A FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH

We talk a lot about the importance of mental health but it often still remains somewhat of a red-headed step-child in the world of healthcare. Woefully underfunded and often hard to access, we hear a lot about its deficiencies and too little about its advances. We hope to change that with this issue that focuses on advances in mental health.

Millions of people suffer from major depressive disorder. Roughly one-third of them are said to be treatment-resistant. That means they didn't get better on antidepressant medications. David Woo, M.D., a psychiatrist who uses TMS in his practice, reviews the medical literature to provide evidence that shows that TMS may be a good alternative for them. READ MORE.

Thomas Kimball, Ph.D., is one of our regular contributors. He is an expert on addiction recovery. He has written what I think is a must-read article that blows up the myth that long-term recovery from addiction is hopeless. He reviews the data that led to the conclusion that individuals who engage in extended SUD recovery for an average of five years are statistically equal to being diagnosed with a substance use disorder compared to the average American. READ MORE.

This is the dawning of the age of personalized medicine. Doctors and patients are no longer satisfied with the "one-size fits all" approach that has dominated medicine until recently. Nowhere is a personalized approach more needed than it is in mental healthcare. National award-winning psychiatrist and author, Bruce Alan Kehr, M.D., writes that genetic testing will transform mental health care by helping physicians identify more personalized and precise treatment options. READ MORE.

Finally, Stephen C Schimpff, MD, author and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland, describes the impact of loneliness on health and well-being. Lest you think he is just medicalizing a social issue, you should know that loneliness impacts key physiologic parameters that lead to multiple disease states and early death. READ MORE.

More from Health News from The Doctor Weighs In and Around the Web

Did you know that at least 15% of married couples are in a sexless marriage? Relationship writer, Sylvia Smith, describes five ways a sexless marriage takes a toll on you.

Despite proclamations to the contrary, research simply does not support blaming mass shootings on mental illness. It's impossible to craft solutions if we don't fully understand the root causes. We have to get this right, folks.

Throughout history, the rich and powerful adorned themselves with the color purple. It was difficult to make & hard to get so the elite kept it to themselves. Now, of course, anyone can wear it.

I "babysat" my 14-year-old granddaughter recently. I was exhausted taking her from activity to activity and I didn't even have to do any of them. So this story caught my eye: "Busy Schedules for Children Can Lead to Mental Health Stress."

President Trump orders VA to buy controversial antidepressant in an effort to stem veterans suicide. This is WRONG in so many ways.

You can see all of our stories on mental health by clicking HERE.

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