Physicians have long believed that some form of deception is essential to the placebo effect: after all, if you tell people that you’re giving them a fake drug, why would they respond by getting better?
Addiction
What Does Meth Research Have to Do With Addiction and Autism Treatments? (It’s Oxytocin.)
The hormone oxytocin — known as the “love drug” or “cuddle chemical” — plays an important role in pair-bonding, child-rearing and social behavior. Now researchers are discovering that it could also help explain the effects of …
Perspective: Kicking Drugs After Columbia Bust
When I read about the five Columbia students busted for selling drugs this week on Fraternity Row, my mood sank. About two decades ago, I was in a similar situation.
Should an Overdose Antidote Be Made More Accessible?
Want to Eat Less? Imagine Eating More
Imagine you could eat less, simply by thinking about eating! A new study published in Science finds just that: people who imagined themselves repeatedly indulging in sweet or salty treats ended up eating less of the actual foods …
Does Suffering From Withdrawal Really Mean You’re Addicted?
The number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers has risen dramatically in the U.S. over the last several decades — nearly doubling for teens and young adults between 1994 and 2007 — and concerns about the abuse of these …
Overeating: Is It an Addiction?
The holidays are a time for eating: pies at Thanksgiving, chocolates for Advent and overflowing gift baskets of cookies and candies through the New Year. If you’re having trouble saying no to the bounty of fat and sugar, give …
Are Parents Really Kid Junkies? What the Research Says
On the surface, addiction seems like the least adaptive behavior in the world: addicts persist in taking drugs despite negative consequences over and over and over, sacrificing relationships, career, home, possessions, often …
Fired for Taking Legal Drugs? Why Drug Tests Don’t Always Work
Should people who take legally prescribed painkillers on the job be fired for failing a drug test? A story in Monday’s New York Times examines the case of a woman who is part of a lawsuit against her employer for doing just that.
The ‘Mommy Brain’ Is Bigger: How Love Grows a New Mother’s Brain
Take heart, new moms: you may be feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and distracted, but your brain is actually growing. Especially if you’re the kind of mom who’s been driving your friends and family mad by talking about how perfect, …
Is Marijuana Addictive? It Depends How You Define Addiction
Does marijuana cause addiction? As Californians prepare to vote on Prop 19 — which would legalize recreational use of the drug, at least under state law — the question is more pertinent than ever. The answer, however, is less …
Forget Pain Pills, Fall in Love Instead
Do you believe that love conquers all? If you do, you probably won’t be surprised by the following study. It turns out that being in love can actually dull pain perception. What’s more, it works in a different way that painkillers do.
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 …