2-2.5 years of our youth with under paying by government, worse then those FW is taking now......... and after that 10 years (shorten, it use to be 13 years) of annual called back for staying in good class outfield with snakes, rotten and others?...is it a big chore? No of course, it is an unfair chore. We should be proud you say? No of course.... what is there to be proud of?
What is Singapore now???!!! Not a country but only a city.... why should local here serve while other just fly in to enjoy and had their a55 covered??? Benefits? Since when there is any ... if you are talking about the income tax rebate...you can have mine and you take over me lor..... GST credit??? I give you mine and make sure they dun increase the GST....anymore "benefits" they gave for NS men?
It is a huge sacrifice indeed.......you went to NS?
Friday, February 18, 2011
singapore conscription drain its own talent pool
After all, sons of wealthy families often studied abroad to try to avoid the call-up, which applied to those aged 18-26, and generations of fathers, uncles and elder brothers have regaled family dinner tables with tales of waste, mismanagement, homesickness and futility.
==========
Declaring the end of an era, Italy has scrapped conscription to make way for a more professional army, leaving only a legacy of nostalgia, pride and cruel British jokes.
For Italians the army consigned to history yesterday was a source of unity, courage and honour, not laughter. The volunteer force that will take its place, giving women a military role for the first time, makes total sense. But its arrival was tinged with regret.
A young, fractious country born only in 1861, Italy relied on conscription to forge a sense of nationhood by jumbling together southerners and northerners. For generations of Italians who did not even speak the same language, it succeeded.
British schoolboys snigger at Benito Mussolini's incompetent forays into north Africa, and the switch to the Allies as the tide of the second world war changed, but Italians remember their army for other things.
A ragtag, outnumbered force which united the country against the odds was its progenitor. In Alpine valleys it eventually hammered the Austrians and Germans in the first world war, losing 600,000 men in the process. It has been deployed in southern Italy and Sicily to counter terrorism and the mafia.
In peacekeeping and relief operations in Lebanon, Namibia, East Timor and Kurdistan it has earned respect. It has shouldered much of Nato's burden in the Balkans. Not a slick killing machine, but one worthy of pride, reckon most Italians.
Yet the senate voted overwhelmingly to abolish conscription, a procedure started two centuries ago by Napoleon Bonaparte. Over the next seven years the 270,000-strong force will shrink to 190,000 volunteers.
Opposed only by the far-left Refounded Communists, the law is intended to boost the army's aptitude for peace-keeping. As well as short-term savings, an end to conscription means higher salaries, improved training and better equipment.
"While military personnel will be sensibly reduced, the number of troops that we will actually be able to deploy on international missions will increase," said defence minister Sergio Mattarella.
Defence spending is expected to rise 50% in the next few years. Conscription, otherwise known as naja, can be reactivated in times of war or international crisis.
Following similar moves in France and Germany, Italy is to abolish its draft from January 2003; eight of European Union's 17 members now done likewise. Commentators agreed the move was sound but could not help mourning what will be lost.
The force, after all, will change almost beyond recognition. A first generation of female officer cadets have recently signed up after an eight-year campaign by the Association of Aspiring Women Soldiers (Anados). By 2002 women will be able to volunteer for every sector of the armed forces.
Less positively, an elite alpine unit protested that the army's unifying influence would crumble due to the disproportionate number of volunteers expected from the jobless south, lured by the prospect of £635 a month. For a shop assistant on £2-an-hour, that's not bad.
Charities also expressed concern at losing the annual help of around 100,000 conscientious objectors who were allowed to serve their 10-month stint doing voluntary work; grumpy some might have been, but they were like manna from heaven.
The Refounded Communists reiterated the argument, echoed in Germany, that conscripts ensured the army remained linked to the people, thus acting as a bulwark against militarisation and coups.
Yet for males born after 1985, the cut-off date for the new law, such fears are for fuddy duddies. Where those born before may still have to serve their military service as the draft is phased out, they will be the first generation grateful to escape a 10-month sentence of boredom.
After all, sons of wealthy families often studied abroad to try to avoid the call-up, which applied to those aged 18-26, and generations of fathers, uncles and elder brothers have regaled family dinner tables with tales of waste, mismanagement, homesickness and futility.
Few were surprised last month when auditors discovered that the army had stored enough clothing and kit to last for the next 3,000 years. An inspection revealed warehouses bursting with tons of forgotten shoes, boots, underwear, hairbrushes and uniforms, including some for children or extremely small adults. Clearly a spring-clean has been long overdue.
