Taxi! (Humour)-Drinking Over Christmas. After surviving the holiday season, I would like to share a personal and life changing experience with my family and friends – involving drinking and driving. As you know, some of us have had brushes with the authorities from time to time on the way home after a “social session” with friends. …
PTSD: Agony and Ecstasy-In November of 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave permission for the commencement of large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials into the use of MDMA (Ecstasy) in the treatment of PTSD. If successful, the trials could see an illicit street substance become a potent treatment for PTSD by 2021. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) …
Kratom: Medicinal or Criminal-The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) moved earlier this year to list the herbal supplement kratom as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. This would place kratom alongside Heroin, LSD, Morphine, and Ice as substances that have a high potential for abuse and a risk to public health. The ban, proposed to …
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)-Alcohol and drug misuse and related disorders are major public health challenges that are taking an enormous toll on individuals, families, and society. Neighborhoods and communities as a whole are also suffering as a result of alcohol- and drug-related crime and violence, abuse and neglect of children, and the increased costs of health care associated …
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)-Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder, is a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by unstable relationships with other people, unstable sense of self, and unstable emotions. There is often an extreme fear of abandonment, frequent dangerous behavior, a feeling of emptiness, and self-harm. Symptoms may be brought on by …
Mental Health Disorders Redefined-The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is the 2013 update to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) classification and diagnostic tool. The DSM-5 was published on May 18, 2013, superseding the DSM-IV-TR, which was published in 2000. In most respects DSM-5 is not greatly changed from DSM-IV-TR, however some changes are worth …
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)-Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness lasting at least six months. Unlike children with conduct disorder (CD), children with oppositional defiant disorder are not aggressive towards people or animals, do not destroy property, and do not show a pattern of theft or deceit. A diagnosis of ODD …
New Research Shows Benefits of High-Intensity Statins-In a study publishing this week in JAMA Cardiology, Stanford researchers show that taking high-intensity statins could increase heart patients’ chances of survival over taking moderate-intensity statins. There are currently seven main types of statins prescribed in the United States. A set of guidelines put forth by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart …
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)-Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. During the first trimester of pregnancy, alcohol interferes with the migration and organization of brain cells, which can create structural deformities or deficits within the brain. During the third trimester, damage can be …
Genetic Damage Caused By Smoking-Scientists have measured the catastrophic genetic damage caused by smoking in different organs of the body and identified several different mechanisms by which tobacco smoking causes mutations in DNA. Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Los Alamos National Laboratory and their collaborators found smokers accumulated an average of 150 extra mutations in every …
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?-The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway on the palm side of your wrist made up of bones and ligaments. The median nerve, which controls sensation and movement in the thumb and first three fingers, runs through this passageway along with tendons to the fingers and thumb. When it’s pinched or compressed, the result is …
Sociopath vs Psychopath: What’s The Difference?-You may have heard people call someone else a “psychopath” or a “sociopath.” But what do those words really mean? You won’t find the definitions in mental health’s official handbook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Doctors don’t officially diagnose people as psychopaths or sociopaths. They use a different term instead: antisocial personality …
Herbal Supplements You Shouldn’t Try-Supplement Safety – It seems like these products should be harmless. After all, you use herbs all the time when you’re cooking. But some may not be safe, especially if you have certain medical conditions or take some medications. Talk with your doctor before taking any supplements.
Research into Complementary Medicines-A new multimillion dollar deal between Swisse Wellness and CSIRO has raised questions about the integrity of Australia’s premier scientific research organisation and the motivations behind the deal. Another important question is whether consumers will benefit from such partnerships. Swisse manufactures complementary and alternative medicines, which are widely used by different populations.
7 Types of ADHD-ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia and other coexisting conditions are neither single nor simple brain-based disorders. Each are very complex and come with multiple types, causes, symptoms and treatment options. Dr. Daniel Amen is the founder of the Amen Clinics and has been researching brain-based disorders for over 20 years.
ADHD – Executive Functions-Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – ADHD is a medical neurobiological disorder. It is an illness or deficit of the nervous system. Medical research has found that some dopamine genes are associated with ADHD. ADHD is most often due to genetic or biological factors. Family, twin and adoption studies have shown that heredity is the most common …
Wikipedia – The World’s ‘Dr Google’-Health professionals have a duty to improve the accuracy of medical entries in Wikipedia, according to a letter published today in Lancet Global Health, because it’s the first port of call for people all over the world seeking medical information. In our correspondence, a group of international colleagues and I call on medical journals to …
Is Social Media Turning People Into Narcissists?-Social media has revolutionised how we communicate. In this series, we look at how it has changed the media, politics, health, education and the law. There has been a massive increase in the use of social media – from being almost non-existent 15 years ago, it now takes up a major part of our lives …
Hacked By Your Fridge-The past few weeks have seen a remarkable and somewhat alarming development in cyber security. It comes in the wake of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that has forced a rethink of how we can deal with attacks of this nature in the future.
Don’t Feed The Trolls-Almost half the population of the planet now has access to the internet, with about one in three of those people regularly active on social media. But this increased opportunity to socialise and communicate in a virtual environment has offered new avenues for antisocial behaviour.
