To Extract Knowledge from Matter
Perceive, Think, Act
I have always been ambivalent in regards to meditation, mostly due to its teachings that many perceived problems are simply in “our head” and all we need to do as “treatment” is steer our thoughts in a particular direction. We are flooded with information/advice that once we master whatever technique the specific type of meditation … Read more Meditation can worsen mental health, even cause clinical psychiatric issues
In one of Peat’s recent newsletters he mentioned that there is an epidemic of mental disease in the population because the evil system these people live is preventing them from living their lives “meaningfully, creatively”. A recent study corroborated Peat’s writings on the truly abysmal state of mental health in young people. Add to that … Read more The social fabric in Western countries may be unraveling
One of the few studies that is at least attempting to frame mental health issues in terms of endocrinology. More specifically, the study below demonstrated that people with Hashimoto disease have drastically increased rates of anxiety, panic attacks and risks for other mental health disorders. More importantly, treatment with an NSAID (ibuprofen) and thyroxine (T4) … Read more Hypothyroidism can cause anxiety, panic attacks and other mental issues
Another good study, which not only corroborates the causative role of elevated serotonin in a number of behavioral disorders in children (which extend into adulthood) but demonstrates the key role of endotoxin (LPS) in that process. Namely, the pregnant animals exposed to stress who had sterile guts were immune to the pro-inflammatory effects of stress … Read more Prenatal stress ups serotonin, which causes autism and mental disease in offspring
The study and even the popular press article are fairly technical so I won’t go into the full details here but I will just give a TLDR. Namely, the study below provides strong evidence that lower levels / expression / activity of the serotonin transporter (SERT) protein is likely a direct cause of schizophrenia, bipolar … Read more Elevated serotonin may cause schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
The news about deteriorating health of the population just keep piling on. The latest one below shows that at least a third of the US population shows signs of clinical anxiety and/or depression. The reason I put clinical in bold is that it means the pathology is severe enough to require treatment and if left … Read more A third of Americans show signs of clinical anxiety, depression
The evidence for the role of chronic stress in virtually every health condition doctors have a name for just keeps on accumulating. Unfortunately, even in this latest study the scientists keep insisting that there is some mysterious and unquantifiable difference between chronic stress “increasing risk of” and “causing” pathology. Yet, those same scientists have no … Read more Chronic stress (adversity) lowers dopamine and causes mental illness
This is a great study on so many levels. First, it directly demonstrates that chronic stress leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced oxidative phosphorylation. Second, it demonstrates that glucocorticoids (cortisol) are a direct cause of this energy production downregulation. Third, it demonstrates a direct parallel between animal models and human mood/mental disorders by comparing the … Read more Energy deficiency due to stress causes anxiety, panic disorders, and subbordination
This is a remarkable study, which once again implicates extreme stress in the pathology of mental health disorders, specifically anxiety and PTSD. Just a few days ago I posted a study showing a high cortisol (C) / testosterone (T) ratio is likely a causative factor in PTSD. People with high C/T ratio also happen to … Read more Blocking stress signal (adrenaline) just once cures anxiety, PTSD and maybe any mental disorder.