Author: Elaina J. Martin

If you’ve seen the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, you may recall the fearsome side effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), as famously depicted by Jack Nicholson: convulsions so violent a patient needs to be physically restrained; no anesthesia; and mental fogginess that lingers long afterwards, even permanently. These issues and the lingering stigma they cast meant shock therapy fell out of favor. But ECT has evolved and progressed significantly from when it was first introduced in 1938. Doctors today employ a refined, safer form of this therapy that uses far lower amounts of electricity and more careful monitoring.…

“Over the past two decades, the use of antidepressants has skyrocketed. One in 10 Americans now takes an antidepressant medication;” wrote Roni Caryn Rabin in a New York Times article that appeared on August 12, 2013, titled, “The Glut of Antidepressants. “Among women in their 40s and 50s, the figure is one in four,” notes the article. There are dozens of antidepressants available to be prescribed in the U.S., with more becoming available every day. Dozens of drugs to quell the sadness and hopelessness that is depression. But which is the right one? I began my journey with antidepressants in…

Anti-anxiety and bi-polar meds can be hard to handle, but also can be an important part of living healthfully. Here is how Elaina manages.