MSI Press Blog

 q Every so often, neuroscience uncovers something that feels like a hinge — a small mechanism that, once understood, could swing open an entirely new way of thinking about mental health. GriK4 is one of those hinges. What GriK4 Is GriK4 is a gene that helps regulate communication between neurons. It codes for a receptor protein called GluK4 , part of the brain’s glutamate signaling system — the system that handles excitation, learning, and emotional processing. When GriK4 is expressed at higher-than-normal levels, it increases the amount of GluK4 available in certain neural circuits. That might sound like a minor adjustment, but in the brain, small shifts in signaling can ripple outward into behavior. How GriK4 Affects Anxiety Recent research in mice has shown that overexpression of GriK4 in the amygdala — the brain’s emotional alarm center — can trigger anxiety-like behaviors . Mice with elevated GluK4 levels avoided open spaces, withdrew socially, and showed depression-like...

  Today's shared blog post comes from Franki Bagdade, author of the award-winning book,  I Love My Kids, But I Don't Always Like Them . This week, Franki shares the second most popular post of 2025: Things I Say as a Therapist about Anxiety . For more posts by and about Franki, click  HERE . Book Description: Selected as Independent Authors' Network Book of the Year as the Outstanding Parenting Book and winner of the Literary Titan Gold Award, I Love My Kids, But I Don't Always Like Them, is the ultimate survival guide for parents living through one of the strangest times in history. This " how to guide" will support you even if you are exhausted and burnt out in improving your child(ren)'s behavior. Written by an expert with 20 years of experience in behavioral observation in the classroom, in overnight camp, and more. Franki's storyteller cadence helps the book to read as if it's a casual conversation and pep talk between two parents over coffee....

  Excerpt from  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star Affective Dissonance: Anxiety   Everyone experiences anxiety, no matter how capable or how easy a life any person seems to have. [1] Everyone has problems; just scratch the surface. And problems create anxiety. Generally, the greatest source of anxiety comes from not having the means to resolve a problem even if you know how to resolve it. If you cannot pay rent because your income is too low, of course, you will feel some anxiety. Classroom anxiety comes from a similar source—except often the lack of means of resolving a problem is a perceived lack, not a real lack. You are nervous about a test because you don’t have enough time to study, but you have waited until the last minute so you need to cram. Of course, you feel anxiety. You probably also realize that you did not have to wait until the last minute, and next time you can rectify it. Some students experience severe test anxiety. Th...

  Excerpt from  Anxiety Anonymous  by Dr. Dennis Ortman --  Introduction   “Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe.” —Tao Te Ching  In our fast-paced society, living with stress seems normal. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. You may rationalize the stress as the inevitable price of ambition and success.  What you call stress is really anxiety. It is your fearful, nervous reaction to the many challenges of your life. That anxiety may escalate and persist to the point that you tell yourself: “I’m powerless over my anxiety, and my life has become unmanageable because of it.”   If your anxious reactions become harmfully excessive and beyond your control, you have crossed a line. You have become addicted to your anxiety. You experience it as powerful as any drug, taking over your life.  Nancy’s Story   Tonight was a special night for Nancy. She planned a surprise thirtieth birthday dinner...