Recent posts
Alzheimer's affects 5.8 million people 65 and older. In 2050, that number may be close to 14 million.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
These homes keep L.A.'s most vulnerable from becoming homeless. Now they're closing
Los Angeles Times By Doug Smith Nov 6, 2019 The news came in September: Long Beach Residential, a 49-bed home for adults who are mentally ill, was being sold. The residents of the converted apartment building, some of whom had lived there for decades, would have 60 days to move. It’s... read more