Nigerian Proverb. "Hold a true friend with both hands." [Motivational Quotes of the Day]0000003:08:24 PMcomment []


Can the distracted brain be rewired? [U.S. News & World Report]0000003:05:27 PMcomment []


Tuneups for misfiring neurons; dazed and famous; ditsy but normal [U.S. News & World Report]0000003:04:55 PMcomment []


FDA Issues Suicide Warning (Finally!). After 15+ years of researchers and professionals being concerned about the increase incidence of suicide while their patients are on a newer antidepressant medication, the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has finally issued a warning. From the article:

On Monday, the FDA followed its advisers' recommendation and issued a public health advisory putting doctors, patients, families and other caregivers on notice to be particularly vigilant for signs of worsening depression or suicidal thoughts at the beginning of anti-depressant therapy or whenever the dose is changed.

The drugs of concern are all newer-generation antidepressants: Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Celexa, Remeron, Lexapro, Luvox, Serzone and Wellbutrin. Most are known to affect the brain chemical serotonin.

I should note that the FDA issued this warning as a part of a larger agreement to allow drug makers to begin advertising their antidepressant medications for use in children (e.g., a new 'on label' application). This warning clears the way for more of these medications to be more widely prescribed to children. [World of Psychology]0000003:00:15 PMcomment []


Antidepressant medication as Rorschach inkblot. "In modern life, we each get to choose how to act and whom to be. This freedom can also be a curse, because we must make our choices based on approaches to doing and being that may be persuasive but are often in conflict. Our choices are centered on the stories we tell ourselves and the stories we are told; our challenge is to find good ways to choose among contradictory stories."

In Emotional Choices, author Joli Jensen tells us that what story you choose to believe about antidepressants reveals a deeper truth about who you are. While a long read for an online article (reprinted from the current issue of Reason Magazine), it's worth it, especially if you're a student or you're currently taking an antidepressant. Print it out if it helps, and pass it along to your friends! [World of Psychology]0000002:59:38 PMcomment []


Love Mends a Broken Heart. Love can be good for your heart -- and not just the heart you read about in poems and Valentine's Day cards. New research suggests close relationships help protect heart attack survivors against future cardiovascular problems.

Survivors without intimate partners, relatives or friends were twice as likely to suffer from major heart problems within a year. "Heart patients and doctors must both be prepared to examine emotional and social aspects of their life as well as the physical factors," said study co-author Dr. Francis Creed, a professor of psychological medicine at the Manchester Royal Infirmary in the United Kingdom. [World of Psychology]0000002:59:26 PMcomment []


Study says claims for antidepressant success in children are flawed. Doubts about the use of antidepressants for children have been given a spur by a new study which rips holes in trials that determined these powerful drugs to be both safe and effective for youngsters.

The research is published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on April 10, 2004, less than three weeks after the US authorities issued a warning to doctors in the light of evidence that some youngsters prescribed with these drugs became suicidal and hostile.

The Australian authors assess six published studies of trials in which children were given antidepressants for treating anxiety or depression. [World of Psychology]0000002:59:09 PMcomment []