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...
Serotonin and Violence
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, continues his comments about serotonin. Dr. Hamer explains that in addition to making people feel depressed, serotonin seems to also trigger hostility i...
Stroke and Depression
Dr. Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA, talks about research that helps identify which patients are at highest risk for depression after a stroke. Dr. Leuchter explains that, "...It appears that strokes in the frontal portions of ...
State of Mind: Lifetime Battle Against Depression, A
The experience of depression becomes blatantly clear as Beverly relates her struggles with the disease. Outsiders tend to think depression can be cast aside if only the person afflicted has the will to do it. Dr. Andrew Leuchter explains that depres...
Harm Avoidance (Part One)
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, talks about harm avoidance, which he explains is the opposite of novelty seeking. In the words of Dr. Hamer, people who are harm avoidant see the world,...
State of Mind: Insurance Limitations Hamper Effective Treatment of Depression
Matching patients with the appropriate anti-depressant, and getting them to stay with it long enough for it to work involves the support of psychotherapy as well as medication. Too often insurance plans severely limit coverage for conditions related...
Schizophrenia
Dr. Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA, talks about schizophrenia, a mental health disorder that he states affects about one percent of the population. Dr. Leuchter explains that schizophrenia is what's called a "thought disorder....
Suicide (Part Two)
Dr. Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA, talks about the correlation between suicide and age. Dr. Leuchter explains that the risk for suicide goes up during adolescence and then again after middle age, particularly among elderly wh...
Serotonin
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, talks about the chemical serotonin and the role it plays in the brain. As it turns out, harm avoidance is controlled by serotonin. Unfortunately, this c...
Treating Depression: First Steps
Dr. Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA, talks about first steps in treating depression. Initially, Dr. Leuchter explains, doctors look for symptoms that often accompany depression, such as problems with sleep, energy, appetite, se...