DEPRESSION:
a. The New York Times with a tremendous review of ketamine’s success in treating depression for many. And also, the scarcity of data on its long-term effects.
In a nutshell: lots of people have treatment-resistant depression, and ketamine often provides immediate, stunning relief. But……we’re not sure what the long-term side effects are yet.
b. Two physicians talk about battling treatment-resistant depression by targeting the Glutamatergic System.
c. STUDY: “Higher white blood cell count tied to genetic depression risk.” [PHOTO above]
d. You know the saying that prisons are the new mental health institutions? Another study confirms how prevalent mental health problems are in prisons.
e. Lindsey Vonn (you know, the Olympic skier who won everything) talks about her struggle with depression (and gives tips).
f. Another STUDY further establishes the relationship between poor sleep and mental illness. The conclusion isn’t unique. There have been lots of studies suggesting this. But the study design, here, was particularly sophisticated.
Here are 8 tips for getting a good sleep from Harvard Health. 1) exercise 2) reserve your bed for sleep and sex 3) make your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool 4) start a sleep ritual 5) eat a small healthy snack if you’re hungry 6) avoid alcohol and caffeine 7) de-stress 8) get checked out for things like sleep apnea or reflux.
BIPOLAR DISORDER:
a. STUDY: We still don’t know exactly why lithium seems to work so well, but “now researchers have developed a method for imaging lithium in living cells, allowing them to discover that neurons from BD patients accumulate higher levels of lithium than healthy controls.”
b. If you have a mood disorder, you are now eligible for a Covid vaccine booster shot, as these conditions raise the risk for mortality.
ANXIETY:
a. Schitt’s Creek actor Dan Levy tells People Magazine that he experienced so much tension and anxiety during filming that he actually needed a neck brace. Wow.
Neck tension is incredibly common in people with anxiety, and here are some tips on how to relieve it. And some more.
b. The Guardian: It’s called “Text Anxiety.” Not a clinical disorder! But too many texts, emails, notifications are overwhelming a lot of people. Some good advice on how to deal with it, if you have it.
c. Beekeeping Therapy for veterans, struggling with anxiety and PTSD. This follows another recent story on equine therapy for those struggling with PTSD.
d. Live Science: “7 anxiety tips to help you everyday.” There’s nothing in there you probably don’t already know (sleep, exercise, etc). But the research studies backing up their tips are pretty interesting.
e. Covid numbers are finally falling. So is stress and anxiety among students.
PTSD:
a. STUDY: A new study of Syrian refugees suggests that the children of moms who experience PTSD may struggle with emotional processing abilities.
“Remarkably, as a mother’s PTS symptoms dropped by one point on the scale, a child’s emotional processing scores increased by the equivalent of one year of development. By contrast, fathers’ PTS symptoms were not significantly related to children’s emotional processing scores.”
Treatment is vital for both mother and children.
EATING DISORDERS:
a. Japan has seen a 60% jump in eating disorders since the start of the Covid Crisis.
b. Eating disorders are common among veterans — attributed to trauma, sustaining military weight requirements, and the notion that going without food is a sign of strength.
SCHIZOPHRENIA:
a. STUDY: “Digital Medicine System may reduce schizophrenia symptoms beyond the effects of oral pharmacotherapy alone.”
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER:
a. STUDY: Need of Approval Predicts OCD Diagnosis. “Results showed lower levels of confidence and higher levels of attachment anxiety among patients with OCD….. higher need of approval most strongly predicted OCD diagnosis compared with other attachment factors.”
b. Rates of OCD among adults and children have surged during the Covid Crisis.
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VERSE: “They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” — Acts 14:42
MUSIC: From Ennio Morricone, one of the most sublime pieces of music you will ever hear. In the best western you will ever see.
