Category Archives: Brain
Why We Get Addicted
Think about an experience that makes you feel good. It could be successfully completing a project at work, eating a warm chocolate chip cookie or taking a swig of whiskey. It could be a puff of a cigarette or a … Continue reading
Arts appear to play role in brain development
Brain research in the past several years is just beginning to uncover some startling ideas about how students learn. First came the proof, some years ago, that our brains do not lose brain cells as we get older, but are … Continue reading
Types of Depression
Whether you’re a college student in the middle of a major slump, a new mom who can’t pinpoint why she’s feeling so glum, or a retiree grieving over the loss of a loved one, that question isn’t an easy one … Continue reading
Addictive habits and the brain
The notion that “one size fits all” when applying drug treatments to addiction is challenged by a published in the journal Biological Psychiatry that investigates pharmacotherapies for cocaine addiction. Currently, medication for drug addicts is prescribed in the same way for all … Continue reading
Addiction Hijacks the Brain
You’ve probably heard of the brain’s reward network. It’s activated by basic needs — including food, water and sex — and releases a surge of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine when those needs are met. But it can also be hijacked … Continue reading
Self-Care for Depression
As a clinical psychologist, Mary Pipher, PhD, designed “healing packages” for her patients: activities, resources, and comforts to help them recover from trauma. Then, after Dr. Pipher’s book Reviving Ophelia became a runaway best-seller, she herself suffered from an episode … Continue reading
Problem solving
Characteristics that typically distinguish insight from “noninsight” solutions, people feel stuck before insight strikes; they can’t explain how they solved the problem and might say they were not even thinking about it; the solution appears suddenly and is immediately seen … Continue reading
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