Email
==========
Declaring the end of an era, Italy has scrapped conscription to make way for a more professional army, leaving only a legacy of nostalgia, pride and cruel British jokes.
For Italians the army consigned to history yesterday was a source of unity, courage and honour, not laughter. The volunteer force that will take its place, giving women a military role for the first time, makes total sense. But its arrival was tinged with regret.
A young, fractious country born only in 1861, Italy relied on conscription to forge a sense of nationhood by jumbling together southerners and northerners. For generations of Italians who did not even speak the same language, it succeeded.
British schoolboys snigger at Benito Mussolini's incompetent forays into north Africa, and the switch to the Allies as the tide of the second world war changed, but Italians remember their army for other things.
A ragtag, outnumbered force which united the country against the odds was its progenitor. In Alpine valleys it eventually hammered the Austrians and Germans in the first world war, losing 600,000 men in the process. It has been deployed in southern Italy and Sicily to counter terrorism and the mafia.
In peacekeeping and relief operations in Lebanon, Namibia, East Timor and Kurdistan it has earned respect. It has shouldered much of Nato's burden in the Balkans. Not a slick killing machine, but one worthy of pride, reckon most Italians.
Yet the senate voted overwhelmingly to abolish conscription, a procedure started two centuries ago by Napoleon Bonaparte. Over the next seven years the 270,000-strong force will shrink to 190,000 volunteers.
Opposed only by the far-left Refounded Communists, the law is intended to boost the army's aptitude for peace-keeping. As well as short-term savings, an end to conscription means higher salaries, improved training and better equipment.
"While military personnel will be sensibly reduced, the number of troops that we will actually be able to deploy on international missions will increase," said defence minister Sergio Mattarella.
Defence spending is expected to rise 50% in the next few years. Conscription, otherwise known as naja, can be reactivated in times of war or international crisis.
Following similar moves in France and Germany, Italy is to abolish its draft from January 2003; eight of European Union's 17 members now done likewise. Commentators agreed the move was sound but could not help mourning what will be lost.
The force, after all, will change almost beyond recognition. A first generation of female officer cadets have recently signed up after an eight-year campaign by the Association of Aspiring Women Soldiers (Anados). By 2002 women will be able to volunteer for every sector of the armed forces.
Less positively, an elite alpine unit protested that the army's unifying influence would crumble due to the disproportionate number of volunteers expected from the jobless south, lured by the prospect of £635 a month. For a shop assistant on £2-an-hour, that's not bad.
Charities also expressed concern at losing the annual help of around 100,000 conscientious objectors who were allowed to serve their 10-month stint doing voluntary work; grumpy some might have been, but they were like manna from heaven.
The Refounded Communists reiterated the argument, echoed in Germany, that conscripts ensured the army remained linked to the people, thus acting as a bulwark against militarisation and coups.
Yet for males born after 1985, the cut-off date for the new law, such fears are for fuddy duddies. Where those born before may still have to serve their military service as the draft is phased out, they will be the first generation grateful to escape a 10-month sentence of boredom.
After all, sons of wealthy families often studied abroad to try to avoid the call-up, which applied to those aged 18-26, and generations of fathers, uncles and elder brothers have regaled family dinner tables with tales of waste, mismanagement, homesickness and futility.
Few were surprised last month when auditors discovered that the army had stored enough clothing and kit to last for the next 3,000 years. An inspection revealed warehouses bursting with tons of forgotten shoes, boots, underwear, hairbrushes and uniforms, including some for children or extremely small adults. Clearly a spring-clean has been long overdue.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
we serve ns BUT FT got better deals = we kenna con
Republic poly Hostels Are Reserved For Foreign Students
I have been told that Republic Poly has reserved its student hostel accommodation for foreign students. The rooms are rented out to foreign students at preferential and subsidised rates. Singaporeans are not eligible to rent student hostel accommodation.
Some SG students who are staying far away from RP have resorted to rent nearby Woodlands HDB flats at market rates which is much higher than the hostel rates. Why shd SG students be discriminated and not be eligible for RP student accommodation? Some of the students have done their 2-yr National Service and they are frustrated. All they want is to be allowed to rent RP student hostel accommodation. Is that too much to ask as these have been offerred to foreign studens?
Why is the pap discriminating against Singapore RP students and favour foreign students?
It's only in Singapore that the govt discriminate against its own citizen and favour foreigners.
