Harvard Medical School Commentaries: Minding Your Mind
Apr252012
The Link Between ADHD and Sleep Problems
Parents and clinicians report that sleep problems affect 25% to 50% of children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The most typical problems include resisting... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar232012
Motivating Behavior Change
If change were easy, people wouldn't have to make New Year's resolutions. And anyone who wanted to give up smoking, become sober, or lose weight would "just do it." The reality is that changing ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Feb242012
The Downsides of Multitasking
I was multitasking while driving home from work a week or so ago. Stuck in traffic, I looked to my right and saw a woman driving a luxury car, staring down at her lap. It was too dangerous for me... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jan262012
Can You Become Addicted to Chocolate?
Do you love chocolate so much that you're afraid you might be addicted to it? With so many Americans overweight or obese, public health experts are also asking this question. ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Dec212011
Social Media -- A Brief Guide for Parents
When I was growing up, which was before the era of cell phones, contacting a friend involved calling their home and saying (to the adult who answered the phone) something like, "Hi, Mrs. Doe. Is ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Nov232011
Boosters for Antidepressant Treatment
Antidepressants often don't work well enough. In fact, only about a third of people taking any given medication for depression will get complete relief. ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Oct242011
Stress and Your Stomach
Functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are stomach problems that have no clear cause. They affect up to two out of every three people at some point in their lives. ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Sep212011
Treatments for Pathological Gambling
Gambling has been around for thousands of years. The earliest known six-sided pair of dice, for example, dates back 5,000 years. Today rolling the dice is only one of many gambling activities ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Aug242011
Does Everyone Need Psychological Help After a Tragic Event?
We are approaching the tenth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. It is one of the most traumatic incidents in our nation's history. The anniversary is a reminder of the physical ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jul222011
Preventing Depression in Adolescents
Each year, about 1% to 6% of children and teenagers develop major depression. This mood disorder not only interferes with school achievement and relationships, but also increases the risk of ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun232011
Pain, Anxiety and Depression -- A Challenging Trio to Treat
Anxiety, depression and pain often go together. This is true for people with chronic and sometimes disabling pain syndromes, such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, low back pain, ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May262011
Treating Mild or Moderate Depression Without Drugs
Major depression is the most common mood disorder in the United States. It affects about 15 million American adults (almost 7% of the population) each year. ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Apr252011
Understanding the Stigma of Mental Illness
In our society, it is common to hear disparaging remarks and jokes about mental illness or the clinicians who treat psychiatric disorders. Every October, the National Alliance on Mental Illness... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar232011
Help for Anxious Children
I was talking recently with a colleague about her young child who gets very anxious when the school day doesn't go exactly as planned. As a result, she might stop cooperating with teachers and... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Feb222011
Dogs -- A Source of Love and Well-Being
Our family dog may be the nicest "person" on the planet. Okay. He's not perfect. He does bark at the postman every day. And you have to make sure the trash bins are covered or he'll grab and shred... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jan252011
Violent Video Games –- Harmful or Not?
Here are just a few of the phrases that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) uses to describe the content of several games in the Grand Theft Auto series, one of the most popular video... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Dec222010
Can Vitamin Supplements Protect Your Brain?
Last month I wrote about how regular physical activity and a Mediterranean-style diet are good for... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Nov242010
Eating Well,Thinking Straight
A neighbor of mine was having some stonework done outside his home. The leader of the crew doing the work was a lively, muscular, good-natured fellow with a strong Italian accent. I took him to be... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Oct252010
Taking on the School Bullies
The subject of bullying has come up in recent days in the wake of some well-publicized suicides of gay teens. It is hardly a new problem. The pain caused by bullying doesn't go away. It's chronic, ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jul222010
Sleep and Mental Health
Americans are notoriously sleep deprived. Whether it's stress, financial worries or the Internet keeping people up, 10% to 18% of adults have chronic sleep problems. A study published in the June... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jul202010
When Striving for Perfection Is a Problem
Some people can't live with the slightest imperfection. Their need to appear or be perfect — perfectionism — is so intense that it's exhausting if not painful.
