Psychotherapie Praxis Dr. Saba Khodayarifard

12/10/2025

Research has revealed that men should abstain from alcohol for at least 3 months before trying to conceive to improve s***m quality and fertility outcomes and to reduce the risk of birth defects and other health issues in their offspring. Paternal drinking, particularly in the weeks or months before IVF treatment, has also been linked to a higher risk of miscarriage!!!

To elaborate, alcohol consumption negatively affects s***m production and health in several ways, with heavy chronic drinking being the most damaging. Studies show that men who consume more than 5 alcoholic drinks per week have a lower total s***m count and concentration.

Alcohol impairs a s***m cell’s ability to swim properly, making it more difficult for it to reach and fertilize an egg. Heavy drinkers are also more likely to have abnormally shaped s***m (poor morphology), which also reduces fertilization chances. Alcohol can also cause DNA damage in s***m cells through oxidative stress, leading to genetic issues and birth defects. Research has also found that alcohol disrupts DNA methylation in s***m, which can alter how genes are expressed in the resulting embryo.

Paternal drinking before conception has also been linked to increased risks for the baby, even if the father stops drinking right before the pregnancy occurs. Fathers who drink in the months before conception have a significantly higher risk of having a baby born with a congenital heart defect.

This risk is even greater for binge drinkers. Emerging research suggests that male alcohol consumption can increase the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (previously blamed solely on a woman’s alcohol use during pregnancy) and other alcohol-related developmental problems, such as facial defects and brain abnormalities. A 2022 study found an association between paternal preconception alcohol consumption and an increased risk of behavioral issues in children, including anxiety, sleep problems and rule-breaking behaviors.

PMID: 35010587

12/10/2025

A groundbreaking 2025 study published in Science Advances has revealed that while women experience a decline in the number of eggs as they age, the quality of those eggs at the DNA level remains surprisingly stable. In contrast, men’s s***m accumulates genetic mutations over time, making older fathers more likely to pass on DNA errors that can contribute to developmental and neurological conditions in their children.

Researchers found that these s***m mutations increase steadily with age, particularly after 40, while eggs showed minimal DNA damage accumulation. This challenges decades of assumptions about female fertility and aging — and flips the traditional “biological clock” narrative on its head.

The implications are significant: men’s age can influence conception success, pregnancy outcomes, and long-term child health just as much as women’s.

In essence, time affects both s*xes — just in very different ways.

02/10/2025

For years, many believed motivation came first, that you needed to feel inspired before taking action. Neuroscience is now turning that idea upside down. New research shows that effort doesn’t come from motivation; instead, motivation comes from effort. When you push yourself to act, even in small steps, your brain rewards you with dopamine, the chemical linked to pleasure, focus, and drive. That dopamine surge makes you feel accomplished, which in turn fuels more action.

It’s a cycle that starts not with inspiration but with movement. For example, dragging yourself to the gym may feel impossible at first, but once you begin, the brain releases dopamine, making you want to continue. The same applies to studying, working on projects, or even daily chores. Action activates the brain’s reward system, and each completed effort makes the next step easier.

This discovery flips the way we think about productivity. Waiting for motivation before acting often leaves us stuck, but starting with action, even tiny, simple actions, kickstarts the brain’s chemical engine. Neuroscience proves that discipline and effort create the spark, while motivation grows as a natural byproduct.

In a world full of distractions, this insight is powerful. It means you don’t need to wait for the perfect moment or the right mood. Start moving, and your brain will follow. Every action you take plants the seed for more energy, more focus, and greater success. The secret isn’t waiting to feel ready,it’s acting first and letting the brain reward you for it.

25/09/2025

A Cambridge study finds over-activity in one brain area triggers depression, anxiety, and heart disease.

A single brain region may hold the key to understanding why depression, anxiety, and even heart disease often go hand in hand. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) as a central hub where over-activity can trigger a cascade of physical and emotional symptoms.

When this region becomes hyperactive, it not only heightens threat responses—like anxiety and fear—but also suppresses the brain's reward circuits, leading to symptoms such as anhedonia, or the inability to feel pleasure.

Notably, sgACC over-activity also activated the cardiovascular stress system, increasing heart rate and cortisol, linking it to the physical toll of mental illness.

The study, conducted in non-human primates, revealed that while certain symptoms like lack of motivation could be reversed by ketamine, others—like anxiety responses—were unaffected, suggesting that different symptoms of depression and anxiety are driven by distinct neural circuits. Brain scans showed sgACC over-activity ramps up the amygdala and hypothalamus (stress response centers) while dialing down areas responsible for emotion regulation. This discovery could pave the way for more targeted mental health treatments, recognizing that not all symptoms respond equally to the same therapy. In short, the sgACC appears to sit at the intersection of emotional distress and physical health—highlighting the need for personalized, symptom-specific interventions.

Source: Alexander, L., Wood, C.M., Gaskin, P.L.R., et al. Over-activation of primate subgenual cingulate cortex enhances the cardiovascular, behavioral and neural responses to threat. Nature Communications.

21/09/2025

Artificial sweeteners are dangerous. Period.

🚨 Your "sugar-free" choices may be harming your brain.

New research reveals a 62% faster decline in memory and thinking linked to common artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin.