Time for Singaporeans to speak out against PAP's discrimination against its own citizens
I have been told that Republic Poly has reserved its student hostel accommodation for foreign students. The rooms are rented out to foreign students at preferential and subsidised rates. Singaporeans are not eligible to rent student hostel accommodation.
Some SG students who are staying far away from RP have resorted to rent nearby Woodlands HDB flats at market rates which is much higher than the hostel rates. Why shd SG students be discriminated and not be eligible for RP student accommodation? Some of the students have done their 2-yr National Service and they are frustrated. All they want is to be allowed to rent RP student hostel accommodation. Is that too much to ask as these have been offerred to foreign studens?
Why is the pap discriminating against Singapore RP students and favour foreign students?
It's only in Singapore that the govt discriminate against its own citizen and favour foreigners.
Time for Singaporeans to speak out against PAP's discrimination against its own citizens
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
what is wrong with NS for Singapore ?
The essense of the issue is
1) by having NS , we are doing what malaysia has been doing to its population IE chasing the most hardworking and risk taking and inteligent out of the country.
2) by having NS , we become morally bankrupt for it is just slavery whether it is one year or two year.
In running a country we must think of the the furthest consequences of a policy and NS has done irreparable damages to our population base of genuine singaporean talents as witness today the rubbish we bring into the country. This is not some high falutin prediction on hindsight but have been constantly hammered and highlighted on internet forum for more than 10 years.
1) by having NS , we are doing what malaysia has been doing to its population IE chasing the most hardworking and risk taking and inteligent out of the country.
2) by having NS , we become morally bankrupt for it is just slavery whether it is one year or two year.
In running a country we must think of the the furthest consequences of a policy and NS has done irreparable damages to our population base of genuine singaporean talents as witness today the rubbish we bring into the country. This is not some high falutin prediction on hindsight but have been constantly hammered and highlighted on internet forum for more than 10 years.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
local males demoted to new lows
local males demoted to new lows
we do NS for free no pay while
FT vegetation get billion dollars air con office.
=======================
SINGAPORE: Singapore's latest national project, Gardens by the Bay, overcame funding difficulties to reach its first milestone on Tuesday with the capping of one of its two giant conservatories, the Flower Dome.
The project faced rising construction costs when work started in 2007, leading overall cost to increase by more than 10 percent to over S$1 billion.
But with more public and private funding and the use of cost-efficient technology, the project was able to take off, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan.
"We managed to do some value engineering, bring the cost down slightly and then ask for more funds. And I think the Finance Ministry was very understanding and managed to give us the funds. And we're also of course going for corporate sponsorships," he said.
For example, the Kingfisher Lake - one of two main lakes in Gardens by the Bay - was sponsored a million dollars by Japanese company Kikkoman last year.
Securing the final glass panel of the Flower Dome conservatory on Tuesday, Mr Mah described the "Capping-Up" ceremony as a milestone in a "long journey".
He said that the Flower Dome, along with the second conservatory the Cloud Forest, are not just "architectural icons" but an "amalgamation of architectural, environmental engineering and horticultural excellence."
The Flower Dome will feature Mediterranean-type plants, while the Cloud Forest, which is under construction, will mirror tropical high elevation regions like those in South America and Mount Kinabalu in Sabah.
The two conservatories were designed with environmental sustainability in mind, applying cutting-edge technologies that provide energy-efficient solutions in cooling.
The facade of the 1.2-hectare Flower Dome is made up of 3,300 special glass panels, which let in the sunlight while keeping the heat out. This allows the conservatory to mimic the cool-dry climate of the Mediterranean.
To ensure energy efficiency, only areas occupied by plants and visitors will be cooled.
The conservatory is divided into smaller gardens featuring plants such as poppy flowers from California and Cat's Paw plants from Australia. One of the gardens - the Flower Field - will have changing displays including tulips and lavender.
The conservatory will also have an event space which can be rented out for weddings and other functions. There will also be two restaurants within the conservatory - one serving Mediterranean cuisine and the other, Chinese.
The Flower Dome is part of Bay South - the first of three gardens in Gardens by the Bay.
Construction for Bay South is expected to be completed by November, and opened to the public in June next year.
Explaining the time difference, Mr Mah said the plants need time to grow.
NParks says previews of Bay South will be arranged for organised groups from February next year.
It adds that the preview period will help the Gardens ease into its operations and allow the public to provide feedback.
The public will also get a sneak peek of the Flower Dome in November this year, during the World Orchid Conference.
- CNA/ir
we do NS for free no pay while
FT vegetation get billion dollars air con office.
