Tuesday news and blogs:
- Alice Miller obituary, Psychoanalyst who wrote The Drama of the Gifted Child — Guardian — Alice Miller, who has died aged 87, was an influential and controversial figure in the world of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. Her first book, The Drama of the Gifted Child (1979), sold millions worldwide. A Freudian analyst, she described how a child’s need for love was often exploited by parents in order to meet the parent’s own unmet needs. Unable to express their true feelings, these children grow up unhappy and depressed, out of touch with their real selves.
- Risk of Miscarriage Linked to SSRI Antidepressants — YahooHealth — the Canadian case-control study on more than 5,000 women found that by controlling for other factors associated with miscarriage, taking antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy led to an increased risk of miscarriage….In addition, she said, the study makes clear that the drugs, rather than the mothers’ depression and anxiety, are associated with an increased risk for miscarriage.
- Acupuncture’s Molecular Effects Pinned Down: New Insights Spur Effort to Boost Treatment’s Impact Significantly — Acupuncture releases adenosine, a natural compound that relieves pain, reduces inflammation and regulates sleep.
- Teacher who helped shape American Buddhism is still on a quest — LA Times — I spent a lot of time with Jack Kornfield when I lived about twenty minutes from Spirit Rock. I used to go to his Monday night meetings and I also did a short retreat with him. He’s been a great influence on me and I’ve always loved him. I’ve mentioned him on this blog a number of times. Like he says here, I do not consider myself a Buddhist.— “More and more, we’re teaching meditation not as a religious activity but as a support for living a wise and healthy and compassionate inner life,” Kornfield said recently. “A number of the people I teach don’t consider themselves Buddhists, which is absolutely fine with me. It’s much better to become a Buddha than a Buddhist.”