become aggressive.

There are a number of cognitive, neurobiological, and social factors that can influence how alcohol affects aggression.

The effect of alcohol may also be due to the effect of neuroinflammation, a situation made worse because of the effect of heavy alcohol consumption on the gut/microbiome and nutrition. For example, research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids are deficient in people with alcoholism and this is associated with violence.

Anger and Alcohol Risk Factors

According to one study, the following risk factors may increase the risk of alcohol-related aggression:

• Being male
• Binge drinking
• Having high levels of trait anger
• Having a sensation-seeking personality
• Having underlying irritability
• Having friends or relatives who exhibit aggression under the influence of alcohol
• Lacking empathy

Disinhibition

Among the many studied physiological and behavioral effects of alcohol is disinhibition, or reduced control over impulses or urges after intoxication. Disinhibition can make you unable to suppress or change an act of aggression that is not appropriate for the situation you’re in.

“If individuals tend to express their anger outwardly,” said Amos Zeichner, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Georgia, “alcohol will ‘turn up the volume,’ so that such a person will express anger more frequently and more intensely. A heightened response will most likely occur when the provocation against the drinker is a strong one, and will less likely occur when the individual is experiencing a low provocation and is sober.”

Impulsivity

One study found that chronic alcohol use decreases the function in the prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in impulse control. Researchers have also linked impulsive alcohol-related behavior to genetic involvement, with the presence of the serotonin 2B receptor gene (HTR2B) playing a role in impulsive and aggressive behaviors while under the influence of alcohol.

Cognitive Function

Alcohol impairs cognitive function, which means it is more difficult to problem-solve, control anger, and make good decisions when drinking. Decreased cognitive function also means it’s more likely for you to misread a situation and overreact. For example, if you’re intoxicated, you might perceive someone bumping into you by accident as a provocation and respond aggressively.

Low Regard for Consequences

People who tend to ignore the future consequences of their behavior, or score low on the Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) scale, have been found to display more aggression. This is heightened when consuming alcohol, according to a 2012 study.

How Anger and Alcohol Contribute to Domestic Violence

Intimate partner violence is of great concern when it comes to alcohol and anger. Violence can occur in marriages, long-term partnerships, and dating relationships.

In a 2017 report, researchers shared their findings of the relationship between alcohol and dating violence. The study included 67 undergraduate men who were currently dating someone.

The study concluded that alcohol increased the odds of physical aggression in those men who had high trait anger and poor anger management skills. It also noted that sexual aggression was higher with alcohol, even in men with low trait anger and reasonable anger management skills.

Some of the biological factors that contribute to alcoholism may also play a role in increasing the risk of intimate partner violence. Such factors including head injury, neurochemistry, physiological reactivity, metabolism, and genetics.

Alpha brain waves represent one pattern of electrical activity produced by the brain. The brain can produce slower or faster partners of activity, and alpha waves lie somewhere in the middle of this range.

Alpha waves usually occur when you are engaged in activities such as daydreaming, meditating, or practicing mindfulness. Research suggests that this type of brain wave may play a role in reducing symptoms of depression and improving creativity.

So what exactly is a brain wave? The brain is made up of millions of neurons that use electrical signals to transmit information. When groups of neurons fire together in a certain way to send signals to other groups of neurons, the resulting patterns are known as brain waves.

These electrical patterns are associated with different types of activity in the brain as well as different states of consciousness.

How Are Alpha Brain Waves Measured?

There are five different types of brain waves. Brain waves are measured by a tool known as an electroencephalogram (EEG). The picture that the tool creates portrays this electrical activity in a way that looks like waves.

Types of Brain Waves

The five types of brain waves and their associated frequencies are: 

• Delta waves, which are between 0.5 and 4 hertz (Hz), occur during deep states of dreamless sleep.
• Theta waves, which are between 4 and 8 Hz, occur during light sleep or deep relaxation.
• Alpha waves, which measure between 8 and 12 Hz, occur when people feel relaxed and when the brain is in an idle state without concentrating on anything.
• Beta waves, which measure between 12 and 30 Hz, are the waves that occur during most conscious, waking states. It is a fast activity that signals attentiveness and alertness. 
• Gamma waves, which measure between 25 and 100 Hz, are the fastest wavelength brain waves that are linked to activities such as learning, problem-solving, and information processing.

