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Expert advice to help you live well every day.

(Abbey Lossing for The Washington Post)

Tara Parker-Pope

A medical mystery that may change psychiatric care

You don't want to miss this riveting medical mystery involving two women, whose tragic mental health problems take a surprising turn. One was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was catatonic for about two decades. The other started hearing voices when she was just 9 and lost a decade of her childhood to schizoaffective disorder.

Their names are April and Devine.

Doctors discovered an underlying cause for the women's psychiatric symptoms — an autoimmune disease — and treatment helped both emerge from psychosis. It's an epic tale, spanning more than 20 years, and is written by neuroscientist and reporter Richard Sima. It may remind you of a scene from "Awakenings," the famous book and movie inspired by the awakening of catatonic patients treated by the neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks.

While the research may help only a specific subset of patients, the story also explores how new discoveries around inflammation and autoimmune conditions are changing how psychiatry diagnoses and treats mental illness. Read the full report below, and if you listen to the audio version, you'll hear Richard narrate the story.

A catatonic woman awakened after 20 years. Her story may change psychiatry.

New research suggests that a subset of patients with psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia may actually have autoimmune disease that attacks the brain.

By Richard Sima

New advice for women's health

It can be hard to keep up with the latest health advice. Here's a list of what women need to know to protect themselves.

New mammography screening advice. Here are answers to common questions about mammography and the new recommendations for screening between the ages of 40 and 74.

Having gynecological surgery? In some cases, those who are done with childbearing may be advised to have their tubes removed if they are having another gynecological surgery anyway.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American women. Here are the symptoms to watch for.

Sometimes motherhood is lonely. On TikTok, moms get real about parenting.

Another reason to skip packaged foods. Ultra-processed foods may increase ovarian, other cancer risks.

What's up with my immune system?

In this week's Ask a Doctor column, we answer a reader question about how to improve your immune health.

Advice

Ask a Doctor: How do I know the state of my immune system?

Catching a few infections every year is perfectly normal. Here's when to ask your physician for further testing of your immune system.

By Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH

Got a health question? Send it to Trisha S. Pasricha, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.