MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'bad'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:03 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159201&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F24%2Fis-it-really-mind-over-matter-the-mind-and-body-are-one%2F You have probably heard the phrase mind over matter, which implies the mind and matter are separable.  Or maybe you have heard it’s all in your head, or it’s mental.  Both of these phrases imply the separation of mind and brain (or body). So to explore this issue, I’d like to share some videos that discuss the unity of mind-body.  They can help us better understand how inseparable the mind and brain (body) really are. Mind vs. Brain: In the above video, Yale psychologist Paul Bloom says, “The mind is a product of the brain.  The mind is what the brain does.” Can we overload our brains? Steven Pinker, a scientist at Harvard, discusses the mind-brain myth in the video above.   Substance Dualism *Mirror* This is an excellent video (above) that discusses and re... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159201 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:29:31 +0100 5159201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159203&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F23%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-august-23-2011%2F Every once in awhile, I like to snoop around my old diaries. Besides personally being one of the best non-fiction reads to me, it gives good insight into who I was and potentially who I will be. One of the jewels of wisdom I recently picked up from a 7 year old Winnie the Pooh journal contained information on my state of mind at the time. The details are not important. But the general feeling of that entire year was one of heartache and confusion. There was this sense of longing, emptiness, a feeling that whatever I was going through was not only uncomfortable, but unfair. I even wrote: “When I’m 50, I’ll probably look back on this moment and it will be a fleeting and insignificant memory. But right now, I’m having a hard time with it.” I smiled reading it bec... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159203 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:39:33 +0100 5159203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159936&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FER0ZwakDAC8%2F I’ve discovered a powerful remedy for self-destructive habits that is so simple I wondered how I missed it over the years. My self-destructive habit involved eating junk food late at night, yet my discovery will work for any chronic, self-defeating behavior. Do you do things every day that you wish you didn’t? Most people wish they had control over certain behaviors, from addictions like smoking, drinking, gambling and junk food to emotional behaviors such as anger outbursts and yelling. Other seemingly stress related habits plague millions, such as biting fingernails, fidgeting or even shopping too much. We are creatures of habit, but sometimes our habits get the best of us, even though we understand the consequences. Science Daily recently reported on a University of Alberta study in... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159936 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 06:26:34 +0100 5159936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5131076&cid=t_112074_175_f&fid=39258&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FInsidePaTraining%2F%7E3%2FRLXPAioAqMI%2Fapplying-to-physician-assistant-school-low-grade Applying to Physician Assistant school with a low grade might seem like a recipe for rejection, but this isn’t necessarily true. Of course, the best way to maximize your chances of acceptance is to have only outstanding grades, but things happen, and it isn’t always possible.  There is nothing about having a low grade (or [...] (Source: Inside PA Training) Inside PA Training blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5131076 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 06:55:43 +0100 5131076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118658&cid=t_112074_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1789 In following the stories out of the UK, I am saddened by the violence and senseless destruction in the nation that so many of us look to as kindred.  Many of us have a deep, almost genetic, reverence for the land of so many of our ancestors.  I certainly wish we could once again unite and rise up, standing for freedom and the greatness of the West.  Alas, not yet. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/08/11/london-police-raiding-houses-over-uk-riots/?test=latestnews It is, of course, like all such violence in places where a perfect storm of ideology brews. Closing the trough First, young poor people, told for decades it was the duty of the government and taxpayers to care for them, become animal-like when their feed-trough is threatened.  And, animal-like, brutal in nature, ‘red in t... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118658 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:54:36 +0100 5118658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118712&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F09%2Ffacebook-tied-to-poor-mental-health-in-teens-kids%2F You know it’s a good time of the year for psychology “news” when the American Psychological Association holds its annual convention. Why? Because they push out a bunch of sexy press releases about presentations at the conference. Case in point, “Social Networking’s Good and Bad Impacts on Kids,” a presentation that presents a seemingly-random selection of research findings about social networking websites like Facebook from the past few years. This quickly gets turned into an exclusive focus on the negative aspects of the talk — “Facebook tied to poor mental health in teens: What parents must know” (CBS News), “Too Much Technology Breeds Health Problems in Teens” (Patch.com), and of course the inevitable, “Is constant &#82... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118712 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:43:50 +0100 5118712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103350&cid=t_112074_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1773 The American College of Graduate Medical Education has enacted further restrictions on resident work hours.  No more than 80 hours per week of work for resident physicians, averaged over one month.  And no more than 16 hours of continuous work for first year residents (24 after that), which includes patient care, academic lectures, etc. Whenever they do this sort of thing, everyone seems excited that it will make everyone safer.  After all, residents won’t be working as much, so they’ll be more rested and make much better decisions.  It’s all ‘win-win,’ as physicians in training and patients alike are safer. I guess.  The problem of course is that after training, work hours aren’t restricted.  There is no set limit on the amount of work physician c... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103350 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:31:30 +0100 5103350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086260&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F31%2Fsometimes-im-tempted-to-fight-my-new-passion%2F For the last month or so, I’ve been possessed with a passionate interest in the sense of smell. I follow the resolution to cultivate good smells — I’ve read lots of books, I’ve started disciplining myself to be more aware of the smells that I encounter in my day, I’ve been eliminating sources of bad smell in my home (a very worthwhile endeavor, by the way), and I’ve also become interested in perfume. I’ve never had much interest in perfume, but suddenly I am, because so much of the energy and writing around the subject of smell is related to perfume. I’m newly fascinated by perfume, but I’m also fascinated by my own process of becoming fascinated. As Virginia Woolf noted in her Diary: “I must remember to write about my clothes next time I have an impulse to write. M... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086260 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:39:58 +0100 5086260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077772&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F28%2F12-weeks-to-feeling-better-try-psychotherapy-today%2F It’s time for psychotherapy to stop beating around in the bushes and get a new marketing campaign going for itself. It’s time for organizations like our own, the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association and others to join together and have people understand a simple, basic message — 12 weeks is all most people need to start feeling better when faced with a mental health issue. Psychotherapy still gets a bad rap because of a basic misunderstanding of the process it entails, or prejudice around thinking that if you need to see a therapist, something’s really wrong with you. It doesn’t have to be this way. Just like the endless pharmaceutical commercials on TV for antidepressants and ADHD medications, psychotherapy could be remindin... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077772 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:06:58 +0100 5077772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069533&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F26%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-july-26-2011%2F I call one of my relatives a “bad news bear.” Although he has good intentions, his spewing out the world’s greatest tragedies every few minutes does not help me. In fact, all that worrying and anxiety could hurt. After calling him out on it, he said his main intention was concern. I get that. I think parents today are like him. They just want to protect their children from the onslaught of offenders who are posted up all over the news 24/7. If you love someone, however, how do you best protect them? I think there is a balance between caring and being overprotective. And everyone deals with this in their own way. Some loved ones may minimize your pain because they hurt seeing you upset. That’s why they say things like, “I’m sure you’ll feel better s... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069533 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:02:25 +0100 5069533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062255&cid=t_112074_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1745 Good news on disability:  or should I say ‘disability.’ Anyone working in social services or medicine (well, anyone with half a cerebrum and some rational thinking capacity mixed in with their compassion) knows that the disability system in the US is completely out of control.  We routinely see patients who say, when queried about their disability, ‘well doc, honestly, I don’t know why I’m on disability!’  Which is fine if you’ve had a serious head injury or stroke, but if your complaint is ‘injured back while using chain-saw,’ maybe disability is a little generous. So, here’s some light in the darkness: http://lsolum.typepad.com/legaltheory/2011/07/pierce-on-administrative-law-judge-disability-decisionmaking.html Hallelujah! ... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062255 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:03:37 +0100 5062255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057948&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FbqtKSzmhnHY%2F Maybe you’ve experienced this, too. When you made a commitment to try to live your best life, to start a side-business in the other 8 hours, to lose weight, or to go back to school, weren’t you flooded with acceptance, enthusiasm, and unconditional support from your friends, colleagues, and family? No? I didn’t think so. All too often, if you try to better yourself, you will likely face negativity and pessimism from those who are closest to you. Why would those who care about you the most also be the most critical? There are only two reasons. They either don’t want to see you fail or they don’t want to see you succeed. It’s that simple. They’re either trying to “protect” you from defeat, or they’re worried that you might succeed.... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057948 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 06:03:56 +0100 5057948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050607&cid=t_112074_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1728 For years now, we’ve all heard the drum-beat.  Bill-boards in cities have proclaimed it.  Various medical associations have touted it’s importance.  Stroke symptoms have to be treated immediately!  Give clot-busting drugs, also known as ‘thrombolytics!’ Until, of course, those in favor of giving the drugs (namely neurologists)  realized that a)  Not everyone with a stroke, aka ‘brain attack’ has insurance and b) people have a very inconsiderate habit of having said strokes at the most inconvenient of hours.  For instance, after 5PM, on the weekend, on holidays.  The nerve! So across the country, physicians in emergency departments like mine are finding themselves expected by the court of public opinion to give a potentially dangerous drug (albeit... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050607 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:27:57 +0100 5050607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008276&cid=t_112074_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fcan-you-blame-the-environment-for-your-bad-habits.html Live fast, die young. You’re a long time gone. Sleep when you’re dead. The hedonists mantras. Lifestyle choices whether in terms of food consumption, alcohol and drugs or sexual activity are down to the individual. Nannying by governments, who have their own mantras: Smoking Kills, Know your limits, Get your five-a-day, Use protection, etc, all costs money, is apparently ignored by most people, and probably has little effect on those lifestyle choices. But, some researchers believe that the concept of freewill when it comes to smoking, drinking, poor eating habits and other health risks is not entirely independent of external forces. Claudio Ricciardi of the Department of Environment and Primary Prevention, at the Italian National Institute of Health, in Rome, goes so far as to... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008276 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:18:30 +0100 5008276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997526&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fare-psychiatrists-hesitant-to-say-bad-things-about-their-peers%2F2011.07.03 When Jesse read our Shrink Rap book, he said we were too nice to psychiatrists in it– that we didn’t mention that there are some really bad psychiatrists out there and he thinks part of the venom towards psychiatry comes from the whole rushed 15 minute med-check culture. I thought about this and I thought, really?  We have a whole chapter called When Things Go Wrong and we discuss a psychiatrist who is not sensitive enough to a patient (though, granted, the patient is overly demanding and overly sensitive–so I guess not the best portrayal of insensitivity by a shrink), one who is rigid in her formulation to the point of almost destroying a family, one who prescribes medication that makes a patient fat and diabetic, and finally, a psychiatrist who is outright unethical an... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997526 Sun, 03 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4997526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975940&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F28%2F10-myths-about-happiness%2F I’m leaving my desk for a few days, so in my absence, thought I’d re-post one of my favorite round-up pieces, about ten widespread myths about happiness. A while back, each day for two weeks, I posted about Ten Happiness Myths. Here they are, for your reading convenience. (Click on each myth to read a longer explanation of it.) 1. Happy people are annoying and stupid. Wrong. Actually, studies show that people find happy people much more likable than their less-happy peers. Happy people are viewed as friendlier, smarter, warmer, less selfish, more self-confident, and more socially skilled — even more physically attractive. 2. Nothing changes a person’s happiness level much. It’s true that there’s a powerful genetic link to happiness — usually it’s estimated t... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975940 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:23:58 +0100 4975940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968424&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F06%2Fim-talking-at-glastonbury-saturday-130pm-free-university-in-the-park%2F Hi all, just to say, I’m doing a talk in the Free University of Glastonbury, 1:30pm (or thereabouts) on Saturday. Free University is the literarature tent in The Park field, based inside HMS Sweet Charity, which sounds like it’s probably a big silly boat. www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/news/the-free-university-of-glastonbury-returns I’m also talking at Secret Garden Party (speakers tent, no [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968424 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:19:18 +0100 4968424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968425&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F06%2Ftheres-something-magical-about-watching-patterns-emerge-from-data%2F Ben Goldacre The Guardian Saturday 11 June 2011 We all know one atom of experience isn’t enough to spot a pattern: but when you put lots of experiences together and process that data, you get new knowledge. This might sound obvious, but following it through – watching patterns emerge from the noise – still gives me [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968425 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:29:09 +0100 4968425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945314&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2Ftfr3hvzm1kk%2F It can be hard to stay focused and productive at the best of times. But when you’re feeling low – whether that’s physically or emotionally – then it can seem almost impossible to concentrate. Maybe you have a daunting number of things to get done … but you can’t seem to summon up the energy to tackle any of them. You might end up doing something totally counter-productive: procrastinating, or tackling the easy, unimportant tasks, or even driving yourself to tears. Here’s how to keep yourself on track: #1: Make a List of Tasks This is a classic time-management technique … because it really works. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, sit down and write a clear list of tasks. What do you need to do today? What could you put off for a few days if necessary? The act of writi... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945314 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:00:28 +0100 4945314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934335&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F14%2Fwhen-our-intuition-leads-us-to-bad-decisions%2F Six years ago, Malcolm Gladwell released a book entitled Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. In his usual style, Gladwell weaves stories in-between descriptions of scientific research the support his hypothesis that our intuition can be surprisingly accurate and right. One year ago, authors Daniel J. Simons and Christopher F. Chabris, writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education not only had some choice words for Gladwell’s cherry-picking of the research, but also showed how intuition probably only works best in certain situations, where there is no clear science or logical decision-making process to arrive at the “right” answer. For instance, when choosing which ice cream is “best.” Reasoned analysis, however, works best in virtually every other si... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934335 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:39:28 +0100 4934335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934338&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F13%2Fbipolar-disorder-tips-for-reducing-relapse%2F For many mental illnesses relapse is part and parcel. Bipolar disorder is one of these. What’s especially unnerving for people is that relapse can seem random, as though you go to bed feeling one way and wake up another, feeling hints of mania or depression. Why relapse occurs is largely unknown. But we do know certain facts based on research findings, according to Joseph R. Calabrese, M.D., director of the Mood Disorders Program at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, in this excellent article in bp Magazine on relapse: “Those who are diagnosed with bipolar II are more likely to relapse than those with bipolar I. Their episodes of depression, mania or hypomania are often shorter than the episodes experienced by those with bipolar I but tend to return more of... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934338 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:34:54 +0100 4934338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911570&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F08%2Fwhy-these-6-happiness-boosters-might-actually-make-you-feel-worse%2F Everyone has a few tricks for beating the blues. It turns out, however, that several of the most popular strategies don’t actually work very well in the long term. Beware if you are tempted to try any of the following: 1. Comforting yourself with a “treat.” Often, the things we choose as “treats” aren’t good for us. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt, loss of control, and other negative consequences just deepen the lousiness of the day. So when you find yourself thinking, “I’ll feel better after I have a pint of ice cream… a cigarette… a new pair of jeans,” ask yourself — will it really make you feel better? It might make you feel worse. In particular, beware of… 2. Letting yourself off the hook. I’ve found that I sometimes ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911570 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:45:45 +0100 4911570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911574&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F07%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-june-7-2011%2F Life lessons come in unexpected packages. Take yesterday, for example. I was peering into my nightly stack of “I’m-going-to-eventually-get-to-these-books,” when I came across the yellow covered copy of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. The only reason why I hadn’t finished yet, is that I did what I normally do when I’m infatuated with a book. I read it slowly as if each word were being analyzed with a microscope. I would ponder over an author’s choice of one word over another, for example or got lost in why a particular passage was so magical, so descriptively perfect. When I picked up where I left off, I was enchanted by the beginning of the last chapter, which started with this: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “[... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911574 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:32:53 +0100 4911574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902483&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F06%2Fthink-encouraging-girls-to-stay-smart-in-a-dumb-downed-world%2F In her gutsy book, Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World, attorney and national television legal analyst Lisa Bloom paints a dire picture: The problem is not just about that 25 percent of young women who would rather be hot than smart; rather, it’s about a culture that actually makes that a rational choice: rewarding girls for looks over brains. And it’s about ALL of us, intelligent American females, ranging from girlhood to old age, who are dazzling ignorant about some critically important things. An aggravating thing happened in the last generation. As girls started seriously kicking ass at every level of education (girls now out-perform boys in elementary, middle, and high schools; we graduate from college, professional, and graduate schools in greater ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902483 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:23:52 +0100 4902483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902418&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fgoodbye-dr-oprah-%25e2%2580%2593-and-good-riddance%2F2011.06.06 I wrote once that not only is Oprah Winfrey not a doctor, she plays a really bad one on TV. From promoting Jenny McCarthy and the anti-vaccine movement, to allowing Suzanne Somers a bully-pulpit for her medical woo, to pushing Prudence Hall and her high-dose hormone treatments without acknowledging their potential risks, to leading the church of the Secret as a way to avoid facing the harsh realities of cancer, Oprah did more harm than good when it comes to health. And while the publishing industry may be hanging crepe, the medical community is breathing a sigh of relief that Oprah has left the airwaves, at least for now. After all, we “conventional” docs were repeatedly relegated to a seat in the audience by Oprah, who usually presented us as naysayers and officials in the Church of M... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902418 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:00:42 +0100 4902418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893555&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F03%2Fmy-therapist-wont-stop-yawning-in-session%2F Psychotherapy is often described as an art as much as it is a science. The professional relationship between a therapist and their client can be a tricky one. Especially when it comes to bad habits of either the therapist or the client. One of these bad habits is especially frustrating to clients — a therapist’s constant yawns during session. People often read into a yawn far more than what is usually meant — or not meant — by the behavior. Part of the problem is yawning itself — we don’t really know why people yawn in the first place. So a person often will assume the worst — “I’m boring him with what I’m talking about.” But that’s often not the case. The only thing we know for certain about why humans yawn is that t... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893555 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:14:56 +0100 4893555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876382&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmood-scores-which-day-of-the-week-has-the-lowest-rating%2F2011.05.29 You know that 1979 Boomtown Rats song, “I Don’t Like Mondays.” (This Youtube music video features a very young-looking Bob Geldof.)  The song is about the 1979 shooting spree on a Monday morning at a San Diego elementary school. The shooter’s only state reason for doing it was that she didn’t like Mondays. The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload And nobody’s gonna go to school today She’s gonna make them stay at home It turns out that — contrary to popular impression that Mondays are the worst day of the week — Tuesdays are the worst day of the week.  According to a piece by Chris Hall (@hallicious) on HealthCentral, Tuesdays are the worst day of the week (moodwise) while Sundays are the best. This is based on mood rating s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876382 Sun, 29 May 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4876382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876528&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FQ33t9A5G-Ug%2F “When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That is my religion.” ~ Abraham Lincoln Who doesn’t want to feel good about themselves? We all do. Though, in our own good, unique ways. I have jotted down my feel good factors and I would be happy to know if you could add your take to the list. Receiving Compliments: ‘I can live my entire life on a good compliment’.. someone must have said this keeping a person like me in mind. I love receiving compliments and that’s the reason I am quite generous in paying compliments. I remember a few things that people told me about myself, that manage to bring smile to my face even in the darkest hours. When the middle aged Air India Flight attendant complimented me on my smile it was unforgettable and when my... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876528 Sat, 28 May 2011 05:48:00 +0100 4876528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852941&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F22%2F5-ways-to-silence-your-inner-critic%2F A few years back, Health Journal columnist Melinda Beck penned an amazingly accurate and helpful article in the Wall Street Journal about the self-criticism that so often accompanies depression and anxiety. Not only was I delighted that she approached such a difficult and complicated aspect of our illness with compassion and insight, but I was ecstatic to see myself as one of the “experts” mentioned with suggestions on how to silent the annoying voice that says we are incapable, weak, and worthless. Depression and self-criticism, of course, are great companions. Beck writes: Unrelenting self-criticism often goes hand in hand with depression and anxiety, and it may even predict depression. In a study of 107 patients in the latest issue of Comprehensive Psychiatry, David M. Dunkl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852941 Sun, 22 May 2011 10:35:44 +0100 4852941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841474&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcoffee-and-prostate-cancer-the-quality-of-news-reports-vary-significantly%2F2011.05.19 We simply don’t know why more news organizations can’t do an adequate job of explaining the limitations of observational studies – most notably, that they can’t prove cause and effect. Yes, they can show strong associations. But they can’t prove cause and effect. NBC Nightly News, as one example recently, inadequately explained the latest suggestion that coffee consumption can lower the risk of prostate cancer. In the anchor lead, Brian Williams framed this as another case of flip-flopping science, lightheartedly talking about what they say about “all those medical studies…if you don’t like the findings, wait for the next study.” The story seemed puzzled at how the same “lab” 30 years ago reported that coffee was linked to a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841474 Thu, 19 May 2011 21:00:55 +0100 4841474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841481&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fconservative-viewpoint-the-ipab-is-the-frightening-lynchpin-of-obamacare%2F2011.05.18 In the speech President Obama gave responding to Congressman Ryan’s budget plan (the one in which he lured Ryan to sit in the front row in order to be publicly pilloried), the President did something DrRich did not think he would do before the next election. He openly invoked, and openly embraced, the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) as the chief mechanism by which Obamacare will control the cost of American healthcare. “IPAB” might be a new term to many Americans, but DrRich pointed his readers to this entity, within a few weeks of the passage of Obamacare, as the lynchpin (and a very scary lynchpin at that) of the whole enterprise. Until President Obama’s recent “outing” of IPAB, however, this new board has been almost entirely ignored by most commentators. Since the... