Review of Dietary Supplements for Depression
A review of dietary drug supplements for depression in the May issue of the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services finds that...
Dissolving Madness, Ending the Nightmare, Beginning a Better Dream
Much of what we term āmadnessā is, in fact, the awakening of the "Self" to its own Wholeness/Divinity. We are born totally pure. Throughout our lives we are subject to projections, flung at us from a multitude of directions: from Mom and Dad, from schools, religious institutions, the media, and the medical model. We are all buried, to some degree, under projections, and interesting symptoms emerge: nightmares, stress and anxiety, fear, flashbacks, and so on. These are not "Madness," but symptoms of health; of a "Self" attempting to break free from lies.
Hallucination in the General Population
Investigating the prevalence and types of hallucination-like experiences (HLEs) in a sample of 437 young adults, researchers in Italy, Belgium, the U.K. and DenmarkĀ found...
Wellbeing Enhanced More by Places Than Objects, Study Finds
FromĀ The Guardian: New research suggests that people are more likely to experience feelings of wellbeing, contentment, and belonging from places that evoke positive memories...
What is Brain Fog: The Mental Fatigue That Ruins Your Mood
FromĀ ZME Science: More people than ever before are regularly experiencing "brain fog," a collection of symptoms including fatigue, inability to focus, memory deficiency, confusion,...
From Self Care to Collective Caring
As a trauma survivor growing up in various adolescent mental health systems, I never learned any useful self-care tools or practices. I was taught that my current coping skills (self-injury, suicidal behavior, illicit drug use) were unacceptable, but not given any ideas as to what to replace them with. No one seemed to want to know much about the early childhood traumas that were driving these behaviors. Instead, I collected an assortment of diagnoses. I was told that I would be forever dependent on mediated relationships with professionals, and an ever-changing combination of pills. The message was that my troubles were chemical in nature and largely beyond my control.
Meditation Helps with Emotionality and Relationships
A meta-analysis in Psychological Bulletin of 595 studies on the psychological effects of meditation found that in the 163 studies deemed to have "sufficient...
Reimagining Healthcare
The conventional Western classification systems of health conditions are based on flawed science shaped by reductionist, hierarchical, and profit-driven ideologies. THEN wants to create a new paradigm built upon principles drawn from systems science, the life course perspective, developmental neurobiology, and other evidence-informed studies.
Thinking of Schizophrenia as Normal Can Be Helpful
Daniel Helman had a psychotic episode at age 20, but has been off all psychiatric medications since 2006 and is now 44. In Schizophrenia...
New Meta-Analysis: Mindfulness Interventions Effective for Psychiatric Disorders
A meta-analysis of mindfulness-based interventions shows efficacy for treating depression, physical pain, smoking, and addictive disorders.
Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal and Protracted Withdrawal Syndrome Round-up
Beyond Meds has numerous resources on the topic of psychiatric drug withdrawal and is aĀ starting point for withdrawal information on the web.
“Changing Our DNA through Mind Control?”
Scientific American reports on a Canadian study that found people with breast cancer who practiced yoga and mindfulness meditation maintained the length of their...
Using Mindfulness Meditation to Cope with Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings
Suicidal torment is magnified by the loss of hope. People in life-or-death survival conditions, such as being lost in the wilderness or being held prisoner of war, will dream and plan for the future in order to make their present conditions tolerable. The critically ill heart patient expresses his faith in his upcoming surgery by making a date to play golf six weeks after the operation. But the depressed person sees no viable future. There is nothing to look forward to, no dreams to fulfill, only the never-ending hell of the eternal present.
Exercise Effective for Early Psychosis, Studies Show
A new study out of the University of Manchester found that personalized exercise programs reduced the symptoms for young people suffering from their first episode of psychosis. Researchers also conducted an accompanying qualitative analysis and found that the participants experienced improved mental health, confidence, and a sense of achievement and felt that autonomy and social support were critical to their success.
My APA protest speech: “Keeping the Channel Open”
If you haven't been labeled mentally ill by the American Psychiatric Association, you have to ask yourself what's wrong. Perhaps you were ahead of the game: you knew not to reveal yourself to them, you knew how to avoid them, you found other social support, and if so, a big congratulations. If not, what's wrong? Why have you conformed?
Treatment of Insomnia Reduces Paranoia and Hallucinations
Treating insomnia using online cognitive-behavioral therapy appears to improve a variety of mental health concerns.
The Vicious Cycle of Depression and Lack of Exercise
Does depression make us lethargic, or does lack of exercise make us depressed? The Mental Elf tries to answer this question, and reviews a...
The “I Am Not The Butcher” Speech
On Thursday I had an interaction with a psychologist where I basically said, "I am not sure I want to attend a workshop you...
International Guide to the World of Alternative Mental Health
Alternative Mental Health.com offers a directory of alternative mental health practitioners, a bookstore,Ā support groups, email lists, and a monthly newsletter in support of reducing...
Outdoor Education Tied to Psychological and Academic Benefits
How the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (BPN) in outdoor education environments can peak student interest and boost intrinsic motivation.
“Yoga Lowers Inmates’ Aggression and Anxiety”
"Incarcerated thieves, drug dealers and murderers may not be the typical group you imagine doing yoga," says Scientific American, "but recent studies show that...
A Healing Journey: Leaving Psychiatry Behind
The world calls what was "wrong" with me "bipolar." I prefer the notion that I went through a birth process to become the healer that I am today. I can't be silent because I know there are people like I was who are trapped and may not realize it yet. When they begin to see the prison bars that surround them, I want to be there for them as others were for me.
Attachment & Psychosis: Implications for Therapeutic Alliance
In what they say is the first study to investigate relationships between emotion regulation, attachment and the therapeutic alliance, researchers in Northwest EnglandĀ recruited 49...
Oxytocin Improves Emotion Recognition in Schizophrenia
Oxytocin, a natural hormone with a role in social behaviors, has been shown to improve social behaviors in people with autistic spectrum disorders and...
āSugar May be as Damaging to the Brain as Extreme Stress or Abuseā
āThe fact that drinking sugar or exposure to early life stress reduced the expression of genes critical for brain development and growth is of...