Is It Mania or Are You Just Living Your Best Life?
Last week was Word Bipolar Day! It is no secret that the owner of this blog is a bit qualified to talk about mania. After all, the blog itself is called “MANIC Pharmacist”. This post may seem useless because mania can be pretty obvious. However, mania doesn’t necessarily hit out of the blue: sometimes, what starts as a bit of out-of-character giddiness can quickly spiral out of control. Additionally, hypomania, which is “lighter” than mania, is usually harder to spot. So I thought I would give some personal experience advice on how to tell in advance whether you’re starting an episode or are simply happy and excited about life. Because…
Fun Science Fact: Sonic Hedgehog
Yes, today’s post will be about Sonic Hedgehog. No, not “Sonic THE Hedgehog”, but Sonic Hedgehog, the gene and protein! Yup, you read that right: there’s a gene that codes for a protein named after the famous video game character. You can color me just as surprised as you are. Without further ado, and because I’m excited to tell you a little bit of what I found, let’s talk more about it! Hedgehogs! Why “Sonic Hedgehog?” Well, the gene is one of the three Hedhegog (hh) genes. Without going into too much details, the hh genes are called like this because the loss of their function from a mutation results…
Meditation: Why and How Does it Make Your Life Better?
Meditation: the ancient and mystical practice of sitting cross-legged and thinking about nothing. That’s the stereotypical description of a practice that dates back to various old civilizations, cultures and religions, and is hailed as an incredible natural aid to healing and treating a plethora of health issues. Is any of it true? It’s often easy to dismiss “natural medicine” as “natural scam” or “outdated”. However, research is slowly uncovering some truths behind the praise. Plus, how do you think it survived for litteral millenias? Let’s go over a few of the backed up benefits and how meditation can improve your life in ways you probably haven’t imagined. Meditation: one word,…
Boredom Snacking: 8 Easy Ways to Stop It
Boredom snacking is no rare phenomenon. In the US, 25% of Americans are estimated to snack when they feel understimulated. If you’re reading this post, chances are that you’re struggling as well and wanting to break the cycle. Congratulations on taking the first step. Picture this: you’re sitting in front of your screen, scrolling and jumping from one tab to another aimlessly. Despite internet use increasing dopamine levels and therefore providing pleasure, you just don’t feel it tonight. In fact, you feel extremely bored. Your brain wanders to other ways to make you feel better. One sticks out: the birthday cake leftovers in the fridge. That marks the beginning of…
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Sing Your Way to a Better Life
Are you looking for a new hobby? I got the perfect one for you: singing! Who doesn’t like to sing? Granted, some of us might lack the confidence to belt their hearts out from fear of being heard, but what if I told you that the benefits far outweigh the embarrassment? Yes, really! You might think that there’s nothing worse than the risk of being mocked for your untrained skills. I’ll tell you that there’s nothing better than ignoring that risk! Buckle up, I’m going to explain my point. You’ll leave this page eager to “Sing Your Way to a Better Life”! Singing Calms Your Nerves What Goes on Inside…
Addiction: More Than What Meets The Eye
Last week, we discussed sugar addiction and its effects on the brain. We briefly went through its effects, both direct and indirect, on it. To recap, sugar triggers both insulin and dopamine release in the bloodstream and the brain respectively. Insulin is the hormone that lowers blood sugar when there’s too much of it, while also dilating blood vessels, thus increasing blood flow to the different organs; dopamine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger in charge of message transmission between brain cells) that is responsible for reward and pleasure. Too much sugar leads to resistance and tolerance of each, respectively causing less blood supply to the brain and less dopamine…
Sugar: A Barrier to Great ideas?
We’ve all heard it: too much sugar is bad for us. Be it on TV, the radio, in books or straight from the doctor’s mouth, we got it: that white delight is to be approached with caution. Have you ever stopped a moment to consider why we’re told all that? Sugar is food, and food is essential. Plus, it’s present in nature and in all forms. Heck, it is extracted from plants! Aside from white sugar being the worst for its chemical treatment with sulfur dioxide, it can badly affect your health for many other reasons and in many ways. One of them is by messing with… your brain. Yes,…
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