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Summer seasonal affective disorder is a growing problem, mental health experts say

For the overwhelming majority of people who live in temperate climates, Shakespeare likely distilled the essence of August when he observed, “Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” Read Full Article

Just In: Summer SAD interview has aired on NBC

Grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences on such an important topic. Thanks to everyone who tuned in! Watch the Segment

As The Days Heat Up, So Does Summer Sadness

While many people look forward to summer’s warm temperature and clear skies, not everyone enjoys the shift in weather.

Individuals with summer seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), may find themselves facing symptoms including insomnia, weight loss and poor appetite as the temperature increases.

Seasonal depression affects about 5% of the U.S. population every year and typically occurs in the winter months. However, cases of summer SAD are becoming more recognized. Read Full Article

Sad in the summer? You may have summer seasonal depression

The science behind seasonal depression

I have seasonal depression and a love-hate relationship with my light box

Like an estimated 5 percent or so of Americans, I have seasonal affective disorder, better known by its all-too-appropriate acronym, SAD.

Seasonal depression, which can entail lethargy and lower moods, the reduced ability to feel pleasure and increased cravings for carbohydrates, peaks in January or February.

And, like many, I use a light box through the long, dark winter months as light therapy. (“Box” might be a misnomer, because many light boxes are the shape of a thicker-than-average tablet, and their sizes vary). Read Full Article

I Actually Thrive In The Winter. Some Experts Helped Me Understand Why

Step aside, hot girl summer. Cozy gal winter is here — and honestly, I could not be happier.

Weird, I know, but while many people dread the end of daylight saving time and the “fall back” to standard time, and do so year after year, I go to sleep knowing that I am entering my dark, gloomy, icy-cold prime. Read Full Article

Daylight saving time battle grows as Americans prepare to fall back

It’s almost time to turn back the clock again for daylight saving time — but lawmakers and citizens continue to question the usefulness of the decades-old ritual. NBC’s Emilie Ikeda reports for TODAY. Click Here To Watch The Segment

How to Fall Back Without Missing a Beat

Earlier mornings and shorter evening light can be a tough adjustment. But there are ways to prepare for the end of daylight saving.

The transition to fall is scattered with seasonal markers: The occasional chill in the air; the wearing of the flannel shirt to the pumpkin patch; the urge to make soup.

These changes so far have happened like clockwork, and next comes the one that actually involves clocks. On Sunday Nov. 6, people in the United States and Canada will “fall back” to standard time, setting their clocks back an hour and signaling the end of daylight saving time. (Arizona and Hawaii, which are on permanent standard time, keep their clocks the same.)

Most Americans dislike this twice-yearly time reset, according to various polls, and it may soon end. Earlier this year, the Senate passed legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, perhaps as early as next year. Read Full Article

Seasonal affective disorder: How to fight the winter blues on Blue Monday

Does the wintertime make you want to hibernate like a bear?

If you’ve ever felt less energetic, less motivated, in a bad mood, and less inclined to socialize as the nights get longer and the days grow shorter, know that these feelings are shared by many.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a form of recurrent depression with a seasonal pattern that occurs more frequently the farther people live from the equator, most typically during the colder months of the year. The winter blues are said to peak on the third Monday in January — sometimes called Blue Monday — but of course feeling low isn’t confined to just one day.

Among the symptoms of SAD are sadness, low energy, fatigue, losing interest in activities we once enjoyed, changes in appetite, weight and sleeping patterns, and social withdrawal. Read Full Article

For Some, a Second Pandemic Winter Means Seasonal Affective Disorder Is Hitting Hard

Last winter, A.S.—a 26-year-old from Minnesota who asked to go by her initials to protect her privacy while job searching—was terrified of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). No stranger to seasonal depression during Minnesota’s cold, dark, snowy winters, A.S. worried that pandemic isolation would only make the problem worse. She planned a regimen of prescribed antidepressants, light therapy and exercise, then hunkered down and tried to relax through the winter. To her pleasant surprise, it mostly worked. Read Full Article

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Feeling SAD? How to Fight Back Against Seasonal Depression

One recent afternoon, Kelly Rohan, a professor at the University of Vermont, looked out her office window and spotted a tree half full of brilliant orange-colored leaves. To Rohan, the tree was lovely, but she knew some people might see it differently — as a harbinger of “gloom and doom.”

