A study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry examines the effect of religion and spirituality on depression. Those claiming that religion was important to them only had approximately 1/10th the risk of experiencing depression – compared to those not holding religion in high esteem.
We’ve all been hurt by someone or have found ourselves on the short end of some situation. And when treated unfairly, there’s a natural tendency to want to right the wrong or level the playing field, so to speak.
For clients being prescribed an antidepressant for the first time, here are some important considerations: How the depression presents. There are some 12 subtypes of major depressive disorder, but none of them are reliable predictors of antidepressant response. Nevertheless, there needs to be a starting point for the selection process. For example, is the client’s [...]
The absence of clear biological markers to aid us in establishing an etiological basis for diagnosing mental health disorders will translate into a manual that is more of the same. Lacking such markers, lists of symptoms will continue to be grouped into syndromes that are different in name only.
Diagnosing mental health conditions is more art than science – always was, always will be. The diagnosis of general medical conditions is not without an art component, but physical medicine has a major advantage over mental health medicine: the ability to objectify findings. Diagnostically speaking, there is an obvious, self-evident advantage to be able to [...]
I’ve always liked the signature phrase that helped define the Nike Corporation, namely, “Just Do It.” I like this phrase because it simply and succinctly states the best way to learn something, particularly something new.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recently released updated ADD guidelines that recommend medication treatment for preschool children as young as age 4 – despite the fact that use at such a young age remains FDA unapproved.
Reaffirming the notion that there is indeed a pill for every ill, on November 23rd of this month the US Food and Drug Administration approved Intermezzo® (zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablets) for use as needed for the management of insomnia associated with middle-of-the-night awakenings and difficulty returning to sleep. This is the first time the FDA [...]
Anxiety is a normal human response to uncertainty. It’s simply a part of the human condition to have occasional “fight-or-flight” moments that we find difficult to control or manage. For people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder however, nearly every aspect of life invokes a thought of “what if,” leading to a state of chronic worry often [...]
While fat has become a bad word in our society, a particular type of fat is so essential, our body’s cells can literally collapse without it. Fish oil – with its singular component omega-3 fatty acids, and in conjunction with other types of fat in the membranes that surround the cells – literally control cell [...]