Many people who take antidepressants notice ringing in their ears or “tinnitus.” This tinnitus is usually temporary, and can be a result of changes in levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. In other cases, the tinnitus may emerge as a result of an ototoxic reaction that a person has to a specific antidepressant. Ototoxicity is …
Anxiety can be caused by a variety of different things. For one individual, the cause may be from genetics – this is often the case among individuals with a family history of anxiety disorders. For another person, the cause of anxiety may be a demanding job or abusive relationship. In each individual scenario, it can …
Reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) is a psychological theory first noted by Kenneth Blum in 1996. It is characterized by reward-seeking behavior and/or addictions, stemming from genetic variations, most notably resulting from those carrying the D2A1 allele. People carrying the A1 allele tend to have insufficient numbers of D2 receptors in their brain, resulting in lack …
Serotonin syndrome is a potentially fatal condition resulting from abnormally high levels of serotonin in the CNS. This may be caused by using various drugs that influence the neurotransmission of serotonin in the brain such as SSRIs, MDMA, various opioids, and even natural substances such as 5-HTP and St. John’s Wort. Typically it is only …
Brain freeze is an uncomfortable sensation that feels like the inside of your head (or brain) has frozen after consuming a cold beverage or food such as ice cream. Some people also use the term “ice cream headache” as a synonymous term to describe brain freeze. This is due to the fact that most early …
Writer’s block is a condition in which a writer is unable to think of what should be written next. The phenomenon was first documented in 1947 by Edmund Bergler, a psychoanalyst. If you experience writer’s block, you may be unable to develop a new piece of content or finish an existing piece. You may feel …
Have you ever experienced cloudy thinking to the point that you cannot seem to get anything done? Many people end up dealing with a phenomenon known as “brain fog” or cloudy thinking. Changes in consciousness as a result of neurotransmitter levels and psychomotor activity are thought to largely contribute to this clouding of cognition. Brain …