Rohan, a psychologist, treats and studies people with seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a form of depression that returns year after year at the same time. The most common type peaks in winter, but it often starts in the fall as days get noticeably darker and shorter. People who are full of energy and high spirits during the summer start to feel sleepy and sluggish. Many crave sweets and starches. They gain weight. Some become deeply sad and withdrawn and don’t recover until spring.

But right now — before the symptoms of SAD and milder forms of “winter blues” reach their peak — is the best time for susceptible people to take steps to head off a more serious slump, experts say… Read Full Article

How to Fend Off Winter Depression

As the days get shorter and the nights start earlier, take these steps to help prevent seasonal affective disorder… Read Full Article

Why I Douse My Whole Body With Cold Water Every Night

No matter where you live, whether you love or loathe the heat, it’s helpful to have a few strategies for cooling down that are not dependent on air conditioning—they can be literal life-savers. And they can be especially helpful in areas that don’t normally rely on air conditioning, like the Pacific Northwest, which recently experienced a record-breaking heat wave. Extreme heat can be physically dangerous, and it affects our minds and moods, too. Read Full Article

Creativity may be key to healthy aging. Here are ways to stay inspired

If you’re interested in staying healthy as you age — and living longer — you might want to add a different set of muscles to your workout routine: your creative ones. Ongoing research suggests that creativity may be key to healthy aging. Studies show that participating in activities such as singing, theater performance and visual artistry could support the well-being of older adults, and that creativity, which is related to the personality trait of openness, can lead to greater longevity. Read Full Article

Seasonal Affective Disorder Isn’t Just for Winter

This is what happens to the Earth during summer: Tilted about 23.5 degrees, it arrives at a place in its orbit where the Northern Hemisphere leans toward the sun. This is what happens in Wisconsin during summer: People go outside, maybe to picnics or parks, to barbecues, on day trips, on summer vacation.

This is what happens to Kristen Ashly during summer: Depression descends like a heavy curtain. She skips picnics, day trips and vacations — the hot, humid days in central Wisconsin make her lethargic, yet also agitated, irritable and unable to sleep. By afternoon, she feels “like a zombie.” … Read Full Article

Planting, ‘Plogging’ and Sunsets: How to Enjoy That Extra Hour of Daylight

With the first anniversary of lockdown fast approaching, I thought I’d been through every possible pandemic milestone. As the months rolled by, I’d checked them off like squares on a Bingo card… Read Full Article

How to Support a Partner Experiencing Seasonal Depression

Experts expect higher incidences of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s what to look out for – and how to help someone experiencing it… Read Full Article

Light therapy lamps can ease seasonal depression. Here’s what you need to know

For some people, the beginning of winter signals more than a change in weather. The shorter, darker days trigger a noticeable shift in their mood and behavior, causing what’s known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. And this winter, the onset of SAD may be exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Read Full Article

The Double Whammy of Seasonal Affective Disorder in a Season of Covid

This winter the pandemic is expected to intensify the depression experienced by many people with the syndrome known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Read Full Article

‘Tis The Season: Coping With SAD, Or Seasonal Affective Disorder

When Dr. Norman Rosenthal moved to the U.S. from South Africa, he felt less energetic during the harsh winters. He noticed that other people felt the same way. “Just like the autumn leaves, they became depressed on schedule,” says Rosenthal, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Read Full Article

Many Americans Face Bleak Winter as Covid Takes Toll on Mental Health

Every winter, as the days get shorter, darker and colder, millions of Americans suffer debilitating psychological symptoms that can interfere with every aspect of life at home, work and school. Read Full Article

Gloom With a View | Light-therapy lamps can zap winter blues. And now they needn’t be ugly

THIS YEAR, INSTEAD of accepting my inevitable winter metamorphosis from cheery human into a sloth-like version of myself, I tried to outsmart the snap back to standard time with a new “SAD” lamp. Read Full Article

6 Ways to Boost Your Mood When You Have the Winter Blues, According to a Psychiatrist (Video)

With winter just around the corner, it’s time to prepare for shorter days, less sunlight, and that constant feeling of wanting to cuddle up under a cozy blanket on the couch while eating a giant bowl of cheesy baked ziti. Read Full Article

