Child Abuse Prepares the Brain for a Lifetime of Mental Health Issues
Child Abuse Prepares the Brain for a Lifetime of Mental Health Issues We can see the aftermath of childhood trauma on brain scans. Children who are abused, physically, emotionally, sexually or neglected, have different adult brains than their counterparts who were not abused. Current research suggests that those who were abused are left vulnerable to […]
Managing Student Expectations in the Transition from High School to College
Managing Student Expectations in the Transition from High School to College High school seniors have a lot of expectations about what life will be like once they move on from their parents’ homes. When I prepared to leave for college, I hunkered down in my room to make a list of all the things I’d […]
Designer Drugs Make Users Human Guinea Pigs
Designer Drugs Make Users Human Guinea Pigs Designer drugs are synthetic chemicals that are created to be “legal” (at least temporarily) alternatives to popular drugs like cocaine or MDMA. The very questionable content of most of these “party” drugs is a growing danger. Due to the frequently changing chemical makeup and unknown substances used by […]
Creating Narcissism: How Your Parenting Could Lead Your Child to Addiction
Creating Narcissism: How Your Parenting Could Lead Your Child to Addiction It’s a complaint that many people make about the younger generation(s) – that they are self-obsessed and entitled to the point of being narcissistic. Certainly it is not true of every young person, but it is a troubling trend. However, recent research has suggested […]
Why AA is Bad Science…and What It Means for Your Addiction Treatment Options
Why AA is Bad Science…and What It Means for Your Addiction Treatment Options In an excellent piece in The Atlantic, writer Gabrielle Glaser gives an exposé on the lack of scientific evidence on the efficacy of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and the preponderance of evidence that shows that not only does the lauded program fail to […]
Alcohol Abuse may be Related to Personal Activity Levels
Alcohol Abuse may be Related to Personal Activity Levels There is some evidence that physical activity may benefit individuals who are attempting to reduce their alcohol consumption. A study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism found an association between physical activity and a lower risk of alcohol problems. Sedentary people had a higher risk […]
Alcohol Benefits to Health Not Accurate, Especially for the Elderly
Alcohol Benefits to Health Not Accurate, Especially for the Elderly For years, many people have argued about the benefits of drinking small amounts of alcohol for health, arguing that moderate consumption may protect against cardiovascular disease. The association has been a contentious one, since study results may have been exaggerated or possibly skewed due to […]
Can a Psychedelic Trip Improve Your Mental Health?
Can a Psychedelic Trip Improve Your Mental Health? For thousands of years, shamans have used hallucinogenic plants to help individuals overcome trauma and other difficulties. In the West, research into the potential healing power of entheogens, substances believed to elicit mystical experience, were halted in the middle of the last century. Now, the government is […]
Stress Intensifies Pain Response
Stress Intensifies Pain Response A new study confirms that acute psychosocial stress has a dramatically negative effect on the body’s ability to modulate pain. Researchers found that although pain thresholds and pain tolerance seemed unaffected by stress, there was a significant increase in pain intensification and a decrease in pain inhibition capabilities in stressed individuals. […]
Could Drug Abuse be Influencing the War(s) in the Middle East?
Could Drug Abuse be Influencing the War(s) in the Middle East? The Middle East is dealing with an epidemic of methamphetamine use. Could this be a factor in the growing tension in the region and offer at least a partial explanation for the lack of willingness to attempt negotiated resolutions? Consider a few facts: Meth […]