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Tag: Depression

  • “I wanted to be on it all the time,” plaintiff says in landmark social media addiction trial

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    A young woman who is battling against social media giants took the stand Thursday to testify about her experience using the platforms as she was growing up, saying she was on social media “all day long” as a child.

    The now 20-year-old, who has been identified in court documents as KGM, says her early use of social media addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. Meta and YouTube are the two remaining defendants in the case, which TikTok and Snap have settled.

    The case, along with two others, has been selected as a bellwether trial, meaning its outcome could impact how thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies are likely to play out.

    Early social media user

    KGM, or Kaley, as her lawyers have called her during the trial, started using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9.

    Kaley took the stand wearing a pink floral dress and a beige cardigan and said she was “very nervous” after her attorney, Mark Lanier, asked how she was doing Thursday morning.

    Lanier displayed childhood photos of Kaley and her family and asked about positive memories from her upbringing in a quiet cul-de-sac in Chico, California. She spoke of themed birthday parties, trips to Six Flags and her mom’s consistent efforts to make her childhood special.

    Still, Kaley’s relationship with her mother was challenging at times. Kaley said most of their arguments were over the use of her phone.

    Both the defendants and the plaintiff have pointed to a turbulent home life for Kaley. Her attorneys say she was preyed upon as a vulnerable user, but attorneys representing Meta and Google-owned YouTube have argued Kaley turned to their platforms as a coping mechanism or a means of escaping her mental health struggles.

    When asked about claims that her mother had hit her, abused her and neglected her, Kaley said “she wasn’t perfect, but she was trying her best,” and clarified that she doesn’t think she would label her mother’s past actions as abuse or neglect today. Kaley, who works as a personal shopper at Walmart, still lives with her mother in the home she grew up in.

    “It made me look popular”

    As a child, Kaley set up multiple accounts on both Instagram and YouTube so she could like and comment on her posts. She said she would also “buy” likes through a platform where she could like other people’s photos and get a slew of likes in return. “It made me look popular,” she said.

    Kaley was asked specifically about the features the plaintiffs argue are deliberately designed to be addictive, including notifications. Those notifications on both Instagram and YouTube gave her a “rush,” she said. She would receive them throughout the day and would go to the bathroom during school to check them — something she still does.

    Kaley said while she uses YouTube less often now, she believes she was previously addicted to it. “Anytime I tried to set limits for myself, it wouldn’t work and I just couldn’t get off,” she said.

    Filters on Instagram, specifically those that could change a person’s cosmetic appearance, have also loomed large in the case and were also a constant fixture of Kaley’s use. Lanier and his colleagues unfurled a nearly 35-foot-long canvas banner with photos Kaley has posted on Instagram. She said “almost all” of the photos had a filter on them.

    The jury was also shown Instagram posts and YouTube videos Kaley posted as a child and young teen. One video that tapped into the popular trend at the time, sharing a nighttime routine, showed a young Kaley scrolling on her phone, showering and taking off makeup and then returning to her phone to go on Instagram. Another video showed her saying she was “crying tears of joy” after surpassing 100 YouTube subscribers — but then she quickly turned to her looks, apologizing for her “ugly appearance.”

    “I look so fat in this shirt,” the young Kaley says in the video.

    Meta highlights mental health struggles

    Meta has argued that Kaley faced significant challenges before she ever used social media. The company’s lawyer, Paul Schmidt, said earlier this month that the core question in the case is whether the platforms were a substantial factor in Kayley’s mental health struggles. 

    During opening arguments, he spent much of his time going through the plaintiff’s health records, emphasizing that she had experienced many difficult circumstances in her childhood, including emotional abuse, body image issues and bullying.

    Kaley said she did not experience the negative feelings associated with her body dysmorphia diagnosis before she began using social media and filters.

    Kaley was asked about her peak Instagram usage, which exceeded 16 hours one day. “I just felt like I wanted to be on it all the time, and if I wasn’t on it, I felt like I was going to miss out on something,” she said.

    When she tried to stop using the platforms, she said she was often unsuccessful.

    “Every single day, I was on it all day long,” she said.

    Therapist’s testimony

    Victoria Burke, a former therapist Kaley worked with in 2019, testified on Wednesday, and Burke said her social media and her sense of self “were closely related,” adding that what was happening on the platforms could “make or break her mood.”

    Burke’s treatment of Kaley lasted about six months and that period took place seven years ago.

    The case has been the subject of intense interest among both advocacy groups lobbying for enhanced child safety protections and the tech world alike, with high-profile testimony from the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

    During Zuckerberg’s testimony, when he was asked if people tend to use something more if it’s addictive, he said “I’m not sure what to say to that.”

    “I don’t think that applies here,” he continued. He said he believes in the “basic assumption” that “if something is valuable, people will use it more because it’s useful to them.” Mosseri also said he didn’t believe people could become clinically addicted to social media platforms.

    The case is expected to continue for several weeks, with a ruling potentially shaping the outcome of a slew of similar lawsuits against social media companies.

    In:

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  • “Dopamine, Not Discipline: The ADHD–Eating Disorder Link I Was Missing”

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    Growing up, food was never neutral. It was moralized, restricted, praised, shamed, and sometimes used as punishment long before I had words for it. By age 8, I was already trapped in a restrict-binge cycle. My family had long told me I wasn’t allowed to have food that would “make me fat.” So I resorted to hiding sweets and sneaking foods in an act of rebellion.

    I felt out of control around certain foods and completely uninterested in others. I chased diets, lost and gained hundreds of pounds, and eventually landed in eating disorder treatment as an adult for atypical anorexia and binge-eating disorder. (I can’t be classically diagnosed with anorexia because I live in a large body, even when I am in a calorie deficit)

    Convinced I was the problem, I blamed myself for what I now understand was my nervous system desperately trying to regulate itself.

    Chasing Dopamine

    One day in eating disorder treatment, a clinician noticed that I was adding chips to the inside of my sandwich, something I had been doing for as long as I could remember. When she asked me why I did that, my response was simple: “I like my food to crunch.”

    But I didn’t just like the crunch. I needed it. Chips. Crackers. Extra crunchy bacon. Anything with resistance. Anything loud. Anything that gave my brain a sharp sensory hit.

    [Read: The ADHD-Eating Disorders Link]

    The truth is that crunchy things ground me. The crunch focuses me and cuts through the constant chitchat in my brain in a way soft foods never could.

    That’s when it clicked. For the first time, I began to see that my eating behaviors weren’t just about taste or hunger. My “out-of-control eating” wasn’t an issue of willpower; it was partly sensory-seeking behavior, a well-documented ADHD trait.

    My Eating Disorder Is About More Than Food

    People with ADHD are significantly more likely to develop eating disorders, especially binge eating disorder and anorexia. Dopamine is thought to play a role in that connection. As ADHD brains like mine are chronically low in dopamine — which we all need for motivation, pleasure, and focus — we are wired to seek stimulation. And food just happens to be fast, legal, and always available.

    ADHD symptoms explain much more than the sensory-seeking aspect of my eating behaviors. Hyperfocus means I can forget to eat for extended periods. Poor interoceptive awareness means I can’t reliably feel hunger or fullness. Emotional dysregulation means feelings hit hard and fast, and food becomes the farthest thing from my mind.

    So it’s not that I lack self-control. I’m chasing dopamine. And I realized that recovery from disordered eating is going to be so much harder for me and my neurospicy brain.

    In treatment, I also learned that my eating disorder had very little to do with food and everything to do with coping. Control, dopamine, sensory input, grief, trauma; my brain needed more support than it was ever given.

    Traditional eating disorder advice assumes a neurotypical brain: Just eat regularly and plan ahead. Listen to your body. But for someone with ADHD, this advice feels impossible. I know, as I spent decades believing I was failing my body. Shame rushes in when we fail to follow through, which only adds fuel to the eating disorder.

    Recovery That Honors My Brain

    Recovery, for me, doesn’t come from rigid meal plans or white-knuckling urges. It comes from understanding my ADHD and working with it instead of against it. It comes from building structures without punishment, allowing sensory accommodations without shame, and learning that “healthy” does not always equal small.

    If you have ADHD and struggle with food, you are not broken. You are not weak. You are not doing recovery wrong. You are neurodivergent in a world (and in a treatment system) that still doesn’t fully understand how our brains work.

