In a speech before the American Bar Association on Aug. 12, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder revealed a plan for reform of the federal court system that could dramatically affect the way that drug crimes are prosecuted. Looking to rein in mandatory sentencing guidelines, which have frequently forced judges to impose steep prison terms on …
U.S. Moves to Scale Back Mandatory Drug Sentences Read More »
Overconsumption of high-fat foods dampens the dopamine-induced reward sensation, leading to compensatory consumption of even more high-fat foods.
There is a widespread assumption that cocaine use suppresses one’s appetite and thereby contributes to weight loss, and that during withdrawal, the “rebound” from this effect leads to rapid weight gain. However, new research from the University of Cambridge has provided evidence against this assumption, and while the overall effect is essentially the same, the …
The Skinny on Cocaine: Why Drug Causes Weight Loss May Surprise You Read More »
Treatment-resistant depression is a form of major depression marked by a poor response to the treatment options typically used to address depression symptoms. When depressed people fail to respond to standard medications called antidepressants, doctors frequently rely on a form of controlled brain stimulation called electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). However, for a number of reasons, some …
Surgical Anesthesia Appears to Treat Drug-Resistant Depression Read More »
Empathy is the term that psychologists use to describe the ability to mentally place oneself in another person’s “world” and see life from his or her perspective. Some aspects of empathy depend on rational thought processes in the brain, while other aspects depend on the brain’s emotional processes. According to the results of a new …
You’re made to lie down on the sterile medical bed with your buttocks exposed, and advised—helpfully—to grip the bed to help you cope with the pain. Then you receive 30 lashes with a willow branch—right across the backside—enough to leave a mark, but not enough to draw blood or cause lasting damage. You’d be forgiven …
It is estimated that about 2 percent of the population suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). But despite the attention it has received in the media and from medical professionals, this condition is still not fully understood by most people and, consequently, there are many mistaken beliefs floating around about what OCD is, who is most …
“Bath salts” is the common, collective nickname for a group of artificial, mind-altering drugs sold illegally or illicitly throughout various parts of the United States. All of these drugs contain at least one form of a group of amphetamine-related substances called synthetic cathinones. Doctors and mental health researchers are well aware of the severe health …
‘Bath Salts’ More Addictive Than Meth, Study Finds Read More »
Let’s start off with full disclosure: I am a psychotherapist and have worked in addiction and mental health settings for a couple of decades. I am no stranger to identifying and naming alcoholism when I see it, which does not exactly make me popular at cocktail parties or family gatherings. Sometimes, however, being able to …
Domestic violence is the collective term for a range of behaviors designed to assert or maintain control over a partner in an intimate relationship. While men and women can both become targets of this type of violence, women remain far more susceptible than men. Doctors and mental health researchers already know that exposure to domestic …
Depression Puts Women at Increased Risk for Domestic Violence, Study Finds Read More »