Finding out you have a chronic illness — one that will, by definition, never go away — changes things, both for you and those you love.
Seven Thanksgivings ago, I got sick and I never got better.
What I thought was food poisoning turned out to be Crohn’s disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that doesn’t have a cure. It fools my immune system into attacking my digestive system, resulting in what I can only describe as the attempted birth of my intestines through my butthole. It’s a cruel and often debilitating disease.
Since that first hospital stay, I’ve had colonoscopies, biopsies, CT scans, X-rays, blood and stool tests, enemas, suppositories, rectal foams, antiemetics, antidiarrheals, antivirals, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, opiates, steroids, immunoglobulin, biologics and three fecal transplants (if you want to hear a story about my 9-year-old poop donor and a blender, find me on Twitter).
My disease is managed now thanks to an expensive drug called infliximab, but the future is unpredictable. IBD works in patterns of flares and remissions, and little is known about what causes either.
When I was diagnosed, I didn’t know how much my life would change. There’s no conversation about that foggy space between the common cold and terminal cancer, where illness won’t go away but won’t kill you, so none of us know what “chronic illness” means until we’re thrown into being sick forever.
When an illness that the doctors can’t cure becomes part of our life, all the rules seem to change,” said Paul K. Chafetz, Ph.D., a psychologist in Dallas. “It’s scary in a dozen ways.” I’ve learned countless lessons since the early days of my illness, but here are five I wish I’d known from the start.
The mental part is as hard as the physical part
Chronic illness patients not only face painful physical symptoms, but also mental ones that linger even when the disease is well controlled. “There is trauma related to certain aspects of illness or treatment, and fear of outcomes like death or disability,” said Matt Lundquist, LCSW, a psychotherapist in New York. “For many people, there are financial uncertainties of paying for medical care.” Plus, there’s anxiety over loss of autonomy and control, he said.
Chronic illness also increases the risk of depression, Mr. Chafetz said, citing a 2007 World Health Organization survey that found a higher likelihood of depressive episodes among those with chronic health conditions than without.
A therapist should be considered a crucial part of your care team, just as important as a gastroenterologist or cardiologist. “A provider who has experience working with chronic illness is key,” Mr. Lundquist said. “It’s a population whose mental health struggles can be misunderstood.” If you’re homebound, some mental health professionals will do home visits, Skype or phone appointments, or you can connect with one through apps like TalkSpace and BetterHelp.
[Please note, if you’re feeling helpless or suicidal, the Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.]
We’ve always known that getting enough sleep is important and can have a significant impact on one’s health, but scientists have just begun to unravel the genetics behind why some people are more prone to sleep problems. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. About 30 percent of adults report short term problems, while about 10 percent report chronic insomnia. It’s also the second most common mental disorder.
Recently, 23andMe collaborated with researchers from VU University Amsterdamand Netherlands Institute for Neuroscienceon one of the largest genome-wide analysis studies to identify genes associated with insomnia. Published in the journal Nature Genetics, the study used data from more than 1.3 million consenting research volunteers from the 23andMe database and the UK Biobank.
“Our study shows that insomnia, like so many other neuropsychiatric disorders, is influenced by 100’s of genes, each of small effect,” said Guus Smit, a VU-University neurobiologist involved in the study. “These genes by themselves are not that interesting to look at. What counts is their combined effect on the risk of insomnia. We investigated that with a new method, which enabled us to identify specific types of brain cells, like the so-called medium spiny neurons.”
Study Size
The sheer size of this research cohort enabled us to ask questions about genetics of insomnia and its relationships with other conditions and sleep-related problems individuals may face. With this large dataset, researchers were able to identify 202 genome-wide significant loci involved in insomnia. They were also able to show the involvement of specific cell type — striatal medium spiny neurons, hypothalamic neurons and clastrum pyramidal neurons — and specific cortical and subcortical tissues — some of which have been implicated previously in the regulation of reward processing, sleep and arousal in animal studies, but have never been genetically linked to insomnia in humans.
“This study is an immense step forward in understanding the genetic background of insomnia, made possible by the unprecedented increase in cohort size,” said Vladimir Vacic, Senior Scientist, Computational Biology at 23andMe and co-author on the paper. “Our results underline that insomnia is a serious condition, sharing genetics with psychiatric disorders and increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome phenotypes.”
What researchers found particularly interesting was the low genetic overlap between insomnia and other sleep-related traits. Findings show that insomnia is more genetically similar to psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety and major depressive disorder, and personality traits such as neuroticism. It has less in common with sleep traits like morningness, which describes the ease of getting up in the morning, and daytime dozing, snoring or excessive napping.
Finding key brain areas and cell types implicated in the neurobiology of insomnia and related disorders help us better understand how insomnia affects humans and may provide novel avenues for treatment.
