Psychiatry’s Moral Dilemma: The Pros and Cons of a Mental Health Diagnosis

The decision to provide a mental health diagnosis to someone experiencing psychological distress – a range of troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviours – often presents a moral dilemma. Of course, there may be an assumption among psychiatrists that diagnoses are, generally speaking, in a patient’s best interest, since they are intended to pinpoint what condition…

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What We Know About the Benefits of CBD Oil

CBD oil has many health benefits. People use it to treat many health complications and mental disorders such as anxiety. So, what is CBD oil, and how is it made? To make CBD oil, the CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant, and mixed with a carrier oil. These are oils like coconut oil and…

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The Success of MDMA-Assisted Therapy

PTSD or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can arise after a psychologically traumatic event. It is very common among war veterans, with record numbers of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from the condition. A 2004 study in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that 18% of veterans returning from…

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Is Psychedelic Therapy the Future?

Dr Robin Carhart-Harris is a neuropsychopharmacologist (or a ‘scientist’ if you want to be more general) who works at Imperial College London. In the past, he worked under David Nutt, the former chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Nutt was fired for being a bit nutty (in the eyes of the…

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