Antidepressants Can Reduce Depression By Acting on the Gut Alone
By increasing serotonin levels in the gut, scientists observed a big reduction in depression and anxiety without the side effects of common antidepressants.
EATING DISORDERS: NOT JUST FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
A new study shows a shadow population of women with eating disorders: 3 percent of women in their 40s and 50s reported suffering from an eating disorder in the last year.
The stereotypical bulimic, anorexic , or binge eating person is a young adult, and that stereotype isn’t helping. Very few of these older women have sought help for their problem, the study shows, with possible reasons including a feared lack of understanding from health care professionals.
The stresses that come later in life — and the changes that the body undergoes — can be triggers for eating disorders. Other risk factors include an unhappy childhood and a poor relationship with one’s mother.
But the good news is treatment may be more effective with older adults, according to the AARP. They have more perspective to draw on, along with a better understanding of the consequences of their dangerous eating patterns.
Read more about the study here.
Elsewhere in eating disorder news, an interesting new treatment is proving effective. They’re calling it dissonance-based treatment, and the idea is to (1) encourage women to criticize messages from the media about beauty being tied to thinness, and (2) teach women to resist the idea that their worth is tied to their appearance.
After engaging in this treatment program for four weeks, women showed improvement in their eating behaviors and in self-esteem. Anxiety and negative emotions decreased.
You can read more about that study here.
You Might Also Enjoy...
How to Practice Gratitude this Holiday Season
Gratitude benefits us in many ways, but the biggest benefit is how it improves our lives in general. Learn how to practice gratitude this holiday.
Schizophrenia Treatment: iTBS over left DLPFC brings new hope to patients
The new schizophrenia treatment is known as Theta burst stimulation (TBS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique for altering human behavior and treating neurological diseases.
How to beat winter depression: Seasonal affective disorder treatment
Seasonal affective disorder or winter depression is depression that often becomes apparent during the winter.
Traffic Sounds Increase Stress and Anxiety: Here's What You Can Do
A new study has shown that urban and traffic sounds can increase stress and anxiety. Here's what you can do to improve your wellbeing as a city dweller.
How Does Ketamine Work for Depression? Understanding Its Fast Action
The secret to ketamine’s effectiveness in depression lies in how it interacts with the brain. It targets NMDA receptors selectively. This precision is critical because drugs that act indiscriminately on all NMDA receptors usually cause side effects.