    Understanding the connection between ADHD and eating disorders didn’t erase my past, but it gave me language and a framework for my brain and body that finally allowed me to begin healing.

    Eating Disorders and ADHD: Next Steps

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    Nathaly Pesantez

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  • Why I See Depression As A Symptom—Not A Diagnosis

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    Growing up, my best friend was my grandfather, who was always smiling and happy. He was a candy-maker, and some of my best memories are of making fudge with him. But all that candy took a toll, and at age 69, he had a heart attack. After that, everything changed. He cried a lot, seemed unhappy, couldn’t sleep, and was eventually diagnosed with depression. I didn’t know it at the time, but depression is three times more common in people following a heart attack, according to research.

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  • Smartwatches May Soon Predict a Depression Relapse

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    By Deanna Neff HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, Feb. 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Your smartwatch might soon do more than just count your steps or check your heart rate: It could serve as a literal early-warning system for your mental health.

    New research from McMaster University suggests that wearable trackers can detect the subtle signs of a depression relapse weeks or even months before an actual episode.

    The study — published Feb. 11 in JAMA Psychiatry, — followed 93 Canadian adults for up to two years. All had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder and had previously recovered from a depression episode. 

    Patients wore a research-grade device similar to a Fitbit or Apple Watch around the clock and had regular in-person visits for depression assessment and data download. 

    By analyzing more than 32,000 days of their data, scientists found that a person’s daily rhythms tell a story.

    Specifically, people with irregular sleep schedules had nearly double the risk of falling back into a depressive episode.

    The most telling sign wasn’t just how long someone slept, but how different their day was from their night. 

    When the data showed less of a difference between daytime movement and nighttime rest, a relapse was often right around the corner.

    “Imagine a future where a smartwatch can warn people with depression: ‘A new episode of depression is very likely coming within the next four weeks. How about seeing your health-care provider?’ ” said Dr. Benicio Frey, a professor of psychiatry at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

    By collecting data passively, digital health wearables allow for continuous monitoring between doctor’s appointments. This “always-on” approach could revolutionize how mental health is managed, moving from reactive treatments to proactive prevention, researchers noted.

    “While it has been long recognized that abnormal sleep and activity patterns are associated with greater risk of depression relapse, the ability to passively detect these abnormal patterns using smart sensors opens an exciting new window of opportunity for personalizing the care of conditions that may reoccur, like depression,” the researchers noted. 

    Major depressive disorder is a recurring challenge for many, with about 60% of patients experiencing a relapse within five years of recovery, researchers said in background notes. Roughly 16% of U.S. adults are faced with it in a given year. 

    Traditionally, doctors have had to wait for patients to report symptoms — like low mood or loss of interest — which often appear only after the depression relapse is already in full swing.

    The foresight from digital health tools may give patients and clinicians a chance to adjust treatments or lifestyle changes before quality of life takes a turn.

    SOURCES: McMaster University, news release, Feb. 11, 2026; JAMA Psychiatry, Feb. 11, 2026

    Copyright © 2026 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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    HealthDay

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  • Keeping Better Score of Your Diet | NutritionFacts.org

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    How can you get a perfect diet score?

    How do you rate the quality of people’s diets? Well, “what could be more nutrient-dense than a vegetarian diet?” Indeed, if you compare the quality of vegetarian diets with non-vegetarian diets, the more plant-based diets do tend to win out, and the higher diet quality in vegetarian diets may help explain greater improvements in health outcomes. However, vegetarians appear to have a higher intake of refined grains, eating more foods like white rice and white bread that have been stripped of much of their nutrition. So, just because you’re eating a vegetarian diet doesn’t mean you’re necessarily eating as healthfully as possible.

    Those familiar with the science know the primary health importance of eating whole plant foods. So, how about a scoring system that simply adds up how many cups of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, chickpeas, split peas, and lentils, and how many ounces of nuts and seeds per 1,000 calories (with or without counting white potatoes)? Looking only at the total intake of whole plant foods doesn’t mean you aren’t also stuffing donuts into your mouth. So, you could imagine proportional intake measures, based on calories or weight, to determine the proportion of your diet that’s whole plant foods. In that case, you’d get docked points if you eat things like animal-derived foods—meat, dairy, or eggs—or added sugars and fats.

    My favorite proportional intake measure is McCarty’s “phytochemical index,” which I’ve profiled previously. I love it because of its sheer simplicity, “defined as the percent of dietary calories derived from foods rich in phytochemicals.” It assigns a score from 0 to 100, based on the percentage of your calories that are derived from foods rich in phytochemicals, which are biologically active substances naturally found in plants that may be contributing to many of the health benefits obtained from eating whole plant foods. “Monitoring phytochemical intake in the clinical setting could have great utility” in helping people optimize their diet for optimal health and disease prevention. However, quantifying phytochemicals in foods or tissue samples is impractical, laborious, and expensive. But this concept of a phytochemical index score could be a simple alternative method to monitor phytochemical intake.

    Theoretically, a whole food, plant-based or vegan diet that excluded refined grains, white potatoes, hard liquors, added oils, and added sugars could achieve a perfect score of 100. Lamentably, most Americans’ diets today might be lucky to score just 20. What’s going on? In 1998, our shopping baskets were filled with about 20% whole plant foods; more recently, that has actually shrunk, as you can see below and at 2:49 in my video Plant-Based Eating Score Put to the Test.

    Wouldn’t it be interesting if researchers used this phytochemical index to try to correlate it with health outcomes? That’s exactly what they did. We know that studies have demonstrated that vegetarian diets have a protective association with weight and body mass index. For instance, a meta-analysis of five dozen studies has shown that vegetarians had significantly lower weight and BMI compared with non-vegetarians. And even more studies show that high intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes may be protective regardless of meat consumption. So, researchers wanted to use an index that gave points for whole plant foods. They used the phytochemical index and, as you may recall from an earlier video, tracked people’s weight over a few years, using a scale of 0 to 100 to simply reflect what percentage of a person’s diet is whole plant foods. And even though the healthiest-eating tier only averaged a score of about 40, which meant the bulk of their diet was still made up of processed foods and animal products, just making whole plant foods a substantial portion of the diet may help prevent weight gain and decrease body fat. So, it’s not all or nothing. Any steps we can take to increase our whole plant food intake may be beneficial.

    Many more studies have since been performed, with most pointing in the same direction for a variety of health outcomes—indicating, for instance, higher healthy plant intake is associated with about a third of the odds of abdominal obesity and significantly lower odds of high triglycerides. So, the index may be “a useful dietary target for weight loss,” where there is less focus on calorie intake and more on increasing consumption of these high-nutrient, lower-calorie foods over time. Other studies also suggest the same is true for childhood obesity.

    Even at the same weight, with the same amount of belly fat, those eating plant-based diets tend to have higher insulin sensitivity, meaning the insulin they make works better in their body, perhaps thanks to the compounds in plants that alleviate inflammation and quench free radicals. Indeed, the odds of hyperinsulinemia—an indicator of insulin resistance—were progressively lower with greater plant consumption. No wonder researchers found 91% lower odds of prediabetes for people getting more than half their calories from healthy plant foods.

    They also found significantly lower odds of metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. There were only about half the odds of being diagnosed with hypertension over a three-year period among those eating more healthy plants. Even mental health may be impacted—about 80% less depression, 2/3 less anxiety, and 70% less psychological distress, as you can see below and at 5:15 in my video.

    Is there a link between the dietary phytochemical index and benign breast diseases, such as fibrocystic diseases, fatty necrosis, ductal ectasia, and all sorts of benign tumors? Yes—70% lower odds were observed in those with the highest scores. But what about breast cancer? A higher intake of healthy plant foods was indeed associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, even after controlling for a long list of other factors. And not just by a little bit. Eating twice the proportion of plants compared to the standard American diet was linked to more than 90% lower odds of breast cancer.

    Doctor’s Note

    You can learn more about the phytochemical index in Calculate Your Healthy Eating Score.

    If you’re worried about protein, check out Flashback Friday: Do Vegetarians Get Enough Protein?

    It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, though. Do Flexitarians Live Longer?

    For more on plant-based junk, check out Friday Favorites: Is Vegan Food Always Healthy?.

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • “I’m a Special Ed Teacher with ADHD — and Parenting My Neurodivergent Kids Is Still Hard!”