What Do Alpha Brain Waves Do?

When the brain produces alpha waves, it is because it is in a state that is relaxed and restful. This is why people experience these waves when they are doing stress-relieving activities such as meditating.

How does brain activity look on an EEG when alpha wave activity is prominent? When the brain displays this type of EEG wave, it often means that a person is focused on a specific thought and not paying attention to unwanted distractions. They tend to ignore sensory activity and are in a relaxed state.

Potential Benefits of Increasing Alpha Brain Waves

Interest in using alpha waves grew after the development of biofeedback, a technique involving feedback from a tool that measures brain activity to learn how to consciously create alpha waves.

While more research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits, some evidence suggests that alpha waves can have several positive effects on mental well-being.  

Reduced Depression

A study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry found that using a technique called transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to induce alpha wave activity reduced depressive symptoms in people with major depressive disorder.

While the study’s sample size was small, the results show the therapeutic potential of increasing alpha waves to combat depression.

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Greater Creativity

Increasing alpha waves may also help make you a more creative thinker. One 2015 study found that alpha wave activity was associated with spikes in creativity. This effect, they found, could be induced using non-invasive brain stimulation.

While such effects may help boost creative thought, it also offers promise for helping reduce depression. That’s because boosting creativity can be a great way to break out of negative or destructive ways of thinking that play a role in depressive symptoms.

Reducing Anxiety

Alpha waves are linked to more relaxed, restful mental states, which is why researchers also believe that they may help lower anxiety and stress.

For example, researchers have shown that increasing alpha and theta activity in the brain’s occipital lobes helped decrease anxiety and improve functioning in those with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Another study also found that alpha-wave neurofeedback training reduced anxiety and depression in people with GAD.

Tips for Increasing Alpha Waves

Neurofeedback, also known as neurotherapy or electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback, is one way to learn how to consciously induce alpha waves. In this mind-body technique, people receive auditory and visual feedback about their brain activity using an EEG monitor.

While researchers continue to explore this as a therapeutic treatment for depression and anxiety, there are things that you can do to help improve your ability to experience this type of brain wave. Increase alpha wave activity by:

• Meditating: Meditation has many health benefits and has been linked to increased alpha waves.
• Deep breathing: Deep breathing can be an effective way to combat feelings of anxiety. Research also suggests that it may help boost alpha activity in critical brain areas.
• Practicing mindfulness: Studies have shown that mindfulness training can lead to increased alpha wave activity, and some research has suggested that this practice may help people who are experiencing chronic pain, anxiety, or depression.
• Yoga: The relaxed state associated with alpha waves may increase when performing yoga, and some research has suggested that regular yoga practice may enhance alpha activity in the brain.
• Aerobics: Some researchers suggest that aerobic exercise can increase alpha wave activity.

What Happens When Alpha Waves Are Imbalanced?

While alpha waves have promise for reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression, they can also cause problems if they are off-balance or out of sync.

For example, while alpha waves are often present right before you fall asleep, they should not occur as frequently while you are asleep. When alpha waves occur in excess during sleep, they can contribute to sleep disorders.

If you grew up in a home with a parent who misused alcohol, you’re probably familiar with the feeling of never knowing what to expect from one day to the next. When one or both parents struggle with addiction, the home environment is predictably unpredictable. Arguments, inconsistency, unreliability, and chaos tend to run rampant.

Children of alcoholics don’t get many of their emotional or social needs met due to these challenges, often leading to traits and skewed behaviors like low self-esteem, rejection sensitivity, over-reactivity, and constant approval-seeking or people-pleasing.  

