Loneliness is a persistent feeling of isolation. "Persistent" is the key to diagnose loneliness and depression opposed to the normal human condition of feeling lonely or sad. Click HERE for Loneliness and Other New Findings. … [Read more...]
Benzos, Sleep, Memory, Dementia
It's been two years since BMJ (formerly The British Medical Journal) published "Benzodiazepine use and risk of Alzheimer's disease: case-control study" (BMJ 2014; 349:g5205). The main conclusion was that using benzodiazepines ("ben-zoe-dye-AIZE-uh-peenz" or BZDs or benzos, which include Klonopin/clonazepam, Xanax/alprazolam, Valium/diazepam, Ativan/lorazepam, … [Read more...]
A Psychiatrist Asks Three Questions About Sleep
A Psychiatrist Asks 3 Questions About Sleep that can with sleep problems, insomnia, attention deficit disorder, ADHD, sleep and depression, addiction, and PTSD. Click HERE for more about these 3 questions... … [Read more...]
Dreams and the Big Bang
A thought experiment: sleeping states are rest states, default states in which the great ocean of brain machinery is repairing itself, humming and chugging along. Don't ask why do we sleep. Ask why and how we awaken; and then in this being-not-asleep, what function does conscious awareness serve? Consider the dream state and stages of sleep as analogous to the microwave … [Read more...]
Listening To Insomnia
One simple point about sleep difficulties, which we personalize as "Insomnia": Consider it as a signal, a message, something that deserves your attention. If you are not falling asleep or staying asleep (and we know sleep is a vital function), then your body is telling you something. (Note: As a physician, my first concern is whether some significant medical condition is … [Read more...]