But striving for perfection, while... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun232010
Overcoming Scary Memories
The dramatic landing of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in early 2009, and the rescue of all 155 people aboard, was a testament to good flight training as well as the calm and focused... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May232010
The Emotional Strain of Infertility
In 2009, the story about a California woman who gave birth to octuplets generated intense media coverage. On the heels of the story came a run of public discussions about infertility treatments. The... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Apr212010
Heart Disease & Depression -- A Two-Way Street?
When a cardiologist (heart doctor) asks how a patient is feeling, the question usually refers to the body. But he or she should ask about moods and emotions, too. The answer can offer important... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar232010
Diet and ADHD
Diet is probably not the driving force behind the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — inattention, hyperactivity or impulsive behavior. But several studies have stirred... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar82010
Understanding Bias In Mental Health Professionals
A study published in the June 2007 issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology shows that personal and professional biases can affect first impressions and the label used by mental... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar82010
How Alcoholics Anonymous Works
Just about everyone knows what the initials "A.A." stand for. Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935 and is the oldest, best known, most successful mutual help organization. With millions of... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar72010
The Mystery of Muscle Relaxation
Muscle relaxation has been used for decades to relieve anxiety. The idea is that patients can calm their minds by learning how to relax their bodies.
A 2007 article in the Journal of Anxiety... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar72010
Children Attacking Other Children
Child-on-child violence is common, but it can't be dismissed as "normal" — at least according to a study published in the December 2006 issue of the journal Child Abuse and Neglect. Researchers at... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar72010
A New Clue to Bipolar Disorder
Mice may be teaching us about the genetic basis of bipolar disorder. This mood disorder, which is often called by its older name, manic-depressive illness, is characterized by wide mood swings that... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar72010
Keeping -- Or Not Keeping -- Your Internet Use Under Control
Mental health professionals continue to worry about the activity you're engaged in right now — using the internet. They worry it has become a breeding ground for addiction. The phenomenon has been... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar72010
Using Spirituality To Ease the Mind
As December leads into a new year, enthusiastic holiday preparations are supposed to lead to joyful family celebrations. Typically, however, this time brings as much stress as pleasure.
Given that all... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Feb222010
The Angry Adolescent
An acquaintance was recently talking to me about his son, who was about to turn 20. The boy always had a quick temper during his teen years. Dad assumed that his short fuse was part of being a... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Feb12010
Which Antidepressant Is Right for You?
Depression is one of the most common medical problems in the world. It affects at least one out of every six adults in the United States at some point during a person's life. Psychotherapy and... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Dec242009
Rewarding Smokers To Help Them Quit
With New Year's resolution season upon us, this old joke may be making its rounds. But quitting is no joke for the almost three-quarters of current smokers who want to quit. Sadly, fewer than 3% of... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Nov192009
Remembering As a Form of Therapy
Memory looms large in our understanding of mental health and mental illness. For some people, remembering painful events, like abuse or the death of a loved one, causes suffering. But as we age,... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Oct282009
Yoga -- Reduce Stress and Improve Your Mood
Since the 1970s, meditation and other stress-reduction techniques have been studied as possible treatments for depression and anxiety. One such practice, yoga, has received less attention in the... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Sep232009
Mental Distress: Where Do You Turn for Help?
Labor Day, which is always the first Monday in September, came as late as it ever can this year — on the 7th of the month. It was a welcome extension of summer.
But when September 8th came, so did... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Aug252009
The Psychological Impact of Infertility and its Treatment
The vigorous media coverage of "Octomom" Nadya Suleman touched off a spirited public debate about infertility treatments. Suleman gave birth to octuplets in January 2009 through an advanced technique... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jul222009
The Pleasure of Improvising
As an amateur musician, I was pleased to come across an article that brought together two of my favorite topics: music and the brain. Two scientists in Baltimore devised a clever way to discover what... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun242009
Overcoming Cocaine or Stimulant Addiction
Millions of Americans either abuse or are dependent on illegal drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine (also known as speed, meth, ice, or crank), and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (often called MDMA or... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun82009
What Does It Take To Be a Satisfied, Retired Man?