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    Raising not one, but two children with ADHD should be easy for me. I’m a special education teacher and I have ADHD myself. I also have a deep well of strategies, research, and professional experience to draw from.

    Sometimes, all of that helps.

    Often, it doesn’t.

    Having knowledge doesn’t mean that I have endless patience or perfect regulation. Having ADHD means that I struggle with impulse control — like snapping at my children to stop drumming on everything because the noise is overwhelming, even though I know that movement is how they regulate and avoid sensory overload.

    It looks like getting frustrated when my child is time blind and late for school for the hundredth time — while I’m also scrambling, overwhelmed, and trying to get myself together in the morning.

    When both parent and child are dysregulated, the gap between what you know and what you can do feels enormous. And that gap fills quickly with shame, guilt, and regret —wondering why you can’t be the calm, capable parent your child needs, especially when you “should know better.”

    💡 Free Download! A Survival Guide for Parents with ADHD

    But parenting a child with ADHD when you have ADHD isn’t about getting it right or having it all figured out. It’s about building a relationship that can hold imperfection, honesty, and repair. Some days will be hard. Some moments will still unravel. But when we name our needs, laugh at our shared quirks, and meet overwhelm with compassion instead of shame, something shifts: ADHD stops being a problem to manage and becomes a natural part of the family dynamic.

    Here are four parenting shifts that have made all the difference in my family.

    1. Honor your limits. It’s not about trying to be regulated all the time — it’s about learning to notice when I’m not. When I pause, name my limits, and step away before I’m flooded, I’m better able to support my children without shame or reactivity. Taking care of myself first isn’t selfish; it’s preventative.

    2. Be transparent. I’ve learned the power of being transparent with my kids in age-appropriate ways. Saying things like, “My brain feels overwhelmed right now, and I need a few minutes to reset” does wonders to de-escalate the moment. It also models something many children with ADHD rarely see — that overwhelm isn’t something to hide, apologize for, or power through. It’s something you can recognize, name, and respond to with care.

    💡Read: 4 Rules for Taking a Mom Rage Break

     

    Over time, this kind of modeling also reduces stigma. My kids don’t see their overwhelm as strange or wrong, but as a signal. They’re learning that it’s OK to voice their needs and to take steps to meet them. In those moments, the goal isn’t perfect regulation, it’s shared understanding.

    3. ADHD is not taboo. We talk about ADHD openly in my family. It’s not something we whisper about when things are hard. It’s part of how we understand ourselves and each other. My daughter and I often laugh about how our brains never seem to slow down — how one word during a conversation can remind us of a lyric from years ago and cause us to break out into song. These moments of connection remind us that our brains work similarly, and that similarity can be joyful.

    4. Seek neurodivergent experiences. We’ve also found connection through identity-affirming books — stories that reflect neurodivergent characters, big feelings, and brains that don’t fit neatly into boxes. Reading these together gives us language without pressure. It opens doors to conversations about overwhelm, creativity, and regulation without framing anything as “wrong” or needing fixing. Seeing ourselves reflected in stories builds understanding and closeness and reinforces that ADHD isn’t something to hide.

    Family Bonding and ADHD: Next Steps from ADDitude

    SUPPORT ADDITUDE
    Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

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    Nathaly Pesantez

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  • “5 ADHD Traits That Fueled (Not Hindered) My Growth”

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    Nathaly Pesantez

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  • FDA clears first at-home brain device for depression

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    For the first time, Americans with depression will soon be able to use a prescription brain-stimulation device at home. 

    The approval comes from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and marks a major shift in how mental health conditions may be treated. The newly approved device is called FL-100, and it comes from Flow Neuroscience. 

    It is designed for adults 18 and older with moderate to severe major depressive disorder. Clinicians can prescribe it as a stand-alone treatment or alongside antidepressants and therapy. This decision matters because depression affects more than 20 million adults in the U.S. Roughly one-third do not get enough relief from medication or stop taking it due to side effects.

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    SIMPLE DAILY HABIT MAY HELP EASE DEPRESSION MORE THAN MEDICATION, RESEARCHERS SAY

    Flow Neuroscience has gotten approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its FL-100 prescription brain-stimulation device. (Flow Neuroscience)

    How the Flow FL-100 works

    The FL-100 uses transcranial direct current stimulation, often shortened to tDCS. This technology delivers a gentle electrical current to the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain tied to mood regulation and stress response. In many people with depression, activity in this area is reduced. By stimulating it, the device aims to restore healthier brain signaling over time. The system looks like a lightweight headset and pairs with a mobile app. Patients use it at home for about 30 minutes per day while clinicians monitor progress remotely.

    The clinical results behind the approval

    The FDA based its decision on a randomized controlled trial that evaluated home use under remote supervision. Participants who received active stimulation showed meaningful improvement on clinician-rated and self-reported depression scales. After 10 weeks of treatment, patients experienced an average symptom improvement of 58% compared to a control group. Many users reported noticeable changes within the first three weeks. The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine, adding credibility to the findings. Side effects were generally mild and short-term. Reported issues included skin irritation, redness, headaches, and brief stinging sensations at the electrode sites.

    FDA sign.

    The FDA has approved the first prescription brain-stimulation device for at-home treatment of depression in the U.S., marking a major shift in mental healthcare. (hoto by ISSAM AHMED/AFP via Getty Images)

    A growing shift toward tech-based mental health care

    Flow’s device has already been used by more than 55,000 people across Europe, the U.K., Switzerland and Hong Kong. In the U.K., it is prescribed within parts of the public health system. Company leaders say the U.S. approval opens the door for broader access to non-drug treatment options. The momentum is not isolated. In 2025, researchers at UCLA Health developed another experimental brain-stimulation approach, signaling rapid growth in this field. Together, these advances suggest that at-home neuromodulation may soon become a standard part of depression care rather than a fringe option.

    When will the device be available

    Flow expects the FL-100 to be available to U.S. patients in the second quarter of 2026. A prescription will be required, and the companion app will be available on iOS and Android. The company also plans to explore additional uses for its platform, including sleep disorders, addiction, and traumatic brain injury.

    10 HEALTH TECH PRODUCTS STEALING THE SPOTLIGHT AT CES 2026

    Flow Neuroscience brain-stimulation device

    Flow Neuroscience’s FL-100 headset delivers mild electrical stimulation to the brain and can be prescribed for home use under medical supervision. (Flow Neuroscience)

    What to know before trying Flow

    Flow is FDA approved for adults 18 and older with moderate to severe major depressive disorder, and it requires a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. Doctors can recommend it on its own or alongside medication or therapy. The headset is non-invasive and designed for home use, but it is not meant for emergency situations or people considered treatment resistant. It also does not replace crisis care or immediate mental health support. Most users wear the headset for about 30 minutes per session. Mild tingling, warmth, skin irritation or headaches can happen, especially early on. These effects are usually short-lived and monitored by a clinician through the companion app.

    Flow pairs with a mobile app that guides treatment and supports remote clinical oversight. Your provider sets the treatment plan, and the device follows prescribed settings to ensure safe use. Pricing and insurance coverage may vary once the device becomes available in the U.S. Some patients may access Flow through clinics, research programs, or as it becomes more widely adopted in routine depression care. The bottom line is simple. Flow adds another evidence-based option, not a cure and not a one-size-fits-all solution. For people who have struggled to find relief, having another clinically proven choice can matter a lot.

    What this means to you

    If you or someone you care about struggles with depression, this approval expands the range of real treatment options. It offers a non-drug path that can be used at home under medical guidance. For patients who have not responded well to medication or who experience unwanted side effects, this could provide another way forward. It also reflects a broader trend toward personalized, tech-enabled mental healthcare. 

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    ELON MUSK SHARES PLAN TO MASS-PRODUCE BRAIN IMPLANTS FOR PARALYSIS, NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE

    FDA logo.

    The newly approved device targets adults with moderate to severe depression and can be used alongside medication or therapy. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

    Kurt’s key takeaways

    This FDA approval feels like a real turning point. For years, brain stimulation for depression stayed locked inside clinics. Now it can happen at home with a doctor still guiding the process. That matters for people who have tried medications, dealt with side effects or felt stuck with limited options. This device will not be the right answer for everyone, but it gives patients and doctors one more proven tool to work with. And for many people living with depression, having another option could make all the difference.

