Think like a shrink

Yes, you too can see through the defenses people hide behind. To guide you, just consult the handy primer below. Put together by psychiatrist Emanuel H. Rosen, it distills years of Freudian analytical training into a few simple principles that make sense of our psyches.

I have always thought it horribly unfortunate that there is such a tremendous gap between psychiatry and popular culture. Psychiatrists are regularly vilified in entertainment, media, and common thought, and our patients are regularly stigmatized. Indeed, I've yet to see a single movie that accurately portrays what we do. From Silence of the Lambs to The Prince of Tides, we shrinks have a reputation as crazy unbalanced people who can read people's minds. Even the hit comedyThe Santa Clause made us out to be bimbos.

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Hearing loss may be an early sign of dementia

Gradual hearing loss is a common symptom of aging, but in some people it may also be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, a new study suggests.

The risk of dementia appears to rise as hearing declines. Older people with mild hearing impairment -- those who have difficulty following a conversation in a crowded restaurant, say -- were nearly twice as likely as those with normal hearing to develop dementia, the study found. Severe hearing loss nearly quintupled the risk of dementia.

Health.com: 25 signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

Family Meals Linked to Improved Asthma in Kids

A new study suggests children with asthma who spend quality time with their families by eating together are healthier than those who eat alone, while watching TV, or while others are busy chatting or texting on cell phones.

Previous studies have already shown that family meals can improve the well-being of children and teens and make them less likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors like substance abuse or eating disorders. But this study suggests eating together is also directly related to health in children with chronic illnesses like asthma.

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