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,