The Family Institute

The Challenge of Going Off Psychiatric Drugs

April 8, 2019

Millions of Americans have taken antidepressants for many years. What happens when it’s time to stop?

Source: The Challenge of Going Off Psychiatric Drugs | The New Yorker

Does Marijuana Use Cause Schizophrenia?

March 9, 2019

As the drug becomes more popular, concerns have been raised that its use can lead to psychotic disorders. Here’s what scientists know for sure, and what they don’t. 

Cannabis plants in a lab at Niagara College in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario. As marijuana use becomes more widespread and varied, some people worry that its more potent versions can cause or exacerbate mental illness.CreditCreditCarlos Osorio/Reuters

Source: Does Marijuana Use Cause Schizophrenia? – The New York Times

When is stress good for you? How stress works in the human body, to make or break us

March 4, 2018

The subtle flows and toxic hits of stress get under the skin, making and breaking the body and brain over a lifetime.

Source: How stress works in the human body, to make or break us | Aeon Essays

We need new ways of treating depression

March 4, 2018

The World Health Organization, the leading medical body in the world, explained in 2011: “Mental health is produced socially: The presence or absence of mental health is above all a social indicator and therefore requires social, as well as individual, solutions.” The United Nations’ special rapporteur on the right to health, Dr. Dainius Pūras — one of the leading experts in the world on mental health — explained last April that “the dominant biomedical narrative of depression” is based on “biased and selective use of research outcomes.”

Experts are now looking to the social and environmental causes of the disorder affecting millions.

Source: We need new kinds of antidepressants, in addition to pills – Vox

A Basic Meditation to Tame Your Inner Critic 

March 3, 2018

An in-the-moment exercise for confronting the nagging voice in your head.

Source: A Basic Meditation to Tame Your Inner Critic – Mindful

How to Meditate 

March 3, 2018

Learning how to meditate is straightforward, and the benefits can come quickly. Here, we offer basic tips to get you started on a path towards greater equanimity, acceptance and joy.

Source: How to Meditate – Well Guides – The New York Times

Mindfulness of breathing meditation

March 3, 2018

A SIMPLE, SHORT ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO MEDITATION.
Let your mind be as vast as space. This guide takes you through mindful breathing, noticing feelings and sensations in the moment, and not punishing yourself when your thoughts wander. You will be mindful as you read.

Source: Mindfulness of breathing meditation – Medium

Mindfulness Meditation: Guided Practices

March 3, 2018

4 GUIDED MEDITATION PRACTICES (on SoundCloud): Body Scan. Compassion. Breath Awareness. Body Scan for Kids.

Guided mindfulness practices from Mark Bertin, MD, author of Mindful Parenting for ADHD.

Source: Mindfulness Meditation: Guided Practices – Mindful