    If a doctor could prescribe a brain-stimulation headset instead of another pill, would you be open to trying it? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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    Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • “I Felt Like I Wasn’t Accessing My Potential.”

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    A wave of intense shame pours over me as a familiar thought enters my head: What in the name of God am I doing with my life? And how did I end up here?

    Let me set the scene for you: I’m sitting at home, wearing a headset, taking calls for a psychic helpline. Yes, at the grand age of 30, I was moonlighting as a fake phone psychic. But I needed a job I could easily do from home, and this one sounded doable. And fun?

    I’ve had many different roles throughout my life. I’ve been part of a cabin crew, sold wine over the phone, worked for an international charity, sold suitcases, reported as a freelance journalist, and worked at McDonald’s, a shirt shop, a toothbrush factory, and a garden center.

    💡 Read: From Bowling-Alley Bartender to Cleopatra Waitress — My Story of ADHD Job Hopping

     

    Now, in my latest incarnation, I’m finally doing something related to my degree. I’m a Ph.D. researcher attempting to understand the link between ADHD, gender, work, and entrepreneurship. Through my research, and for the first time in my life, I’ve met other women with the exact same story as mine. Despite often being labeled as gifted or having above-average intelligence, many women with ADHD seem to flounder and float around in the working world.

    A checkered work history like mine seems to be so common among women with ADHD that I’ve come to see it as a shorthand sign of neurodivergence: Have you had 50 different jobs before the age of 30? If you answer yes, have you considered an ADHD evaluation?

    A Nagging Sense of Wasted Potential

    I make light of it, but it has always been a huge source of shame for me that, despite being told repeatedly how much “potential” I had, I could never distill it down to a traditional, fulfilling career. Not that there’s anything wrong with the odd jobs I had, only that I landed in them because I thought I couldn’t do more. And I couldn’t see myself fitting in anywhere else.

    How relieved I was to find I wasn’t alone; research backs up that people with ADHD tend to work in jobs that are below their academic qualifications. Despite scoring higher in intelligence tests, they also have lower self-esteem than their peers.1 2

    💡 Read: “You Have So Much Potential. You Just Don’t Apply Yourself.”

     

    Women with ADHD who are working in jobs far below their potential and academic credentials are only too familiar with this situation. I remember once while working as cabin crew, I asked a pilot the standard question of “Is your wife crew?” (It’s very common for pilots to marry cabin crew.) He looked at me, laughed, and said, “Oh, no. My wife is intelligent. She has a degree.” It felt like a punch in the gut.

    We Deserve Fulfilling Lives

    Learning that I had ADHD as an adult changed everything for me. It helped me understand my relationship to work and the fact that I — and many women — are navigating a world that largely wasn’t built for minds like ours. I’ve learned to forgive myself for my perceived failings, and I encourage women who see themselves in my story to do the same.

    Unconditional acceptance of your strengths and areas of need, strategic self-advocacy, and out-of-the-box thinking (perhaps even entrepreneurship) are key. But it’s not just on us — workplaces would benefit from learning how to support neurodivergent employees, which may need to come at a public policy level. It’s my hope to help create pathways that support neurodivergent women in reducing shame and building fulfilling and autonomous professional lives that allow them to access their full potential.

    ADHD and Wasted Potential: Next Steps from ADDitude

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    Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

     

    View Article Sources

    1 Jangmo, A., Kuja-Halkola, R., Pérez-Vigil, A., Almqvist, C., Bulik, C. M., D’Onofrio, B., Lichtenstein, P., Ahnemark, E., Werner-Kiechle, T., & Larsson, H. (2021). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and occupational outcomes: The role of educational attainment, comorbid developmental disorders, and intellectual disability. PloS one, 16(3), e0247724. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247724

    2 Foley-Nicpon, M., Rickels, H., Assouline, S. G., & Richards, A. (2012). Self-Esteem and Self-Concept Examination Among Gifted Students With ADHD. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 35(3), 220-240. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162353212451735

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  • The Hidden Costs of Bariatric Surgery | NutritionFacts.org

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    Weight regain after bariatric surgery can have devastating psychological effects.

    How Sustainable Is the Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery? I explore that issue in my video of the same name. Most gastric bypass patients end up regaining some of the fat they lose by the third year after surgery, but after seven years, 75% of patients followed at 10 U.S. hospitals maintained at least a 20% weight loss.

    The typical trajectory for someone who starts out obese at 285 pounds, for example, would be to drop to an overweight 178 pounds two years after bariatric surgery, but then regain weight up to an obese 207 pounds. This has been chalked up to “grazing” behavior, where compulsive eaters may shift from bingeing (which becomes more difficult post-surgery) to eating smaller amounts constantly throughout the day. In a group of women followed for eight years after gastric bypass surgery, about half continued to describe episodes of disordered eating. As one pediatric obesity specialist described, “I have seen many patients who put chocolate bars into a blender with some cream, just to pass technically installed obstacles [e.g., a gastric band].”

    Bariatric surgery advertising is filled with “happily-ever-after” fairytale narratives of cherry-picked outcomes offering, as one ad analysis put it, “the full Cinderella-romance happy ending.” This may contribute to the finding that patients often overestimate the amount of weight they’ll lose with the procedure and underestimate the difficulty of the recovery process. Surgery forces profound changes in eating habits, requiring slow, small bites that have been thoroughly chewed. Your stomach goes from the volume of two softballs down to the size of half a tennis ball in stomach stapling and half a ping-pong ball in the case of gastric bypass or banding.

    As you can imagine, “weight regain after bariatric surgery can have a devastating effect psychologically as patients feel that they have failed their last option”—their last resort. This may explain why bariatric surgery patients face a high risk of depression. They also have an increased risk of suicide.

    Severe obesity alone may increase the risk of suicidal depression, but even at the same weight, those going through surgery appear to be at a higher risk. At the same BMI (body mass index), age, and gender, bariatric surgery patients have nearly four times the odds of self-harm or attempted suicide compared with those who did not undergo the procedure. Most convincingly, so-called “mirror-image analysis” comparing patients’ pre- and post-surgery events showed the odds of serious self-harm increased after surgery.

    About 1 in 50 bariatric surgery patients end up killing themselves or being hospitalized for self-harm or attempted suicide. And this only includes confirmed suicides, excluding masked attempts such as overdoses classified as having “undetermined intention.” Bariatric surgery patients may also have an elevated risk of accidental death, though some of this could be due to changes in alcohol metabolism. When individuals who have had a gastric bypass were given two shots of vodka, their blood alcohol level surpassed the legal driving limit within minutes due to their altered anatomy. It’s unclear whether this plays a role in the 25% increase in prevalence of alcohol problems noted during the second postoperative year.

    Even those who successfully lose their excess weight and keep it off appear to have a hard time coping. Ten years out, though physical health-related quality of life may improve, general mental health can significantly deteriorate compared to pre-surgical levels, even among those who lost the most weight. Ironically, there’s a common notion that bariatric surgery is for “cheaters” who take the easy way out by choosing the “low-effort” method of weight loss.

    Shedding the weight may not shed the stigma of prior obesity. Studies suggest that “in the eyes of others, knowing that an individual was at one time fat will lead him/her to always be treated like a fat person.” And there can be a strong anti-surgery bias on top of that—those who chose the scalpel to lose weight over diet or exercise were rated more negatively (for example, being considered less physically attractive). One can imagine how remaining a target of prejudice even after joining the “in-group” could potentially undercut psychological well-being.

    There can also be unexpected physical consequences of massive weight loss, like large hanging flaps of excess skin. Beyond being heavy and uncomfortable and interfering with movement, the skin flaps can result in itching, irritation, dermatitis, and skin infections. Getting a panniculectomy (removing the abdominal “apron” of hanging skin) can be expensive, and its complication rate can exceed 50%, with dehiscence (rupturing of the surgical wound) one of the most common complications.

    “Even if surgery proves sustainably effective,” wrote the founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center, “the need to rely on the rearrangement of natural gastrointestinal anatomy as an alternative to better use of feet and forks [exercise and diet] seems a societal travesty.”

