Amidst the rising tensions in the world around us, people are finding themselves in the unique position of having to make hard decisions about choosing passive observation or active participation, causing some to toss their opinions into the fray of…
Posts published in December 2017
There’s so much out there that beckons—family, friends, ethnic textiles, and, more recently, the writers’ world. I am compelled to answer the call—all the calls! I reject the invalid role that my bloody brain repeatedly tries to thrust on me.…
Too much of anything can be dangerous, and social media is no exception. Today many of us spend more time on internet-enabled devices than even sleeping. Due to this overindulgence in social media and the internet, we may become socially…
Research in a wide range of disciplines supports the idea that mental disorders result from the complex interplay of biological, developmental, social, and environmental processes; however, the more we learn about mental disorders, the more we realize there are still…
A fortunate knock of luck is always welcomed by scientists and researchers, yet any treatment modalities should be novel by design rather than by serendipity. Antidepressants were discovered by chance in the 1950s, and it seems that they suffer from…
National Institute of Mental Health Alliance for Research Progress September 2017 Meeting Summary, Agenda, and Participant List Source: NIH
A person suffering from an anxiety disorder experiences neurology-based changes in mood and bodily functions that are discussed in more detail in this article. As with anxiety, various personality traits and emotional responses are by-products of the interaction between our…
A lot of public back-and-forth banter has been going on lately between two giant tech personalities: Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Their public debate centers on whether or not artificial intelligence (AI) represents an existential threat to humanity. For example, Elon…
For years as a hard-nosed neuroscientist, I’ve been baffled by the success of clinical techniques that my wife, Chris Gilbert M.D. Ph.D., has pioneered to diagnose and cure illnesses such as back pain, chronic fatigue, stomach ailments, and recurring respiratory…
Is gambling an addictive pathology that causes changes in the brain and requires treatment? Or is it merely a compulsive behaviour? This question has long kept the medical world confused. Traditionally, it was thought that addiction could happen only when…
Join experts for this live videocast about adolescent suicide prevention, which will include techniques for early detection and management of young people at risk. Source: NIH
In a 2016 post-U.S. Presidential election post, I wondered about Donald Trump’s expressed attitudes towards immigrants, ethnic minorities, Muslims, and women: Is he simply giving a voice to attitudes that are widely shared? . . . Or, with his…
After an emergency room visit on Thanksgiving, Dr. Gordon reflects on treatments for injury vs. psychiatric conditions. Source: NIH
A singular cutoff point for school entry results in age differences between children of the same grade. In many school systems, September-born children, begin compulsory education in September of the year in which they turn five, making them relatively older…
Is the US the world’s most uptight nation regarding sex? Maybe not the most, but certainly among them. For example, the US has more laws regulating sexual behavior than all European countries combined. US prudishness is so severe as to…
Happy Saturday, Psych Central readers! This week’s Psychology Around the Net takes a look at what “self-care” actually means for many people with mental illnesses, the different types of depression and anxiety a new study has identified, which people are…
Embodied Cognition is a branch of neuroscience which explores the unconscious effects of touch (and other senses) on the mind and emotions. Soft Things Touching a “soft” article or texture has been linked to creating deeper states of kindness and…
Everything is harder when you have an illness. It feels like you’re always trying to catch up. You can barely get by during the rest of the year, which makes the holiday season especially hard. If that wasn’t difficult enough,…
Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., Director of NIMH, has been promoted to Fellow status by the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology based on his scientific reputation, contributions to the College through committee work and involvement in the Annual Meeting program. Source:…