Addiction Archive

Writing a letter of gratitude to someone can increase positive feelings for both the letter writer and recipient.

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are especially vulnerable to cardiovascular problems, including a 40% increased risk of heart attack. The amygdala, a brain structure involved in processing anxiety, fear, and stress, is overactive in people with PTSD. But these people also have decreased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for regulating emotions and dampening the fear response. This brain activity imbalance triggers chronic activation of the body's "fight-or-flight" response. The resulting physiological changes appear to underlie the development of atherosclerosis.

Music therapy uses personally tailored interventions such as singing, songwriting, playing an instrument, or moving to the beat to help people with a variety of health conditions manage disease symptoms and treatment side effects. Research suggests music therapy can curb stress, soothe pain, promote sleep, reduce anxiety, and improve memory and focus. People interested in accessing music therapy can ask their health care team or hospital for a referral, or look for a music therapist through the American Music Therapy Association.

A 2024 study suggests that cognitive changes are a more reliable signal than either age or biological signs of Alzheimer's disease to foreshadow an older adult's decision to stop driving.

The 1,000 Hours Outside challenge can motivate people to spend more time outdoors by trying to accumulate 1,000 hours of outdoor time over a year.

A 2024 study of people ages 80 and older suggested that following healthy habits-like eating a diversified diet that includes high amounts of fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, and tea; regularly exercising; and not smoking-can help people live longer.

Doomscrolling is the habit of constantly scrolling online news headlines, which often blare bad news. Doomscrolling became prominent during the pandemic. It can lead to a wide range of physical and mental health effects, including headaches, muscle tension, elevated blood pressure, and existential anxiety. To offset doomscrolling, people can create boundaries around using devices that include keeping phones off their nightstand, opting out of digital notifications, focusing on local news, and asking others not to send you depressing news items.

In a 2024 study by Harvard researchers, people who reported feeling persistently lonely had a 56% higher risk of experiencing a stroke compared with people who did not report feelings of loneliness.

The medication Suboxone has helped many people who are addicted to opiates, but even within the addiction treatment community there are misunderstandings about this drug and its effects on the brain.