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 'imbalance'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:14:09 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096341&cid=t_191008_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F04%2Fdoctor-is-my-mood-disorder-due-to-a-chemical-imbalance%2F Dear Mrs. ——– You have asked me about the cause of your mood disorder, and whether it is due to a “chemical imbalance”. The only honest answer I can give you is, “I don’t know”—but I’ll try to explain what psychiatrists do and don’t know about the causes of so-called mental illness, and why the term “chemical imbalance” is simplistic and a bit misleading. By the way, I don’t like the term “mental disorder”, because it makes it seem as if there’s a huge distinction between the mind and the body—and most psychiatrists don’t see it that way. I wrote about this recently, and used the term “brain-mind” to describe the unity of mind and body.1 So, for lack of a better term, I’ll just refer to “psychiatric illnesses.” Now, this notion of... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096341 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:35:19 +0100 5096341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062294&cid=t_191008_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F24%2Fmental-illness-is-not-simply-a-brain-disease%2F Last month, Andrew Brown writing for the UK’s Guardian, noted when Professor David Nutt kept referring to depression as a “brain disease” on a popular UK television program. We commend Andrew Brown for his calling out Professor Nutt in trying to dumb down the portrayal of mental disorders to simply “brain diseases.” Mental disorders remain complex disorders that involve all aspect of a person’s functioning and life — their brain and biology, their psychological makeup and personality, and their social interactions and relationships with others. The cause isn’t just one of these things in the vast majority of people who have a mental illness — the cause is all of these things, in differing proportions. I’ve written about this in th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062294 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:36:25 +0100 5062294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911664&cid=t_191008_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fr6MhbcUATqg%2F Let us highlight a couple of insightful and brief articles in the New York Times and a very powerful analysis in The New York Review of Books; they provide useful clues about Brain Calisthenics, Bilingual Brains, and Debunking Myths on Mental Illness. Brain Calisthenics for Abstract Ideas (NYT): Now, a small group of cognitive scientists is arguing that schools and students could take far more advantage of this same bottom-up ability, called perceptual learning. The brain is a pattern-recognition machine, after all, and when focused properly, it can quickly deepen a person’s grasp of a principle, new studies suggest. The challenge for education, Dr. Kellman added, “is what do we need to do to make this happen efficiently?” Experts develop such sensitive perceptual radar the old-fashi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911664 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:12:58 +0100 4911664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3913120&cid=t_191008_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdiabetes-and-precision-carb-guessing%2F2010.08.28 I keep measuring cups in my purse so that I can measure out my dinners out to be exact. I keep a small food scale in the glove compartment of my car so I am never guessing how many ounces a certain item might be. And I have the Calorie King booklet in my pocket at all times, so that I’m never left guessing. I even sewed pockets into all my clothes, just to bring the booklet around. (The previous paragraph is filled with lies. Big, fat ones.) I wish I was a precision carb counter. I wish I had the patience for it, always either eating pre-packaged and factory-analyzed foods or spending my time carefully measuring and weighing any home cooked adventures. But I am not a precision carb counter. I’m a precision carb guesser. (more…) *This blog post was originally... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3913120 Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:00:00 +0100 3913120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3172044&cid=t_191008_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Fgeneral-health%2Fhormones-are-making-you-crazy It’s become almost commonplace to say that we should be medicated. “You’re crazy.” “I’m Crazy.” “We’re all nuts” These statements are more severe than we think. We assume that there is something wrong with us and we look immediately to medication to fix it. Our doctors prescribe something to calm us down, lift us up, help us become normal again. But what they don’t truly do, is look into the cause of our problems. Even a diagnosis of depression or anxiety can have an underlying physical cause that no one even gets to the bottom of. You see, not everyone who is crazy, is really crazy. Two reasons can be hormonal imbalance, or what we eat. Hormonal imbalance, such as that which occurs during menopause, can cause us to feel so many emotions, running the gamut from happy... Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3172044 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:33:07 +0100 3172044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111704&cid=t_191008_165_f&fid=36770&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmetaot.com%2Fblog%2Fdrunkeness-social-disease 1. Introduction: Some years ago while I was working as a health care assistant in operating theatres a student nurse from Ireland consumed alcohol excessively during her 21st birthday party. The next day she attended the accident and emergency department but was sent away diagnosed with a hangover. Normal doses of self-administered paracetamol overloaded her liver due to her dehydrated state and she subsequently underwent a liver transplant. Unfortunately she then had a stroke and died in the intensive care unit. Her 18 year old sister who was also a student nurse went back to Ireland in a state of distress. My last shift in theatres before I departed to University ended with an alcoholic man bleeding to death. I still remember the distinctive smell of blood which at first could not be see... meta-ot blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111704 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:13:10 +0100 3111704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750129&cid=t_191008_132_f&fid=35028&url=http%3A%2F%2Flurena.vox.com%2Flibrary%2Fpost%2Fdecipher.html%3F_c%3Dfeed-rss The Database of Chromosomal Imbalance and Phenotype in Humans using Ensembl Resources Nigel Carter Morning Session, 2 September (11th MGED Meeting, 1-4 September, 2008) Genomic disorders, e.g. Down's Syndrome (3 copies of chromosome 21). Need gen... Read and post comments | Send to a friend (Source: Systems Biology & Bioinformatics) Systems Biology & Bioinformatics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750129 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:35:39 +0100 1750129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1582928&cid=t_191008_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2F06%2Fanother-brain-fad-for-depression%2F We’ve all heard the theory — a chemical imbalance in your brain causes depression. Although researchers have known for years this not to be the case, some drug companies continue to repeat this simplistic and misleading claim in their marketing and advertising materials. Why the FTC or some other federal agency doesn’t crack down on this intentional misleading information is beyond me. Most researchers now believe depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. How did we come to this conclusion? Through years of additional research. But now some are jumping on the next brain bandwagon of belief — that depression is caused by a problem in the brain neuronal network. Jonah Leher makes the case in today’s Boston Globe: In recent years, scient... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1582928 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:38:20 +0100 1582928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1426715&cid=t_191008_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F285431582%2Fwhy_men_and_women_hit_the_dust.html Some people use research and observation to point out that men are better at numbers while women excel more in language and communication. Do you agree?Others say it’s not that simple to quantify intelligence. What do you say?Here’s the skinny of what we know about brainpower differences in men and women. Men traditionally dominated fields of math, science and engineering… and that imbalance is changing.Women make up the lion’s share of US higher education students since 1982 and yet women do less well than men on standardized tests used for college entrance or graduate school requirements. The best universities are attracting more men to narrow their enrollment gaps. Have you seen it happen?Gender differences show up early in life.  School age children show d... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1426715 Wed, 07 May 2008 16:05:25 +0100 1426715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1215697&cid=t_191008_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F231123917%2F Not a day goes by without a significant depression-related announcement. Yesterday, one could read that Older Women More Likely to Suffer Depression (than Older Men; in the Washington Post). Today, we see that St. Jude Starting Trial On Brain Stimulation For Depression (CNN). A few days ago, Blue Cross of California Launched Maternity Depression Program (press release). Time to step back and ask ourselves questions such as, "What is going On", "What is Depression", "What Treatments Work, and What is the Latest Research". Fortunately, thanks to our collaboration with Greater Good Magazine, Jill Suttie offers a fascinating answers to those questions-and more. Enjoy. --------------------------- Closing the Circuit Helen Mayberg's research could revolutionize ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1215697 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:10:34 +0100 1215697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1185752&cid=t_191008_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F225312518%2Fserotonin-monster-strikes-again.html Last Halloween, I discussed the legendary Serotonin Monster, that is, the alleged chemical imbalance that causes depression, anxiety, aggression, and God only knows what else. I ranted briefly and referred interested readers to an excellent article in PLoS Medicine from Jeffrey Lacasse and Jon Leo.Turns out that Leo and Lacasse are still on the case of the Serotonin Monster. They have a newer article, recently published in the journal Society, that sheds further light on this mysterious creature. The full text of the article is freely available online; I encourage everyone to read it. They are concerned that most people get their information from magazines or newspapers, which they believe presents the overly simplistic "chemical imbalance" theory of depression as if it were based on solid... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1185752 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:55:00 +0100 1185752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1179968&cid=t_191008_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Flinkblog%2Fjump%2F%3Fi%3D501557 The “Chemical Imbalance” Explanation for Depression: Origins, Lay Endorsement, and Clinical Implications Published last year in the journal Professional Psychology: Research and Practice this paper explores the origins of the imbalance theory and the shaky ground on which it was built. Hat tip to Mind Hacks - www.mindhacks.com for the link (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1179968 Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:07:00 +0100 1179968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=994973&cid=t_191008_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F177765249%2Fghosts-goblins-and-serotonin-boo.html In an earlier post, I noted that I thought a key opinion leader had contradicted himself across two articles regarding the role of serotonin in depression. One reader posted a comment that challenged my assertion, to which I reply via this post. The reader, “Alan,” stated, in part, that He only said what he said -- that [serotonin] is clearly disordered and deficient in many if not most people with depression. And he is right. There's overwhelming evidence for that. (There's also great evidence for the therapeutic value of serotonergic interventions in depression, which he did not mention.) That's not to say that other things are not playing a role, or that serotonin is the sole problem area -- the "single fundamental neurobiological defect". He only said what he said. And this blogger... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=994973 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:29:00 +0100 994973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=885539&cid=t_191008_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fgetting-to-know-your-cancer-drugs%2F It has been about a year since I stopped taking Arimidex, an aromatase inhibitor. The side effects I experienced are long gone. Gone are the horrendous aches and pains I had in my joints and bones. When I finally made the decision to stop, it had gotten to the point where it hurt to walk and even get up in the morning. For me the decision wasn’t difficult. As I have told you before, I insisted my oncologist put me back on Tamoxifen, which is still a viable drug in reducing cancer risk. For some of you the decision to stop an armoatase inhibitor isn’t so easy; the cancer may be more advanced or the fear of the return of cancer is overwhelming. There is still no counter evidence to suggest other than the effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors like Arimidex (anastrozole) and Femara (letroz... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=885539 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:27:34 +0100 885539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=861781&cid=t_191008_109_f&fid=34800&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FClinicalPsychologyAndPsychiatryACloserLook%2F%7E3%2F155030048%2Flinks-of-note-and-preview.html Many good items have appeared of late and I pass them to you below...Adverse drug event reports skyrocket. Furious Seasons has the story.AHRP goes after Lilly's potential blockbuster for schizophrenia. AHRP's take on Dr. Lieberman seems a little harsh, but it's still a good read.The Last Psychiatrist scores points with a hilarious bit on calculating a commonly used medical statistic (featuring the Flock of Seagulls) and also weighs in on Lilly's hopeful new schizophrenia drug (no Zyprexa pun intended).How 'bout some antidepressants for babies? Pharmalot has the scoop.The discredited chemical imbalance theory of depression rears its head again, courtesy of GSK, as reported by Fiddaman.A long overdue link to the Pharma Girls of Reality TV, courtesy of Cary Byrd.Coming Attractions: There were... Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=861781 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:44:00 +0100 861781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=851097&cid=t_191008_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fa-support-program-for-users-of-arimidex%2F I haven’t received a specific response to my concerns from the pharmaceutical companies regarding aromatase inhibitors and our comments about side effects. What I have received is information about a new program being offered to users of Arimidex. The makers of Arimidex have created a free program for the users of Armidex. It is called “In Your Corner” It includes advice from healthcare experts on treatment, fitness, nutrition and help for dealing with side effects. It also covers topics that coordinate with your treatment. AstraZeneca has designed this program as a support and resource for the increasing number of women on the drug. “In Your Corner” is an interesting label for this program, especially coming from the makers of the drug. For many of us the experience with the dru... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=851097 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 00:01:12 +0100 851097