In the opening line of one of his sweeter songs, James Taylor sings, "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." And now there appears to be data to support his assertion. ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun72009
Children and Breakfast -- Follow Your Intuition
Many parents hate to see their children skip breakfast before sending them off in the morning. Reason tells them that in order to maximize learning in school, children's bodies need plenty of fuel. A... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun72009
Understanding the Adolescent Brain
It's a good thing parents get 12 years to bond with their children before they become teenagers. Otherwise they might not be so motivated to help them grow into adults.
Teens are often annoying,... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun72009
Hair Pulling -- Is It Taken Too Lightly?
Hair pulling carries a tongue-twisting name: trichotillomania. The disorder is not widely recognized by the public or by mental health professionals. People with trichotillomania suffer in silence.... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun72009
New Help for Kicking the (Smoking) Habit
Smoking is a huge cause of illness and death around the world and may be the toughest unhealthy habit to break. More than 40 years after the Surgeon General's office released its first Report on... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun52009
When a Child Refuses To Go to School
Separation anxiety is normal for a child. Sfter about six to nive month of age, children realize that their parents leave them from time to time. That's why they become uncomfortable around... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May262009
The Truth About Altruism
Eleanor Roosevelt is supposed to have asked, "When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?" Mrs. Roosevelt was reflecting on the long... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May252009
Compulsive Buying - When Pleasure Turns to Pain
It had become a tradition in my family. After we dropped our kids at camp near Augusta, Maine, we stopped in Freeport on our drive back to Boston.
Freeport is the home of clothing retailer L.L.... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May252009
Brand Name vs. Generic Antidepressants: What's the Difference?
People who are asked to switch from a brand name drug to a generic often wonder if the change will cause them any problems.
A number of years ago, a patient of mine received a generic pill instead of... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May252009
To Treat Depression, Take Action
I have always resented that commercial urging us to "just do it." For people with depression, it's insulting — and useless — because the smallest task can seem like a huge obstacle. There are many... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May252009
Alzheimer's Disease -- Where Are We Today?
Alzheimer's disease is a frightening illness. It threatens to rob people of their memories of themselves and how to do normal daily activities.
We don't yet know how to prevent or cure Alzheimer's... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May242009
New Key to Autism
A study published in the September, 2006 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry may give older prospective fathers pause before plunging into biological parenthood. The authors found a... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May202009
Pheromones: The Scent of Sex
Everyone would agree that the most important human sex organ is the brain because that's where sexual impulses, drives and reproductive behavior are programmed. We're also accustomed to thinking of... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May202009
'Intermittent Explosive Disorder' Grabs Attention
Political commentator John McLaughlin introduced the issue on his weekly television program, The McLaughlin Group, like this:
"Road rage drivers are not just angry. They're crazy. So says research... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Apr222009
For Alcohol Problems: Abstinence or Moderation?
Is it possible to control problem drinking, or must a drinker give up alcohol completely? This question, which is still important today, has been debated among addiction experts for almost 50 years.
... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar242009
Brain Medicine -- Reach Out and Touch Someone
Two articles published last year in the American Journal of Public Health suggest that a good way to help prevent dementia is to have an active social life. Other studies, too, have shown that people... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jan252009
The Value of Long-Term Talk Therapy
"Talk therapy" has taken a back seat to drug therapy for decades when it comes to treating mental disorders. Drug therapies have been praised as faster, more effective, cheaper and easier. But the... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Dec232008
Positive Psychology for Troubled Times
In January 2009, a new administration will take over in Washington, D.C. It's facing overwhelming problems. Critics of the Obama campaign were deeply skeptical that the candidate's message of "hope"... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Nov252008
Coping with Darker Times -- Treating Seasonal Affective Disorder
Here in Boston, we've had another unseasonably warm autumn. Some of us worry about climate change and others simply enjoy the extra coat-free days. But, no matter what the temperature, it's still... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Oct262008
Hypnosis -- Mental Health Therapy
Hypnosis is one of the oldest forms of psychotherapy in the Western world. It may also be the most misunderstood, given its association with entertainers and charlatans. But, in fact it is a... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Sep242008
Treating Addictions -- Act Sober
Addictions — whether to drugs, alcohol or tobacco — are common and difficult to break. Addiction is not a moral problem. Rather, it's a brain problem: Drugs change the brain's self-regulating... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Aug242008
Psychiatric Treatment for Preschoolers
Several studies have confirmed what many observers have suspected: The number of medications prescribed to children ages two to four to treat psychiatric disorders has increased dramatically in the... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jul242008
Learning How To Say 'I'm Sorry.'
Anyone who's had to apologize for something knows how difficult it can be to get the words out. Yet an apology is often the first step toward repairing a damaged relationship, be it personal or... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun242008
Strattera: More Suicide Worries for Our Children?
In September 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that atomoxetine (Strattera) — a treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — may increase suicidal... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun242008
The Hazards of Hookah
Waterpipes, for people of a certain age, are remembered as fixtures of the 1960s and 1970s. They’re back — and not just for smoking marijuana. They are increasingly popular for smoking tobacco.
... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun232008
Accutane, Pregnancy and Mental Health
The acne drug isotretinoin (Accutane) pits worries about depression and suicide against a potentially huge benefit — relief from severe acne. The use of this drug is guided by more than 20 years of... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun102008
Letting Go and Letting Your Brain Decide
The human brain is a remarkable and sometimes surprising computer. A group of researchers in Amsterdam, publishing their work in the February 17, 2006, issue of Science, arrived at an unexpected... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun102008
Caffeine: Performance, Addiction and Myth
Passionate about your coffee? Me, too.
In fact, I should confess I'm a coffee snob. I've been buying java from the same purveyor for more than 25 years and people around my office identify me as a... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun102008
Caregiver Stress: Is There Help for the Helpers?
Do you take care of a loved one who is severely ill? A spouse, a parent or a child? Then you know how stressful it can be. In an important study published in 2006 in the New England Journal of... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Jun102008
Schizophrenia Treatment: Not by Drugs Alone
Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric condition. It is a major cause of disability with huge human and financial costs. In the United States alone, direct medical expenditures are more than $30... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
May252008
Nighttime Overeating
As the day winds down in my house, the TV is tuned to late news, a review of the day's sports action or a talk show. This is when I often find a late-night snack irresistible. It's never clear to me... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Mar242008
Sleep Apnea: A Stealthy Cause of Depression
It seems like a minor problem, even an amusing one: A bedmate complains about his or her partner's snoring. Laughs follow when someone imitates the racket that regularly intrudes on sleep. But the... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Feb272008
Time To Stop Just Saying No
Just say no? It turns out that such an approach to treating addictions never made much sense. What scientists have learned about the biology of addiction should help them persuade policy makers — if... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Feb272008
Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Does It Help Depression?
The vagus nerve is a long nerve that does many things. It communicates with the brain about sensations in your gut. It conveys information about taste and speech from your mouth. And it affects the... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Feb202008
Taking on the School Bullies
The subject of bullying has come up in recent days in the wake of some well-publicized suicides of gay teens. It is hardly a new problem. The pain caused by bullying doesn't go away. It's chronic, ... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Can Vitamin Supplements Protect Your Brain?
Last month I wrote about how regular physical activity and a Mediterranean-style diet are good for... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Violent Video Games –- Harmful or Not?
Here are just a few of the phrases that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) uses to describe the content of several games in the Grand Theft Auto series, one of the most popular video... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
Violent Video Games –- Harmful or Not?
Here are just a few of the phrases that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) uses to describe the content of several games in the Grand Theft Auto series, one of the most popular video... read more
Category: Minding Your Mind
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