    In the Middle Ages, starving peasants dreamed of gastronomic utopias where food just rained down from the sky. The English called it the Kingdom of Cockaigne. Little could medieval fabulists predict that many of their descendants would not only take permanent residence there but also cut out parts of their stomachs and intestines to combat the abundance. Critics have pointed out the irony of surgically altering healthy organs to make them dysfunctional—malabsorptive—on purpose, especially when it comes to operating on children. Bariatric surgery for kids and teens has become widespread and is being performed on children as young as five years old. Surgeons defend the practice by arguing that growing up fat can leave “‘emotional scars’ and lifelong social retardation.”

    Promoters of preventive medicine may argue that bariatric surgery is the proverbial “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.” In response, proponents of pediatric bariatric surgery have written: “It is often pointed out that we should focus on prevention. Of course, I agree. However, if someone is drowning, I don’t tell them, ‘You should learn how to swim’; no, I rescue them.”

    A strong case can be made that the benefits of bariatric surgery far outweigh the risks if the alternative is remaining morbidly obese, which is estimated to shave up to a dozen or more years off one’s life. Although there haven’t been any data from randomized trials yet to back it up, compared to non-operated obese individuals, those getting bariatric surgery would be expected to live significantly longer on average. No wonder surgeons have consistently framed the elective surgery as a life-or-death necessity. This is a false dichotomy, though. The benefits only outweigh the risks if there are no other alternatives. Might there be a way to lose weight healthfully without resorting to the operating table? That’s what my book How Not to Diet is all about.

    Doctor’s Note

    My book How Not to Diet is focused exclusively on sustainable weight loss. Check it out from your library or pick it up from wherever you get your books. (All proceeds from my books are donated to charity.)

    This is the final segment in a four-part series on bariatric surgery, which includes:

    This blog contains information regarding suicide. If you or anyone you know is exhibiting suicide warning signs, please get help. Go to https://988lifeline.org for more information.

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    Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

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  • Study: Highly Sensitive People More Prone To Mental Health Issues

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    Highly sensitive people (HSPs) make up roughly 30% of the population, experiencing relatively stronger emotions and responses to internal and external stimuli. As you might imagine, it’s not always easy being so sensitive—which is why recent research published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science1 looked into how high sensitivity relates to mental health.

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  • “I Am No Longer Resolving to Fix My Child”

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    Every January, the world sharpens its pencils and declares:

    Be more consistent.
    Follow through.
    Set firmer boundaries.
    Stick to the plan.

    But if you are raising a child with ADHD, as I am, you hear these phrases all year long. They come from friends, family members, teachers, neighbors, and strangers who see our children on their hardest days and decide they understand the whole story.

    If you were more consistent, your child would behave.
    If you enforced consequences, they would learn.
    If you just did something different, your child would be fine.

    Unsolicited comments about our parenting land like resolutions we never made and quietly turn into failures we carry.

    💡 Read: An Unusual New Year’s Guidebook for People Who Think Different

     

    ADHD Parenting Resolutions I Never Chose

    I have tried the charts and the routines. I have tried the calm voice and the firm voice. I have tried sticker systems, time outs, time ins, early bedtimes, later bedtimes, warnings, countdowns, and consequences that were supposed to fix everything. I have done these things consistently. I have done them desperately. I have done them while questioning myself every step of the way.

    None of them changed the reality of what it is like to raise a child with ADHD.

    ADHD is not defiance for the sake of defiance. It is not poor discipline or lack of effort. ADHD is emotional dysregulation so intense it hijacks the body. It is rage that comes without warning. It is despair that feels bottomless. It is not choosing chaos but drowning in it. It is a nervous system flooded to the point that logic cannot reach it.

    Still, the advice keeps coming.

    If you just followed through…
    If you just stopped negotiating…
    If you just stayed calm…

    Most parenting advice assumes a child who can consistently pause, reflect, and comply. ADHD breaks that assumption. Tough moments and inconsistency will always be part of ADHD, and they cannot be stamped out with discipline like a resolution. That is why well-meaning advice hurts and turns into intrusive thoughts: What am I missing? What am I doing wrong? Why is this still so hard?

     Read: 10 Things People Say to You When You’re Raising an Extreme Child

     

    A Different Kind of New Year’s Resolution

    I am not trying to raise a child who looks well-behaved to strangers. I am trying to raise a child who feels safe in his own body. I am trying to teach him that his emotions do not make him bad. I am trying to help him come back from places many adults never see, let alone understand.

    The problem is not that ADHD families need better resolutions. The problem is that the world needs a better understanding of what ADHD actually is.

    Until that changes, parents like me will keep standing in the wreckage of well-intentioned advice, trying to explain why it does not work, and wondering why we feel like failures while doing some of the hardest parenting there is.

    I am done resolving to fix my child.

    Instead, I will work to shift how we collectively see ADHD. It is not a discipline problem. It is not a parenting failure. It is a neurological reality that requires compassion, patience, and support. That is the resolution ADHD families truly need.

    Rethinking Resolutions: Next Steps from ADDitude

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  • Meditation Could Improve Memory & Emotional Regulation, Study Finds

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    It’s no secret that meditation has a ton of benefits, from improving sleep quality to helping you feel more calm and centered. But according to new research published in the journal PNAS, meditation might also support emotional regulation and memory. Here’s what they found.

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  • “Raising My ADHD Child Taught Me I Was Never Broken”

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    Some mornings, I can tell before he even speaks. The air feels charged, as if the world inside his head has woken early. My son moves fast, talks faster, and forgets things just as quickly. I whisper, “Slow down,” even though I know that phrase has never worked for either of us.

    He is my son, but he is also my reflection. The scattered thoughts, the lost shoes, the emotions that rise and fall without warning; I know them all. Parenting a child with ADHD while living with it myself feels like steering two race cars at once. Some days we glide forward. Some days we spin out.

    I used to think my job was to calm him. The world rewards quiet children and those who can smoothly transition. He was born in motion. He notices everything — the flicker of lights, the hum of the refrigerator, the way a room changes when people get tense. He cannot filter life, and neither can I.

    🏠 Read: I Had No Safe Place. Can I Build One for My Son?

    When I was young, teachers told me I had potential — if I would only focus. That word, focus, has followed me ever since. I hear it now when I watch my son trying to finish homework or listen to directions that last too long. His eyes glaze over the same way mine used to. I know exactly where his mind goes when it drifts. Everywhere at once.

    Living with ADHD is like carrying a thousand radio stations in your head and trying to tune in to one. Parenting a child on that same frequency means the noise never stops. Some days I am patient. Other days I am not. He melts down, and I feel myself melting, too. I tell him to breathe, forgetting I need to inhale, too.

    But there is also an understanding between us that words cannot explain. When he cannot describe what he feels, I already know. When others call him impulsive, I see the effort behind his eyes. When he blurts out something too honest, I hear the truth in it. We do not hide emotion well. That might be our biggest flaw and our biggest gift.

    There are days when we spiral together, both of us overstimulated and unsure how to stop. But there are also days when we find our rhythm. We walk the dog and talk about everything that crosses his mind. He asks questions faster than I can answer, but I try anyway. Those are the moments that bring peace. I stop trying to change him and start remembering what it felt like to be him.

    ❤️ Read: The Blessings (and Trials) of Parenting with ADHD

    At night, when he finally falls asleep, I think about how hard he works just to make it through the day. People see a boy who cannot sit still. I see a boy who fights invisible battles from morning to night and still finds ways to laugh.

    He has made me see my own mind differently. I used to think ADHD made me disorganized and too much. Now I see creativity and empathy in the same traits I once resented. He feels everything deeply, and so do I. Maybe we are not broken. Maybe we just move through the world differently.

    Some days I worry about how others will treat him. Other days I believe he will change the world instead of trying to fit into it. His mind is bright and restless. His curiosity has no limits. His energy wears me out but also keeps me alive.

    We are mirrors, he and I. His reflection shows me the parts of myself I used to hide and the parts I am finally learning to love. When I help him find calm, I find it too. When I remind him that being different is not wrong, I believe it a little more for both of us.

    Healing My Inner ADHD Child: Next Steps from ADDitude

    SUPPORT ADDITUDE
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  • “Can’t Stop Worrying? Just Schedule It for Later”

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    Did you know that you can timebox and even postpone your worry?

    I don’t need to tell you that anxiety has a way of hijacking the ADHD brain’s attention and focus. That it shows up unannounced, derailing our plans and schedules. But what if you could turn the tables and put anxiety itself on a schedule?

