YOU THINK??? I really do NOT need any scientific evidence to believe in this. Both personal experience as well as vicarious experience have attested to this fact over and over again. Still, we can’t really stop others if they want to conduct polls or studies regarding this issue. I read about a poll that Associated Press-AOL Health undertook early this year. They surveyed about a thousand respondents in all the American states with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii. The results? Read for yourself: 27 percent had ulcers or ...

As if having asthmatic attacks was not difficult enough, a new study shows that people with asthma have increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts. Research done at the Johns Hokpins University School of Public Health examined more than 5,000 people: They found that about 12 percent had a history of asthma. Estimates of lifetime prevalence for suicidal thoughts and attempts without and with asthma were 8.7 percent, 4.2 percent and 12 percent, respectively, and occurred more frequently in women than in men. Cigarette smoking and concurrent mental health conditions may independently account for ...

Acutane is one of the most popular treatments used for acne problems. It used to be that acne problems were almost always associated with teenagers but today, even those in their 20s and 30s have problems with acne. In this society where a lot of value is placed on physical beauty, the proliferation of beauty treatments comes as no surprise. Of course, constant research and studies come up with new discoveries – like this one about isotretinoin, the active ingredient in Acutane. Based on a report from Reuters: Use of isotretinoin, the ...

My colleagues and I have our differences but we definitely agree on one thing – we have all gained weight over the past year. Perhaps it is due to the nature of the job – we lead sedentary lives. More probably, it is due to the fact that we all love to eat together and we do so a lot. In any case, I realized that the weight gain has affected some more than others. There is this woman who is a good friend and she really has gained a ...

Party people may be familiar with a nightclub drug called Special K. This drug is actually a horse tranquilizer also known as Ketamine. Researchers have published their findings in the Archives of General Psychiatry and claim that Special K could actually help treat people who suffer from depression. How does the drug work? Reuters reports: Ketamine restores to normal the orbifrontal cortex, an area of the brain located above the eyes that is overactive in depressed people. The area is believed to be responsible for feelings of guilt, dread, apprehension and physical ...

Maryland authorities are stepping up on efforts to address the issue of bullying – and not only in schools but in other venues as well. Are you aware that bullying occurs at the workplace as well? Based on the article published by the Washington Post: There is evolving research indicating that bullying is a potentially lethal form of abuse that affects people of all ages. It happens not only in schools but also increasingly on the Internet and via cellphones, in neighborhoods and summer camps, between siblings, as hazing among young adults, ...

We all suffer from the blues every now and then. This is a normal phase that we all go through. Just because you feel sad or depressed from time to time does not mean that you are clinically depressed and that you need to go see a psychologist or psychiatrist. In fact, when you are feeling a bit blue, you can do some things to make yourself feel better! I think that we are all familiar with these methods - I am sure that you have your own “best cures” for the ...

While we’re on the subject of mental health, I ran across a blog post detailing the results of a study on the correlation between religious activity and mental health. The study was conducted by Joanna Maselko, Sc.D of Temple University. She says that “One’s lifetime pattern of religious service attendance can be related to psychiatric illness.” Interesting, isn’t it? The results of the study indicate that women who stop their religious activity are three times more likely to suffer from mental problems such as general anxiety and ...

I was on the phone with a close friend the other day when she told me that the doctors put her sister on lithium. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked. I have heard of lithium and its use for mental problems, of course, but I didn’t really know much about it. This sister has bipolar disorder and when I met her, she was on a manic episode. I know how uncontrolled she could be, yet I was thinking whether lithium is indeed the solution. So I looked ...

Roundabouts a year ago, I wrote a post on seasonal affective disorder (SAD). As we are right smack in the middle of winter again, I thought it would be good to take a deeper look into what SAD is all about. After all, not understanding something may very well be akin to digging your own hole. Knowing what SAD is all about can help you deal with it in a more effective manner. Here are some facts about SAD: -Symptoms become apparent when the days get shorter and the nights longer. -Melatonin and serotonin ...