Yes, You Should Get a SAD Lamp This Winter

When Norman Rosenthal moved from Johannesburg to New York City for a psychiatry residency, he found the winters dark and gloomy. It wasn’t until a few years later that he realized the winters might be more than just gloomy. Read Full Article

How not to get seasonal affective disorder: DR NORMAN ROSENTHAL – the pioneering psychiatrist who first discovered SAD – reveals how to avoid the blues this winter

It’s dark when we get up and – for many – still dark when we get to work. We sit indoors for much of the day. Even a trip to the sandwich shop at lunchtime seems a chore in chilly weather. Read Full Article

Winter Blues? A Practical Guide to Getting More Light in Your Life

April is allegedly the cruellest month, but October and November could give it a run for its money. In the northern hemisphere, the nights are noticably drawing in, especially now the clocks have gone back and sunset is an hour earlier. Read Full Article

How to Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder

It happens every year, and every year, it’s a shock to the system. Nature throws itself one last party, festooning every tree in a crisp blaze of glory. After we’ve digested the last of the spiced cider, after the pumpkins have gone soft, the long, dark days of winter descend. In much of the Northern Hemisphere, December through March brings blustery cold that makes dreary days feel as if we’ve been banished to Siberia. Sound dramatic? Probably not to the roughly 6 percent of Americans suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Read Full Article

Light Therapy Offers Bright New Remedies for Depression, Alzheimer’s

Light therapy is most associated with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — a form of depression that hits some people during darker winter days — but what’s exciting is the growing number of studies pointing toward this therapy’s effectiveness in treating nonseasonal depression.

In a 2015 study at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, subjects with depression were given Prozac, a placebo, light therapy, or Prozac and light therapy for eight weeks… Read Full Article

How to Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder

Catch 27-year-old Laura Thomas at the right time, and she’s outgoing, upbeat and cheerful—only “the right time” depends almost entirely on the time of year. From late spring to early fall she has the ideal personality for her job as a retail-store manager. But as the days get shorter, she loses interest in her usual activities and becomes withdrawn, moody and anxious. Read Full Article

The autumn blahs are real. 3 simple ways to stay upbeat all season

Happy first day of fall! It’s getting cooler and the days are getting shorter. If you find you have less pep in your step, or you’re struggling to get work done, you may be experiencing the autumn blahs — and those could lead to the winter blues.

People who suffer from winter depression actually experience the first signs of it just as autumn sets in, according Dr. Norman Rosenthal, the psychiatrist who pioneered the idea of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Read Full Article

What is seasonal affective disorder?

As the bright colors of autumn fade and give way to gloomy, gray winter days, winter blues can set in.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a condition that occurs as the light dwindles in the autumn, usually around September and October. It deepens towards the new year, and often January and February are the worst months.

“It is the result of a lack of light affecting people with the genetic vulnerability, and it is aggravated by stress,” Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School Doctor Norman Rosenthal said. Read Full Article

Is Seasonal Affective Disorder Different From Depression?

Fall has fallen upon us, and while that brings with it some wonderful seasonal treats –apples, cider donuts, colorful foliage, football – it also means shorter days, longer nights, the advent of winter and, for many, the risk of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

SAD is both similar to and different from other forms of depression, and no one knows that better than Dr. Norman Rosenthal, who “discovered” the medical condition after he noticed its effects on himself. Read Full Article

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder? It’s More Than the Winter Blues

Now that the clocks have fallen back, and the sun has already begun to set even earlier, we feel that winter dread begin to creep up. Soon enough we will be unpacking winter coats from storage and leaving work in the pitch black (is it 6 p.m. or midnight?!). While many of us will experience a dip in our mood in the coming months, some will be hit harder than others.

I know because it happened to me. Read Full Article

8 Ways to Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder

When daylight saving time ends, we gain an extra hour of sleep but lose something precious: sunlight. As daylight slips into darkness earlier in the day, depression diagnoses increase, according to a 2016 study published in Epidemiology. An estimated 5% of Americans slump into a type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Millions more experience the “winter blues,” a milder form of seasonal depression. Read Full Article

The darkest day of the year is almost here — here are science-backed ways to fight winter blues

The idea that our mood might darken in the dark winter days has been around for millennia.