    Giving your worries a scheduled time slot — and pairing them with healthy reframing and other worry-busting skills — isn’t about suppressing or trying to stop anxiety. It’s about staying in control, a form of emotional regulation in action. You’re training your brain to avoid hours of rumination so you can stay more calm, present, and productive.

    Worry Time: How to Timebox or Delay Anxiety

    1. When anxiety and worry come up — like on your way to a doctor’s appointment, or just before taking a difficult exam, or as you think about a difficult conversation you need to have — immediately set a 15-minute timer. (Or whatever time frame is feasible.)

    2. Over the next 15 minutes, write or say aloud all your worrisome thoughts. What if I have a serious disease? What if I make a fool of myself? What if I fail my test? Give your full attention to your thoughts, no matter where they take you.

    💭 Read: Why Do I Assume the Worst-Case Scenario?

    3. As the minutes pass, you may find that you feel much better just by venting. You may have also challenged some of your thoughts:

    • How likely is that to happen?
    • What evidence do I have for this supposed outcome?
    • Where am I jumping to conclusions?
    • Am I doubting my ability to handle the outcome I fear? When have I faced a similar situation?
    • Is the problem in my control? What can I do about it if so? Which of my traits and strengths can I use to help me?

    If you find yourself devoting your entire session to worrying (or if time blindness is a factor), consider a timer within a timer — one to signal that it’s time to switch to problem-solving and thought-challenging mode.

    4. When the timer is up, stop worrying and return to your schedule. Close your notebook and say to yourself, “Worry time is finished.” Follow worry time with a pre-chosen anchor activity, like taking a shower or preparing dinner, to ease your mind off worrying.

    😌 Read: 6 Ways to a Worry-Free Mind

    5. In lieu of setting a 15-minute timer for worrying as soon as it appears, set a standing 15-minute appointment on your calendar for worrying, like you would for any other activity. When worries come up, jot them down and tell yourself that you’ll get to it later. Go ahead and tell your worry to wait. “I’ve got you on my calendar!”

    Linda was studying for the LSAT when the thought, “What if I fail?” kept flashing like a neon sign through her mind. Instead of spiraling and using up her precious study time, she scheduled two standing worry appointments — Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Whenever anxiety crept in, she reminded herself, “Not now — it’s on the calendar.” By the time her worry slot arrived, her mind was calmer and ready to problem-solve.

    So, the next time your brain insists, “What if I fail?” Try replying, “Great question! I’ll worry about it at 4:15 p.m.”

    How to Control Anxiety: Next Steps from ADDitude

    SUPPORT ADDITUDE
    Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

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  • Does science agree it’s better to give than receive? A doctor explains

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    (CNN) — The holidays are here, which means you’re probably thinking about gifts — what to buy, whom to give to and how much to spend. Gift-giving is often framed as a source of stress and obligation, but a growing body of research suggests there may also be something beneficial about giving itself.

    I have wondered if science supports the idea that it’s better to give than receive, and if so, are there measurable health effects? Does it matter how you give, such as money versus time and big gestures versus small ones? And can giving ever backfire?

    I turned to CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, counting on her for some good advice. Wen is an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at George Washington University who previously was Baltimore’s health commissioner. She is done with her holiday shopping for her family and friends.

    CNN: Does science really back up the idea that it’s better to give than receive?

    Dr. Leana Wen: Science does support that idea, with some key caveats. Research from psychology, neuroscience and public health shows that prosocial behaviors such as giving time, money or support to others are associated with benefits to well-being.

    That doesn’t mean that giving is always beneficial or that people should give at the expense of their own needs. But taken together, the evidence suggests that generosity can be good for both emotional and physical health.

    CNN: What kinds of health benefits have researchers found?

    Wen: A wealth of research links giving and helping behaviors to better mental well-being, including lower rates of depression and anxiety and higher life satisfaction. Surprisingly, the effects also go beyond mental health: Researchers have found associations between prosocial behavior and lower stress hormones, reduced inflammation, better cardiovascular outcomes and longer lifespan.

    Notably, a large 2023 JAMA Network Open review looked at 30 studies involving prosocial interventions, which include acts of kindness, charitable giving, community volunteering and helping behaviors. Researchers found improvements in mental well-being, lower depression scores, physical activity and even blood test results

    Giving time and effort, such as volunteering at a food bank, often produces stronger benefits than giving money alone. Credit: Drazen Zigic/iStockphoto / Getty Images via CNN Newsource

    CNN: How does giving affect the brain and body?

    Wen: Giving activates reward pathways in the brain in areas linked to pleasure, motivation and social bonding. These actions trigger the release of chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins, which are associated with positive feelings.

    Another key hormone is oxytocin, which plays a role in stress regulation. Oxytocin can lower blood pressure, reduce stress responses and promote feelings of social connection. Over time, repeated activation of these pathways may help explain why generosity is linked to better health, especially in conditions influenced by chronic stress, such as depression and heart disease.

    CNN: Is this just correlation, or is there evidence that giving actually causes these benefits?

    Wen: That’s an important distinction. Some early research was observational, which means it’s possible that perhaps healthier or happier people were simply more likely to give. But more recent studies include experimental designs that strengthen the case for causation.

    For instance, randomized trials have asked participants to perform acts of kindness or generosity and compared them with control activities. These studies have shown short-term reductions in stress hormones like cortisol, along with improvements in mood and emotional well-being. While it is harder to prove long-term causation, the consistency across experimental, biological and population-level data makes a strong case that giving itself plays a role.

    CNN: Does it matter how people give, whether it’s money, time, small gifts or expensive ones?

    Wen: Yes, the type and context of giving matter a great deal. Research suggests that voluntary, meaningful giving is more beneficial than giving that feels obligatory or stressful. Giving time and effort, such as volunteering or helping someone directly, often produces stronger benefits than giving money alone.

    Meaning also matters. Giving that aligns with personal values or strengthens social connection is likely to be more beneficial than something that is impersonal or transactional. All this means that small acts such as writing a thoughtful note, helping a neighbor or spending time with someone who is lonely can have meaningful effects.

    CNN: Can giving ever be harmful?

    Wen: Absolutely. Giving is not universally beneficial. When giving leads to financial strain, exhaustion, resentment or neglect of one’s own health, the benefits disappear and can even reverse. Caregiver burnout is a clear example. People who give extensively without adequate support often experience worse physical and mental health.

    The key is balance. In the ideal circumstances, giving should be voluntary. People should not feel pressure to give beyond their means or capacity, especially during the holidays, when expectations can be high.

    CNN: Who benefits most from giving?

    Wen: Benefits have been observed across age groups, but some populations appear to gain particular advantages. Older adults who volunteer often show better physical functioning and lower mortality risk. People who feel socially isolated may also have significant benefit because giving strengthens social ties and provides a sense of purpose.

    There is also growing evidence that adolescents and young adults benefit from prosocial behavior, with improved mental well-being. Researchers are studying whether structured kindness or volunteering programs can support health across the lifespan.

    CNN: How should people think about gift-giving during the holidays?

    Wen: The holidays can be a good time to rethink what giving means. Instead of focusing on cost or quantity, people might consider gifts that foster connection or shared experience. Time, attention and thoughtfulness matter more than price.

    It’s also important to set boundaries. Giving should not come with guilt or pressure. Choosing to give in ways that feel meaningful and opting out of expectations that cause stress is consistent with what the science suggests about healthy generosity.

    CNN: What’s the takeaway this holiday season?

    Wen: Giving can be good for health, but only when it is done thoughtfully and within one’s means. Science supports the idea that generosity can reduce stress, strengthen social bonds and improve both mental and physical well-being. The holidays offer an opportunity to practice generosity in ways that are healthy, sustainable, meaningful and connected to what matters most.

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    Katia Hetter and CNN

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  • “How Rewriting the Past Can Help You Overcome ADHD Shame”

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    Shame — that deep sense of inadequacy and unworthiness — has the unique ability to travel across time, informing our present and our future. While the work of rebuilding self-worth happens in the now, it also often requires a trip to the past.

    If shame weighs on you, loosen its grip by incorporating these two short exercises (the same I share with my clients) into your days. Over time, these activities will rewire your mind and shift your focus from perceived inadequacies to self-compassion, growth, and progress.

