In this installment of Healthland’s series on addiction, we speak with Howard Josepher, a former heroin addict who has been an energetic and committed advocate for people with addictions for more than 40 years.
Mental Health
‘It Gets Better’: Wisdom From Grown-Up Gays and Lesbians to Bullied Kids
“Bullycide” is a colloquialism referring to suicide that results from intense bullying — think Megan Meier and Phoebe Price and Jaheem Herera, 11, a Georgia boy who hanged himself in 2009 after being tormented by classmates for …
The Healing Power of Touching Yourself
What’s the first thing you do when you burn or cut one of your hands? You might think the answer is that you put it under a faucet or wrap a towel around it. But that’s actually not the first thing you do. The first thing is …
Mad Men’s Jon Hamm Knows a Thing or Two About Beating Depression
Mad Men‘s dashing Jon Hamm, the actor who plays confident, masterful adman Don Draper, hasn’t always felt so on top of things.
Will the Government’s Drug Take-Back Do Anything to Reduce Misuse?
Uncle Sam wants your drugs! This Saturday the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is sponsoring a nationwide prescription drug “take-back,” at 4,000 locations around the country.
What Goes on Inside the Brain of a Misbehaving Boy?
When it comes to raising civilized kids there are no hard rules, but there are two things on which most parents agree: Boys are generally wilder than girls, and adolescents are wilder than kids of any other age.
How Religion Was Edited Out of AA’s Bible: Early ‘Big Book’ Manuscript Soon to Be Published
The “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous has long been seen as holy writ by AA members. But for the first time ever, recovering alcoholics, scholars and the public will have access to the original manuscript, including editorial …
The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease by the (Very Scary) Numbers
Suffering is always hard to quantify — especially when the pain is caused by as cruel a disease as Alzheimer’s. Most illnesses attack the body; Alzheimer’s destroys the mind — and in the process, annihilates the very self. …
ADHD: A Global Epidemic or Just a Bunch of Fidgety Kids?
A new study finds that the rise in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is not a uniquely American phenomenon.
Why Hearing Half of a Cell-Phone Conversation Drives You Nuts
I was walking in front of Grand Central Terminal on 42nd St. one evening and overheard a man in a business suit talking — and lying — on his cell phone. “I’m in the supermarket,” he said. “Just got here.”
Phony Cancers and Self-Inflicted Acid Attacks: A National Outbreak of Munchausen’s?
The stories boggle the mind: in August, a 28-year-old Washington woman claimed to be the victim of a mindless acid attack, and almost won the ultimate prize in attention-seeking — an appearance on Oprah — before admitting she …
Spend Too Much For Those Shoes? Blame Your Genes
Science has yet to isolate the Godiva Chocolate or Prada gene, but that doesn’t mean your weakness for pricey swag isn’t woven into your DNA. According to a new study of identical twins, it’s less TV ads or Labor Day sales that …
The Misunderstood Psychology of Fake Tanning
As summer comes to a close and we all fade back to our winter shades of pale, two studies offer conflicting information about the impact of fake tanning — using sunless tanning lotion, spray or even airbrush — on cancer risk.