Adolescents who were abused and neglected have less gray matter in some areas of the brain than young people who have not been maltreated, a new Yale School of Medicine study shows. The brain areas impacted by maltreatment may differ between boys and girls, may depend on whether the youths had been exposed to abuse […]
Have you recently experienced someone acting completely out of line or losing control over themselves? In Psychiatry, patterns of repetitive behavior during childhood and adolescence where the social norms or boundaries of others are violated are called ‘conduct disorder‘. I am not a particular fan of this term as it reminds me a bit of […]
There is a weakness that is particularly frequent among people in service professions, causing burnout and depression rates in the service industry to be some of the highest. The ‘Helper Syndrome‘ describes a strong drive to make other people feel better. In some cases it is done to ease or divert the helpers from their […]
Almost everyone has seen it or even have personal experiences with what is commonly called ‘addictive relationships’. These are the forms of relationships where everyone around a particular couple might raise their hands in disbelief over why both partners are still together. There might be a strong and obvious imbalance between both of them, sometimes […]
A nice friend just sent me a link to this article: Addiction is a brain disease, experts declare (Source: L.A. Times, August 16, 2011) But wait: addiction is now ‘a brain disease‘?! Well, be warned – here comes a therapist’s viewpoint on that! 😉 The scientific community in the US and Europe is highly influenced […]
Mark Twain said, “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a thousand times.” Well, we all know: quitting smoking reduces the risk of terrible illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular disease. It increases fertility levels, breathing and overall fitness. Another benefit of quitting is enjoying the taste of food again. You will look and smell better […]
“What can I do, it’s in my genes!” In recent years, this has become a standard explanation for many of the health problems we have to face in our lives. Indeed, there are few human diseases without scientific studies trying to pinpoint ‘genetical causes’ as the root. Consequently, there are efforts to find genetic roots […]
It’s very simple now to order drugs over the Internet, and most pharmacies in Asia will sell medicines over the counter that are only available by prescription in the West. Most popular products in the online catalogs are amphetamines, potency pills and antidepressants. But self-medication is actually risky, particularly with amphetamines (such as Ritaline / […]
Many people enjoy gambling, whether betting on a horse or playing poker on their computer. Most of these people don’t have a problem, but some lose control over their gambling. They bet high amounts of money on card games, in casinos or playing slot machines. Today, people don’t even have to leave their homes to […]
Talking about ‘sex addiction’ in certain Asian cities is like talking about alcoholism during the ‘Oktoberfest’ in Munich: a firework of dirty jokes and winking confessions (‘yes, I’m an addict, too!’) are standard elements of these conversations. However, few people seem to know what sex addiction really is or means. Sexual addiction (sometimes also called […]