Addiction Archive

We all have habits we'd like to break, but the brain doesn't make changes easily. Breaking an unhealthy habit can be done; to do so, it helps to understand what's happening in the brain, know why you want to change, and accept that there will be setbacks along the way.

Practicing self-forgiveness about a past wrongdoing is not easy, but it can have a range of health benefits. Studies have shown that self-forgiveness is associated with reduced guilt, shame, stress, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, as well as greater self-esteem and life satisfaction. The process of self-forgiveness follows four Rs: responsibility, remorse, reorienting, and renewal.

Studies suggest that the world is facing two different dementia trends. One is that dementia rates are falling steadily in the United States and Europe. The other is that the number of dementia cases globally is rising, and will likely triple in the next 30 years, mostly due to population increases. People can try to reduce their dementia risk by adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes lots of exercise, a healthy diet, at least seven hours of sleep per night, limited alcohol consumption, socializing, improved balance, stress management, smoking cessation, and control of underlying health conditions.

Middle-aged men who often feel worried or anxious may be more prone to problems that raise heart disease risk as they age compared with their less-worried peers.

Research has found associations between social media use and negative mental health effects in both youth and adults. These ill effects may reflect the particular ways people use social media. People may have a healthier online experience if they focus on interacting with others, rather than just scrolling through posts. Some additional strategies that can help improve the experience are avoiding posts from unpleasant people, discussing contentious subjects in person rather than online, and using social media to enhance real-life relationships.

A 2020 study found that people defined as lonely had a higher risk of dementia than those who were not considered lonely. Loneliness also was associated with smaller brain sizes and poorer executive function (the ability to plan, focus attention, and remember instructions).

Hair loss is a common problem for many men and women, but what does it mean to have alopecia? Alopecia areata occurs when the body's immune system attacks hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. AA can affect the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or anywhere hair grows on the body.

A notable rise in eating disorders is particularly marked among adolescent girls. Many kinds of eating disorders can affect children and teens, and parents need to understand their causes and be aware of signs suggesting their child may have an eating disorder.

When thinking about progressive brain disorders that cause dementia, you'd probably think of memory problems. But sometimes language problems, also known as aphasia, are the first symptom. There are different variants of aphasia depending on what aspect of language is disrupted, and they are caused by different diseases.

A 2021 study found that people who underwent cataract surgery (a procedure replace the lens of the eye) appeared to have a lower risk of developing dementia than those who had cataracts but did not undergo surgery.