Emotional well-being: If you were never given the attention and emotional support you needed during a key developmental time in your youth and instead were preoccupied with the dysfunctional behavior of a parent, it may certainly be hard (or perhaps impossible) to know how to get your needs met as an adult.

Social well-being: If you were not able to establish healthy attachments with your caregivers as an infant, or experience stable interpersonal interactions, it may be difficult to develop healthy, trusting relationships with other people later on. 

The advantage of recognizing this is that you’re an adult and no longer a helpless child. You can face these issues and find resolution in a way you couldn’t back then.

Common Behaviors or Traits in Adult Children of Alcoholics

Many children of alcoholics develop similar characteristics and personality traits. The same can be said about people who have been sexually abused, or raised in authoritative/highly religious homes.

In her 1983 landmark book, “Adult Children of Alcoholics,” the late Janet G. Woititz, EdD, outlined 13 of them. “Dr. Jan” (as she was known) was a best-selling author, lecturer, and counselor who was also married to an alcoholic.

Based on her personal experience with alcoholism and its effect on her children, as well as her work with clients who were raised in dysfunctional families, Janet discovered that these common characteristics are prevalent not only in alcoholic families but also in those who grew up in families where there were other compulsive behaviors.

Examples of behaviors include gambling, drug abuse, or overeating. Other types of dysfunction, such as parents who were chronically ill or held strict religious attitudes, were also implicated.

She cited that adult children of alcoholics (ACoAs) often:

• Guess what normal behavior is
• Have difficulty following a project through from beginning to end
• Lie when it would be just as easy to tell the truth
• Judge themselves without mercy
• Have difficulty having fun
• Take themselves very seriously
• Have difficulty with intimate relationships
• Overreact to changes over which they have no control
• Constantly seek approval and affirmation
• Feel that they’re different from other people
• Are super responsible or super irresponsible
• Are extremely loyal, even in the face of evidence that the loyalty is undeserved
• Are impulsive
• Tend to lock themselves in a course of action without giving serious consideration to alternative behaviors or possible consequences.
• Impulsivity can lead to confusion, self-loathing, and loss of control over their environment. In addition, they spend an excessive amount of energy cleaning up the mess.

If you’re a child of an alcoholic, that doesn’t mean that everything on this list will apply to you. However, because the experiences have common features, it’s likely you will recognize at least a few items on Dr. Jan’s list.

The Laundry List

Before Dr. Jan’s book was published, an adult child of an alcoholic who went by the name “Tony A”, published in 1978 what he called “The Laundry List,” another list of characteristics that can seem very familiar to those who grew up in dysfunctional homes.

Tony’s list has been adopted as part of the Adult Children of Alcoholics World Service Organization’s official literature and is a basis for the article “The Problem,” published on the group’s website.

According to Tony’s list, many adult children of alcoholics can:

• Become isolated
• Fear people and authority figures
• Become approval seekers
• Be frightened of angry people
• Be terrified of personal criticism
• Become alcoholics, marry them, or both
• View life as a victim
• Have an overwhelming sense of responsibility
• Be concerned more with others than themselves
• Feel guilty when they stand up for themselves
• Become addicted to excitement
• Confuse love and pity
• “Love” people who need rescuing
• Stuff their feelings
• Lose the ability to feel
• Have low self-esteem
• Judge themselves harshly
• Become terrified of abandonment
• Do anything to hold on to a relationship
• Become “para-alcoholics” (people who take on the characteristics of the disease without drinking)
• Become reactors instead of actors

Adult Children of Alcoholics in Relationships

Many adult children of alcoholics lose themselves in their relationship with others, sometimes finding themselves attracted to alcoholics or other compulsive personalities, such as workaholics, who are emotionally unavailable.

Adult children may also form relationships with others who need their help or need to be rescued, to the extent of neglecting their own needs. If they place the focus on the overwhelming needs of someone else, it can give them a sense of self-worth, and they don’t have to look at their own difficulties and shortcomings.