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841481 Wed, 18 May 2011 19:00:30 +0100 4841481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828987&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F14%2F8-reasons-why-twitter-can-make-you-happy%2F I’m a huge fan of Twitter, and I’ve tried to persuade several people to give it a try. (My greatest triumph: convincing my sister to use it. Seeing my sister in my Twitter feed — that makes me very happy.) We’ve all seen how Twitter can play an unprecedented role in world events and in news communication. But on a very personal, routine level, there are several (other) ways in which Twitter can boost your happiness. After all, is it just a coincidence that a blue bird is both the symbol for happiness and the symbol for Twitter? Probably yes, I know, but still, it’s a happy coincidence. 1. Twitter allows you to pursue your passion — even if only in your imagination. A key to a happier life is to have fun – people who regularly have fun are twenty times ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828987 Sat, 14 May 2011 16:30:58 +0100 4828987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813363&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F10%2Fconquering-performance-anxiety-a-primer-for-all-phobias%2F Public speaking is the king of phobias. That’s according to Taylor Clark, author of the insightful book, Nerve. He writes: According to a 2001 poll, more than 40 percent of Americans confess to a dread of appearing before spectators. (In some surveys, fear of public speaking even outranks fear of death, a fact that inspired Jerry Seinfeld’s famous observation that at a funeral, this means the average person would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.) To get to the solution of this phobia — which can help us with all our other phobias — Clark tells the story of cellist Zoe Keating. Today her music is featured everywhere from National Public Radio to film scores to European ballets. Clark attended one of her performances and comments, “Keating seemed entirely obl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813363 Tue, 10 May 2011 14:30:33 +0100 4813363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803528&cid=t_112074_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fa0Li0Vuw2Dc%2F Should sales reps post their own promotional videos on You Tube? If this sounds like something less than a good idea, the FDA would agree. But this is exactly what one Warner Chilcott sales rep apparently did - and at the direction of her district manager. How do we know? The FDA has sent a letter to Warner Chilcott saying the video was the subject of a Bad Ad complaint. The 60-second spot was entitled ‘Brooke Stacey SA, TX Atelvia’ and was designed to promote the Atelvia med for treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. The video opens with a camera points to a staff member in the reception area of a physician’s office. Off camera, the sales rep says she is visiting a doc to discuss Atelvia and makes claims about dosing benefits to the staffer. “This generates an ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803528 Mon, 09 May 2011 16:11:44 +0100 4803528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803570&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2F-maF8n3xDXg%2F Slipped into the doldrums? Feeling sad and low and lonely? We all feel this way from time to time. Often, all we need is a good distraction to shake us out of the funk. Here are 45 quick and easy mood lifters that you can use right now: 1.Tell a good joke – or ask people nearby to tell you their favorites. I just read this one, in the intro to Tina Fey’s book Bossypants. “Two peanuts walked down the road. One was a salted (peanut.)” And a personal favorite: “What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho cheese.” 2. Follow funny people on twitter.  I am partial to goofy humor and silly puns, so Ellen DeGeneres always gets a giggle from me @theellenshow. Conduct a search on twitter to see if any of your favorite comedians tweet. 3. Spend a few minutes watching babies giggle... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803570 Mon, 09 May 2011 06:54:37 +0100 4803570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4797770&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdont-believe-the-hype-about-smartlipo-a-laser-liposuction-procedure%2F2011.05.08 It frequently amazes me how patients can be wowed by technology and advertising hype. The attraction of newer technology in particular helps part many people from their money at times. The SmartLipo system is one of the laser-assisted liposuction systems on the market. I have blogged on it before having used it quite a bit a few years ago. The system is being marketed with phrases like “almost anyone can be a good candidate for SmartLipo.” That is simply BS. I saw an attractive young woman in the office who had had Smartlipo on her lower back. It looked like the Geiko Gecko had done it. Her smooth contour had been made irregular and discolored despite the fact that the surgery had happened quite a while prior. Her ribs had been a bit exposed by the loss of some of the fat that would no... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4797770 Sun, 08 May 2011 12:00:48 +0100 4797770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4797875&cid=t_112074_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2011%2F05%2F07%2Fbusy-weekends-good-and-bad.aspx It was a very, very busy weekend last weekend, but overall a very, very good one. I knew that the weekend was going to be rather hectic and full of out-of-routine situations for A., so I sat down with her on Friday night to explain everything that was...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4797875 Sat, 07 May 2011 21:52:00 +0100 4797875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789312&cid=t_112074_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fjust-how-bad-is-pollution.html A little head scratching could yield an answer. Ad hoc and non-systematic collection of air and water samples provide some useful information and underpin a wide range of environmental pollution studies. However, scientists have been scratching their heads for years hoping to come up with a better way of monitoring pollution that could provide a long view of our exposure to heavy metals and other substances. Now, a collaboration between researchers in Russia and the USA has focused on scalp hair as a possible biomarker for a wide range of elemental pollutants. The researchers point out that in light of growing regulatory, media and public interest in markers for human exposure to environmental pollutants there is a need to find ways to assess pollution, both qualitatively and quantitative... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789312 Thu, 05 May 2011 16:00:20 +0100 4789312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780487&cid=t_112074_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FE701Bp9oFBU%2F The FDA Bad Ad program, in which someone drops a dime on offending promotional materials, has turned up another violator. The latest is Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals, which is headed by former ImClone Systems ceo and convicted inside trader, Sam Waksal. In a warning letter posted on the FDA web site, Sam & Co. are taken to task for a host of offenses in connection with a Statgram communication for the Infergen hepatitis c treatment - omitting and minimizing risk info; broadening the indication and omitting important facts; overstating efficiacy; making unsubstantiated claims, and failing to provide adequate directions for use. In short, Three Rivers did almost nothing right. Topping the list: the Statgram claims docs can obtain additional prescribing info, including the safety profile ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780487 Tue, 03 May 2011 12:34:48 +0100 4780487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4767993&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fis-national-debt-as-bad-as-paul-ryan-says-it-is-lessons-from-the-past%2F2011.04.30 The last two weeks have made clear that the debate over our national debt will play a major role in the next election cycle. On one side, many Republicans, lead by Representative Ryan, insist that the rate of growth of our national debt – especially the massive projected growth of Medicare and Medicaid – promises to destroy our society within a generation or two; and that the only way to avert that catastrophe is to make substantial structural changes to our entitlement programs. The subtext of their message is: Federal debt is bad, and debt of this magnitude will be fatal. On the other side, most Democrats, led by President Obama, stress that our entitlement programs are promises that simply can’t be changed in any substantial way, insist that such entitlements are “investments in... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4767993 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:00:10 +0100 4767993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758916&cid=t_112074_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Fwhen-tornadoes-chase-us.aspx It's been a stressful and exhausting day. Everything has been out of sync and not according to routine. From picking A. up from school early due to the threatening weather, to spending great chunks of time in the downstairs bathroom and closets when it...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758916 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 02:00:00 +0100 4758916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4744812&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F04%2Fi-foresee-that-nobody-will-do-anything-about-this-problem%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 23 April 2011 Last year a mainstream psychology researcher called Daryl Bem published a competent academic paper, in a well respected journal, showing evidence of precognition. Instead of designing new studies to see whether people could consciously tell you about the future, he ran some classic psychology experiments backwards. For [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4744812 Sat, 23 Apr 2011 10:00:26 +0100 4744812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734205&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F21%2Fa-snippet-of-psychologys-scientific-roots%2F Throughout the years, sometimes it seems that the public has been iffy about psychology and psychologists. Part of the problem is a lack of knowledge. Past surveys have shown that many people have no idea what psychologists even do. More recent research has found that the public largely views psychology in a positive light. But people still have a limited understanding of the discipline and don’t view it as a hard science. A 1998 survey revealed that both adults and college faculty viewed the physical sciences more favorably. They believed that psychology — along with sociology — led to fewer critical contributions to society and had less expertise than the physical sciences. How did psychology get this bad reputation? PsyBlog’s Jeremy Dean (which, by the way, is an aweso... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734205 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:01:13 +0100 4734205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734715&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FjQGcsv9ocjM%2F Many of us go through life without truly living it. Jonathan Swift once said; “There are only few who live today, most of us live tomorrow”. I have mostly lived in tomorrow, always looking forward, aiming for my goals. Many times I have let my happiness and well being today slide so that I can produce results that will benefit me in the future. Find Balance I wrote about this in depth in an earlier post here at Pick The Brain: How to find Balance in Life but I want to mention it here since it is an important subject. If you cannot balance your needs of today with the needs of tomorrow you will not be able to focus 100% on your goals and you won’t be able to continuously produce high quality results. How I try to Increase “daily living” As I said I have had a lot of problems focus... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734715 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:08:50 +0100 4734715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734496&cid=t_112074_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2011%2F04%2F18%2Fworst-cover-ever%2F As my (few) readers know, I blog Beatles covers. While researching “She Loves You” on YouTube last night, I came across this little gem of a cover from the year 1980, on the Lawrence Welk Show: Some facebook friends commented that the Welk video beats even the loathsome William Shatner cover of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” And I would have to add Sebastian Cabot’s version of the Bob Dylan tune “It Ain’t Me Babe” to the mix. Which is the worst? Cast your vote in comments. Filed under: Music, Pop Culture, Social Media, The Beatles Tagged: bad music, cover, it ain't me babe, lucy in the sky with diamonds, shatner, worst (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734496 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:21:10 +0100 4734496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723942&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F18%2Funderstanding-research-methodology-4-peer-review-process%2F Conclusion The peer review process is not perfect, but it is the best safeguard we have against junk science. When evaluating the worth of scientific data, in addition to verifying its publication in a peer-reviewed journal, it is important to take into consideration:  funding sources, whether the study has been replicated, study design, sample size, and conflicting interest (design details and critiques will be discussed in later articles). When referencing scientific data, it is common for individuals to reference popular science magazines and books.  Be extra cautious when getting your science information from these sources. Of course, there is some good science information published in popular science publications.   But, when the authors cannot provide references for their scienti... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723942 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:44:26 +0100 4723942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4724034&cid=t_112074_117_f&fid=38856&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timemastermd.com%2F%3Fp%3D2258 Forget  libido boosting, Testosterone, or Growth Hormone promoting herbs, power bars, and high-tech memory boosters: The single best supplement for a guys’ or girls’ diet could be two cheeks full of nuts!  (you can start the jokes now)  As far as I can tell, there are health nuts,  nuts who love health, and then there a whole bunch of people who either vote for, or love people who are nuts! Two Cheeks Full News:  A new research study  demonstrates that naturally occurring antioxidants in pecans may help contribute to heart health and disease prevention. Apparently eating all those bowls of nuts on the bar down the street while drinking beer was the best preventive medicine strategy of all time?! Ever wonder “Why do we love Acorns so much?”  Acorn Bi... Timemaster MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4724034 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:34:09 +0100 4724034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719863&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F04%2Fid-expect-this-from-ukip-or-the-daily-mail-not-from-a-government-leaflet%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, 15 April 2011 HM Government have issued a new leaflet to justify their NHS reforms: Working Together For A Stronger NHS. It was produced by Number 10, appears on the Department of Health website, and many of the figures it contains are misleading, out of date, or flatly incorrect. It begins, [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719863 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 23:00:26 +0100 4719863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696689&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F09%2Fthe-longevity-project-an-interview-with-howard-s-friedman%2F We present many examples showing that this is how the long-lived participants lived. However if your coworkers are making you miserable, and you do not have the adequate resources to do your job properly, then it is time to look for a new job when possible. 