Stories related to: therapy

Therapists are plunging US war veterans back into the horrors of battle—as therapy. A virtual reality treatment is helping them cope with post-traumatic stress disorder by returning them to scarring events until their shock value wanes. "When the ground starts vibrating and you smell smoke and hear the AK-47 firing, it becomes very real," said one veteran. "When it was over, I’d go home and cry.” More »

Adrian starts painting in the middle, but Hannah wants the wall layered methodically. Adrian storms out, and Hannah works alone. The DIY dispute is no anomaly: 35% of British homeowners said in a recent study that home improvements caused domestic rifts. Underlying the debates on paint color and floorboards is a power struggle, marital therapist Andrew G. Marshall writes in the Times of London. More »

French website Vie de Merde is receiving all the misery it can handle, Der Spiegel reports. Since its February launch, France’s answer to group therapy (translated "life is shit") has posted 2,400 tales of woe. Another 40,000 are waiting in the wings, says its founder. More »

Electric shocks can sharpen the sense of smell, a finding that suggests new ways of altering sensory perception, the Chicago Tribune reports. MRIs showed subjects’ brains actually changing after researchers administered tiny shocks, which improved their ability to distinguish between similar smells. Because many psychological conditions relate to the senses, the results could shed light on possible treatments. More »

Big Pharma swallowed a bitter pill yesterday as Prozac and other antidepressants were found in a UK study to be largely ineffectual in all but the most extreme cases of depression. The meta-analysis of 47 clinical trials submitted to the FDA with licensing applications for six popular antidepressants concluded that they should be prescribed only when all other treatments fail to yield results, the Independent reports. More »

A woman who has long compared men to dogs has a book coming out and a movie in the works, all plugging the notion that men can be trained. But critics fear that What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage is another pop psych title that props up gender cliches, and therapists warn that Sutherland's notions are cute but no cure-all. "In small doses, it's a really good idea," one told Newsweek . More »

Most aphrodisiacs are pure bunk, but it's fun to read about tonics that have beguiled lovers for centuries—and look at a few that may actually work. LiveScience lists its top 10: Respect. Dr. Ruth talks about the feeling that sparks all meaningful relationships, and makes for good sex too. Exercise. A recent study links penile dysfunction to inactivity, while physical fitness boosts mind and body both. Psychoanalysis. Therapists can boost that libido by helping alleviate depression and other disorders. More »

More modern hubbies are dodging sex and not for physical reasons, two new books claim: Husbands have a growing list of emotional reasons for saying no, including being too tired, too angry, or just unexcited by their wives. Yet the 20% of sexless couples surveyed for He's Just Not Up For It Anymore, by Bob Berkowitz and Susan Yager-Berkowitz, say a quiet bed isn't cause for divorce, if the marriage is strong, Newsweek reports. More »

Stroke patients have shown lasting, "extremely promising" results, even years after suffering a brain hemorrhage, from an experimental therapy that electrically stimulates the brain. The currents help the organ rewire itself to take over for stroke-damaged sections, Newsweek reports, and study participants have improved significantly beyond what they could achieve through conventional physical therapy. More »