The Robots Are Polarising How We Consume News-An article recently published in the American Journal of Political Science claims to have found proof that the internet is fuelling polarisation. The article uses data from 2004 to 2008 to show those with better internet access consume greater quantities of partisan media, and that greater exposure to biased news sources makes people more hostile …
Taxi! (Humour) - Drinking Over Christmas. After surviving the holiday season, I would like to share a personal and life changing experience with my family and friends – involving drinking and driving. As you know, some of us have had brushes with the authorities from time to time on the way home after a “social session” with friends. … 
PTSD: Agony and Ecstasy - In November of 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave permission for the commencement of large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials into the use of MDMA (Ecstasy) in the treatment of PTSD. If successful, the trials could see an illicit street substance become a potent treatment for PTSD by 2021. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) … 
Kratom: Medicinal or Criminal - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) moved earlier this year to list the herbal supplement kratom as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. This would place kratom alongside Heroin, LSD, Morphine, and Ice as substances that have a high potential for abuse and a risk to public health. The ban, proposed to … 
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) - Alcohol and drug misuse and related disorders are major public health challenges that are taking an enormous toll on individuals, families, and society. Neighborhoods and communities as a whole are also suffering as a result of alcohol- and drug-related crime and violence, abuse and neglect of children, and the increased costs of health care associated … 
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) - Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder, is a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by unstable relationships with other people, unstable sense of self, and unstable emotions. There is often an extreme fear of abandonment, frequent dangerous behavior, a feeling of emptiness, and self-harm. Symptoms may be brought on by … 
Mental Health Disorders Redefined - The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is the 2013 update to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) classification and diagnostic tool. The DSM-5 was published on May 18, 2013, superseding the DSM-IV-TR, which was published in 2000. In most respects DSM-5 is not greatly changed from DSM-IV-TR, however some changes are worth … 
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) - Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness lasting at least six months. Unlike children with conduct disorder (CD), children with oppositional defiant disorder are not aggressive towards people or animals, do not destroy property, and do not show a pattern of theft or deceit. A diagnosis of ODD … 
New Research Shows Benefits of High-Intensity Statins - In a study publishing this week in JAMA Cardiology, Stanford researchers show that taking high-intensity statins could increase heart patients’ chances of survival over taking moderate-intensity statins. There are currently seven main types of statins prescribed in the United States. A set of guidelines put forth by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart … 
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. During the first trimester of pregnancy, alcohol interferes with the migration and organization of brain cells, which can create structural deformities or deficits within the brain. During the third trimester, damage can be … 
Genetic Damage Caused By Smoking - Scientists have measured the catastrophic genetic damage caused by smoking in different organs of the body and identified several different mechanisms by which tobacco smoking causes mutations in DNA. Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Los Alamos National Laboratory and their collaborators found smokers accumulated an average of 150 extra mutations in every … 
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? - The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway on the palm side of your wrist made up of bones and ligaments. The median nerve, which controls sensation and movement in the thumb and first three fingers, runs through this passageway along with tendons to the fingers and thumb. When it’s pinched or compressed, the result is … 
Sociopath vs Psychopath: What’s The Difference? - You may have heard people call someone else a “psychopath” or a “sociopath.” But what do those words really mean? You won’t find the definitions in mental health’s official handbook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Doctors don’t officially diagnose people as psychopaths or sociopaths. They use a different term instead: antisocial personality … 
Herbal Supplements You Shouldn’t Try - Supplement Safety – It seems like these products should be harmless. After all, you use herbs all the time when you’re cooking. But some may not be safe, especially if you have certain medical conditions or take some medications. Talk with your doctor before taking any supplements.
Research into Complementary Medicines - A new multimillion dollar deal between Swisse Wellness and CSIRO has raised questions about the integrity of Australia’s premier scientific research organisation and the motivations behind the deal. Another important question is whether consumers will benefit from such partnerships. Swisse manufactures complementary and alternative medicines, which are widely used by different populations.
7 Types of ADHD - ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia and other coexisting conditions are neither single nor simple brain-based disorders. Each are very complex and come with multiple types, causes, symptoms and treatment options. Dr. Daniel Amen is the founder of the Amen Clinics and has been researching brain-based disorders for over 20 years.
ADHD – Executive Functions - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – ADHD is a medical neurobiological disorder. It is an illness or deficit of the nervous system. Medical research has found that some dopamine genes are associated with ADHD. ADHD is most often due to genetic or biological factors. Family, twin and adoption studies have shown that heredity is the most common … 
Wikipedia – The World’s ‘Dr Google’ - Health professionals have a duty to improve the accuracy of medical entries in Wikipedia, according to a letter published today in Lancet Global Health, because it’s the first port of call for people all over the world seeking medical information. In our correspondence, a group of international colleagues and I call on medical journals to … 
Is Social Media Turning People Into Narcissists? - Social media has revolutionised how we communicate. In this series, we look at how it has changed the media, politics, health, education and the law. There has been a massive increase in the use of social media – from being almost non-existent 15 years ago, it now takes up a major part of our lives … 
Hacked By Your Fridge - The past few weeks have seen a remarkable and somewhat alarming development in cyber security. It comes in the wake of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that has forced a rethink of how we can deal with attacks of this nature in the future.
Don’t Feed The Trolls - Almost half the population of the planet now has access to the internet, with about one in three of those people regularly active on social media. But this increased opportunity to socialise and communicate in a virtual environment has offered new avenues for antisocial behaviour.
The Robots Are Polarising How We Consume News - An article recently published in the American Journal of Political Science claims to have found proof that the internet is fuelling polarisation. The article uses data from 2004 to 2008 to show those with better internet access consume greater quantities of partisan media, and that greater exposure to biased news sources makes people more hostile … 