The family’s first-born son was away at college when he became a heroin addict. He was 21 and in the throes of detox at a long-term residential treatment center when his parents learned this sobering news: their medical insurance would not pay the $8,000 bill. “I used the savings bonds I inherited from my grandma …
What is the most prevalent eating disorder that most people have never heard of? Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) is the catchall, eating disorders grab-bag category for those who do not fit the traditional criteria for anorexia or bulimia. What eating disorder research has revealed is that an individual who does not meet the …
EDNOS: Most Misunderstood Eating Disorder Also Kills Read More »
Renowned physician and nutrition scientist Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, and distinguished psychologist and trauma specialist Christine Courtois, PhD, ABPP, will present at the Ben Franklin Institute’s Summit for Clinical Excellence conference in Chicago.
Alcoholism produces a range of possible harms in the brains and bodies of affected individuals. One of these potential harms is the onset of a condition called pellagra, which occurs as a result of a deficiency of a B vitamin called niacin (B3). The presence of pellagra can cause changes in several important body systems, …
Niacin Deficiency in Alcoholics Can Cause Dementia Read More »
Every year, U.S. doctors prescribe more opiate painkillers and other prescription medications than any other country in the world, by far. In fact, eight out of 10 prescription painkillers made worldwide are consumed by Americans. As the prescription drug addiction epidemic has continued to spiral out of control, many are pointing fingers at doctors. A …
Are Doctors to Blame for the Prescription Drug Addiction Crisis? Read More »
Startling new findings have thrown into question whether decades of pregnant women taking acetaminophen products such as Tylenol for lower back pain and headaches has led to their children being diagnosed with ADHD. Kids whose mothers took acetaminophen while pregnant were more likely to develop attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a long-term study by UCLA researchers has …
Tylenol in Pregnancy Tied to Higher ADHD Risk in Kids Read More »
If you can smell cigarette smoke in your house, hotel room, rental car or workplace, you may be damaging your health by exposure to third-hand smoke, a new study has found. Living, working or lodging in houses, offices, hotels and vacation rentals where cigarettes have been smoked may be as dangerous to your health as …
Third-hand Smoke Affects Lungs, Liver, Healing, New Study Finds Read More »
Positive psychotherapy (PPT) is the name for a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that focuses on increasing and reinforcing a person’s positive emotional states rather than focusing on easing the effects of a person’s negative emotional states. In a study published in January 2014 in the Journal of Positive Psychology, researchers from several U.S. universities investigated …
Risky behavior is the general term used to describe actions that increase a person’s chances of experiencing harmful or unwanted, short- or long-term life outcomes. People with a tendency toward such actions have heightened odds of getting involved in substance use. In turn, substance use is itself a risky behavior that can produce seriously damaging …
Cigarette smoking is a highly addictive activity practiced by millions of U.S. adults and teenagers. Doctors and public health officials commonly try to identify smokers as part of an ongoing effort to prevent the severe health complications that often accompany cigarette use and nicotine addiction. However, according to the results of a study published in …