3. Also interesting to me was the discussion of marriage. It’s not necessarily that a person is married, but the quality of relationships in his/her life. What are some characteristics of a healthy marriage that lead to longevity? Dr. Friedman: We are still looking in more detail at the characteristics of a healthy marriage. We know that divorced men fared poorly in terms of their future health and longevity. We know that the overall marital satisfaction of the man is more important to the future health of both the men and the wom... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696689 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:26:07 +0100 4696689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693244&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F04%2Fwhen-journalists-do-primary-research%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 9 April 2011 This week some journalists found a pattern in some data, and ascribed a cause to it. “Recession linked to huge rise in antidepressants” said the Telegraph. “Economic woes fuel dramatic rise in use of antidepressants” said the Daily Mail. “Record numbers of people are being handed antidepressants” [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693244 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 23:01:53 +0100 4693244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693290&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhere-is-the-worst-health-information-on-the-internet-the-huffington-post%2F2011.04.07 Going to the Huffington Post for medical information is perhaps comparable to going to Vito Corleone for advice on income tax compliance.  Another prominent blogger refers to is as “that hive of scum and quackery,” a lovely and accurate epithet for a media outlet which provides refuge and cover for anti-vaccationists, homeopaths and practictioners of reiki and other such pseudoscientific twaddle. I avoid the HuffPo like the plague.  But, like a moth to the flame, sometimes I can’t help myself, and when a facebook friend (and former blogger) pointed to this contrarian article, my interest was piqued and I had to check it out. Is High Blood Pressure Overtreated? Dr. Dennis Gottfried, Associate professor, University of Connecticut Medical School First of all, I don’... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693290 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4693290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684429&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F07%2Fpsychiatrists-are-like-catholics-disliked-by-the-media%2F If you follow the news, you know it’s a bad time to be a psychiatrist. I’d say almost as bad as being a Catholic (especially during the sex scandal … holy Jesus). Apparently they no longer really care about their patients. They are a bunch of greedy Mr. Krabs. They have abandoned psychotherapy, only to pass out samples of the latest drug so that they can get their free lunch from big Pharma. (My sister used to make them … they’re quite good!) And then along comes one of my favorite psychiatrists, Ronald Pies, M.D., to set the story straight. In a World of Psychology post earlier this week, he dissects the front-page article in the March 6 issue of The New York Times. Pies cites some statistics that, yes, indicate there is less psychotherapy today performed in psychiat... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684429 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:39:45 +0100 4684429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676869&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F05%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-april-5-2011%2F A few weeks ago, the weirdest thing happened. I walked into a crowded after-school hangout for young adults and my thirty something year old self suddenly felt as awkward and gawky as I was at thirteen. Where was my self-confidence? What happened to those twenty years of work on building my self-worth to replace those few years of embarrassment and shame? All I could think of was how fast I wanted to get out of there. Have you ever felt like that before? Have you ever wanted to change your perspective or redo a moment so you can feel better about the life you are living? Thankfully, after I left, I picked up the pieces of my fragile self and again walked in the shoes of a happy and confident adult. But I wish I had read one of these posts sooner. If you have had a shot to your self-esteem ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676869 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:07:07 +0100 4676869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653379&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F29%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-march-29-2011%2F As a dental hygienist, my mom not only cleans people’s teeth, but listens to do them as she does so every day. And like hair stylists and therapists, she often hears their problems too. One of the most valuable advice she has ever given me is to not judge what other people are going through. “You never know what you would do in that situation unless it happened to you.” Our posts this week makes me think about what she said. You may have lived through difficulty, failure, loss of self-respect. You may, in fact, be going through this right now. If so, remember to find the people in your life who won’t judge you, but have compassion for your situation. That person may even be you. I hope you will enjoy our top posts this week! There are some good ones everything from ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653379 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:31:31 +0100 4653379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615465&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FrWWqhtL4Sbg%2F There is so much in life that we just tolerate. Some of it we have to deal with (taxes, bad weather, traffic). But there’s a good portion of stuff that we tolerate even when we don’t have to. We step around things, overlook irritations, and mindlessly accept energy drains. Perhaps we’ve become so immune to these tolerations that we don’t recognize the negative impact they have on us. Sometimes just recognizing the things we are tolerating in life gives us a renewed sense of hope and energy. If you don’t know what’s pulling you down, it feels impossible to make your life better. Even small changes and shifts with these life tolerations can result in dramatic improvement in your outlook and mood. However, when you address some of your bigger tolerations, y... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615465 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 06:05:22 +0100 4615465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615187&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F20%2Fyelp-and-therapist-reviews%2F Should you be able to review your psychotherapist on Yelp? That’s the question psychologist Keely Kolmes asks in The New York Times the other day, and the answer is — yes, but. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the idea behind having public reviews of health care professionals, including psychologists and therapists. But as Dr. Kolmes notes, what makes sense for a housekeeper, plumber or restaurant review becomes a bit difficult when dealing with confidential health information — which includes a person’s relationship with a therapist. A psychotherapy relationship is a very unique relationship. A person can have a bad therapy experience with a perfectly good therapist, and vice-a-versa. The current set of review websites, like Yelp, really aren’t very... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615187 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:58:53 +0100 4615187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610775&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F03%2Fwhy-dont-journalists-link-to-primary-sources%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 19 March 2011 Why don’t journalists link to primary sources? Whether it’s a press release, an academic journal article, a formal report, or perhaps (if everyone’s feeling brave) the full transcript of an interview, the primary source contains more information for interested readers, it shows your working, and it allows [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610775 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 01:36:59 +0100 4610775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626836&cid=t_112074_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fs7QfG5Ekrek%2F Studies show that 73.2% of people start to develop FFFF withdrawal symptoms 168 hours after receiving the previous dose. Thus it would be inhumane to delay any longer... Bring on the funtabulous frivolity! (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626836 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:01 +0100 4626836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622253&cid=t_112074_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FtAxlbgxpFe4%2F Studies show that 73.2% of people start to develop FFFF withdrawal symptoms 168 hours after receiving the previous dose. Thus it would be inhumane to delay any longer... Bring on the funtabulous frivolity! (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622253 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:01 +0100 4622253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605833&cid=t_112074_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FOBBO3euA5t4%2F Studies show that 73.2% of people start to develop FFFF withdrawal symptoms 168 hours after receiving the previous dose. Thus it would be inhumane to delay any longer... Bring on the funtabulous frivolity! (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605833 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:01 +0100 4605833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4606040&cid=t_112074_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F17%2Fblock_that_metaphor.php Phillip Ball had an interesting piece recently over at Nature News, which touches on a subject that I've also thought about: when does metaphorical thinking help, and when does it hurt? (I've got a whole category on the blog on this topic, although I haven't filled it up with as many posts as I've meant to). As he mentions, there's no some empirical evidence that metaphors can influence the way we think about a situation, and not in ways that we're consciously aware of. I think that we're particularly vulnerable to this effect in scientific research, because so many of our concerns are outside day-to-day experience. I don't see any way around this: we can't see a G-protein-coupled receptor in action, so we come up with a mental picture to help. We can't visualize the complexities of a bio... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4606040 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:26:55 +0100 4606040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592457&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F15%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-march-15-2011%2F There are just two things on my mind right now: Japan and the time change. One is weighing heavy on my heart and the other has turned me into a zombie. Both have affected the way I view my life. How can two things so different in severity–a natural disaster and a loss of an hour–have anything to do with each another? For me, it crowns time as King and places everything else as a lesser priority. What we choose to spend time in our lives suddenly becomes clearer. Like the grains of sand falling in an hourglass, time slips away putting a spotlight on the impact hardship and an hour loss have on what’s really important. It forces me to ask what moments should I be spending more time on and which ones should I lay to rest? As we begin a new week, our bloggers have a pulse on ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592457 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:25:35 +0100 4592457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575023&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F03%2Fwhy-cigarette-packs-matter%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 12 March 2011 This week our government committed itself to the removal, albeit slowly, of cigarette displays in shops. But plain packaging on cigarettes has been delayed for further consultation. The Unite union is unimpressed. They represent 6,000 people in tobacco production and distribution, and put out a statement: “Switching [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575023 Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:01:30 +0100 4575023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575058&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbad-medical-marketing-an-ad-the-fda-should-pull%2F2011.03.11 If ever a medical device company crossed a line with their marketing, this one has. Essure, which makes a sterilization device for women, is trying to scare men away from vasectomy in order to drive women to use their device. “We made men watch footage of an actual vasectomy,” says the female voiceover — and then they proceed to show men’s reactions to watching a surgical procedure, with “That’s frickin’ gross, man” being the most memorable quote. The final tagline: “You can only wait so long for him to man up.” Yeah, and to be sure he doesn’t, they’ve created this ad. The ad is slimy, harmful, obnoxious, and just plain stupid. A couple’s decision as to which sterilization procedure is best for them should be one informed by real information, not f... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575058 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:00:26 +0100 4575058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592323&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F03%2Fwhen-regulation-is-opaque-trust-is-all-you-have%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 5 March 2011 The European Medicines Agency now regulate the pharmaceutical industry throughout the whole of Europe. In December 2010 Thomas Lonngren stepped down as their executive director. On the 28th of that month he sent a letter telling the EMA management board that he was going to start working [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592323 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:01:52 +0100 4592323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575024&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F03%2Fwhen-regulation-is-opaque-trust-is-all-you-have%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 5 March 2011 The European Medicines Agency now regulate the pharmaceutical industry throughout the whole of Europe. In December 2010 Thomas Lonngren stepped down as their executive director. On the 28th of that month he sent a letter telling the EMA management board that he was going to start working [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575024 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:01:52 +0100 4575024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549716&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F03%2Fwhen-regulation-is-opaque-trust-is-all-you-have%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 5 March 2011 The European Medicines Agency now regulate the pharmaceutical industry throughout the whole of Europe. In December 2010 Thomas Lonngren stepped down as their executive director. On the 28th of that month he sent a letter telling the EMA management board that he was going to start working [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549716 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:01:52 +0100 4549716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525033&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-survivorship-and-fear%2F2011.02.26 I had breakfast this morning in Las Vegas with my friend, Dave Garcia. Dave is a pit boss on the graveyard shift at the Belagio Hotel where they made the modern-day “Ocean’s 11″ buddy movie from 1960. Dave is also a 52-year-old chronic lymphocytic leukemia survivor. He reached out to me online and we have been friends since soon after his diagnosis in 2002. Dave is a father of two young kids. He dreams of seeing them grow up. But, understandably, he worries. Some days more than others. Today was his day to see his oncologist and get the latest blood test results. Would his white blood count (WBC) be in the normal range? If so, his third round of treatment was still working. If not, he might be headed to a stem cell transplant, short-term disability, and living in another city... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525033 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:00:36 +0100 4525033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522072&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F02%2Fyoure-ooonly-cheating-yourself%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 26 February 2011 Science is about disproving hypotheses, and no matter what the armchair conspiracy theorists tell you, torpedoing cherished ideas is a very good way to make a name for yourself in academia. Here are two fun ones from the literature this month. Firstly: are sniffer dogs for real? [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522072 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:01:26 +0100 4522072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507279&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthink-zinc-for-a-cold-not-me%2F2011.02.22 Media channels are a-twitter with the news that zinc can beat the common cold. CBS News, the LA Times, the Huffington Post, and hundreds of others are treating a quiet research report as big news that will have a life-changing effect. After reading the report and doing a little digging into the dark side of zinc, I’m not rushing out to stock up on zinc lozenges or syrup. The latest hubbub about zinc was sparked by a report from the Cochrane Collaboration. This global network of scientists, patients, and others evaluates the evidence on hundreds of different treatments. In the latest review, on zinc for the common cold, researchers Meenu Singh and Rashmi R. Das pooled the results of 13 studies that tested zinc for treating colds. By their analysis, taking zinc within 24 hours of first no... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507279 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:00:38 +0100 4507279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501590&cid=t_112074_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FDuNIkML7OKA%2F Check out @ProfessorFunk's kinetic typography take on the utter weirdness of placebos, based on information from @BenGoldacre's superlative book, Bad Science. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501590 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 09:40:48 +0100 4501590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495162&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F02%2Fpretending-that-evidence-is-difficult-and-complicated%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 19 February 2011 For the past two weeks we’ve followed the government’s misuse of evidence on NHS reforms, remembering that they’re perfectly permitted to reform things with no evidence at all, like everyone else does, they just shouldn’t pretend to have evidence. On Thursday health minister Simon Burns appeared before [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495162 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 01:27:36 +0100 4495162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470465&cid=t_112074_117_f&fid=38856&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timemastermd.com%2F%3Fp%3D2046 Do you have a Potty Mouth? Boys with the baddest breath may have the biggest erections! Giving your guy some mouthwash might make for a really good kiss, but later in the bedroom, it’s his erection you may miss! Why?  Well, bacteria in the mouth convert nitrates into nitrites, and when we swallow them, gastric acids convert nitrites into the essential metabolic chemical nitric oxide (N.O.). Nitric oxide can act as an antioxidant, but also the body uses it to keep arteries properly dilated. This is how Viagra works  - by raising nitric oxide levels and thereby easing blood flow to the penis.  So killing these important bacteria can have some significant side effects. Maybe we don’t kill the germs, we just mask the smell? Maybe a little gum might freshen the breath?  No... Timemaster MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470465 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 15:20:07 +0100 4470465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464458&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F02%2Fwhy-is-evidence-so-hard-for-politicians%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 12 February 2011 One thing you hope for, with politicians, is that they won’t make the same mistakes over and over again. Last week we saw that the government has overstated the problems in the NHS by using dodgy figures (to be precise, they used misleading static figures instead of [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464458 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:00:30 +0100 4464458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4460105&cid=t_112074_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fu9pmLxKRSCQ%2F I’m not sure if I have the winter blues or just a case of back-from-vacation-itis, but I’ve been having a lot of bad days lately. (Alarm failures, kitchen accidents, and lunch breaks spent waiting in tediously slow-moving lines: You name it, I seem to be catching my share of life’s annoyances in one week.) So I was happy to find Lifehacker’s article, “How to Beat a Bad Day,” eager to find out the least painful way to make it through my unlucky streak. Their tips, while erring a little on the side of zen thinking for my negative outlook, are a great reminder for anyone who’s spilled their coffee, missed the bus, and made it all the way to work before realizing their cell phone is still at home, all in one rotten day: Stop Calling It a Bad Day: Lifeh... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4460105 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:53:46 +0100 4460105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450334&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F08%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-february-8-2011%2F From where I am sitting, the view is great. The sun is shining. It is 70 degrees. There is a light breeze and a warm summer vibe in the air. Yet regardless of what the weather is outside, when mental illness is an issue, what is going on inside carries more weight. Did you ever get exciting news — you got the job you wanted, your boyfriend proposed, or you found out you were having a baby — and felt wonderful despite the rain pelting on the windowsill? Or in contrast, have you ever felt horrible even when it was warm and summery outside? If you are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), then the weather outside can dictate your mood. But for those who don’t experience SAD, there are moments, experiences and hardship that impact us regardless of our external sit... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450334 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:05:40 +0100 4450334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450460&cid=t_112074_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2011%2F02%2F07%2Fthe-other-side-of-the-mirror.aspx My mother always told me I was a very emotional girl. She told me this, however, from the lens of someone who had spent her entire life feeling ashamed of emotions, in general. Generations of women in my family have seen blatant expressions of emotion...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450460 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:00:00 +0100 4450460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436716&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F02%2Fandrew-lansley-and-his-imaginary-evidence%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 5 February 2011 I have never heard one politician use the word “evidence” so persistently, and so misleadingly, as Andrew Lansley defending his NHS reforms. Since he repeatedly claims that the evidence supports his plan, let’s skim through what we can find on whether GP consortiums work, the benefits of [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436716 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 00:00:56 +0100 4436716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433137&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F03%2Fnegatively-oriented-therapy-takes-its-place%2F “Misery loves company and our company loves misery.” – I.M. Kidding, NOT founder “Hatred cannot coexist with loving-kindness, and dissipates if supplanted with thoughts based on loving-kindness.” – The Dhammapada In a recent issue of the Journal of Positive Psychology researchers Michael Cohn and Barbara Fredrickson were able to demonstrate the sustainability of positive experiences with subjects who had engaged in loving kindness meditation (LKM). This is the first time researchers from the field of positive psychology have demonstrated that an intervention designed to enhance subjects’ well-being produced sustainable results. Prior to this the positivity of any specific intervention was notable, but its enduring effects were unknown. The researchers were a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433137 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:00:14 +0100 4433137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411493&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F01%2Fhow-to-read-a-paper%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 29 January 2011 If science has any authority, it derives from transparency: you can check the claims against the working. Sometimes you hit a brick wall. Sometimes you might consider a shortcut. Let’s look at 3 types of checking. First up, in the Sun, a child has been born at [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411493 Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:57:32 +0100 4411493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411562&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F28%2Fadhd-tip-write-about-it%2F How many times have you returned home because you forgot something essential like your wallet? Instead of completing a big project, have you started organizing your files? Have you forgotten an important engagement altogether? For someone with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), these are typical occurrences. Some of the most common symptoms of ADHD are being forgetful and having a tough time concentrating. These moments tend to happen regularly and affect all areas of people’s lives. It doesn’t matter if it’s something small, such as misplacing your keys, or something big, such as forgetting to finish a work project or research paper. “After a while, it can look and feel a lot like Groundhog Day,” ADHD coach Cynthia Hammer, MSW, wrote in the Fall 2010 issue... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411562 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:46:13 +0100 4411562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382723&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F01%2Ftell-me-now-how-do-i-feel%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 22 January 2011 I’m not going to tell the same story once a year, like some kind of journalistic dirty protest, even if it crops up in parliament, every newspaper, and all over Radio 4: there are more interesting things to say than “Blue Monday is bullshit”, but before we [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382723 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:01:25 +0100 4382723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372199&cid=t_112074_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Famendment-the-mother-i-never-was.aspx Sometimes, it takes something like reacting quite unprofessionally to an inflammatory blog post to help one put things into perspective. I often couch this blog that I write with a lot of disclaimers: "I'm not a professional," or "This is just my humble...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372199 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:48:00 +0100 4372199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349478&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F01%2Fnone-of-your-damn-business%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 15 January 2011 Sometimes something will go wrong with an academic paper, and it will need to be retracted: that’s entirely expected. What matters is how academic journals deal with problems when they arise. In 2004 the Annals of Thoracic Surgery published a study comparing two heart drugs. This week [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349478 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:38:41 +0100 4349478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4326932&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F09%2F7-steps-to-closure-when-a-friend-dumps-you%2F I think we’ve all been dissed by a friend at least once in our lifetime, right? Recently I’ve had two people remove me as a friend on Facebook. Like that feels good. Was it my annoying status updates? The singing video that I uploaded (“A Few of My Favorite Things” … check it out )? I know I was off-key. Oh, the picture of the old lady that I posted and said it was me. You are that old lady? Geez… Sorry. Frankly I don’t know what’s worse: the e-mails and the phone calls that aren’t returned, or the letter (or really painful conversation) explaining why the friendship is toxic and needs to be terminated. It all feels the same: REJECTION. Like you’re back in the sixth grade again, with bad acne, and the boys want to date your pretty... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4326932 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 13:45:10 +0100 4326932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322475&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2011%2F01%2Fputting-a-number-in-its-context%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 8th January 2011 “600 pregnancies despite contraceptive implant” said the BBC.  “500 fall pregnant after having contraceptive implant” said the Express. “Contraceptive implant alert” said the Daily Mail: “Hundreds of women fall pregnant after birth control fails”. The story first broke on Channel 4, and it’s still not entirely clear [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322475 Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:01:26 +0100 4322475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318332&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbad-science-and-the-gift-of-medical-skepticism%2F2011.01.06 Discover magazine had an article about Dr. Ben Goldacre, a British physician who writes for The Guardian, is the author of the new book “Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks,” and is considered a gift to skepticism. His column is also called “Bad Science,” and he recently gave a short and interesting talk about non-evidence-based medicine at the Pop!Tech conference held in Camden, Maine. Enjoy! Ben Goldacre Talks Bad Science from PopTech on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318332 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:00:52 +0100 4318332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314048&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fandrew-wakefield-the-autism-vaccine-link-and-deliberate-fraud%2F As though Dr. Andrew Wakefield didn’t have enough problems. After his study of 12 (count ‘em — a whole 12!) children was thrown out of The Lancet when its original claim of a link between autism and MMR vaccines didn’t really hold water, now he’s got the BMJ on his case. The problem with the original study came when nobody — and I mean, nobody — could replicate the research. Not Wakefield. Not other researchers. Science demonstrates a strong finding when data is replicable. When nobody can replicate your research, it’s considered an unreliable or extremely weak finding. And in this case, it’s not even that. The BMJ today claimed that Dr. Andrew Wakefield allegedly engaged in deliberate fraud in his original study. “The MMR [measl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314048 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:13:52 +0100 4314048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4302980&cid=t_112074_177_f&fid=38137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmissionimpossibleinfertile.