Addiction is not a moral issue. Approximately 16 percent of Americans over the age of 12 deal with addiction. That’s twice the amount of people fighting cancer, 40 million compared to 19 million, and almost twice the number of people with heart disease or diabetes. Those numbers don’t include the 80 million people who smoke, drink and use drugs in “risky ways that threaten health and safety.” A major report, released by the University of Columbia’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), is 586 pages of addressing one of America’s most ignored health...

A diagnosis of schizophrenia can be a challenging and difficult pill to swallow, not just for the patient but for the friends and family of those diagnosed. But by understanding what kind of support systems these patients need, loved ones can help patients cope and adjust. In order to help a loved one with this disorder, it is important to thoroughly understand the symptoms of the disorder and the treatment options available to patients as well. Schizophrenic Symptoms According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), symptoms of the disorder (which typically show up between t...

Most women use all sorts of products to boost their external beauty. Every square inch of her body may be painted, powdered, dyed, shaved, moisturized and/or polished.

The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development ( NICHD ) has released numerous studies investigating the outcomes of alcohol and drug use during pregnancy.

In contrast to fancy intellectual European talk-therapy like psychoanalysis, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has a practical, fairly straightforward, All-American flavor. What are your problems? How do your thoughts affect your actions? Can you act more effectively by noticing how your thinking is related to your behavior and vice versa? CBT might help you, but the only way to find out is to try it. CBT is among the most common-sense, easy to understand types of therapy in widespread use. No knowledge of biology or physiology is required to understand it. It's helpfulness does not ...

Loneliness can creep into your life at any age. But it's a more common problem among older adults, who can easily become isolated and detached from friends and family.

In recent years, the yoga craze has been growing across the U.S. According to a study published in Yoga Journal Magazine in 2008, 15.8 million people (6.9 percent of American adults) practice yoga. What’s more, the study also reported that 6.1 percent of Americans have had a doctor or therapist recommend yoga to them. So why would so many medical professionals be recommending the practice? How could yoga be connected to your mental, not just physical, health? Yoga Basics According to the Mayo Clinic, the practice of yoga, which has ancient roots in India, is today conside...

The one hundred billion neurons of the human brain are powered by blood sugar and shoot electrical signals at each other. Your ups and downs, joys and fears, hunger and sleep are made from cell networks communicating electrochemically. More than one scientist or doctor has had the idea that changing the electrical states of the brain could produce improved clinical outcomes for depression, anxiety or schizoaffective disorder. Combined with state of the art surgical technique, doctors can now directly apply current to the brain, and some patients respond very well. If your depres...

Everyone, at one point or another, experiences some level of stress in his or her lifetime. Studies are conducted and results are released all the time that attribute physical health problems to high stress levels. But stress is a part of life and sometimes unavoidable. Fortunately, there are many different, healthy coping mechanisms, but the trick is finding the right one to implement. Not everyone can just drop things and head to a beach in Mexico with a good book. Stress management is not only important, in some cases—it’s vital for survival. The physiological effects of ...

Is there a connection between manic depression and high intelligence? A new study seems to have found one, yet has also produced puzzling, seemingly contradictory data.