    Anti-Shame Activity: Alternative Endings

    Think of an incident that triggered shame. (Start small.) Come up with three different endings for this uncomfortable, even painful, situation that you can feel better about.

    ⚡ Read: 9 Truths About ADHD and Intense Emotions

    Say you felt ashamed recently for talking over an acquaintance. You can imagine an ending where you gently laughed off the interruption and said to them, “Sorry, I got so excited there that I couldn’t hold it in. Please, continue — I really want to hear what you have to say.”

    Develop goals based on what you learned from this activity. For example, you may want to come up with mantras to help you stay present and actively listen. You may also want to build a habit of quickly acknowledging, apologizing, and moving on when interruptions happen (which takes practice!).

    Imagined endings are not denial or daydreaming. They are therapy-based tools that force you to reckon with shame. They teach your brain a new route, encourage you to forgive yourself, and weaken shame’s hold. Don’t worry if this exercise feels awkward at first — forming new grooves takes time and practice.

    Anti-Shame Activity: Hidden Gifts

    Think of three people you know well in your life. For each, write down three of their strengths or good qualities. Then, ask them to do the same for you. You can say, “I’m doing an insights exercise. Would you be willing to share three strengths that you see me use when things get hard? One sentence is perfect.”

    💡 Read: How to Do a Strengths Inventory

    It may feel awkward to do this activity, but the response from my clients is overwhelmingly positive. Many note that it’s a profound experience filled with many surprises.

    Don’t think of this activity as your typical strengths and weaknesses list. Its purpose is not necessarily self-improvement, but self-insight and self-appreciation — strong antidotes to shame and feelings of inadequacy.

    Set a goal to review the responses regularly. Consider creating a reminder or monthly appointment on your calendar to nudge you to read through the responses.

    If your shame is tied to trauma, depression, or thoughts of self-harm, bring these exercises to a licensed clinician to ensure you have support.

    How to Get Rid of Shame: Next Steps

    SUPPORT ADDITUDE
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  • Girl, 9, becomes different person overnight, then comes rare diagnosis

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    Lacy was an outgoing, fun nine-year-old. Then, one night, everything changed. She became a shell of herself.

    Her mother, Crystal, 30, from Illinois, told Newsweek she can only describe last year as “hell.” Doctors said her first-born had anxiety and depression — but Crystal’s instincts told her something else was happening.

    Recently, Crystal shared a TikTok video on (@crysrenae) showing Lacy on her ninth birthday, sitting in front of a watermelon wedge with candles, her face blank beside her excited younger brother. The clip then cuts to this year: The same girl grinning from ear to ear in front of cake. The transformation has struck a chord online, drawing almost 40 million views.

    Crystal says the change came after Lacy received the right diagnosis and treatment. Now, she’s using her platform to raise awareness about pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, or PANS — a condition in which children develop sudden obsessive-compulsive symptoms or restrictive eating, alongside an abrupt and dramatic behavioral decline. The syndrome is often linked to infections, though a clear trigger isn’t always identified.

    The PANDAS Physicians Network (PPN) explains a related condition, PANDAS — pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections — is considered a subtype of PANS. It follows the same sudden-onset pattern but is specifically tied to a recent strep infection and can include tics and neurological changes.

    What Are the Symptoms?

    Children with PANS or PANDAS don’t just develop OCD-like behaviors or eating restriction overnight. They also experience a rapid onset of at least two other serious symptoms.

    These can include:

    • Severe anxiety
    • Mood swings or depression
    • Irritability or aggression
    • Regression in behavior
    • Sudden academic decline
    • Motor or sensory abnormalities
    • Physical issues such as sleep disruption

    Lacy suffered with all of the above; her mom told Newsweek that she was suddenly full of “rage.”

    What May Cause It?

    The PPN states researchers with believe simultaneous exposure to multiple infections can essentially “misfire” the immune system. In some cases, that may mean the body’s normal safeguards fail, allowing immune cells to attack healthy tissue. In others, the immune system may become overactivated and mistakenly target neuronal cells. Genetics may also play a role, with some children more predisposed to these abnormal immune responses than others.

    How Lacy “Changed Overnight”

    Crystal said the earliest signs appeared after Lacy developed food poisoning. She became intensely fearful of vomiting and started showing separation anxiety. She also stopped enjoying toys and TV shows.

    “She was checked out,” Crystal told Newsweek. “Little did we know that was the beginning of PANS.”

    Then, in July, her symptoms escalated dramatically.

    “She had a mental break and almost had an episode of psychosis,” her mother recalled. “One night, she became out of touch with reality and started banging on my door in the middle of the night, saying she needed to go to the hospital.

    “She didn’t know why, but she knew something was happening.

    “After that, she had many fear episodes, it was insane. She became a fear-ridden kid.”

    Lacy was seen by multiple doctors and repeatedly diagnosed with anxiety and depression. But Crystal says the behavior looked like something deeper — and far more frightening.

    “It seems horrible to say, but she almost seemed possessed, like something came over her body.

    “She was trying to run away. She felt trapped and was in utter terror.”

    Lacy began expressing suicidal thoughts, she destroyed her bedroom multiple times and smashed a window. By August, she was begging to be admitted to a psychiatric ward.

    “Everything happened so fast, she started to try and hurt herself and us,” Crystal said.

    “Anxiety wasn’t even the right word; she was scared of herself and so were her siblings.”

    Crystal said psychiatrists struggled to explain what was happening. Feeling out of options, the family started researching on their own — and came across PANS.

    “I was trying to figure out what happened, because I didn’t know who this child was,” she said.

    The Search for Help

    Crystal took Lacy out of the psychiatric ward in September, and her family drove to Indiana to see a PANS specialist.

    “I didn’t know it was a controversial diagnosis or that it would be an issue to get the diagnosis,” Crystal said.

    “It was the hardest thing I have ever dealt with, and I think I have post-traumatic stress disorder from it.”

    She stressed there were no major life events that could explain the shift and that Lacy’s grandmother moved in to help manage the chaos at home.

    “There were times when I thought she was going to kill one of us — not necessarily meaning to — but I thought my parents were going to have a heart attack from stress,” Crystal said.

    Lacy’s symptoms were often quieter in the morning, then worsened at night. She refused to sleep. The family cycled through care options, many of which were not covered by insurance.

    “A lot of insurance companies do not cover it, so we had to pay out of pocket,” Crystal said.

    “If it wasn’t for my parents, we wouldn’t have been able to fund it.”

    She estimates her parents spent more than $10,000 on testing and medication. Bloodwork screened for infections and abnormal antibodies.

    A Turning Point

    “From what I understand, her immune system attacked her brain, causing inflammation — autoimmune encephalitis — and she didn’t have control of her brain,” Crystal said.

    The family tried multiple antibiotics before one began to help. In December 2024, doctors recommended adding a very low-dose antipsychotic alongside antibiotics.

    “We were against it but we were so desperate,” she said.

    “It was a turning point.”

    On Christmas Day last year, Crystal said she saw her daughter return.

    “It was a miracle — she was happy, smiling, and living life again,” she said.

    Since then, Lacy has continued improving. She’s had setbacks, but her mother says she is largely back to herself. She also receives IVIG infusions, a treatment aimed at regulating immune function and preventing relapse.

    “Today, she is living life again — doing extracurricular activities and hanging out with her friends,” Crystal said.

    “I didn’t think this would be possible one year ago.”

    “She wasn’t eating then, and now she almost doesn’t have anxiety anymore.”

    “We are all doing much better as well.”

    “You Aren’t Alone”

    Crystal says she’s sharing Lacy’s story for the families who are still in the spiral she remembers all too clearly.

    “I want people to know they aren’t alone,” she said.

    “I was looking for anything I could find, desperate to find other parents going through it.”

    “I felt like I was living a life that nobody knew about.”

    “I felt alone and desperate to find other parents.”

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  • “7 Ways to Parent in the Age of Brain Rot”

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    Almost without exception, parents tell me the same story: Meltdowns, yelling, and door-slamming the moment their teen is forced to quit their video game, log off TikTok, or otherwise disengage with their preferred form of “brain rot.” The explosive reactions happen again and again, even after conversations and apologies for past transgressions.

