An introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with a focus on ADHD treatment — Psychiatrist Aaron Beck, one of the giants of modern mental health, died in late 2021 at the age of one hundred. …

The Democrats need a better game plan — Senate Democrats propose renegotiating Biden’s Build Back Better bill with Senator Joe Manchin. The Democrats blew past self-imposed deadlines for passing BBB — Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Now they seem to be targeting Groundhog Day. Let’s do it all over again. And again. And again. And hope for better results. …

COVID-19 isn’t our enemy and isn’t leaving — The military metaphor we adopt for our war on COVID-19 goads many to wash their hands, wear masks, and avoid close contact with others in order to effectively combat the virus. It encourages (some) people to think about defending and protecting not just themselves, but their communities as well. It…

Positive psychology’s “flow” and ADHD’s “hyperfocus” describe the same brain state — Scores of coaches and training programs offer to help athletes looking for a competitive edge by providing techniques to move them “into the zone”. Business consultants promote their ability to synchronize states of “flow” for the whole workplace. Often they claim that we understand the brain chemistry and physiology behind…

How much is enough, with stimulants or other meds? — Questions about whether a given dose of medication is too high or too low permeate online health forums. People decry regimens that exceed maximum recommendations as “too much” and as evidence of addiction or misuse. They dismiss doses lower than the standard as “ineffective” or “placebos”. …

A heart to heart about cardiovascular risks of stimulant medications — Recent research showing a 40% increase in serious cardiovascular consequences for the elderly taking stimulants garnered media attention and rekindled a debate about the risks of taking these medications. But the new information actually doesn’t appear that dire. …

ADHD studies provide tantalizing findings. — Some people dismiss ADHD as a cultural phenomenon. Others interpret the fact that stimulant medications consistently produce the largest reductions in ADHD symptoms to mean that the condition is primarily a neurochemical problem — a deficit of dopamine. Yet fundamentally, ADHD brains differ from standard-issue human brains in wiring and…

Looking over, rather than overlooking, our bodies improves mental health. — Blasting billionaires into space reminds us that humans survive only in a narrow range of temperature, atmospheric pressure, radiation exposure, and oxygen content. In order to stay alive, animals need to track the external world and what’s going on in their own bodies, and then adjust their metabolism and behavior…

Can personality testing provide useful information about ADHD or other conditions? — Online you can find dozens of personality tests. After you’ve filled out one such survey, notices about other personality inventories will inundate your screen, many of them for Myers Briggs personality typing. If you have ADHD, depression, social anxiety or another mental health diagnosis, you’re likely to see links promoting…