A Canadian researcher once lauded by Forbes as one of “Ten People Who Could Change the World” is pioneering experiments using a commonly prescribed blood pressure medication to dull the painful memories of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Dr. Karim Nader of Montreal’s McGill University is attempting to reduce the emotional response generated by painful memories using the beta blocker propranolol. Propranolol (propranolol hydrochloride) has been on the market for over 40 years, marketed as Inderal or Inderal LA.

Nader and his team are not attempting to eradicate painful memories, but instead to lessen their emotional impact.  Years ago, Nader discovered that memory can be altered just by the very act of remembering – a process he dubbed “memory reconsolidation”.  He developed a technique he called “reconsolidation blockade” in which memories and the associated negative emotions are altered during the reconsolidation phase to lessen their unpleasant impact, reducing a traumatic memory to just a bad memory. (more…)

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, is characterized by extreme, uncontrollable shifts in mood. Bipolar patients ride an emotional roller coaster between depression and euphoria. Generally, each stage lasts weeks to months, but the severity and frequency of episodes vary from person to person and even in each individual. Patients experience normal moods in between episodes of mood swings. (more…)

A study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association (SAMHA) has revealed some startling statistics on the state of Americans’ mental health. The survey of 67,000 adults across the nation found mental illness is more common than diabetes, cancer or heart disease, with 1 in 5 of them experiencing some form of mental illness in the past year.  Mental illness is the leading cause of adult disability in North America. (more…)