State of Mind: Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa: Successful Treatment Programs
Eating disorders are complex illnesses. Successful treatment programs blend a combination of therapies--medical care and monitoring, psychotherapy and nutritional counseling. Erin, a patient involved in the Eating Disorders Program at UCLA and Micha...
State of Mind: How Are You Feeling?
People with a positive mental attitude accept themselves, have an optimistic yet realistic outlook on life, and cope effectively with change. Many citizens of the world are impaired by some form of mental illness, the causes of which are as varied a...
State of Mind: Anxiety Disorders
Psychotherapy is particularly important in breaking the cycle of anxiety disorders, whether they take the form of panic attacks or eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Michael Strober, Director of the Eating Disorders Program at UCLA ...
State of Mind: Thought Disorder Schizophrenia, The
Impaired cognitive functioning, memory loss, or delusions may be caused by brain injuries, tumors, or the aging process as in Alzheimer's disease. One form of dementia is the thought disorder schizophrenia. The causes of schizophrenia are unknown, b...
State of Mind: Psychiatric Treatment and the Future
Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute and Paul McHugh, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Johns Hopkins University Hospital talk about the future of psychotherapy. Increased understanding of how the brain, body, an...
State of Mind: Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa: Charting New Directions
Group psychotherapy is particularly valuable for victims of eating disorders. It confirms that their experience is not unique and allows them to feel understood, respected, and cared about. Michael Strober, Director of UCLA's Eating Disorder Program...
Feels So Good...Hurts so Bad: Risk Factors Related to Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol is an engrained part of our society. Fifty-two percent of Americans drink, many responsibly without threatening their health or relationships. In Europe, where the use of alcohol is part of the ritual of life it is uncommon to see adults dri...
Behind Closed Doors: Risk Factors for Violence: Guns and Drugs
Guns--weapons of violence--contribute to the greater number of violent acts that occur in the United States. The cities of Seattle and Vancouver are virtually identical except for the fact that the murder rate in Seattle is ten times higher than it ...
The Code: The Genetic Blueprint
Every cell of the human body carries 23 pairs of chromosomes. The chemical substance within each chromosome--the DNA--contains hundreds, sometimes thousands of different genes, depending on the size of the chromosome. Genes direct the formation of t...
Web of Addiction: Role of the Environment in Addiction, The
Drug addiction is not like other genetically-affected illnesses that appear regardless of a person's behavior. Drug addiction is uniquely dependent on how the person interacts with their environment. A person exposed to a drug will first develop a h...