I could not find the brand she bought and bought two other brands from Amazon. Austra Melt pain away and Ancient Minerals Ultra with OptiMSM. The Austra Melt pain away smells so good with Lemongrass essential oil. It’s non-toxic, eco-friendly, not tested on animals and Paraben free. The container is round and you have to scoop out how much you want. I felt relief but was having a rough day so didn’t judge too harshly.
The next day I tried the Ancient Minerals Ultra with OptiMSM. WOW, this did make a difference in some of my ongoing and most painful areas. I also like that it is a pump and you can control better the amount needed. It soaks in the skin very quickly, very light pleasant smell. I get up in the morning before writing and rub into hands and it’s pretty amazing for a critic like me.
Zechstein
The Zechstein is a unit of sedimentary rock layers of Middle to Late Permian age located in the European Permian Basin which stretches from the east coast of England to northern Poland. The name Zechstein was formerly also used as a unit of time in the geologic timescale, but nowadays it is only used for the corresponding sedimentary deposits in Europe.
If you want to read the history of Zechstein in depth here is a great site,
I’m anxious. Anxious traveler. Anxious driver. Anxious mother. There I said it. It was only when I found yoga with psychotherapy that I could regulate it on the spot. Now I use mind/body approaches in all my work. Why?
Now summon that deep relaxation each time you need it. Yoga, a centuries old practice, takes the focus on your breathe to the places that scare you.
I remember the first time I tried yoga, I almost passed out. The teacher came over not too gently and said, you’re actually not breathing. I was mortified. But it was true. Every time I bent my head down I came up dizzy, probably due to shallow breathing. This was the beginning of my ten year yoga journey. I am now 200 hour yin yoga trained.
It beats drugs and alcohol by a long shot. It actually teaches the cells of our bodies to be less reactive and more flexible. The very thing we need in this chaotic world.
If you hold the poses just a bit longer, to the edge, to the point of tolerable sensations, then you get a bonus benefit; a deep knowing that you can bear your own pain with grace and wisdom, and the physical release that follows. Two for one.
So here are 6 yin yoga actions you can take right now.
1. Yin Yoga is simple, but simple does not mean easy.
2. In meditation and in our daily lives there are three qualities that we can nurture, cultivate, and bring out. We already possess these, but they can be ripened: precision, gentleness, and the ability to let go.
3. Yin Yoga takes a normal healthy body and brings it up to optimum.
4. Yin practice takes you deeper into where you are, not out to where you think you should be.
5. Yin yoga challenges you to sit in the pure presence of awareness.
6. How do I react when I let my thoughts move towards the idea of rest, relaxation and restoring energy?
So the next time you are overtired and underwhelmed, bored, listless, sick or scared, just sit, eyes closed, and bring your breath from your root to your crown. Don’t be the judge and the jury. Just be.
A new recommendation from a group of independent experts convened by the government could help more new and expecting mothers avoid depression, one of the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
The recommendation is the first from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on preventing perinatal depression, which strikes during pregnancy or after childbirth and affects almost 15% of new mothers. The guideline states that clinicians, namely primary care providers, should provide counseling services, or references to them, to all pregnant and postpartum women at increased risk of perinatal depression. The guidance could help prevent mental health issues in this vulnerable population, and prompt more insurance providers to cover counseling services for pregnant and postpartum women.
After reviewing the relevant research, the USPSTF specifically recommended that at-risk women try cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on changing a person’s thoughts to change how they feel, or interpersonal therapy, which focuses on building relationship skills. Those at heightened risk of depression include single, young and lower-income mothers, people with a history of depression and women showing depressive symptoms including low energy and mood.
The proactive focus of the recommendations is important, says Jeff Temple, a psychologist in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, who was not involved with the task force. Past USPSTF recommendations have focused on screening for existing depression among all adults, including pregnant and postpartum women.
“I am very happy to see anything related to prevention, whether it’s mental health generally or perinatal depression specifically,” Temple says. “If we can prevent problems from occurring, not only do we do a great service to humans, but [the health care system] saves a great deal of money.”
The new recommendation also means that more mothers will have access to insurance-covered mental health care. Under the Affordable Care Act, private insurance plans are directed to cover preventive care recommended by groups including the USPSTF at no cost.
“If we need to see 15% of perinatal women, there’s absolutely no way that we have the ability to do that,” Temple says. “We need to put more money and effort into training more psychologists and counselors.”
The good news, Temple says, is that the USPSTF recommendation could provide the kind of validation hospitals and practices need to dedicate those resources, especially if they see demand for services increasing. Ideally, Temple says, they would focus their efforts on integrating mental health care into primary care, rather than leaving it in a silo.
“If these women are screened and they’re recommended to someone [for counseling] and it’s kind of a cold handoff, very few will follow up with it,” Temple says. “But if one implication of this is that OB/GYN departments start to incorporate counselors and psychologists within their services, then we’ll see a huge benefit. If we did that, I am 100% positive we would see declines in perinatal depression.”