=======================
SINGAPORE: Singapore's latest national project, Gardens by the Bay, overcame funding difficulties to reach its first milestone on Tuesday with the capping of one of its two giant conservatories, the Flower Dome.
The project faced rising construction costs when work started in 2007, leading overall cost to increase by more than 10 percent to over S$1 billion.
But with more public and private funding and the use of cost-efficient technology, the project was able to take off, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan.
"We managed to do some value engineering, bring the cost down slightly and then ask for more funds. And I think the Finance Ministry was very understanding and managed to give us the funds. And we're also of course going for corporate sponsorships," he said.
For example, the Kingfisher Lake - one of two main lakes in Gardens by the Bay - was sponsored a million dollars by Japanese company Kikkoman last year.
Securing the final glass panel of the Flower Dome conservatory on Tuesday, Mr Mah described the "Capping-Up" ceremony as a milestone in a "long journey".
He said that the Flower Dome, along with the second conservatory the Cloud Forest, are not just "architectural icons" but an "amalgamation of architectural, environmental engineering and horticultural excellence."
The Flower Dome will feature Mediterranean-type plants, while the Cloud Forest, which is under construction, will mirror tropical high elevation regions like those in South America and Mount Kinabalu in Sabah.
The two conservatories were designed with environmental sustainability in mind, applying cutting-edge technologies that provide energy-efficient solutions in cooling.
The facade of the 1.2-hectare Flower Dome is made up of 3,300 special glass panels, which let in the sunlight while keeping the heat out. This allows the conservatory to mimic the cool-dry climate of the Mediterranean.
To ensure energy efficiency, only areas occupied by plants and visitors will be cooled.
The conservatory is divided into smaller gardens featuring plants such as poppy flowers from California and Cat's Paw plants from Australia. One of the gardens - the Flower Field - will have changing displays including tulips and lavender.
The conservatory will also have an event space which can be rented out for weddings and other functions. There will also be two restaurants within the conservatory - one serving Mediterranean cuisine and the other, Chinese.
The Flower Dome is part of Bay South - the first of three gardens in Gardens by the Bay.
Construction for Bay South is expected to be completed by November, and opened to the public in June next year.
Explaining the time difference, Mr Mah said the plants need time to grow.
NParks says previews of Bay South will be arranged for organised groups from February next year.
It adds that the preview period will help the Gardens ease into its operations and allow the public to provide feedback.
The public will also get a sneak peek of the Flower Dome in November this year, during the World Orchid Conference.
- CNA/ir
Monday, February 14, 2011
if hdb treat FT and citizens equally then likewise for SAF.
if hdb treat FT and citizens equally
then likewise for SAF. So should not NS be abolish too ?
==================
HDB abolishes sibling scheme
By Satish Cheney | Posted: 14 February 2011 1900 hrs
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1110682/1/.html
SINGAPORE: Unmarried Singaporean and Permanent Resident (PR) siblings whose parents live overseas can no longer buy a new or resale HDB flat, from Monday.
The government said they can either rent a room or a small flat from the open market.
It said with the liberalisation of the subletting market for HDB flats over the years, the Citizen-Singapore PR sibling scheme, introduced since 1990, is now no longer necessary.
Previously, the government allowed unmarried Singaporean siblings to buy a new or resale HDB flat, while PR siblings could buy a resale flat on a case-by-case basis with certain conditions attached.
Senior Minister of State for National Development & Education Grace Fu said: "As HDB has been very stringent in assessing applications for this scheme, the number of such cases is small.
"There are about 300 cases each year, or less than one per cent of total flat transactions".
-CNA/wk
then likewise for SAF. So should not NS be abolish too ?
==================
HDB abolishes sibling scheme
By Satish Cheney | Posted: 14 February 2011 1900 hrs
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1110682/1/.html
SINGAPORE: Unmarried Singaporean and Permanent Resident (PR) siblings whose parents live overseas can no longer buy a new or resale HDB flat, from Monday.
The government said they can either rent a room or a small flat from the open market.
It said with the liberalisation of the subletting market for HDB flats over the years, the Citizen-Singapore PR sibling scheme, introduced since 1990, is now no longer necessary.
Previously, the government allowed unmarried Singaporean siblings to buy a new or resale HDB flat, while PR siblings could buy a resale flat on a case-by-case basis with certain conditions attached.
Senior Minister of State for National Development & Education Grace Fu said: "As HDB has been very stringent in assessing applications for this scheme, the number of such cases is small.