A new study published in Neurology has raised fresh concerns about the long-term cognitive effects of artificial sweeteners.

Tracking over 12,000 Brazilian adults for an average of eight years, researchers found that individuals who consumed the most sugar substitutes—including aspartame, saccharin, and xylitol—experienced a 62% faster decline in memory and thinking skills compared to those who consumed the least.

Alarmingly, the fastest rates of decline were seen in participants under 60 and those with diabetes, suggesting that midlife may be a particularly vulnerable period for brain health when it comes to sweetener exposure.

While the study did not establish a direct cause, the strong association points to potential risks of frequent artificial sweetener use—especially in sugar-free processed foods. Experts urge caution and suggest focusing on whole foods and reducing reliance on artificially sweetened products. As the science continues to evolve, these findings highlight a need for greater awareness about how everyday dietary choices may impact brain function over time.

Source: Suemoto, C. K., et al. (2024). Artificial sweetener consumption and cognitive decline: A cohort study. Neurology, American Academy of Neurology.

09/09/2025

07/09/2025

No big surprise there

🚨 New study finds people who smoke to***co and cannabis have twice as much anxiety and depression.

People who use both to***co and cannabis face significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to those who use just one—or neither—of the substances, according to a large new study published in PLOS ONE.

Researchers analyzed mental health data from over 53,000 U.S. adults collected between 2020 and 2022 through the COVID-19 Citizen Science Study. They found that more than one in four co-users reported symptoms of anxiety (26.5%) and depression (28.3%), nearly double the rates seen in non-users. In contrast, people who used only to***co or only cannabis showed lower—but still elevated—mental health challenges.

While the study stops short of confirming a cause-and-effect relationship, the findings underscore a strong correlation between co-use of these substances and poorer mental health outcomes. With cannabis use rising alongside ongoing to***co consumption, the authors emphasize the need to integrate mental health support into public health efforts aimed at substance cessation.

As co-use becomes more common, especially in regions where cannabis is legal, this research offers critical insight into the psychological risks involved and the importance of a more holistic approach to addiction treatment and mental health care.

paper
“Associations between to***co and cannabis use and anxiety and depression among adults in the United States: Findings from the COVID-19 citizen science study” by Nhung Nguyen et al., 13 September 2023, PLOS ONE.

02/09/2025

Smart kids from poor families start off strong, but something changes in secondary school.

Researchers tracked kids who scored in the top 25% on cognitive tests at age 5 and compared outcomes based on family income. They found that high-achieving children from poor families kept up with their wealthier peers all the way through primary school. But between ages 11 and 14, right when students transition into secondary school, those from low-income backgrounds started to fall behind in multiple areas.

Their school performance dropped, they felt less motivated, and their behavior and mental health worsened more than those of wealthier students with similar early test scores. The study, which followed nearly 19,000 children from birth to age 17, suggests that it's not ability holding these kids back, it’s what happens around them. Kids from wealthier families often have more resources, stable home environments, and access to better schools and extracurricular opportunities. However, children in lower-income households may face more stress, fewer learning supports, and greater risk of mental health struggles or bullying, all of which can erode their progress over time.

The researchers were careful to account for factors like differences in early test scores, so the findings reveal that the decline isn't about talent, it’s about environment. By the end of primary school, these bright but disadvantaged kids were still holding their own. But in secondary school, without the same level of support or opportunity, many began to struggle.

The paper, “What happens to bright 5-year-olds from poor backgrounds? Longitudinal evidence from the Millennium Cohort Study,” was authored by John Jerrim and Maria Palma Carvajal.

17/08/2025

A married man’s hidden bis*xual life; a PhD student’s sideline in s*x work; a nun’s fear of pregnancy – over my long career, all have been laid bare in the intimate space of my consulting room

16/08/2025

I am less interested in trying to bring out the truth as such than I am in encouraging people to look at and live their reality in more flexible and open ways. If the therapy is successful, this in no way proves that what I have said corresponds to any kind of reality. My theorizing is purely pragmatic.
- my teacher, Mony Elkaïm, from If You Love Me, Don’t Love Me: Constructions of Reality and Change in Family Therapy -

21/04/2025

A new study shows that psilocybin obliterates your neural fingerprint.

“Their individuality is temporarily wiped out."

A new brain-imaging study has revealed that psilocybin — the active compound in magic mushrooms — temporarily "wipes out" your brain’s unique neural fingerprint, leading to a radically altered and more flexible state of mind.

Participants in the study who took high doses of psilocybin experienced desynchronized brain activity, especially within the default mode network (DMN), which governs self-reflection, memory, and internal dialogue. While the most intense effects occurred during the trip, the brain’s connectivity remained loosened for up to three weeks afterward, suggesting long-lasting changes in how the brain communicates.

Researchers liken this shift to a neurological reset: individual brain patterns became so scrambled during the trip that participants' brain scans were no longer distinguishable from each other — a physical mirror of the often-reported loss of self during psychedelic experiences. This increase in neural randomness may help explain why psilocybin is showing promise as a treatment for depression and other mental health conditions. By breaking rigid patterns of thought, the brain becomes more malleable, potentially allowing for greater emotional insight and cognitive flexibility long after the psychedelic effects wear off.