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New CT Scans Reveal Acupuncture Points

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CT scans reveal anatomical structures of acupuncture points. A CT (computerized tomography) scan is a series of X-rays used to create cross-sectional images. In this study published in the Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena , researchers used in-line phase contrast CT imaging with synchrotron radiation on both non-acupuncture points and acupuncture points. The CT scans revealed clear distinctions between the non-acupuncture point and acupuncture point anatomical structures. The point… Acupuncture points have a higher density of micro-vessels and contain a large amount of involuted microvascular structures. The non-acupuncture points did not exhibit these properties. The researchers note that the state-of-the-art CT imaging techniques used in this study allow for improved three-dimensional (3D) imaging of a large field of view without artifacts. This greatly improves imaging of soft tissue and allowed the researchers to make this important discover...

Depression in Older Adults

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About Depression Everyones feels sad Everyone feels blue or sad now and then, but these feelings don't usually last long and pass within a couple of days. When a person has depression, it interferes with daily life and normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with depression and those who care about him or her. Doctors call this condition "depressive disorder," or "clinical depression."

Twelve Signs of Depression in Men

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What depression looks like More than 5 million men in the U.S. experience depression each year. Clinical depression—in women or men—can cause sadness and a loss of interest in once pleasurable activities. But depression can sometimes manifest in different ways in different people. "While the symptoms used to diagnose depression are the same regardless of gender, often the chief complaint can be different among men and women" says Ian A. Cook, MD, the Miller Family professor of psychiatry at the University of California–Los Angeles.

How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope with Stress. Stress Management

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It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level. The bills aren’t going to stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management. Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun – plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on. Identify the sources of stress in your life Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Your true sources of stress aren’t always obvious, and it’s all too easy to overlook your own stress-inducing t...

Recovering from Mental Illness: Creative and Conventional Self-Care

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Yes, we have all been told that self-care is instrumental when recovering from a mental illness. We have probably been told that we need to eat a balanced diet, sleep eight hours a night, drink enough water, exercise on a regular basis, form positive relationships, frequent our psychiatrist, reach out to others in the community, take our medications, practice yoga…The list goes on. Extensively. It is worthy of a 1,000 page book. Conventional Self-Care I like to think of conventional self-care as prescribed self-care. It is as important as the prescriptions you take to find or maintain wellness. As stated above, the list of self-care recommendations are numerous. Let’s focus on a few.  Forming and Maintaining Relationships Some of us are lucky enough to have a fantastic support system. A family who understands the illness, and a partner who is educated on it. But not everyone who is diagnosed with a mental illness has an internal support system. That is why it is important ...

Guided self-help for functional (psychogenic) symptoms. A randomized controlled efficacy trial

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Functional (psychogenic or somatoform) symptoms are common in neurology clinics. , (CBT) can be an effective treatment, but there are major obstacles to its provision in practice. We tested the hypothesis that adding CBT-based guided self-help (GSH) to the usual care (UC) received by patients improves outcomes. Authors: M. Sharpe, MD,  J. Walker, MBChB, C. Williams, MD, J. Stone, PhD, J. Cavanagh, MD, G. Murray, PhD, I. Butcher, PhD, R. Duncan, MD, PhD, S. Smith, PhD and A. Carson, MD From the University of Edinburgh (M.S., J.W., J.S., G.M., I.B.), Edinburgh; University of Glasgow (C.W., J.C.), Glasgow; NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (R.D.), Glasgow; and NHS Lothian (S.S., A.C.), Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Professor Michael Sharpe, Psychological Medicine Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK michael.sharpe@psych.ox.ac.uk Abstract Methods: We conducted a randomized t...