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Antidepressants are believed to work by correcting a chemical imbalance, in particular a shortage of serotonin in the brain (this matters if you want to understand the placebo effect and antidepressants). But an analysis of published and unpublished data that the drug manufacturers had kept hidden showed that most of the benefit, if not all of it, comes down to the placebo effect. Some antidepressants raise serotonin levels, others lower them, and others have no effect on serotonin at all.

Everyone knows the possible consequences of "addictive" behaviour (addiction: dependence, a harmful habit, habituation), that is, of dependence on pleasure; to some degree it is familiar to us all. In this article we look at addiction from a different angle. The use of drugs (alcohol and the rest), their abuse and, finally, dependence on them is a problem not only for the addicted person but also for those close to them.

It so happens that our whole state and social system is geared towards studying and treating illness, both physical and psychological in nature. I, for my part, want to introduce you to a field, and to people, who looked in the direction of health and asked: "What keeps us healthy, whatever happens?" The aim of this article is to change your beliefs, to find your resources and to turn the focus of your attention to health rather than to illness (pathology).

Dementia covers the most widespread age-related neurological and psychiatric disorders, and the trend is growing. Alzheimer's disease accounts for about 2/3 of all dementias. The neurologist Dr Andreas Winkler, medical director of the Klinik Pirawarth, head of neurological rehabilitation and vice-president of Alzheimer Austria, answers the most important questions about preventing and treating dementia.