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F02%2Fagony-aunt-edition-twenty-one-its-been-a-while%2F It’s been so long since I’ve actually bothered to complain to the Internet at large about the cretins that google continues to insist that I am best positioned to help with their eternal queries with regards to very private (and often more than a little ridiculous) matters that I almost think I need to reintroduce Agony Aunt to you all. Hi, this column is known as Agony Aunt and as a newfound twenty one-er Agony Aunt would like to point out that she can get literally AND figuratively pissed in just about any jurisdiction you care to choose. Bring it, Google. I’m ready. ….and so it begins again. I decide that I cannot let Goog.le proclaim me the font of all knowledge with regard to ‘geriatric backboarding’ and the Giant Bathing Suit with Frills On The A... Mission: Impossible (or adventures in infertility, pregnancy....parenting?) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302980 Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:38:49 +0100 4302980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294901&cid=t_112074_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2010%2F12%2F28%2Fsnow-days-are-tricky.aspx I know that my last entry may have made December sound as if it's all been sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. Believe me -- despite the fact that much progress has been made, we've also had several rocky days in the middle of all of this, as well. Specifically,...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294901 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 04:54:00 +0100 4294901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294710&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F27%2Faccepting-imperfection%2F Professional organizer Debbie Jordan Kravitz was a perfectionist through and through. “I’ve struggled with perfectionism all my life. Between having parents with perfectionistic tendencies and my own people-pleasing and competitive nature, it’s been a part of me for as long as I can remember,” she said. As a wife and mom of two young kids, her perfectionism seeped into everything, no matter how big or small. She dwelled on her flaws and failures — defined essentially as “anything less than perfect.” But as any perfectionist truly knows, perfectionism is unreachable. It sabotages your self-image, squashes your satisfaction and turns life into a series of disappointments. In the book The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Wh... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294710 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:36:23 +0100 4294710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277831&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fgoing-against-medicine-courageous-or-foolish%2F2010.12.21 Every once I awhile a story catches my eye as I scan the news websites. There was one this morning on CNN with this catchy title: “Mom Defies Doctor, Has Baby Her Way.” The article describes a story where a mother was going to have her fourth baby. Her previous three were born via C-section. Mom did not want another C-section done, and “defied” her doctor’s order for the procedure. “You’re being irresponsible,” the patient was told. The middle of the article talks about the current thinking and statement of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology saying that “it’s reasonable to consider allowing women who’ve had two C-sections to try to have a vaginal delivery.” Of course, there’s risks with proceeding... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277831 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4277831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275293&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F12%2Fim-doing-this-awesome-massive-nerd-tour%2F I’m doing this awesome massive nerd tour with Simon Singh, Brian Cox and Robin Ince. We will talk about science and it will be funny. Also, we will make a Spinal Tap tour video. Come! The first ever national science tour celebrating the universe and many of the wonders that lie within it. Robin Ince, [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275293 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:37:34 +0100 4275293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272291&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fis-it-bad-patient-behavior-or-poor-doctor-patient-communication%2F2010.12.19 It seem like everyone these days is focused on changing some aspect of patient health behavior. You know — getting patients to get a mammogram or PSA test, exercise more, take medications as prescribed, or simply becoming more engaged in their healthcare. If only we could change unhealthy patient health behaviors, the world would be a better place.   I agree with the sentiment, but I think that patients and their health behavior often get a “bad rap” from healthcare professionals. I would even go so far as to say that much (not all) of what we attribute to poor patient behavior is more correctly attributable to ineffective doctor communications with patients. In my last post I talked about the link between strong physician advocacy, e.g., I recommend, and desirable health outcom... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272291 Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:00:18 +0100 4272291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265626&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F12%2Fthe-year-in-nonsense-2%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 18 December 2010 It’s been a marvellous year for bullshit. We saw quantitative evidence showing that drug adverts aimed at doctors are routinely factually inaccurate, while pharmaceutical company ghostwriters were the secret hands behind letters to the Times, and a whole series of academic papers. We saw more drug companies [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265626 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:42:46 +0100 4265626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249004&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F12%2Fnmt-are-suing-dr-wilmshurst-so-how-trustworthy-are-they%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 11 December 2010 You will hopefully remember – from the era before Wikileaks – that US medical device company NMT are suing NHS cardiologist Peter Wilmshurst over his comments about the conduct and results of the MIST trial, which sadly for NMT found no evidence that their device prevents migraine. [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249004 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:44:27 +0100 4249004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241685&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F12%2Fi-made-a-documentary-about-science-and-libel-for-the-bbc-here-it-is%2F Hi all, I made a documentary for the BBC World Service on libel and science. It’s really good, go and listen to it here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009xbbw It goes out live on the BBC World Service today (8 December) at 20:30 GMT; 9 December at 01:30; and 11 Dec at 13:30. There’s a piece about it here [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241685 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:29:51 +0100 4241685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225182&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F12%2Fillusions-of-control%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 4 December 2010 Why do clever people believe stupid things? It’s difficult to make sense of the world from the small atoms of experience that we each gather as we wander around it, and a new paper in the British Journal of Psychology this month shows how we can create [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225182 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:35:03 +0100 4225182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225373&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F02%2F5-tips-for-a-low-stress-customer-service-experience%2F “Thank you for calling customer service! My name is Summer. How can I help you?” Wait, it’s after 5 pm. And this is the internet, not a phone. And I’m at my kitchen table, not in my drab fabric-walled cubicle. And I’m not wearing a headset. Let me switch hats for a moment and return to being a writer for the next few minutes. Tomorrow, I celebrate my last day of working in a customer service call center. (Despite the rumors, it’s not an easy gig.) Over the past few years, I’ve been called some less-than-savory names through the phone lines. A few customers have threatened me. Even more have called me a liar, played psychological games with me, and screamed words that their grandmothers would be ashamed to hear. Lesson learned: contacting a customer... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225373 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:57:02 +0100 4225373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214037&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fcitizen-journalism-why-i-blog-on.html I am teaching my current students about alternate media, a.k.a. citizen journalism, also known as "blogging", in a course on organizational and social aspects of healthcare informatics.I am using a (de-identified) personal experience as an example of why alternate media is valuable in getting "inconvenient" memes into circulation.In addition to recent articles such as "The Problems with Peer Review" (in the British Medical Journal by Mark Henderson, Science Editor, the Times, London. BMJ 2010;340:c1409), "Ghostwriting at Elite Academic Medical Centers in the United States" (LaCasse & Leo, PLoS Medicine, February 2010, Volume 7, Issue 2) and others about ghostwriting and other ills affecting the conventional biomedical literature, I provided my students the personal example below.I thou... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214037 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:58:00 +0100 4214037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4207526&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2Fozg65lRJOqk%2F “There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.” ~ Winston Churchill When was the last time you changed things in your world? Taking the time to evaluate where you are in the hustle and bustle of life can help you gain the perspective you need to make the small adjustments that will improve your quality of life and enhance your confidence. When you make a plan and set a goal for 30 days, you will be manufacturing a means to find a much more capable, confident you by the end of the month. 1. Choose a hobby. There is no shortage of hobbies to choose from. Rock climbing, jogging, pottery, cooking, photography. Any activity that engages your mind and holds your attention is well worth your minutes. Hobbies are an investment of time and usually require a certain skill.... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4207526 Sun, 28 Nov 2010 16:40:55 +0100 4207526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4205925&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F11%2F1864%2F Ben Goldacre. The Guardian, Saturday 27 November 2010 Wrong isn’t enough: we need interestingly wrong, and this week that came in some research from Stonewall, an organisation for whom I generally have great respect, which was reported in the Guardian. Stonewall have conducted a survey, and their press release says it shows “the average coming [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4205925 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 00:01:51 +0100 4205925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203196&cid=t_112074_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FxH2dAhT8ZKk%2F photo: Stephen Chernin/Getty Images We’re not going to pretend to understand people who camp out in front of big box stores days before Thanksgiving (and completely miss Thanksgiving dinner) in advance of all the Black Friday sales. But we’re very glad Black Friday’s almost here, because we’re really tired of seeing all those commercials telling us to leave our warm, cozy beds in the middle of the night in order to embrace the true meaning of the holidays and buy a bunch of crap no one really needs. The folks over at The Daily Beast were kind enough to put together a handy slideshow of some of the major Black Friday sales and opening hours. And we’re giving you our honest take on them: Some Sam’s Club stores will open on Friday at 5 a.m. Why so late? Low... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203196 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 01:00:09 +0100 4203196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4186928&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F20%2Fpatent-medicine-redux-drug-ads-vs-psychotherapy%2F My father got his M.D. in 1930; I got mine in 1958. Insulin and penicillin came into being during his early years of practice. In my first years as a psychiatrist, tranquilizers and antidepressants changed the landscape of mental health. As doctors, Dad and I both welcomed Medicare in 1965; later on as patients we became grateful beneficiaries. I remember him explaining “ethical pharmaceuticals” — a term that distinguished companies like Merck from hucksters of “patent medicines.” The scandal at Merck about the arthritis drug Vioxx came after his time — he would have been appalled. Recently the line between ethical drug companies and hucksters was blurred by GlaxoSmithKline, which paid a record fine for its bad acts. Until this Glaxo case, drug firms took fines and som... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4186928 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 12:30:04 +0100 4186928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4186896&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F11%2Fhello-madam-would-you-like-your-children-to-be-unemployed%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 20 November 2010 Obviously I like nerdy days out: like Kelvedon Hatch secret nuclear bunker, maybe, with its sign on the A128 saying “secret nuclear bunker this way”. Last month eight of us commissioned a boat to get onto a rotting man-made WW2 sea-fort in the middle of the ocean [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4186896 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:01:00 +0100 4186896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183357&cid=t_112074_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FxkNvcwzp_Hc%2F – A missive from the folks at Individual Image Imitators, Inc. to a famous toddler who recently survived rehab, from our post: An Open Letter to Aldi Rizal, the Indonesian Baby Who Finally Quit Smoking Post from: BlissTree We thought you looked pretty friggin’ cool in those videos where you were smoking. To us, you were channeling Bogey in "The Maltese Falcon." (Politically incorrect? Hell, yes. And true.) And that guitar? Forget it. Elvis wished he were half as cool as you. And we really want to commend you on your (former) smoke rings and baton-twirling-like finger manipulation of the cancer sticks. Nice work...for a baby. You were quite the chain-smoking badass. No local villager in their right mind would ever mess with the likes of you. Except, now that you’ve successfully quit s... