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Therapist-free therapy
The Economist: THE treatment, in the early 1880s, of an Austrian hysteric called Anna O is generally regarded as the beginning of talking-it-through as a form of therapy. But psychoanalysis, as this version of talk
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For Alcoholics, New Help in Abstaining—Without Thinking About It
Alcoholism is a tough addiction to kick. Eventually, most people return to drinking. But some Dutch and German psychological scientists have tested a short-term regime that promises to help alcoholics stay sober. Their study is
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Addicted to Food: An Interview With Bart Hoebel
Continuing with my exploration of the intersection of psychology, health, and dietary choices in these columns, this month I present an interview with ground-breaking food researcher Bart Hoebel, a Professor of Psychology at Princeton University.
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How to quit smoking? Think about smoking
I quit smoking many years ago, but even today I can recall the unpleasantness of that time—the cravings, the obsessive thoughts. My strategy was to keep my mind and body busy all the time, in
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Why (some) people drown their sorrows
Imagine that you just lost your job. The bad news came without warning—a company downsizing. You’re one more casualty of the recession. So naturally you’re feeling lousy, and what’s more, you need to go home
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Barroom genetics: Triggering heavy drinking
Recovering alcoholics are generally counseled to stay away from “people, places and things”—anything, that is, that might be a cue for drinking. Bars are an especially potent trigger for the cravings that can lead to