Mindfully Healing

Study tests if antidepressants really help depressed people feel better in the long run. Over nine years, depressed people were better off if they had no treatment at all than if they took antidepressants, new research finds. In addition, depressed people that got adequate treatment without medication did better nine years later than those who got adequate treatment with medication. It may be that taking antidepressants causes more harm than no treatment whatsoever in the long run. These effects could be the result of many factors that others have suggested.

Every week almost one-quarter of Americans use this drug. Acetaminophen — commonly known as Tylenol in the US and paracetamol elsewhere — reduces people’s empathy for the pain of others, new research finds. Acetaminophen is an ingredient in over 600 different medications, including being the main constituent of Tylenol. The ubiquitous painkiller does not just kill pain, it also kills our fellow-feeling. Dr Dominik Mischkowski, the study’s first author, said: “These findings suggest other people’s pain doesn’t seem as big of a deal to you when you’ve taken acetaminophen. Acetaminophen

Are you just shy or is it a social anxiety disorder? The classic sign of a social anxiety disorder is a strong fear of embarrassment or humiliation in social situations, research finds. Bear in mind that many people are apprehensive in unfamiliar social situations or with those they do not know. Social anxiety disorder is more than being shy. To be a social anxiety disorder, the fear should be so great that the social situation can only be born with considerable distress. Either that or social situations are often avoided