Mindfully Healing

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

Back pain treatment could also help treat depression, fatigue and common digestive disorders. Taking a placebo — a fake pill — reduces back pain 30% even when people know it is fake. Professor Ted Kaptchuk, one of the study’s authors, explained: “These findings turn our understanding of the placebo effect on its head. This new research demonstrates that the placebo effect is not necessarily elicited by patients’ conscious expectation that they are getting an active medicine, as long thought. Taking a pill in the context of a patient-clinician relationship —

One-third of people over 45 have this chronic psychological problem — as do many who are younger. Chronic loneliness affects 42.6 million people over 45-years-old in the United States, research finds. That is one-third of people in the age-group. Being socially isolated and lonely could be worse for public health than obesity. Over 100 studies have found that being lonely is linked to a 50% increase in risk of death. The danger to health of being lonely is similar or greater than that of being overweight. Professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, was

Some foods have an negative effect on cognitive function and, potentially, eating habits. Diets high in saturated fats can slow brain function, new research finds. Saturated fats have a direct effect on the hypothalamus, an area of the brain which is critical for regulating hunger. Eating saturated fats could, therefore, make it difficult to control your eating habits. They can make it difficult to control how much you eat, the types of foods you choose to consume and when to stop eating. Saturated fats are typically found in: lard, butter,

Now we know why some men undo more shirt buttons than they should. A hairy chest signals higher intelligence in a man, research finds. Dr Aikarakudy Alias, a psychiatrist, has found that hairy chests are more frequent among men who are highly educated, such as doctors. Dr Alias surveyed male trainee doctors in the US and found that 45% of them were ‘very hairy’. This is in comparison to the 10% of men in the general population who are very hairy. The same was also true when Dr Alias looked

The smouldering regret that is most widespread won’t surprise you. Romantic regrets are the most common type, research finds. Among women, regrets about romance were twice as common as among men. For men, work regrets were most widespread. Other common areas of regret included financial decisions, parenting mistakes, missed educational opportunities and family arguments. Professor Neal Roese, an author of this study, said: “We found that one’s life circumstances, such as accomplishments or shortcomings, inject considerable fuel into the fires of regret. Although regret is painful, it is an essential

Here are two trainable personal qualities which predict success four times more than intelligence. Being open to experience and conscientious is four times more important than intelligence in predicting academic success, a new research review finds. People who are open to experience are more likely to be imaginative, sensitive to their feelings, intellectually curious and seekers of variety. Conscientious people, meanwhile, are disciplined, dutiful and good at planning ahead. Dr Arthur Poropat, the study’s author and an expert on personality and performance, thinks the current emphasis on intelligence is misplaced:

Antidepressants may give the brain a chance to recover from depression, but more is needed. It is well-known that common antidepressants have little to no effect for up to 50% of people. Ms Silvia Poggini, author of a new study on the subject, said: “There is no doubt that antidepressants work for many people, but for between 30 percent and 50 percent of depressed people, antidepressants don’t work. No one knows why. This work may explain part of the reason. The new research suggests it is at least partly down

What it means to have a schizoid, paranoid or borderline personality disorder. There are three main types of personality disorder. Each of the three types — or ‘clusters’ in psychiatric speech — has various different disorders within it. As you read through, you’ll see the connection among the types or clusters. Type A: Eccentric or odd 1. Schizoid personality disorder A person with a total lack of interest in social relationships. They live alone or have a very lonely lifestyle. They are typically cold, apathetic and secretive. It is very

People in the study listened to and then played a Tibetan singing bowl. Playing a musical instrument can help protect against cognitive decline. The reason is that learning to play changes the brain’s ‘wiring’, new research finds. The neuroscientists found that the brain can compensate for disease or injuries. Dr Bernhard Ross, study’s first author, said: “Music has been known to have beneficial effects on the brain, but there has been limited understanding into what about music makes a difference. This is the first study demonstrating that learning the fine