Support for Adult Children of Alcoholics

If you identify with the characteristics outlined in either Dr. Woititz’s or Tony A.’s book, you might want to take our Adult Children Screening Quiz to get an idea of how much you may have been affected by growing up as you did.

Many adult children find that seeking professional treatment or counseling for insight into their feelings, behaviors, and struggles helps them achieve greater awareness of how their childhood shaped who they are today.

The process is often overwhelming in the beginning, but it can help you learn how to identify your feelings, assertively express your needs, gain compassion for yourself, and learn to cope with conflict in new and constructive ways. You may also want to learn to establish boundaries and interact with your parents in healthier ways, especially if they are still misusing alcohol.

Others have found help through mutual support groups such as Al-Anon Family Groups or Adult Children of Alcoholics. You can find a support group meeting in your area or online meetings for both Al-Anon and ACOA.

Alternative therapies refer to any medical treatments that are not traditional medicine techniques. Alternative therapies could either be used alongside conventional medicine or instead of it. The term is often used interchangeably with “complementary medicine.” In medical spaces, the practice is referred to as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) does make a distinction between complementary and alternative medicine. According to them, when it’s used alongside traditional medicine, it’s complementary, but if it’s used in place of conventional medicine, then it’s considered alternative. However, most people are likely to use these therapies alongside traditional medicine.

When a licensed healthcare provider uses both alternative therapies and conventional medicine, then it’s called integrative medicine. A doctor or healthcare provider who uses integrative medicine uses all therapeutic methods to ensure their patients are healthy.  

Alternative Therapy Categorization

There are many types of alternative therapies. Over the years, many of these therapies have shifted into conventional medicine. Alternative therapies can be classified into many categories. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health classifies complementary and alternative therapies into:

• Nutritional approach: This includes any diets, dietary supplements, probiotics and herbs used in alternative and complementary therapies.  
• Physiological approach: This includes alternative therapy practices like meditation and hypnosis.
• Physical approaches: This includes practices like acupuncture and massages. 
• Combination of physiological and physical: These are therapies that affect the mind and body simultaneously. They include yoga, tai-chi, dance therapy, and a host of others. 

Most forms of alternative therapies fall under one of those categories. Some of the most widely practiced are discussed below.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda focuses on using specific herbs, massages, and diet techniques to treat conditions. It’s an ancient Indian practice and has been in use for thousands of years.

Ayurveda treatments typically involve a purification process, herbal remedies, special diets, yoga, massage, and meditation. Research shows that Ayurvedic medicine can help with conditions such as osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, and colitis (an inflamed colon).

Meditation 

The practice of meditation has been used for many centuries. There are many types of meditation, but the primary aim of meditation practice is to help you focus your attention and achieve a state of calm and relaxation. This, in turn, can help you cope with certain disorders and improve your overall health and well-being. 

Meditation effectively treats symptoms of health conditions such as high blood pressure and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. It can also help boost immunity and combat stress.

Homeopathy 

Homeopathy involves using very watered-down substances to treat a host of ailments from asthma to high blood pressure. It’s based on the principle that a substance that causes symptoms can also treat those symptoms.

Homeopaths, that is, people who practice homeopathy, believe that the more a substance is diluted, the more power it has to treat symptoms of a condition. There’s a lot of skepticism around the practice of homeopathy in traditional medicine circles.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy makes use of hypnosis to treat certain conditions. The hypnosis process involves being guided into a deeply relaxed state, where a hypnotherapist will access your subconscious thoughts and beliefs.

A hypnotherapist will give you suggestions to help encourage behavioral change or relieve your symptoms when you are in this state. For instance, hypnotherapy can be used to help treat addiction or stress management.

Research also suggests that hypnotherapy can be helpful for:

• Relieving pain
• Managing some characteristics of ADHD
• Relieving nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy
• Managing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Acupuncture 

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves sticking finely pointed needles in areas of your body known as acupuncture points. This practice has historically been used as a natural pain-relieving technique. It’s believed that the needles stimulate specific nerves and muscles, releasing natural pain-relieving hormones in your body.

