Recent posts

They already had an anxiety disorder. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit

By drwong
March 26, 2020

Los Angeles Times By From Staff and Wire Reports March 25, 2020 At first, Jonathon Seidl wasn’t worried about the coronavirus despite his anxiety disorder. But that changed. The 33-year-old digital media strategist from Dallas, who takes medication for his condition, said his concern was less about getting sick than about the battering the economy...   read more


Alzheimer’s affects 5.8 million people 65 and older. In 2050, that number may be close to 14 million.

By drwong
March 26, 2020

The Washington Post By Linda Searing March 16, 2020 Alzheimer’s disease, the most common dementia among older adults, now affects about 5.8 million U.S. residents 65 and older — 10 percent of that age group, according to a new report from the Alzheimer’s Association. Age is considered the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s, with 3 percent...   read more


Alcoholics Anonymous vs. Other Approaches: The Evidence Is Now In

By drwong
March 26, 2020

The New York Times By Austin Frakt and Aaron E. Carroll March 11, 2020 For a long time, medical researchers were unsure whether Alcoholics Anonymous worked better than other approaches to treating people with alcohol use disorder. In 2006, a review of the evidence concluded we didn’t have enough evidence to judge. That has changed. An updated...   read more


Celebrities are talking more about their own mental health. It’s helping — even if it’s complicated.

By drwong
March 9, 2020

The Washington Post By Bethonie Butler Feb. 20, 2020 Demi Lovato leaned into the microphone. “I tried to talk to my piano,” she sang softly, stopping as she broke into tears. It was her first performance since she suffered a drug overdose in 2018. The audience — gathered in Los Angeles’s Staples Center last month...   read more


How Chaos at Chain Pharmacies Is Putting Patients at Risk

By drwong
February 14, 2020

The New York Times Jan 31, 2020 By Ellen Gabler Pharmacists across the U.S. warn that the push to do more with less has made medication errors more likely. “I am a danger to the public,” one wrote to a regulator. For Alyssa Watrous, the medication mix-up meant a pounding headache, nausea and dizziness. In September,...   read more


We Lost Our Son to Suicide. Here's How We Survived

By drwong
February 4, 2020

The New York Times By Julie Halpert Jan 30, 2020 I tried many of the supports available to help parents heal, like therapy, support groups, exercise and finding a way to honor our son’s memory. On Sept. 7, 2017, my 31st wedding anniversary, a date marked by happy memories turned tragic. That was when I...   read more


Diagnosed with dementia, she documented her wishes for the end. Then her retirement home said no.

By drwong
January 26, 2020

The Washington Post By JoNel Aleccia Jan 18, 2020 When she worked on the trading floor of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, long before cellphone calculators, Susan Saran could perform complex math problems in her head. Years later, as one of its top regulators, she was in charge of investigating insider trading deals. Today, she...   read more


What Schizophrenia Does to Families

By drwong
January 19, 2020

The Washington Post Magazine A mother, a son, an unraveling mind — and a mental health system that can’t keep up By Abigail Jones January 13, 2020           Alissa Dumsch flips through her high school yearbook, pausing on a photo of a hulking young man with sandy hair and a chiseled...   read more


Shooting victims have increased risk of mental harm long after physical injuries have healed, study finds

By drwong
November 24, 2019

The Washington Post By William Wan November 20, 2019 Even when physical injuries are minor, gun victims face unemployment, substance abuse, PTSD and more         Years after being shot, a large proportion of gun victims continue to suffer from increased unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder, a new study shows,...   read more


Getting a Handle on Self-Harm

By drwong
November 14, 2019

The New York Times By Benedict Carey Nov 11, 2019 Cutting and other forms of self-injury are on the rise among adolescents. Researchers are beginning to understand the phenomenon, and how to treat it.         The sensations surged up from somewhere inside, like poison through a syringe: a mix of sadness, anxiety,...   read more