There is some truth to the saying that your environment makes you who you are. More specifically, some individuals carry ‘vulnerability genes’ that indicate that they are genetically vulnerable individuals that are more likely to become impulsive and hyperactive if their mothers smoked while pregnant; to exhibit anti-social behaviors if abused as a child; and …
Pain is the most common reason that an adult will visit a primary care physician. Depression is the most common mental complaint that requires a doctor’s appointment. For as many as half of patients, these often occur together at the same time. Science Daily recently published a release examining a report from researchers from the …
Antidepressant Therapy Combined with Pain Self-Management Improves Patient Outlook Read More »
In 2005, the Center for Disease Control released a report stating that 4.4 million children aged 4 to 17 years had been diagnosed with ADHD. Of those cases, 2.5 million (56 percent) were taking medication for the disorder. With roughly 10 percent of children in the United States estimated to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder …
ADHD and Ritalin: The Problem of Unnecessary Diagnosis Read More »
A new animal study found a specific genetic cause of fetal alcohol-related developmental disorders. When pregnant women consume alcohol, the genetic processes that control thyroid hormone levels in the fetal brain are interfered with. Fetal alcohol exposure can cause neurodevelopmental disorders such as emotional behavioral disorders and deficits in learning, memory, and speech. Past animal …
Genetic Cause of Fetal Alcohol-Related Developmental Disorders Found Read More »
The Telegraph UK reported that one in 15 women ages 10-25 in England admitted they have tried cocaine, raising concerns that young women will soon overtake men for cocaine use. Unfortunately, cocaine is being considered more glamorous and socially acceptable, with high-profile celebrities like Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse being associated with the drug. The …
Instance of schizophrenia have puzzled researchers for years as the causes and promising treatments have changed with better and more in-depth research. The latest findings in this area have implicated machinery that maintains the flow of potassium in cells and revealed a potential molecular target for new treatments. Science Daily reported on an extensive series …
Becoming addicted to a drug as the result of extended medical care is a common problem in the health care industry. While doctors do take necessary steps to try and prevent addiction in their patients, it can still easily happen – especially with highly addictive drugs.
For those who have never used drugs or experienced a dependence upon them, it is hard to understand the draw. Yet, when someone is dependent upon drugs or alcohol, the pleasure center within the brain is hijacked, which disrupts the normal functioning of its reward circuitry.
Eddie Freas, 33, has found a different way to fight his 20-year addiction to alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine—he started training for and entering triathlons. “I feel better when I’m working out,” Freas told CNN’s Madison Park. “It does wonders for the mind. The reason I started running—it was a switch that went off in my …
A new report on substance abuse and mental health shows that while more people are quitting smoking (or not starting in the first place), alcohol and illicit drug use still remain steady. The study also shows that drug use varies widely across the country; for example, the rate of illicit drug use among people ages …
Smoking Declines While Drug and Alcohol Use Remain Steady Read More »