    This behavior may look like defiance, but I argue that it’s a sign of dopamine withdrawal. No, that’s not far-fetched. We know that short-form content — think TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels — is carefully engineered to activate the brain’s dopamine centers.1 We also know that excessive consumption of short-form content is linked to poorer attention, depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness. Difficulty disengaging and regulating emotions offline is a common result.2

    It stands to reason that youth with ADHD, whose brains are wired for novelty and stimulation, and who have difficulty regulating, feel the effects of these digital dopamine hits (and withdrawals) more intensely.

    📱 Read: Why Screens Mesmerize Our Teens — and How to Break the Trance

    So, what can you do to release the latest brain rot’s hold over your child? Once you understand how dopamine drives your child’s reactions, the next step is to guide that chemistry instead of fight it. The strategies below will help your child regain calm and control and build healthier reward patterns.

    1. The Power-Down Countdown

    “Five more minutes” doesn’t mean much to ADHD brains. Visuals say a lot more. Try color-changing timers, countdown apps, or lamps that fade from green to red to signal that it’s almost time to switch away from screens. You can even turn it into a challenge: Log off before the light turns red to earn more allowance.

    2. Dopamine Down Shift

    Abruptly shutting off a heavy stream of dopamine destabilizes ADHD brains. Instead, move your child into a dopamine replacement activity that is short, satisfying, and active. That can be shooting a few baskets, racing around the living room, drawing for five minutes, or solving a short puzzle — anything will do, if it’s a real-world activity that reinforces to kids that stimulation is possible outside of digital realms.

    3. Cool Down Bridge

    To further help your child’s brain transition, try a cool down bridge — a short sensory ritual — to help soften the landing off devices. Some kids pace while listening to a favorite song, others stretch or splash cold water on their face. It doesn’t matter what the in-between activity is, only that it signals to the brain that it is time to switch gears to a calmer state.

    🕹️ Read: An “Ethics Manual” for Your Teen’s Electronics

    4. Collaborative Control Plans

    Chances are that your teen doesn’t want to have meltdowns, either. When your child is calm, invite them to help you come up with a plan to transition away from screens and devices. Ask, “What would help you stop without becoming too upset?” or “How could we make this easier next time?” Ownership builds cooperation.

    5. Dopamine Diversity Days

    Make one day each week a screen-break day. Go hiking, cook together, build something, or play music. Try not to frame the day as a loss, but as something your family is gaining. Say, “We’re giving our brains a different kind of fuel today.”

    6. Reclaim Dopamine Autonomy

    The goal is not to eliminate games, screens, or content from your teen’s life. It is to help them understand what certain forms of content do to their brain, health, and ability to stay in control. You can appeal to your teen’s natural desire for autonomy by talking about digital tactics that are meant to hijack their decision-making:

    “That streak is trying to trick your brain into FOMO.”

    “That timer wants you to log back in.”

    Celebrate when they skip a reward on purpose. Challenge them to see missing a “daily login” as proof of control.

    7. Examine Your Own Brain Rot

    Teen screen use is directly correlated with parental screen use.3 While you may not consume the same content as your child, it’s likely that your screen time could use some work. Set screen-free zones and times, such as during dinner or while doing homework. Try to keep devices out of bedrooms. Use timers and rituals to transition away from devices, too, (and make sure your child sees you doing so). Encourage ongoing, open conversations about screen use, its pros and cons, and its impact on mental health.

    Brain Rot and Teen Screen Time: Next Steps

    SUPPORT ADDITUDE
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    View Article Sources

    1 Su, C., Zhou, H., Gong, L., Teng, B., Geng, F., & Hu, Y. (2021). Viewing personalized video clips recommended by TikTok activates default mode network and ventral tegmental area. NeuroImage, 237, 118136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118136

    2 Nguyen, L., Walters, J., Paul, S., Monreal Ijurco, S., Rainey, G. E., Parekh, N., Blair, G., & Darrah, M. (2025). Feeds, feelings, and focus: A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the cognitive and mental health correlates of short-form video use. Psychological Bulletin, 151(9), 1125–1146. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000498

    3 Nagata, J. M., Paul, A., Yen, F., Smith-Russack, Z., Shao, I. Y., Al-Shoaibi, A. A. A., Ganson, K. T., Testa, A., Kiss, O., He, J., & Baker, F. C. (2025). Associations between media parenting practices and early adolescent screen use. Pediatric Research, 97(1), 403–410. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03243-y

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    Nathaly Pesantez

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  • “College Accommodations Are Not a Loophole. They Are a Civil Right.”

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    The following is a personal essay that reflects the opinion of its author.

    December 10, 2025

    As a director of disability services in higher education, I am deeply troubled by the framing and assumptions of such services in “Accommodation Nation” an article recently in The Atlantic that positions college accommodations as a burden, casts suspicion on students with disabilities, and erodes decades of progress made by disability advocates who have fought for equal access to education.

    Accommodations Are Not “Easily Gamed”

    It’s true that the number of students seeking accommodations has risen over the years as rates of diagnosed ADHD, anxiety, and other conditions have increased. But this is because diagnostic tools have improved dramatically, leading to increased identification. Increased identification is not a sign of manipulation, as The Atlantic article insinuates. It is the result of better science and long-overdue recognition.

    Yet articles like “Accommodation Nation” use these realities to cast doubt on students’ lived experiences. At my institution, students must go through multiple steps before accommodations are considered. They complete a detailed online application, provide documentation from licensed professionals that identify which major life activities are impacted by their condition(s), and outline specific functional limitations. I regularly follow up with providers to better understand the applicant’s diagnosis. Then I meet with the student to explore their needs, discuss barriers, and determine appropriate accommodations.

    Free Guide: How to Get Accommodations in College

    This is not a casual or “easily gamed” process, as The Atlantic suggests. It is a careful, legally grounded, individualized assessment rooted in education, awareness, and advocacy.

    The Right to Education, Not Exploitation

    What concerns me most about The Atlantic article is how it reinforces the false narrative that students with disabilities are inflating their needs or receiving unearned advantages. Disability services offices are not handing out “perks.” Rather, we are ensuring that students can access the same educational opportunities as their peers. That is the foundation of civil rights laws.

    The disability rights movement began in the 1960s and, before that, many individuals with disabilities were banned from education altogether. Today, that access to education translates to employment, independence, and contributions back to society. Undermining accommodations threatens to send us backward at a moment when the Department of Education itself is being dismantled and national conversations around mental health, ADHD, and neurodivergence are already steeped in stigma.

    Students with disabilities are not a burden. They are welcome at the table of higher education.

    Read: 4 Hallmarks of ADHD-Supportive Colleges

    Accessibility Is Not a Loophole

    One in four Americans lives with a disability. At my small college, roughly 25% of students are registered with disability services; I suspect there are another 10% who would qualify, but choose not to come forward because of stigma. Smaller schools often attract students seeking supportive, high-touch environments, and many students come to our offices only after years of struggling without assistance. For some, college is the first time they have access to health insurance, counseling services, and the availability of diagnostic testing.

    On that note, the Atlantic article also ignores pressing questions about youth mental health. Beyond increased awareness and better diagnostic tools, why are today’s young people experiencing higher rates of trauma  and mental health challenges? Could it have anything to do with the fact that today’s college students — who have grown up with active-shooter drills, unfettered access to largely unregulated social media platforms, and who are entering adulthood in an economically unstable, politically volatile, and rapidly changing world — have endured circumstances no previous cohort has faced?

    Ultimately, “Accommodation Nation” fails to acknowledge that an increase in student support does not signal abuse. It shows that students finally feel safe enough to seek services to bolster their education. It signals progress. At a time when students with disabilities already navigate bias, skepticism, and physical and attitudinal barriers, we do not need narratives that delegitimize their existence or imply their success is suspicious.

    We need investment, compassion, and the understanding that accessibility is not a loophole, but a civil right. We should be examining why students need support, not doubting whether they deserve it. We should be investing in and expanding accessibility, not undermining it. And we should be building universities that see disability not as an inconvenience, but as a natural and valuable part of the human experience.

    Jillian Lillibridge Heilman, Ph.D., CRC, is a disability expert with more than 20 years of experience in disability education and advocacy. She is the Director of Student Accessibility Services at a small New England college and provides training to other colleges and private organizations that seek to better serve individuals with disabilities.

    College Accommodations: More Resources

    SUPPORT ADDITUDE
    Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

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    Nathaly Pesantez

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