In a 2016 study, researchers found that acupuncture was somewhat effective in treating tension and chronic headaches. Some research also suggests that acupuncture may provide some benefits for relieving symptoms of anxiety.

Yoga

Although some might consider yoga simply a form of exercise, yoga has been used for centuries as a healing technique. This ancient Indian practice has been proven to improve the physical and mental well-being of people who practice it.

Yoga has also proven to help relieve stress, manage anxiety, and pain management. Yoga is relatively safe; however, it’s advisable to practice with a certified instructor to avoid any sprains or strains if you are new to it.

Massage

You are most likely already familiar with massages. You might not just consider it as a treatment option. Therapeutic massages are more focused on helping to treat physical symptoms like pain in certain body parts. They are done by kneading the soft tissues of your body until you feel relief.

Research suggests that massage therapy can have a number of benefits, including helping people deal with symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression.

There are different types of massages, and the kind you get typically depends on the goal you seek to achieve with it.

Herbal Medicine

With herbal medicine, parts of a plant such as its leaves, seeds, or roots are processed into treatment for conditions like chronic pain and allergies. Herbal medicine can come in different forms, from tea to lotions or pills and powders.

Some common herbal treatments include: 

• St John’s Wort, for treating mild symptoms of depression 
• Green tea to help with weight loss and lower cholesterol 
• Gingko biloba for poor circulation 
• Saw palmetto to treat enlarged prostates

Chiropractic Medicine

Chiropractic medicine is practiced by a chiropractor. This form of alternative therapy aims to ease pain and improve body function. It uses specific techniques to manipulate the spine, joints, and skeletal system and helps align the body.

Chiropractic medicine is similar to traditional medicine because chiropractors review your medical history, conduct tests and interviews, and provide an official diagnosis before developing a treatment plan.

Reiki

Reiki is an ancient Japanese form of alternative therapy. It’s based on the belief that you have a “life force energy” flowing within your body. When this energy is low, you become sick.

Reiki aims to restore this energy by laying hands on different parts of the body. Doing so helps with any physical or psychological problems you have. It’s a form of energy therapy.

A 2022 study found that Reiki was more effective than a placebo in relieving some mental health symptoms. The authors of the study suggest that Reiki may be helpful as a complementary approach when used alongside traditional therapy for people experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress.

Uses of Alternative Therapies

Research suggests that between 25% and 75% of people use some type of complementary and alternative therapy, product, or practitioner each year. While such estimates are high, researchers suggest that these numbers may underestimate the actual use.

Alternative therapies have been either alongside or instead of traditional medicine to treat a host of conditions that affect you.

Alternative therapies like yoga, acupuncture, meditation, massage, and herbal remedies have been used to treat conditions like depression, anxiety, hypertension, and chronic pain.

Are Alternative Therapies Safe and Effective? 

More research needs to be done on the safety and effectiveness of alternative therapies. While some, such as meditation, yoga, and massages, have been used for years and are widely accepted in traditional medicine circles, others, like homeopathy and Reiki, are still met with skepticism.

Concerning safety, many alternative therapies have been used for centuries with little or no safety concerns. But it is important to remember that just because something is labeled as “natural” does not necessarily mean it is safe.

Most importantly, alternative therapies should not be considered a replacement for traditional treatments. If you are experiencing symptoms of a medical or mental health condition, it is important to talk to your doctor about which treatment options might be best for you, whether that includes conventional approaches or the addition of complementary and alternative therapies.

Keep in Mind

It’s also essential to research the safety and effectiveness of specific alternative therapies before opting for them.

It’s also essential to do extensive research into the safety and effectiveness of specific alternative therapies before choosing them. Some alternative therapies, such as meditation, yoga, and acupuncture, have been used for years and are considered safe and beneficial.

Even though your doctor is more likely to suggest conventional medicine for you, it doesn’t hurt to get their opinion on an alternative therapy you want to try before you do so.