More Dangerous Than Opioids – Benzo Overprescription
From The Lown Institute: Opioids aren't the only drug being dangerously overprescribed. The overprescription of benzodiazepines, a psychoactive drug with potentially excruciating side effects and...
Here’s How to Beat Anxiety Without Medication
From The Independent: The medication that is frequently prescribed to treat anxiety often does not work in the long-term. According to a new study, a variety...
Mental Illness is the Leading Cause of Military Hospitalizations
Since 2001 almost $2 billion have been spent on drugs to treat mental illness and PTSD in soldiers, but mental illness is still the...
Have We Found The “Overhype Gene”?
-John Horgan criticizes psychiatrist Richard Friedman's effusive portrayal of a study that allegedly identified the "feel-good" gene in humans.
“World Benzo Awareness Day, First Step To End Global Dependency Woes”
“In a bid to raise awareness towards the global epidemic of abuse on Benzodiazepine or ‘benzos’ abuse, a global campaign dubbed as World Benzo Awareness...
England’s Mental Health Experiment: No-Cost Talk Therapy
From The New York Times: England is in the midst of a unique national experiment, an initiative that provides open-ended talk therapy free of charge...
“As Suicide Rates Rise, Researchers Separate Thoughts from Actions”
“Suicide rates in the United States have been rising, especially among veterans and members of the armed forces. Traditional assumptions about why people kill themselves have not led to effective strategies for suicide prevention,” psychologist Craig Bryan tells Science News. “So in recent years, psychologists and others have been reconsidering basic beliefs about why people carry out the ultimate act of self-destruction.”
How Long Should you Stay on Antidepressants?
From The Guardian: Antidepressants may be addictive; many people experience withdrawal symptoms after stopping them. Some psychiatrists suggest that long-term usage may be harmful and...
Half of Opioid Prescriptions Go to People With Mood Disorders
From STAT: A recent study found that 51 percent of all opioid prescriptions in the U.S. are written for people diagnosed with anxiety, depression and other...
In a Traumatised World, is Psychedelic Therapy our Best Hope?
From VolteFace Magazine: MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can play a major role in helping people heal from the effects of trauma.
"The results really are incredible and I’ve had...
Is Your Job Bullshit? David Graeber on Capitalism’s Busy Work
From In These Times: Over a third of British workers believe their job makes no meaningful contribution to the world. The rising number of people who have...
Older Patients Being Prescribed Risky Anticholinergic Drugs
From MinnPost: A new University of Minnesota study has found that anticholinergic drugs, including antidepressants, continue to be prescribed to millions of older Americans despite...
Climate Change Puts Cambodians at Risk of Mental Health Issues
From Eco-Business: Many Cambodians are still healing from a tragic recent past, from the Lon Nol regime in 1970 to the collapse of the Pol...
Virtual Reality Promising for Mental Health Treatment
From Healio: A recent review indicated that virtual reality-based treatment may be effective for a variety of mental health concerns including phobias, social anxiety, PTSD,...
Late Night Snack – Shrink: Sarah Silverman
In this video, comedian Sarah Silverman recounts her journey with mental health treatment and discusses how therapy has helped her.
“Unexpected Advantages of Anxiety”
PsyBlog discusses various studies that show "unexpected advantages" to having somewhat higher levels of anxiety. Many people feel that those who are more easily...
AI-Controlled Brain Implants for Mood Disorders Tested in People
From Nature: Two teams funded by the US military's research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), have begun preliminary trials of brain implants...
“Does Psychotherapy Research with Trauma Survivors Underestimate the Patient-Therapist Relationship?”
Joan Cook, professor of Psychology at Yale, writes than in her work with military veterans she realized that her psychotherapy techniques mattered much less than her training had indicated. Instead, what mattered was “the bond forged over years of therapy,” known as “the therapeutic alliance.”
A Response to Columnist Dr. Greg Smith at the Aiken Standard
In this five-part series for the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition, Nicole L. critiques a recent article by Dr. Greg Smith that was highly laudatory of benzodiazepines. Click...
Why Nutritional Psychiatry is the Future of Mental Health
From The Independent: The role that nutrition can play in improving our mental health is often overlooked. Research suggests that we should devote more resources to dietary...
Psychology vs. Psychiatry – What Can Happen if the System Fails
From Vox Gibraltar: Many people confuse psychology with psychiatry. Too often, general practitioners recommend psychiatric treatment when psychological treatment or therapy could be just as effective without resulting...
Students With Mental Health Conditions Find Support at BU
From STAT: For the past three years, Boston University has offered one of the few programs in the nation dedicated to teaching students who have...
We Need Ecstasy and Cocaine in Place of Prozac and Xanax
From Aeon: While psychiatric drugs are often ineffective and can have serious side effects, there are many psychedelics and other illicit substances that have proven...
Being Empathetic is Good, but it can Hurt Your Health
From The Washington Post: Research shows that while empathy is an essential ingredient for building relationships, feeling overwhelmed by others' emotions can lead to health...
Prozac Nation is Now the United States of Xanax
In this piece for The New York Times, Alex Williams discusses the social, political, cultural, and economic trends that have led to the recent rise in...
