Mindfully Healing

Inhaling the essential oil could help reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Orange essential oil is a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, new research suggests. The oil — derived from the skin of an orange — could provide a better option than drugs, which generally have unwanted side effects. Ms Cassandra Moshfegh, the study’s first author, said: “Relative to pharmaceuticals, essential oils are much more economical and do not have adverse side effects. The orange essential plant oil showed a significant effect on the behavioral response in our

This Alzheimer’s early warning sign could provide a way of warding off the neurodegenerative disease. Poor sleep could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s in people who are otherwise healthy, new research finds. Scientists have found links between certain biological markers of Alzheimer’s and sleep disturbances. Dr Barbara B. Bendlin, who led the study, said: “Previous evidence has shown that sleep may influence the development or progression of Alzheimer’s disease in various ways. For example, disrupted sleep or lack of sleep may lead to amyloid plaque buildup because the brain’s

There will be a test, so I hope you are paying attention. When a person starts to blink more rapidly, it suggests their mind is wandering, research finds. Blinking sets up a tiny barrier against the outside world, allowing the brain to focus on something different. The researchers were inspired by neuroscientific findings that parts of the brain are less active when the mind wanders. Dr Daniel Smilek, the study’s first author, said: “And we thought, OK, if that’s the case, maybe we’d see that the body would start to

Depression symptoms were reduced in almost half the people given the injection. A single botox injection has been found to substantially improve depressive symptoms, research finds. Botox is typically used to decrease the appearance of wrinkles in the face. But, researchers have found that it can also help to treat the symptoms of depression. Professor Norman E. Rosenthal, who led the study, said: “This research is groundbreaking because it offers those who suffer from depression and their doctors an entirely new approach to treating the condition — one that doesn’t

Why early life stress causes depression. Early life stress decreases the adult ability to feel enthusiasm and experience pleasure. This is one of the reasons that experiencing stress early in life is a major risk factor for depression. Studies show that neglected or abused children are almost twice as likely to experience depression later in life. One of the causes is thought to be how neglect and abuse affects the way the brain processes reward. Dr. Jamie Hanson, the study’s first author, explained: “Our analyses revealed that over a two-year

Massive study of 100,000 people finds evidence for long-suspected danger of anxiety and sleeping drugs. Like many drugs, those prescribed for anxiety disorders, like diazepam and temazepam, have a number of known side-effects like daytime sleepiness, falls, an increased risk of dementia — and they are also addictive. Now, though, a new study has found evidence for a long-suspected danger of these drugs as well as common sleeping pills: an increased risk of death. The large study, published in the British Medical Journal, looked at data from over 100,000 patients

Surprising signs of intelligence include a tendency towards mental illness, being prone to worry, sleeping late and more… 1. Mental illness Disorders of mood could be the price some people pay for high intelligence, recent research finds. Psychologists have found that higher childhood IQ is linked to features of bipolar disorder in young adulthood. The research adds fuel to the debate over the connection between intelligence, creativity and mental health issues. Other studies now suggest a link between intelligence and mental illness that may go back into our evolutionary past.

The most genuine and pleasant type of smile might surprise you. When it comes to a successful smile, less is more, new research finds. The most effective, successful and pleasant smile doesn’t show too much of the teeth. It is a medium or low wattage smile. Certainly, it is not true that the bigger the smile, the better it is, as the study’s authors explain: “…the optimal window (or sweet spot) of smile extent contradicts the principle that “more is always better” with respect to smile extent.” The image below

Prescription drugs taken by millions of people around the world can affect memory. Memory loss is not always a result of ageing. Here are five types of drugs that can affect memory. 1. Antidepressants (tricyclic) The older type of antidepressants — known as tricyclics — have been linked to memory loss. Some of the drug names include: desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Tofranil), clomipramine (Anafranil), and doxepin (Sinequan). Around half of people taking them report problems concentrating and one-third say they have memory loss. 2. Anxiety drugs Benzodiazepines include drugs marketed under

People frequently give those with insomnia the worst advice with the best of intentions. Many people give incorrect advice about insomnia to their partners with the best of intentions, new research reveals. Psychologists studied 31 bed partners of people with insomnia. They wanted to see how they tried to support their insomniac partners. What they found was worrying… 74% of people encouraged an earlier bedtime or a later bedtime – Wrong! In fact, treatments for insomnia advise people to keep the same sleep and wake times. It is critical to