Psychological stress is known to increase the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The deriving inflammation is accompanied by an accumulation of highly reactive oxygen species, also known as oxidative stress, which is a contributing factor in the development of severe depression. A diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber is associated with reduced systemic inflammation….
Tips and coaching for making sense of stress.
Category Archives: Clinical
PDF Lower DHA Intake Linked to Higher Suicidality
Low levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the major omega-3 fatty acid concentrated in the brain, may increase suicide risk. A retrospective case-control study published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry of 1600 United States military personnel, including 800 who had committed suicide and 800 healthy counterparts, showed that all participants…
Cellphone Use & Cancer: Risks and Opinions
On May 31, 2011 the World Health Organization (WHO) announced their classification of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields emitted from cell phones, used globally by more than 4.6 billion people, as "possibly carcinogenic to humans.” Given the serious health risk that this implies, WHO has pledged to conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health…
How Good and Bad Stress Are the Same
Eustress (or good stress) and bad stress (acute or chronic) cause the exact same reaction in the human body. Even during voluntary “stressful” activities such as sport or exercise or when we receive unexpected good news, the brain stem, the oldest and more primordial part of the human brain, immediately mobilizes the body’s resources. The…
3 Good Ways of Responding To a Panic Attack
A panic attack ambushes the mind, the body, and the soul. Its targets are self-esteem, a balanced self-assessment and the ability to analyze situations and expected outcomes. When panic strikes, the present becomes a bleak landscape of dangers and the future includes a (seemingly) real possibility of annihilation. In the presence of a real (or…
Stress Hardware Review: The HPA
In addition to genetic factors, there are many external factors that influence our individual vulnerability to stress, including childhood trauma, early environmental factors, major life events or physical illness. These factors can influence the intensity and duration of our stress reaction, in many cases producing long-lasting effects. The stress caused by traumatic events may cause…
Optogenetics Discovers Brain Anxiety Circuit
The state of heightened apprehension and high arousal in the absence of immediate threat—commonly labeled as acute stress or anxiety—can be a severely debilitating condition. Over 28% of the population suffers from anxiety disorders that contribute to the development of major depressive disorder and substance abuse. Of all the structures of the limbic system, the…
Ultimate Stressors: Public Drama, Private Pain
Recently televised interviews with Mr. Charlie Sheen appear to have focused attention on the symptoms and manifestations of the manic phase of bipolar disorder. A public display of inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, profuse talkativeness, increase in goal-directed activity, psychomotor agitation, and the excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences…
Marijuana Linked to Earlier Onset of Psychosis
Marijuana (cannabis), thanks to the powerful depressing action of its active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is one of the oldest and most widely used means of self-medication against acute and chronic stress. THC users report experiencing a pleasurable state of relaxation, with heightened sensory experiences of taste, sound and color. In addition to its psychological effects,…
Stress and the Female Brain Advantage
In 1994, Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist at the University of California, established the Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic in San Francisco—one of very few such institutions in the world—and focused her attention on the etiology and functioning of the female nervous system. In 2007, she published The Female Brain as the culmination of her 20…
Can Psychological Stress Increase Cancer Risk?
The continuous circulation of white immune cells throughout the body is our defense against disease caused by bacteria, viruses, harmful chemicals, as well as our built-in, 24×7 surveillance system against the development of cancer. A healthy body sees between 4,000 and 11,000 white cells per microliter of circulating blood, but this concentration increases in response…
Stress Hardware Update: Limbic System 2.0
The term limbic system designates the entire neuronal circuitry and forebrain structures that control emotional behavior, motivational drives and the processing of present and past sensory experiences. The brain structures of the limbic system are located around the middle edge of the brain. Several limbic structures are involved in determining the affective nature of sensory…
Heart Attack or Stress?
Emergency room or a chill pill? What is that sudden stabbing pain that lasts only a few seconds? Or that pressure on the chest that won’t go away and feels like it’s getting worse? A heart attack, heartburn or something else? Dramatic questions like these bring people to emergency rooms or doctors’ offices by the…
New Therapy for Fibromyalgia Is Not New at All
Fibromyalgia, the stress and trauma-related disorder that affects millions of people, is characterized by widespread pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons, fatigue, multiple tender points, difficulties with sleep, impaired functioning, and depression. There are a few treatments that show at least some efficacy in relieving fibromyalgia’s often severe symptoms. These include pain medication, psychotherapy,…
Screening for Depression and Suicide Using Email
For the first time, email has been used to screen college students for clinical depression at 4 major US universities, as a feasible and inexpensive way to detect the disorder. The findings were presented at the American Psychiatric Association 2010 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Undergraduate and graduate students at 4 colleges were invited through…