The coldest months of the year were a terrible time for the Greek Gods: Persephone was banished to the underworld every winter, while Boreas ushered in the cool winter winds and his nasty temper. Read Full Article

Sad! Trump Could Make Your Cold Weather Depression Worse This Year

Newsweek logo (PRNewsFoto/IBT Media)

Often feel down in the cooler months? If the political climate is already stressing you out, your seasonal bout of depression could be worse this year.

As temperatures drop, so does the amount of daylight. Until March 20, there will be more hours of darkness than light in a day for people living in the Northern Hemisphere. Read Full Article

Fall is here and so is seasonal affective disorder

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, winter is coming and so is seasonal depression.

For those affected, the first bout of seasonal affective disorder can actually be experienced earlier as autumn sets in, said Dr. Norman Rosenthal, the psychiatrist who first described the disorder, in an article for Today. Read Full Article

The real reason you get depressed in winter

When Manhattan writer Anna Breslaw is invited out for drinks, she usually says no.

It’s not because she has sworn off alcohol or has other commitments. Breslaw suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or seasonal depression. Its symptoms include excessive sleeping, low energy and increased anxiety — all caused by lack of natural light. Read Full Article

Have you got Nature Deficit Disorder? Then ditch the gym – it’s time to get outdoors

When psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal moved from South Africa to the US in the 70s, something changed. In the colder winters of New York he and his wife felt their energy levels slump and their mood drop. So when he met fellow scientist Alfred Lewy at a party, it was easy for the pair to begin chatting about Lewy’s research into melatonin, a hormone associated with sleep – and how light and mood might be entwined. Which is how, more than 30 years ago, the pair became the first scientists to describe seasonal affective disorder – and treat it with light therapy. Since then our understanding of the way light affects us, Rosenthal tells me, has “skyrocketed”. Read Full Article

How botox became the drug that’s treating everything

During a recent therapy session, one of Dr. Norman Rosenthal’s regulars said he was considering suicide. It wasn’t the first time the patient had entertained the thought, and even though he was on antidepressants and always kept up with his appointments, Rosenthal, a licensed psychiatrist with a private practice in North Bethesda, Md., wanted to offer his patient something else. Read Full Article
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Guiding light: the scientist who first diagnosed Sad

When psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal moved from South Africa to the US in the 70s, something changed. In the colder winters of New York he and his wife felt their energy levels slump and their mood drop. So when he met fellow scientist Alfred Lewy at a party, it was easy for the pair to begin chatting about Lewy’s research into melatonin, a hormone associated with sleep – and how light and mood might be entwined. Which is how, more than 30 years ago, the pair became the first scientists to describe seasonal affective disorder – and treat it with light therapy. Since then our understanding of the way light affects us, Rosenthal tells me, has “skyrocketed”. Read Full Article

Transitioning from daylight saving time could increase depression

Even though setting the clocks back during winter leads to an extra hour of sleep, the added hour of darkness in the evening is harder to handle, according to a new study.
Depression cases at psychiatric hospitals in Denmark increased immediately after the transition from daylight saving time, the study says. An analysis of 185,419 severe depression diagnoses from 1995 to 2012 showed an 11% increase during this time period. The cases… Read Full Article

Mindfulness And Transcendental Meditation: Why These Practices Are Having A Moment

Transcendental Meditation is a practice that has its roots in Hinduism. Mindfulness traces back to Buddhist awareness techniques. Today in America, these forms of meditation seem to be everywhere from schools to businesses to the military. Whether it’s to treat a serious medical condition, help deal with depression, or simply find peace in the craziness of life, Americans are increasingly turning to meditation for answers. Diane and her panel of guests discuss how these practices work, their roots in Asian religion, and what science tells us about how they could impact our health. Read Full Article

Using Meditation to Help Close the Achievement Gap

Closing the so-called achievement gap between poor inner-city children and their more affluent suburban counterparts is among the biggest challenges for education reformers. The success of some schools’ efforts suggests that meditation might significantly improve children’s school performance – and help close that gap. Read Full Article

How Meditation Changed Hugh Jackman’s Life

Norman E. Rosenthal, MD: How has transcendental meditation changed your life?

