Addiction

ADHD Meds: Not Relief for Teen Stress!

The pressure on our kids starts early. I’m talking pre-school early. For many parents, their child’s pre-school becomes a status symbol. The kids, on the other hand, could care less. They just want blocks and naptime, really. What they don’t need is pressure. But as our little ones advance in age, they are introduced to the latest standards and school becomes less of a place to become intellectually enriched, and more of a place to try and attain the highest test score. Sure, great test scores are a wonderful achievement, but they are not everything. Unfortunately, the pressure to do …

Methamphetamine and Fruit Flies: An Interesting Pathway to Scientific Discovery

I was interested to discover a new study on the global effects methamphetamine has on the body. Rather than merely studying the effects the drug has on the brain, these scientists went further and began tracking the molecular changes that occur in the body as a whole. Using fruit flies as his medium, University of Illinois entomology professor Barry Pittendrigh guided  his scientific team of researchers down this new path of discovery.  Their findings are remarkable. Science has already shown us how methamphetamine causes significant brain inflammation while also creating  damage similar to dementia. We are familiar with the dopamine …