"There are about 300 cases each year, or less than one per cent of total flat transactions".
-CNA/wk
NS dirty secret = produce many crazies in our population
Schizophrenia and Stress
A Diverse Illness
Given similar treatments, some patients with schizophrenia recover completely; some are able to work and have families. However, more than half experience some degree of disability throughout their lives, while an additional 25% require lifelong care. It is not clear what accounts for these differences. One answer may be stress. Researchers suspect that stress worsens the course of illness by increasing the body's production of a substance called cortisol, which can damage an area of the brain called the hippocampus.
There is a growing body of evidence supporting the idea that stress and schizophrenia are closely linked.(16) One groundbreaking study found that 46% of patients who experienced their first bout of schizophrenia underwent some stressful life event in the preceding three months.(17)(18)
The Effects of Stress on the Body and on the Brain
Medical scientists have demonstrated that stress can cause physical damage to the brain. Although schizophrenia is not the only illness that is connected to stress, the so-called "stress cascade" appears to play an important role in schizophrenia.
The stress cascade begins with the release of certain hormones in the brain. This release, in turn, triggers physiological effects that make your heart work more, shunt blood away from the digestive system and set up the "fight or flight" reaction, a state of high arousal, increased vigilance and excessive levels of cortisol.(19)
Combat veterans with PTSD suffer a loss of hippocampal volume. In fact, there is a direct link between how these veterans perform on standard memory tests and the size of their hippocampus.
Stress and cortisol have been shown to damage -- and even destroy -- nerve cells in the hippocampus, which plays an important role in memory. These elements of the stress cascade -- excessive cortisol production, damage to the hippocampus and impairment in certain types of memory related to the hippocampus, all occur commonly in patients with schizophrenia.(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)
Research has shown that patients with schizophrenia have smaller hippocampal volumes than people without the disease.(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)
This is backed up by studies that have found that individuals with schizophrenia suffer from problems in areas of brain functions that are associated with the hippocampus, such as memory and the ability to coordinate and carry out tasks.(37)
Stress, Cortisol, Memory and the Hippocampus
A number of studies in the last several years have confirmed a strong connection between stress, high cortisol levels, damage to the hippocampus and memory. This connection shows up across a wide range of human medical conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Cushing's disease, overexposure to steroid drugs, aging and depression.
For example, combat veterans with PTSD suffer a loss of hippocampal volume. In fact, there is a direct link between how these veterans perform on standard memory tests and the size of their hippocampus. Adult survivors of childhood abuse also have both smaller hippocampi and impaired memory. Problems regulating cortisol production ("cortisol dysregulation") and small hippocampal size are also common in depression.(38)
Chronic stress by itself seems to cause wear and tear on the brain. Cortisol levels increase with age and studies have shown shrinkage of the hippocampus and memory impairment even in healthy older people.
Cushing's disease is an illness that causes the body to make too much cortisol. Patients with Cushing's have memory problems that can actually be reversed when the disease is successfully treated.
Finally, both healthy research subjects who take medications that resemble cortisol, such as prednisone, and patients who take these medications for medical reasons, demonstrate these same reversible memory problems.
New Possibilities for the Treatment of Schizophrenia
Cognitive deficits such as problems with memory are a major component of schizophrenia.(39)(40) If these problems are related to the stress cascade, as they seem to be, then the exciting possibility exists that reducing stress may be an effective way of treating the disease.(41)
Not only may stress management techniques prevent the onset or lessen the severity of schizophrenia, delay relapse in those already ill and reduce overall anxiety, (42)(43)(44)(45) but studies indicate that cells within a damaged hippocampus can regenerate when stress or cortisol is reduced.
There are also several drugs with good safety records that seem to prevent stress-induced damage to the hippocampus. These include tianeptine, 46 an anti-depressant, and phenytoin (sold under the brand name Dilantin®) which is used to treat seizures (epilepsy).
Conclusion
Stress has long been suspected as a player in the onset and course of schizophrenia. And, although the precise details of the relationship between the two remains poorly understood, there is extensive and consistent research linking stress, cortisol regulation, the area of the brain called the hippocampus, as well as memory and other brain functions in schizophrenia.
Because schizophrenia is a group of varied disorders, not one disease, and because there is unquestionably a genetic component to the disease, stress may well be a more important factor in some cases of schizophrenia than in others.