Hugh Jackman: I would say possibly equally to how marriage and kids did—I would put it right up there, in terms of things that have affected my life. I was always very curious and very much a searcher, but soon after I started meditating, I felt I gained a true understanding of myself and was no longer just being reactive to events that came my way. I felt a sense of calm, a sense of purpose, of finer energy in things I did. Read Full Article

Why filmmaker David Lynch says Transcendental Meditation is the secret to success

David Lynch says he hasn’t missed a day of Transcendental Meditation since he started practicing it 43 years ago.The director and writer behind the cult TV series “Twin Peaks” and movies including “Mulholland Drive” was in Los Angeles recently to lend support to Georgetown University School of Medicine clinical psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal who was… Read Full Article

Ray Dalio: More than anything else, I attribute my success to one thing

Billionaire Ray Dalio, the founder of $160 billion hedge-fund behemoth Bridgewater Associates, says that Transcendental Meditation has been “the single biggest influence” on his life.

Dalio,  66, is considered the most successful hedge fund manager of all time. He’s been practicing Transcendental Mediation for more than 40 years. Read Full Article

Within Your Mind, Is There a Super Mind? Renowned Scientist Says Yes

At a time when people everywhere are embracing yoga, meditation and self-development, Dr. Norman Rosenthal‘s new book, “Super Mind,” comes as a welcome guide—not only for the seeker but anyone wishing to achieve peak performance. Dr. Rosenthal, a former 20-year senior researcher at the National Institutes of Health, professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School and acclaimed author, may be the most highly credentialed scientist of our time to elucidate higher stages of human development. Read Full Article

Transcendental Meditation

Dr. Norman Rosenthal, Georgetown Medical School clinical psychiatrist, talks to Chris and Markette about his book SUPER MIND: How to Boost Performance and Live a Richer and Happier Life through Transcendental Meditation. He says you can reach peak performance... Read Full Article

How to develop a ‘Super Mind’ through meditation, according to this renowned psychiatrist

Psychiatrist and author Norman Rosenthal  practices Transcendental Meditation, an ancient  practice brought from India to the U.S. in the 1950s. A TM teacher gives the student a mantra or other sound and explains how to repeat it in an effortless way.  A successful practice leads to “relaxation, joy and a feeling of being refreshed,” Rosenthal says. He explains in this excerpt from his new book... Read Full Article

Growing a Super Mind

I have now been practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) for eight years. My meditation sessions, 20 minutes twice a day, are often the most joyful times of my day, as I retreat into some deep part of myself where something good happens every time I meditate. I could describe it in terms of soothing alpha waves, fluxing over the prefrontal parts of my brain, where decisions and judgments are made; or increased brainwave coherence — EEG patterns suggesting that different regions of the brain are cooperating better with one another. Read Full Article

Super Mind Interview with Dr. Norman Rosenthal On Fox 5

We live in a fast moving world, and taking some time to block it all out will actually help your minds performance and improve your life all together, in general. Dr. Norman Rosenthal is the author of a new book called, “Super Mind: How to Boost Performance and Live A Richer and Happier Life With Transcendental Meditation”.

The interview above is with Dr. Rosenthal where he and FOX 5 discuss—improving your work and personal life through Transcendental Meditation (TM).

The David Lynch Foundation did co-sponsor Dr. Norman Rosenthal’s book tour and advocated meditation for veterans with post traumatic stress… Watch Interview

Trump, Hillary or Sanders: Seven reasons why our next president should meditate

Running for president is thought to be among the hardest, most stressful, and emotionally exhausting experiences one can imagine. As a psychiatrist, my natural instinct is to try to understand what advice would be most helpful to give to the winning candidate.  If asked, I would quote Victor Hugo, who said: “Meditate.  All is full of light, even the night.” Read Full Article

Super Mind: A Path to Higher Consciousness

MEDITATION is trending big these days. Celebrities are embracing it, and media outlets are constantly reciting a litany of benefits: reduced stress, lower blood pressure, improved immune function. But meditation is so much more. Super Mind, a new book by psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal, gets to the heart of the matter: meditation, specifically the Transcendental Meditation technique, leads to higher states of consciousness.

