The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster.” The effects are long-lasting and might take the form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a debilitating anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms such as nightmares, feelings of hyper-arousal and multisensory flashbacks reminiscent of the traumatic […]
Recent findings from a team of British researchers point to multiple factors that may contribute to the onset of unwanted, distressing memories in people with PTSD. The unwanted reliving of traumatic memories while sleeping or awake is one of the four classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You don’t have to live with PTSD
Recent findings from an American research group point to a connection between drug problems in veterans, depression and emotional trauma exposure that occurs as early as childhood or as late as after the end of military service. Diagnosable problems with drugs or alcohol appear fairly frequently in men and women who have served in the
A team of researchers from the University of Hawaii assessed the impact of cigarette smoking and caffeine intake on the mental health of people who participate in polysubstance abuse, concluding that caffeine use, in particular, can have a substantially negative mental health impact on these individuals. Polysubstance abuse and polydrug abuse are two terms that
Work addiction is our society’s favorite addiction. While many look down on those whose psychological, emotional and social situations lead them to abuse something like heroin—even seeing drug abusers as some type of “blight” on society—work addicts are virtually praised for their problem. Pulling long hours, going the “extra mile” and casting aside personal and
Six percent of Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), while 14 percent suffer from snow depression. Even among the non-SAD population, feelings of listlessness, lifelessness, and low motivation are common during the winter months, when the mercury drops out of sight, and the sun hides its warming face for 14 to 16 hours at
The most effective kind of rehab for substance use disorders is that which addresses all the varied needs of the patient as an individual. This means screening for and treating mental illnesses alongside addiction. It is common for someone who abuses substances to have a mental illness as well. Up to half of all people
A lot of people use the terms “anxiety” and “stress” interchangeably, but they aren’t the same. Both are feelings that are normal and that we all experience sometimes, but both can also become paralyzing if we don’t cope with them in healthy ways. For most people, stress comes and goes and can even be a
Recent findings from a team of American researchers indicate that responses in the body’s involuntary nervous system can help predict which women will recover from PTSD. Current evidence indicates that people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have increased chances of benefiting from treatment when they form a bond called a therapeutic alliance with their therapists.
What Helps Predict Treatment Success for Women With PTSD? Read More »
Understanding Snow Depression “And February was so long that it lasted into March And found us walking a path alone together You stopped and pointed and you said, ‘That’s a crocus’ And I said, ‘What’s a crocus?’ And you said, ‘It’s a flower’ I tried to remember, but I said, ‘What’s a flower?’ ”— Dar