Nevertheless, a better understanding of how stress may affect the onset and course of schizophrenia is likely to lead to the development of newer and better treatments, including more effective drugs, for the devastating and, up to now, relatively untreatable cognitive problems that are one of the chief effects of this terr
A Diverse Illness
Given similar treatments, some patients with schizophrenia recover completely; some are able to work and have families. However, more than half experience some degree of disability throughout their lives, while an additional 25% require lifelong care. It is not clear what accounts for these differences. One answer may be stress. Researchers suspect that stress worsens the course of illness by increasing the body's production of a substance called cortisol, which can damage an area of the brain called the hippocampus.
There is a growing body of evidence supporting the idea that stress and schizophrenia are closely linked.(16) One groundbreaking study found that 46% of patients who experienced their first bout of schizophrenia underwent some stressful life event in the preceding three months.(17)(18)
The Effects of Stress on the Body and on the Brain
Medical scientists have demonstrated that stress can cause physical damage to the brain. Although schizophrenia is not the only illness that is connected to stress, the so-called "stress cascade" appears to play an important role in schizophrenia.
The stress cascade begins with the release of certain hormones in the brain. This release, in turn, triggers physiological effects that make your heart work more, shunt blood away from the digestive system and set up the "fight or flight" reaction, a state of high arousal, increased vigilance and excessive levels of cortisol.(19)
Combat veterans with PTSD suffer a loss of hippocampal volume. In fact, there is a direct link between how these veterans perform on standard memory tests and the size of their hippocampus.
Stress and cortisol have been shown to damage -- and even destroy -- nerve cells in the hippocampus, which plays an important role in memory. These elements of the stress cascade -- excessive cortisol production, damage to the hippocampus and impairment in certain types of memory related to the hippocampus, all occur commonly in patients with schizophrenia.(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)
Research has shown that patients with schizophrenia have smaller hippocampal volumes than people without the disease.(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)
This is backed up by studies that have found that individuals with schizophrenia suffer from problems in areas of brain functions that are associated with the hippocampus, such as memory and the ability to coordinate and carry out tasks.(37)
Stress, Cortisol, Memory and the Hippocampus
A number of studies in the last several years have confirmed a strong connection between stress, high cortisol levels, damage to the hippocampus and memory. This connection shows up across a wide range of human medical conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Cushing's disease, overexposure to steroid drugs, aging and depression.
For example, combat veterans with PTSD suffer a loss of hippocampal volume. In fact, there is a direct link between how these veterans perform on standard memory tests and the size of their hippocampus. Adult survivors of childhood abuse also have both smaller hippocampi and impaired memory. Problems regulating cortisol production ("cortisol dysregulation") and small hippocampal size are also common in depression.(38)
Chronic stress by itself seems to cause wear and tear on the brain. Cortisol levels increase with age and studies have shown shrinkage of the hippocampus and memory impairment even in healthy older people.
Cushing's disease is an illness that causes the body to make too much cortisol. Patients with Cushing's have memory problems that can actually be reversed when the disease is successfully treated.
Finally, both healthy research subjects who take medications that resemble cortisol, such as prednisone, and patients who take these medications for medical reasons, demonstrate these same reversible memory problems.
New Possibilities for the Treatment of Schizophrenia
Cognitive deficits such as problems with memory are a major component of schizophrenia.(39)(40) If these problems are related to the stress cascade, as they seem to be, then the exciting possibility exists that reducing stress may be an effective way of treating the disease.(41)
Not only may stress management techniques prevent the onset or lessen the severity of schizophrenia, delay relapse in those already ill and reduce overall anxiety, (42)(43)(44)(45) but studies indicate that cells within a damaged hippocampus can regenerate when stress or cortisol is reduced.
There are also several drugs with good safety records that seem to prevent stress-induced damage to the hippocampus. These include tianeptine, 46 an anti-depressant, and phenytoin (sold under the brand name Dilantin®) which is used to treat seizures (epilepsy).
Conclusion
Stress has long been suspected as a player in the onset and course of schizophrenia. And, although the precise details of the relationship between the two remains poorly understood, there is extensive and consistent research linking stress, cortisol regulation, the area of the brain called the hippocampus, as well as memory and other brain functions in schizophrenia.
Because schizophrenia is a group of varied disorders, not one disease, and because there is unquestionably a genetic component to the disease, stress may well be a more important factor in some cases of schizophrenia than in others.
Nevertheless, a better understanding of how stress may affect the onset and course of schizophrenia is likely to lead to the development of newer and better treatments, including more effective drugs, for the devastating and, up to now, relatively untreatable cognitive problems that are one of the chief effects of this terr
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