Don’t be Sad: how to beat seasonal affective disorder

If you live in the northern hemisphere, the ever darker days may be getting you down. Britain, in particular, has just experienced an “exceptionally dull” November, according to meteorologists at the University of Reading, who saw just 18 hours of sunshine in the whole 30 days. Are you worried you may have what doctors call seasonal affective disorder, or a milder case of “winter blues”? And in either case, what can you do about it? Read Full Article

A Transcendental Cure for Post-Traumatic Stress

War wounds come in many forms. Some are obvious, such as scars, gashes and amputations. Others, the psychological ones, are less visible but equally devastating. The numbers in this second group are staggering: The military’s latest mental health survey of combat troops in Afghanistan found that 20%—one in five—suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Read Full Article By David Lynch and Norman Rosenthal

10 dangerous myths about meditation

What’s the truth about meditation? Does it really have health benefits – or is it just a silly waste of time? These are questions Dr. Noman Rosenthal, clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center, knows a thing or two about. Best known for first describing the form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), he’s also a widely acknowledged experton meditation. In addition to practicing Transcendental Meditation and recommending it to his patients, he is the author of a new book on the topic entitled Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation. Read Full Article

Meditation Heals Military Vets With PTSD

For months, David George, 27, of Fairfield, Iowa, had been eyeing a pistol he saw at a local store.

In 2004, shortly after returning from Iraq, the former specialist in the 101st Airborne Division moved into his parents’ home in Maryland. At every noise, George, who owned a rifle, systematically moved from one room to the next to make sure the house was clear. The pistol, he thought, would make it easier. Read Full Article & See Video

Transcendental Meditation: Topping The Bestseller List Since 1975

When I saw that a book about Transcendental Meditation (TM), written by a scientist, had landed on the New York Times bestseller list, my reaction was to quote the great Yogi of Berra: “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

In 1975, “TM: Discovering Inner Energy and Overcoming Stress” was propelled onto the list when its lead author, psychiatrist Harold Bloomfield, appeared on Merv Griffin’s syndicated TV talk show (the Oprah of its day) with TM founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The book remained a bestseller for six months, and then had a solid run on the paperback list. During that period, Merv devoted a second show to Maharishi, and TM centers could barely keep up with the demand. Read Full Article

Transcending a Different Type of PTSD — Helping Children of the Night

Lately there has been a storm of publicity – and deservedly so – about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The public has become better educated about this potentially disabling disorder and its symptoms, such as hypervigilance, an exaggerated tendency to startle, flashbacks, nightmares and emotional numbness, to name just a few.

Mental health professionals have emphasized the need to diagnose and treat PTSD wherever it arises. In this piece, I would like to draw attention to yet another group suffering from PTSD – child victims of prostitution who, against all odds, are trying to go straight and choose a different path in life. Read Full Article

If Stressed, Try Meditating: Psychiatrist

If you’re stressed, meditate, says a world-renowned psychiatrist. “Your nervous system is constantly being assaulted all day long — stresses from within, from other people, obstacles occur. When you meditate regularly, you don’t get bent out of shape so easily,” says Dr. Norman Rosenthal, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical. “Often times when we snap at people, we’re under stress,” he says. This can be especially true for those living in large cities like New York City. Read Full Article

Beating The Blues

SUSAN DENTZER: An estimated 18 million Americans suffer each year from depression. And as many as two million are believed to be treating themselves with this. St. John’s Wort is a simple yellow wildflower, so named because it blooms in Europe around June 24, or St. John’s Day. Extracts of it have been used for centuries to treat depression, including, reportedly, by the roman emperor Nero. It’s long been widely used in Europe and caught on in 1990s in the United States. Sold most frequently as an over- the-counter herbal supplement, St. John’s Wort has found its way not only onto pharmacy shelves, but also into breakfast cereals, herbal teas and fruit juices. Read Full Article

Stress, Health, and “Transcendence”-Dr. Norman Rosenthal

“It is not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it” – Hans Selye

Stress isn’t just a part of life, it is in some ways, essential to life. Without any stress our bones would fall apart, we wouldn’t learn new ways of coping, and life would certainly be quite uninteresting. Bt there’s another kind of stress – the unrelenting, toxic kind – that robs us of sleep, drains our joy, damages relationships, and makes us ill. The bad news is that chronic stress actually changes our brains to make flight-fight-freeze our default setting, regardless of the triggering event. Something as major as being in combat, or as trivial as being cut off in traffic can produce the same “0-60” reaction. The good news is… Read Full Article

Transcendental Meditation – Dr. OZ and Norman Rosenthal

Oprah Radio host Dr. Oz talks with Dr. Norman Rosenthal about his book Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation, which is about the mental and physical health benefits of meditating. Listen to Audio