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183357 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:00:21 +0100 4183357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183347&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2Ftodays_great_american_smokeout_and_what_we_learn_a.php I quit smoking 28 years ago. The final effort started the previous year on "Great American Smokeout", 29 years ago. I'm very glad I succeeded. I used to joke that quitting smoking was easy, I'd done it 100s of times. Unfortunately it was all too true. I struggled with attempts to quite smoking over most of my adult years. It's a major bad habit, with the further complication of addiction to Nicotine. At one time I smoked three packs a day. I was thoroughly hooked.In my experience, I've found that major bad habits of all kinds are very difficult to break. Many a New Years' resolution has gone unfulfilled due to this problem. Despite our best intent and efforts, somehow all the logic in our arsenal cannot overcome an well established habit. That is because it has been "hard wired" into the b... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183347 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:56:46 +0100 4183347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4168021&cid=t_112074_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FjANG3U2sYCI%2F Dear Mr. Rizal: Congratulations on your recent successful attempt to quit smoking! As you well know, it’s a very difficult habit to kick, especially for someone who can barely walk or talk. Kudos to your mother, who staged somewhat of an intervention with you, and helped make it possible for you to enter rehab in Jakarta. (One of these days, you might find LiLo sitting next to you in your support group!) It’s great that now you’re getting to “play” and “run around” and “color” just like a “regular kid.” But keep in mind that it’s never too early to start thinking about and planning your future career aspirations. Healthwise, we think you made the right decision. But still, we thought you looked pretty friggin’ co... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4168021 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:44:56 +0100 4168021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4162905&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F11%2Fscience-is-about-embracing-your-knockers%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 13 November 2010 If science has any credibility, it derives from transparency: when you make a claim about how something works, you provide references to experiments, which describe openly and in full what was done, in enough detail for the experiment to be replicated, detailing what was measured, and how. [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4162905 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 23:45:48 +0100 4162905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4143012&cid=t_112074_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fjust-in-time-for-christmas_07.html Buy"Ben Goldacre, a British physician and author, has written a very funny and biting book critiquing what he calls "Bad Science.'' Under this heading he includes homeopathy, cosmetics manufacturers whose claims about their products defy plausibility, proponents of miracle vitamins, and drug companies and physicians who design faulty studies and manipulate the results . . . While it is a very entertaining book, it also provides important insight into the horrifying outcomes that can result when willful anti-intellectualism is allowed equal footing with scientific methodology." ----Dennis Rosen, The Boston Globe (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4143012 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 03:03:00 +0100 4143012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139194&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F11%2Fthe-glorious-mess-of-real-scientific-results%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 6 November 2010 Popular science is often triumphalist, presenting research as a set of completed answers, when in reality much of what gets published makes a glorious, necessary mess. Here is an example. Solomon Asch’s legendary studies from the 1950s on conformity are among my favourite experiments of all time: [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139194 Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:02:43 +0100 4139194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133832&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F04%2Fsurge-in-teen-suicides%2F Minnesota has seen its usual number of teen suicides this year. But because a cluster of suicides involve students from Anoka-Hennepin, Minnesota, some people may believe there’s a “surge” in suicides that is an anomaly. The Star Tribune (Minneapolis) went behind the statistics, though, to see if such an adjective was appropriate to describe this cluster. As it turns out, it wasn’t. With 33 teen suicides so far this year, Minnesota is on pace for the average of 42 it has seen annually since 1990. At worst, that misperception risks “normalizing” suicide, leading teens to accept it as a normal occurrence, said Daniel Reidenberg of the Bloomington, Minn.-based Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, or SAVE. “Then when they are confronted or faced wi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133832 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:37:39 +0100 4133832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125064&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F01%2Fbad-mommy-the-baby-blues-and-postpartum-depression%2F Eighteen years ago, when I gave birth to my son, I was a wreck; depressed and racked with guilt over it. I learned later I wasn’t alone. Many mothers felt the same way when their kids were born, only they kept it quiet. Today, thank God, the silence is broken and women can admit just how imperfect their mommy-ness feels at times. Back in the old days, however, it was odd for a woman to confess that she didn’t feel a strong traditional pull to be a mother. We’re talking way back — before cell phones, before the Internet, before Facebook, even before reality television shows! For my husband and me, circumstances beyond our control forced us to consider life without children. Having the choice taken away from us because of my chronic illness was depressing and we had to wo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125064 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:56:02 +0100 4125064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118807&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F10%2Fneuro-realism%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 30 October 2010 When the BBC tells you, in a headline, that libido problems are in the brain and not in the mind, then you might find yourself wondering what the difference between the two is supposed to be, and whether a science article can really be assuming – in [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118807 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:01:40 +0100 4118807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118808&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F10%2Fdegrees-of-consent%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 23 October 2010 This month it was revealed that US academics funded by NIH deliberately infected mentally incapacitated patients, prison inmates, sex workers, and soldiers from Guatemala with syphilis, gonorrhea, and chancroid during the 1940s.There has been outrage, and rightly so. Since the 1940s, regulations on consent have been tightened [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118808 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:47:31 +0100 4118808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082088&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-prevention-how-to-sift-through-the-headlines%2F2010.10.19 Guest post submitted by MD Anderson Cancer Center Most of us can’t keep up with all the new ways to avoid cancer. Thanks to the Internet, we now have an unlimited supply of cancer knowledge at our fingertips. But, how can we filter out the good, the bad and the questionable? Below are steps to help you tease out the facts when reading that next big news story on preventing cancer. Says who? Don’t just take the writer’s word for it. Dig a little deeper to find out the source behind the hype. The American Cancer Society says you should ask yourself these questions when reading an article: Was this a press release from a company announcing a new breakthrough in cancer prevention? Was it a report from a clinical study that was given at a scientific conference? Was it a report from a st... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082088 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:00:57 +0100 4082088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082135&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F19%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-october-19-2010%2F Try as I might, I could not think of a time when a childhood argument ended a friendship. Can you? I remember squabbles over crayon colors and anger over sharing toys, but that’s it. There’s no recollection of arguments going longer than a day. In fact, what is embedded in my memory is a lot of moments when a heated fight one day was immediately forgotten the next. Why then, as adults, do we hold grudges and find it so hard to forgive? Is it that life suddenly gets more complicated? Is it because knowing more about life makes it harder to forgive transgressions? Or are the wounds deeper and the hurts greater? Whatever the answer, one thing’s for sure, forgiveness heals our own hearts more than anything else. So if you’re in the process of trying to forgive someone, ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082135 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:50:23 +0100 4082135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082043&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fconfessions-of-a-sneeze-supressor-can-holding-in-your-ah-choo-hurt-you%2F photo: Thinkstock I admit it: I hold in my sneezes. I’ve been doing it since I was little. I believe it stems from the fact that my father has the loudest sneeze I’ve ever heard. When I was a kid, my dad would sneeze in the basement and I’d be roused from slumber all the way up on the second floor. So naturally, over the years I’ve honed my sneeze to be as silent as possible. Sometimes people around me don’t even realize that I’ve sneezed. (I’m that sneaky.) I’d guess that several of my co-workers think I suffer from some kind of twitch. Is this better than an obnoxiously loud sneeze? In my book, yes. Of course, throughout my life, I’ve been warned by all my non-scientist family and friends about how suppressing my sneezes will kill my ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082043 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:39:59 +0100 4082043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4073990&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F10%2Fthe-caveat-in-paragraph-number-19%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 16 October 2010 You will be familiar with the Daily Mail’s ongoing project to divide all the inanimate objects in the world into the ones that either cause or prevent cancer. Individual entries are now barely worth documenting, and the phenomenon is best appreciated in bulk through websites such as [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4073990 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 23:03:04 +0100 4073990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060547&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F10%2Fmy-book-is-coming-out-in-the-us-and-canada%2F My first book “Bad Science” is out today in the US and Canada, and there are some talks coming up in Canada and the US next week. Clicking on the covers below will take you to the Amazon page. . The talks should be fun, I’m passing through: Montreal Trottier Symposium in McGill  on October [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060547 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:00:21 +0100 4060547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4061099&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FRl64qIMDMIM%2F Do you talk over people during conversations? Do you bite your nails when you are nervous? Do you drink like a fish or pop pills like a pharmacist? Have you ever told a lie to get a point across? Have you ever ignored the people you were with for a better conversation with someone on your cell phone? Has your recent predicament made you so worried that you can’t focus on anything? Good, you are human. Each and every person on this earth has habits rather good or bad. There are just some things that we tend to do automatically. They have become so repetitive that they almost seem natural. Habits are inherently neutral but speaking for myself I seem to have more bad ones than good and I think I would greatly benefit from turning the tables. So how do you break bad habits? WHAT IS A HAB... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4061099 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 05:13:02 +0100 4061099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045053&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F10%2Fpride-and-prejudice%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 9 October 2010 What does it mean to say that a psychological or behavioural condition has a biological cause? Over the past week more battles have been raging over ADHD, after a paper published by a group of Cardiff researchers found evidence that there is a genetic association with the [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045053 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 22:37:52 +0100 4045053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045054&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F10%2Fnerds-rise-up-science-cuts-protest-tomorrow%2F I’m speaking tomorrow at the protest against science cuts, it’s 2pm outside the Treasury, wear something that looks like your field, maybe a white coat, or a telescope, or a field if you’re a botanist. Details of the protest: (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045054 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:07:16 +0100 4045054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031534&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FChs0CsyaitU%2F Conclusion Your mood and your life are in your hands. It is always up to you how you feel. Stephen Covey puts it well “There is a gap between stimuli and response where self awareness and the ability to chose reside.”