Clinical psychology

I think this research said that this link with a physical problem only applied to about 5% of all cases, so it is a question of psychosis as a rare side effect of an auto-immune disease rather than a major break through for most psychosis or schizophrenia patients.

Antibodies are made to order by the body to deal with each invasion, Tricia so they will come from within, but as a result of attacks from outside (JessM might know more on this, she has a book published on the immune system)

ps I've just looked age of onset and it's 18-25 for men and later in women - 25+.

That's interesting Izabella.
I think it's an accepted fact that schizophrenia commonly starts in late teens, when there are huge bodily changes going on, including the brain. These will be chemical too.
But does the article mean the antibodies come from within the body itself, or from outside?

luckygirl "Auricular acupuncture" is used in the treatment of stimulant addiction such as to cocaine. Interesting.

Re the ESN - that might explain why sometimes when I'm anxious, I get a stomach ache, literally "stomach in a knot". And the only thing that helps for it (for me) is to lie down with a hot water bottle on my tummy. Next time I shall twiddle my tragus too.

Yes I heard that. Interesting.

There has also been a very interesting article about the ESN = enteric nervous system - i.e. the complex brain system that resides in our guts. There is some suggestion that it is implicated in depression, PD and much more. They are trying stimulating the vagus nerve (which controls heaps of things, including the gut brain) to help in many illnesses - you can do this my twiddling the tragus (the hard bit of cartilage at the front of the ear that some mad people have a piercing in - ouch!). So many all we need is a bit of ear twiddling!