Last week I welcomed readers to Spring and then it promptly snowed (just a little) up here in New England. True to April, however, it’s now raining and warmer, and this is one of those cloudy Fridays that seems like it just goes on and on forever.

10 Years Ago on Psych Central

• Changes and Illusions
  We all go through transitions in our lives, and some are more painful than others. But transition teaches us valuable lessons, too, if we’re open to listening for them. Life is short, fleeting, and we all comfort ourselves in a world made of partial illusion. Without such illusion, however, life may be unmanageable for many.

5 Years Ago on Psych Central

• The Seven Warning Signs of Bogus Science
  “There is, alas, no scientific claim so preposterous that a scientist cannot be found to vouch for it. And many such claims end up in a court of law after they have cost some gullible person or corporation a lot of money. How are juries to evaluate them?” This excellent article, written 5 years ago, describes how to discover junk science in a quick and efficient manner, and largely holds up to scientific scrutiny. It still holds up today and you should judge any scientific story you read or watch by its 7 simple measures.
  

1 Year Ago on Psych Central

• Light and Dark
  Contributor Sandra Kiume wrote one of our most commented-upon blog entries describing the use of special light therapy to help treat mania and the cycling often associated with bipolar disorder. The comments are a must-read and provide additional sources for investigation, including research citations.
  
• Antidepressants and Bipolar Disorder
  Contributor Will Meek noted a study published a year ago that showed no real benefits or risks associated with adding an antidepressant to someone being treated for bipolar disorder. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study showing that the use of “antidepressant medication, as compared with the use of mood stabilizers, was not associated with increased efficacy or with increased risk of treatment-emergent affective switch.” In others, adding an antidepressant doesn’t really do anything. So why do doctors continue to prescribe them in people with bipolar disorder? Who knows.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 4 Apr 2008
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.