. Whenever something happens it is your decision if you are going to let it get you down or if you are going to turn it into something positive. If you liked this article and want to read more like it, Daniel Wood runs the blog Looking To Business.com about Sales Technique, Motivation and Success. Don’t Forget To Follow PickTheBrain on Twitter! : A Smarter Approach To Time Management The Only Time Management Tip Your Really Need (Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement) PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031534 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 05:10:00 +0100 4031534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4022873&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F10%2Fempathy%2F Like all students of wrongness, I’m fascinated by research into irrational beliefs and behaviours, but I’m also suspicious of how far you can stretch the findings from a laboratory into the real world. A cracking new paper from Social Psychology and Personality Science makes a neat attempt to address this shortcoming. Loran Nordgren and Mary [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022873 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 23:01:52 +0100 4022873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4022874&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F10%2Fempathys-failures%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 2 October 2010 Like all students of wrongness, I’m fascinated by research into irrational beliefs and behaviours, but I’m also suspicious of how far you can stretch the findings from a laboratory into the real world. A cracking new paper from Social Psychology and Personality Science makes a neat attempt [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022874 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 23:01:48 +0100 4022874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4022956&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F01%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-october-1-2010%2F Can it be? Is it really the end of September? According to our Twitter followers, I might not be the only one feeling the swiftness of September. It’s funny how no matter how hard we try to pay attention to every moment, the days and moments still fly by. And here we are again, another month is gone. Soon it will be winter and then 2011! The good news is that the rapidity of time makes it all the more valuable and a worthy cause to find the goodness in all situations. Like how Mindfulness & Psychotherapy is showing us how to do it this week and kind of like how Mentoring & Recovery is teaching us how to be more of a inner coach rather than an inner critic. It’s all of these things that show us how to live life more meaningfully that helps the moments go by just a little... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022956 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:32:28 +0100 4022956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003226&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fremember-the-old-general-foods-international-coffees-slogan-it%25e2%2580%2599s-the-same-thing-i-do-celebrate-the-moments-of-my-life-%25e2%2580%2593-i-just-spike-them-first%2F – Blisstree Editor-in-Chief Christine Egan on the pleasures of solo drinking from her post I Drink Alone and You Can’t Stop Me Post from: BlissTree Remember the old General Foods International Coffees slogan? It’s the same thing. I do celebrate the moments of my life – I just spike them first. (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003226 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:00:01 +0100 4003226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4001687&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmy-patient-the-health-nut%2F2010.09.25 A version of the following post, by Kimberly Manning, FACP, appeared on the blog “Life at Grady.” “My blood pressure is still borderline? Man!” “Yeah…and from looking through the chart, it was 150/96 on your admission. It’s pretty much been that since you’ve been here, give or take a few points. That’s a little more than borderline, actually.” I paused for a moment, realizing that I sounded a bit discouraging. “I don’t think this would be hard to get under control at all, sir. I mean…you’re such a motivated patient, you know?” I studied my patient carefully. He was in his late thirties, although he could totally pass for a twenty-something all day, every day. His skin looked like someone had grabbed ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4001687 Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:00:00 +0100 4001687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3998923&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F09%2Fpornography-in-hospitals%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 25 September 2010 The Sun, of all people, are angry about pornography: “THE hard-up NHS is blowing taxpayers’ cash on PORN for sperm donors, a report reveals today.” The Telegraph immediately followed suit. Some clinics provide pornography for men masturbating in clinic rooms to produce sperm for IVF with their [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3998923 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:01:51 +0100 3998923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3983401&cid=t_112074_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3486 Steve Jones, UCL’s star geneticist, has been commissioned by the BBC Trust to write a report on the impartiality of science journalism on the BBC.  It covers both TV and radio, and all channels. Current programmes can be found by the BBC Science home page. It is not uncommon for bloggers to be critical of science reporting in the mainstream media. Now is our chance to do something constructive about it.     If you have opinions about this, please leave them in the comments here, and/or email them to trust.science@bbc.co.uk Here are some of my own opinions, to get things going.  Many programmes I haven’t seen, particularly on radio, so my selection may not be representative, but it is wide enough to include examples that are superb and examples of... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3983401 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 16:46:00 +0100 3983401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3980795&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F09%2Fghostwriters%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 18 September 2010 If I tell you that Katie Price did not, necessarily, write her own book, this is not a revelation. From academics I have slightly higher expectations, but now the legal system has spat out another skip full of documents: this time, we get a new insight into [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3980795 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:01:17 +0100 3980795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965372&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F199641%2F What’s With the Other 15%? A new study shows that 85% of adults wash their hands after using the restroom in public restaurants, which is the highest percentage since 1996. (via USA Today) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965372 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:24:25 +0100 3965372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957868&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F09%2Fthe-pope-and-aids%2F This week the pope is in London. You will have your own views on the discrimination against women, the homophobia, and the international criminal conspiracy to cover up for mass child rape. My special interest is his role in the 2 million people who die of Aids each year. In May 2005, shortly after taking [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957868 Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:06:07 +0100 3957868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954509&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FD2mSIQVqFV0%2F It is true that a lot of people want to lose weight for health reasons, but it is also true that one of the primary reasons that makes people think of their weight is because they want to look good. This is certainly acceptable because what we look outside greatly affects how we feel about ourselves inside. People who are leaner receive compliments from family and friends and this improves their self-esteem in one way or another. Fat (overweight) people on the other hand are even criticized for being fat and this has a negative impact on their self-esteem and sometimes it may even cause depression. An overweight or obese person could even hear hurtful words like “you are ugly”, “we don’t have your size”, and “you’ll die young” which could pull their self-esteem to the groun... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954509 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:38:37 +0100 3954509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942836&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F07%2Fwhat-not-to-say-to-someone-with-panic-disorder%2F Imagine this: you’re allergic to cats. You’ve just been exposed to cat dander and your eyes are a soggy, drippy red mess. You sneeze uncontrollably multiple times in a row. Your skin becomes itchy, red, and full of welts. You’re feeling pretty miserable. A friend walks up to you. “Hey, no worries,” he exclaims casually, “there’s nothing to be allergic to!” Uh, what? “Sure there is — I’m allergic to cats,” you’d probably say. “Nah,” says your friend, “just stop sneezing. You’ll be okay.” “What?! I can’t just STOP sneezing on a dime,” you retort. “Sure you can. There’s nothing wrong with you,” he insists. “Uhm, care to explain these welts, then? And the red eyes? And the sneezing?!” Sounds frustrating, doesn’t it? If you suffe... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942836 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:46:49 +0100 3942836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3933055&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F09%2Fblind-prejudice%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 4 September 2010 Everyone likes to imagine they are rational, fair, and free from prejudice. But how easily are we misled by appearances? Noola Griffiths is an academic who studies the psychology of music, and she’s published a cracking paper on what women wear, and how that effects your judgement [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3933055 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:01:34 +0100 3933055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3925118&cid=t_112074_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FLG55Ktxt2Q8%2F We live in an age of vampires. And their numbers are on the rise. No, I’m not talking about the blood-sucking ones (I leave those to Buffy and Blade to deal with). I’m talking about health-sucking vampires. Health-sucking vampires are those twisted creatures that consciously or not drain us of our vitality, vigor, and overall well-being. You’ve met these villains of vibrant heath already – those that criticize your health endeavors, those that mock you for your health diligence, and those that would drag your health quality down to their unacceptable level. It’s time to fight back. It’s time we become health-sucking vampire slayers! 1. Emotional Holy Water Health-sucking vampires are nasty creatures. You certainly don’t want them to linger around for too long. B... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3925118 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:07:33 +0100 3925118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911650&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F08%2Fin-praise-of-anecdotes%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 28 August 2010 For simpletons and amateurs, there are good research methods, and bad research methods. In reality, different tools are valuable in different situations, and sometimes, even very tiny numbers of people can give you a meaningful piece of information: even an anecdote can be informative. For example, if [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911650 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:01:58 +0100 3911650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899352&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fbill-watterson-on-bad-moods%2F Nothing helps a bad mood like spreading it around. – Bill Watterson Post from: BlissTree Bill Watterson on Bad Moods (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899352 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:00:38 +0100 3899352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3895928&cid=t_112074_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2FXT1HNh_NSz8%2Fbad-omics-word-of-day-waveomics.html Let's just cut to the chase.  The Bad Omics Word of the Day is Waveomics.  Suggested to me by SeaSaver. On the one hand, I really like that people in biology related fields are putting out preprints in places like Nature Precedings.  On the other hand, this one is a bit painful from the omics terminology point of view: Waveomics: bringing experimental data to online collaboration : Nature Precedings Well, the term is really just, well, awful.  Here is a key phrase about it: A Robot is introduced here, waveomics, which provides the first example of allowing experimental data from multiple sources to be queried and shared in the Google Wave environment.The concept is not so bad in principle - the author Neil Swainston (who has done some cool things - check out his b... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895928 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:27:00 +0100 3895928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3895839&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fsmoke-signals-even-secondhand-smoke-is-harmful%2F photo: Thinkstock A new study shows that even a small amount of secondhand smoke can be harmful to your health. Low levels of exposure to cigarette smoke create abnormal genetic activity in the cells lining non-smokers’ lungs. Now if only there were some way for non-smokers to ask smokers to not puff around them without seeming like a narc. We’ve found that having obnoxiously loud coughing fits works. via CNN Post from: BlissTree Smoke Signals: Even Secondhand Smoke Is Harmful (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895839 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:32:46 +0100 3895839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889046&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F08%2Fexams-are-getting-easier%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 21 August 2010 Pass rates are at 98%. A quarter of grades are higher than an A. This week every newspaper in the country was filled with people asserting that exams are definitely getting easier, and then other people asserting that exams are definitely not getting easier. The question for [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889046 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:01:00 +0100 3889046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3876715&cid=t_112074_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F17%2Fwhere-do-friends-go-when-youre-coping-with-a-crisis%2F Have you ever noticed that when something bad happens to you or to someone close to you in your life (like a son or daughter, or a parent), some friends might offer help, while others disappear? This seemingly becomes more the case as we get older. I was reading this interesting essay in The New York Times today and stumbled upon an explanation for this behavior — the guy quoted in the article called it “stiff arming” or “pseudo-care.” A friend offers help to you in your time of need, but then disappears. Why do people do this? Are they afraid bad luck is “catching”? The author of this essay describes how both her daughters suffered serious health problems in the same year — one from a rare disease, and the other from anorexia. Then she notic... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3876715 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:11:01 +0100 3876715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865226&cid=t_112074_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2010%2F08%2Fgive-us-the-trial-data%2F Ben Goldacre, The Guardian, Saturday 14 August 2010 This week the drug company AstraZeneca paid out £125m to settle a class action. Over 17,500 patients claim the company withheld information showing that schizophrenia drug quetiapine (tradename Seroquel) might cause diabetes. Why do companies pay out money before cases get to court? One interesting feature of [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865226 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:40:00 +0100 3865226