Mindfulness Meditation - Learn how to start practicing mindfulness to develop emotional mastery, focus, self-control, eliminate suffering, and increase fulfillment.
Background
The core clinical symptoms of addiction include an enhanced incentive for drug taking (craving), impaired self-control (impulsivity and compulsivity), emotional dysregulation (negative mood) and increased stress reactivity. Symptoms related to impaired self-control involve reduced activi
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ty in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), adjacent prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and other brain areas. Behavioral training such as mindfulness meditation can increase the function of control networks including those leading to improved emotion regulation and thus may be a promising approach for the treatment of addiction.
Methods
In a series of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we tested whether increased ACC/mPFC activity is related to better self-control abilities in executive functions, emotion regulation and stress response in healthy and addicted populations. After a brief mindfulness training (Integrative Body-Mind Training, IBMT), we used the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) to measure emotion regulation, salivary cortisol for the stress response and fMRI for brain functional and DTI structural changes. Relaxation training was used to serve as an active control.
Results
In both smokers and nonsmokers, improved self-control abilities in emotion regulation and stress reduction were found after training and these changes were related to increased ACC/mPFC activity following training. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers showed reduced ACC/mPFC activity in the self-control network before training, and these deficits were ameliorated after training.
Conclusions
These results indicate that promoting emotion regulation and improving ACC/mPFC brain activity can help for addiction prevention and treatment.
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Miscellaneous
Chapter J.2
Indian J Psychiatry. 2017 Jan; 59(Suppl 1): S67–S73.
doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.196975: 10.4103/0019-5545.196975
The articles in this compendium elaborate on some of the ideas shared at the symposium. Together, they provide a broad view of the dynamic interactions among physical, sexual and brain development that take place during adolescence. They highlight some of the risks to optimal development – includi
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ng toxic stress, which can interfere with the formation of brain connections, and other vulnerabilities unique to the onset of puberty and independence. They also point to the opportunities for developing interventions that can build on earlier investments in child development – consolidating gains and even offsetting the effects of deficits and traumas experienced earlier in childhood.
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Info from and between Mental Health Workers, NGO's, Institutes, Service Users and others who are interested in improving Mental Health in Low and Middle Income Countries
This manual aims to provide an overview of this subject to health care professionals, paramedics and other voluntary services involved in health care promotion
SCOPING QUESTION:Which psychosocial interventions are effective in the treatment of psychostimulant dependence for adults and young people?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents occurs as a result of a child’s exposure to one or more traumatic events: actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. The victim may experience the event, witness it, learn about it from close family members or fr
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iends, or experience repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the event. Potentially traumatic events include physical or sexual assaults, natural disasters, and accidents.
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Q 10: In adults and children with epilepsy, which psychological interventions used as adjunctive therapies with antiepileptic drugs when compared to placebo/comparator produce benefits/harm in specified outcomes?
Last updated Friday 20 March
The Healthy Living Toolkit is developed to educate refugees, immigrants, resettlement agencies, clinics, community based organizations, and other service providers on refugee health issues. The toolkit presents material in a culturally appropriate manner and is intended to help health care-related p
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rofessionals more effectively assist refugees and immigrants and reduce health disparities among these populations. The toolkit is available in multiple languages: Amharic; Arabic; Farsi; English; French; Russian, etc.
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Anxiety Disorders
Chapter F.4
Externalizing disorders
Chapter D.1
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder