Mental & Emotional Health

The science behind “Crazy Cat Ladies”   Are you a cat or dog person? This question is more than just a conversational icebreaker. Your answer may determine whether you’re more or less likely to [...]

As more research emerges on cannabis and psychedelic substances like psilocybin, it’s becoming nearly impossible to ignore their medical merits. And as we look back on the history of these [...]

What does psilocybin-assisted therapy look like when clients enter the clinic on antidepressant medication? Common practice is to tell patients on SSRIs and other prescription drugs that they [...]

Moms who breastfed may be protected against cognitive decline later in life. Data suggests that breastfeeding a child may protect a woman against cognitive decline later in life. Specifically, a [...]

Smart choices for a happy brain In last week’s post I explored the ways in which inflammation can cause depression. The science shows that we cannot blame genetics alone for depression, and [...]

Move over serotonin, inflammation is the new target of depression treatment   Is inflammation a bad thing? Not necessarily: Inflammation helps the cells of the immune system fight infections [...]

What vitamin B3 has to do with addiction   Taking a vitamin B3 (niacin) supplement may help treat alcohol use disorder and ease the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol use disorder (AUD, [...]

The versatile vitamin’s mechanisms of action   This article serves as Part 3 in my series on vitamin C, pain, and opioid use disorder. Check out Part 1 to learn about the vitamin’s use in [...]

What we know about ascorbate for withdrawal and cravings Part 2 in my three-part series on vitamin C, pain, and opioid use disorder.   I first heard that vitamin C could help with opioid use [...]

Through simple body hacks, we positively affect our mood, focus, and productivity. In this video, explain the gist of how the nervous system reacts to stress, and I introduce the concept of vagus [...]

Sew a button back onto an old shirt, donate a box of old clothes you never wear, trim your fingernails, tune the guitar. These are the little things we can do to start waking ourselves up, to [...]

In this webinar recording, Dr. Erica Zelfand covers a broad range of topics including what psilocybin is, how it works, and who might potentially benefit from having access to psilocybin therapy. [...]

Although the ideal way to use ketamine in the treatment of depression and mood disorders likely entails receiving the treatment in a safe and comfortable setting, in an unrushed atmosphere, with [...]

Chaos consciousness isn’t for everyone. Dan is beaming as he declares, “Dang, you’re so beautiful! It’s such a coincidence – but there are no coincidences! – that I should [...]

Unlike conventional pharmaceuticals, psychedelic medicines offer both brain chemistry-altering science and mystical experiences. The nuances and proposed mechanisms of these synergistic [...]

MTHF-Huh? MTHFR stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, a gene that codes for an enzyme of the same name. However, if the MTHFR gene is mutated, the enzyme produced is imperfectly [...]

“Detox” is one of those edgy yet deceptively vague terms used to market anything from supplements to fragrances to yoni steam baths. (Yes, that really is a thing.) But do you really need to drop [...]

In this video, I discuss the importance of overcoming obstacles in order to bring about the deepest healing possible. If a patient came in with a sore finger and I gave them anti-inflammatory [...]

In this video, I discuss some of the challenges to forgiving others that have hurt us and explore creative ways to heal our hearts anyway. I draw on personal experiences from my own life, my [...]

E-mail hyper-vigilance and compulsive smartphone use is frying your nervous system, wrecking your sleep, causing anxiety, ruining your sex life, and compromising your productivity at work. . [...]

In this video, Dr. Erica Zelfand explains the differences between primary, secondary, and tertiary hypogonadism – the three different kinds of “Low T” (low testosterone). We [...]

A recent study reveals that even borderline low testosterone levels can cause depression in men. The study, which was presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in 2015, followed [...]

A 50 year old woman remembers the time she tried out for the cheerleading team in high school and didn’t make the cut. Scenario one: She says it broke her heart and she cried for a week straight [...]