Mental Health

Chris Wragge and Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton examine a new Stanford University study that suggests feelings of love may be effective in relieving pain.

Max Kellerman explains possible changes to NFL rules after several serious injuries during games.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks about war's mental toll and a new treatment that uses your own body to help fight a tumor.

- Brain Cancer Treatment, possible brain cancer vaccine.
- Questioning Mammograms.
- They Call Him Dr. Q
- Mental & Physical Toll of War.
- Food For Life: How "Super Foods" Help Your Health
- How Sleep Affects Weight Loss

Invisible Wounds of War - U.S Troops Hospitalized in 2009, 17, 538 mental health issue, 11, 156 physical injury; battle wound = 2.5 increased rate of PTSD

Your friends may matter to you in ways that you can't even see - at the level of neural circuitry in the brain.

"It turns out that the brain's frontal midline, an area between the two hemispheres that is associated with socialization and the way you think about yourself, also shows a greater response from friends than strangers, even strangers with similar interests and lifestyles,"
"the scientists saw increased blood oxygenation levels in the frontal midline and associated regions. This indicates increased neuronal activity in those areas."

More than 1/3 of Americans are obese, and it's affecting both their health and wallet. CNN's Ali Velshi reports.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the alarming suicide and hospitalization rates among U.S. troops.

If you think your kids are wasting their time and withering their brains by playing on the computer, you may be mistaken.

- Learning how to use it, learning how to get information, answer questions and develop strategies.
- Hours at the computer were linked with test scores.
- Not all games are created equal.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks about a test that may help predict the onset of Alzheimer's.

- This is a pretty big deal in the world of neurology and neurosurgery.
- A spinal test to take a bit of cerebral fluid and analyze it for 2 proteins linked to Alzheimer's.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on a town poisoned by trace amounts of lead in 1970.

- Dr. Philip Landrigan research helped bring about a ban or lead paint and lead gasoline.
- The lead contamination causes loss of intelligence, disruptive behavior, a whole spectrum of damage to the brain and nervous system.

- technology leads to higher satisfaction, life satisfaction increases 10%.
- access to the internet increases well being and freedom, making life easier.
- low incomes benefit the most, a sense of empowerment and freedom.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on a new way to relieve the pain caused by cluster headaches.
- the worse type of headaches that happen several times a day, for weeks, and months
- researches believe the headaches origin from the hypothalamus
- 100% oxygen seems to be the best solution or peace of advice from Dr. Sanjay Gupta for 80% of the people.

Why it works: Setting higher expectations for yourself doesn't create stress—it actually provides a release valve for stress. A 2006 study found that people who set goals were less anxious, felt better about themselves, and found more meaning in their lives than did their free-floating counterparts. "Setting goals boosts mood by increasing the likelihood of success, which results in better feelings about yourself and life in general," says Jennifer S. Cheavens, Ph.D.

The First Lady’s number one health rule: Give yourself permission to be happy. Here she shares the eating habits, fitness routine, and secrets for inner confidence that she hopes to pass on to her daughters and the nation.

- Throughout my life, I’ve learned to make choices that make me happy and make sense for me.

New York magazine contributing editor Sarah Bernard shares with TODAY's Ann Curry simple steps you can take towards achieving happiness.

Dr. Lyubomirsky explains activities that might make you happier.

Perhaps no single food affects stress hormones, mood regulators, and appetite signalers as negatively as excess sugar. Learn to control sugar, and you'll go a long way toward controlling how you feel throughout the day.

This roller coaster ride often leaves people feeling drained, in a foul mood, and, usually, uncomfortably hungry.
Over time, your mood—not to mention the rest of your body—will benefit from it.

Things we sweep under the rug and thoughts we try not to think about fill our minds while we dream.

When subjects were told to avoid thinking about a certain someone before falling asleep, they were more likely to dream of that person than subjects asked to purposefully keep someone in mind.