Category
research.
6 posts
When trauma does not simply fade away: Understanding PTSD
Most people will experience a deeply distressing or frightening event at some point in their lives. War, violent crime, natural disasters, serious accidents, abuse, or sexual violence can leave emotional scars long after the moment itself has passed. For many, the shock gradually eases with time. But for others, the experience continues to intrude into […]
20 May 2026
The enigma of antidepressants
Antidepressants are widely used and have helped millions of people – but they are still something of a puzzle in modern medicine. Despite decades of research, scientists are still debating exactly how they work, why they help some people and not others, and what their long-term role should be in treating depression. To understand the […]
16 April 2026
My BackABuddy campaign
In 2015, I went to the gym like any ordinary day. I didn’t come home. I had a heart attack and died on the gym floor. By sheer chance, a doctor was training nearby. He used a portable defibrillator to restart my heart and saved my life. Two years later, that same man took his […]
11 March 2026
Why it’s difficult to eliminate anxiety
Our DNA is reluctant to give up behaviours with a high survival value, and anxiety is right up there with the top ones. Imagine two Homo sapien ancestors eating a meal of raw squirrel 300 000 years ago. One enjoys the sunset so much that he ignores the rustling behind a bush. His meal partner, […]
9 July 2025
Champions all: high functioning but clinically depressed
It is interesting to read about Andre Agassi’s depression. He was the number one tennis player in the world – what did he have to be depressed about? And in the same vein, we have Michael Phelps the prolific Olympic gold medal swimmer. He finished on 23 gold medals. But he, too, was prone to […]
30 April 2025
Why it’s difficult to eliminate anxiety
Our DNA is reluctant to give up behaviours with a high survival value, and anxiety is right up there with the top ones. Imagine two Homo sapiens ancestors eating a meal of raw squirrel 300 000 years ago. One enjoys the sunset so much that he ignores the rustling behind a bush. His meal partner, […]
30 January 2025