life advisory
A list of very relevant research
Antidepressants are dangerous: A new study shows that withdrawal from antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs) is worse than other classes of mood-altering drugs. It can last a very long time—and result in permanent damage, i.e. “persistent post-withdrawal disorder.” This makes it near-impossible to quit the medication. The bigger point: the theory that mental illness is a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain may be fundamentally flawed. Big Think has more on the findings. And here is a list of commonly prescribed SSRIs and SNRIs.
Urban farming is excellent: A Princeton study found that people who garden have higher emotional well-being than those who pursue other daily activities. More importantly: the level of happiness is higher for vegetable gardeners than for other kinds of gardeners: “This might be because of the relationship you build with your vegetable plants as you watch them grow and mature over the course of the planting season.” We humans will bond with anything—even a tamatar:)
Attention, weed lovers! Your ‘experience’ of any form of cannabis changes as you get older. The reason: over the years, your body gets used to a certain level of THC—the compound that interacts with your brain. And the effects can vary wildly from one person to another. So toking can become more pleasurable, or very unpleasant as you age.