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The FDA just approved the first app for treating substance abuse (CNBC):
“The app, developed by a start-up called Pear Therapeutics, is designed to be prescribed by clinician and used alongside counseling.
Pear’s technology digitizes a form of talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which focuses on “examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors”, [Read more…] about FDA clears first CBT-based digital therapeutic to treat substance abuse disorders
Two good recent pieces in The New York Times bring to the forefront the need to question status quo mindset and practices about how to measure and enhance brain health.
At some point in their lives, 5 to 12 percent of American men and 10–25 percent of women will suffer an episode of depression, making it the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder today. Unlike normal sadness, which passes with time, depression feels unstoppable and causes people to lose interest in nearly all activities. Because it affects a person’s ability to eat, sleep, work, and function normally, it exacts a huge cost on the economy, estimated at $30 billion dollars annually. The cost in human suffering cannot be measured.