Simone Lambert, president of the American Counseling Association, agrees that the recommendation will likely increase demand for mental health services, but says that’s a small price to pay for better preventive care, which can reduce the need for future treatments.
“The benefits of increased maternal and infant wellness and decreased stigma to seek mental health assistance would likely lead to less of a toll on our healthcare system than when mental health concerns are unaddressed,” Lambert says, adding that healthier moms also lead to healthier babies and families.
Temple says methods like CBT are effective because factors like stress, identity changes and overwhelming circumstances often contribute to perinatal depression, and all of these obstacles can be effectively addressed by a counselor. Research suggests that counseling can provide moderate or substantial benefits to new or expecting mothers, according to the USPSTF’s recommendation.
“I think we’re starting to understand the importance of mental health as a society, and the importance of prevention,” Temple says. “The future is definitely going to be psychologists within primary care departments.”
A powerlifter in Michigan is being hailed as a real-life superhero after his quick actions helped save a man pinned under a rolled over vehicle.
Ryan Belcher, 29, was preparing to leave work last Thursday when he heard a loud crash outside his workplace.
He noticed an SUV flipped upside down, and he rushed outside toward the wreckage. Ryan said there was a man trapped under the vehicle begging for help.
Belcher, who is 350 pounds and can deadlift over 800 pounds, recalled thinking at the time, “this is where I need to be. All the training I’ve been through… this is the time where it’s really going to pay off.”
But the Jeep Cherokee he was about to try and lift weighed roughly two tons.
“I just jumped right in,” Belcher told Fox News. “I seen a window that was broken out of the back of the vehicle and I knew if I can swing the vehicle in a certain direction I can free him from that pole. So, I just stuck my arms in and I don’t know I just grabbed it, lifted it up and started pushing and all I heard was that’s enough we can get him.”
The man Belcher saved and another woman suffered serious injuries in the crash. No fatalities were reported.
On Sunday, Belcher went to the hospital to visit the man he helped rescue.
“I got to meet Montrell tonight!! He’s the most positive person considering his circumstances,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Belcher’s son calls him the Hulk, but he said he’s uneasy about hero comparisons since Thursday’s incident.
“To say that I’m a hero, I don’t know. But I’m glad to have been there, and I was put there for a reason,” he said.
We Are The World Blogfest: Spreading Stories of Positivity and Compassion in Social Media
~~~GUIDELINES~~~
Keep your post to below 500 words.
All we ask is you link to a human news story on your blog on the last Friday of each month, one that shows love and humanity.
Join us in sharing news that warms the cockles of our heart. No story is too big or small, as long as it goes beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.
Place the WE ARE THE WORLD BLOGFEST Badge on your sidebar, and help us spread the word on social media. Tweets, Facebook shares, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. More We Are the World Blogfest signups mean more friends, love and light for all of us.
We’ll read and comment on each others’ posts, get to know each other better, and hopefully, make or renew some friendships with everyone who signs on as participants in the coming months.
Last week I joined the U.S. Pain Foundation Ambassador Program. The work the organization does for people with chronic pain is hands-on and at a government level. There are endless opportunities for you to support the organization with the time you have available. I have to learn how to do screenshots on MAC OS quickly, I’m attending a Webinar on Thursday. Melinda
Dear Junior Ambassador,
I would like to personally welcome you into the U.S. Pain family! By joining our Pain Ambassador Network, you are taking action and choosing to help us advocate on behalf of the pain community. Our goal is to support you and provide you with the tools needed to raise awareness.
The U.S. Pain Foundation is a nonprofit organization created by people with pain for people with pain. We want the experiences you have as a junior ambassador to be full of fun and excitement. Our mission is to educate, connect, empower, and advocate for pain warriors as well as their families, caregivers, and friends; the hard work and dedication of ambassadors like you is what allows us to fulfill this mission. We greatly appreciate the time, energy, and passion that you have chosen to dedicate towards raising awareness!
To thank you for your commitment as a volunteer, we will be sending you a starter package in the mail. We encourage you to use these resources to empower yourself.
As a junior ambassador, we would also like to offer you the opportunity to be promoted to be an official ambassador for U.S. Pain. Below, we have outlined the simple steps you can take to bring your awareness work to the next level.
Complete three tasks on behalf of the U.S. Pain Foundation. These tasks can be done at your own speed. Here are some examples:
Getting credit: Each time you perform a task, take a photo or screenshot if possible and submit your participation via the designated form provided in the ambassador toolkit for the specified activity. Once you have completed these three tasks, you will then become an official ambassador for the U.S. Pain Foundation.
When volunteering and representing U.S. Pain via email, we ask that you use a signature with a disclaimer. Please include the following information at the bottom of any email related to U.S. Pain:
Melinda Sandor
Texas Junior Ambassador, U.S. Pain Foundation
DISCLAIMER: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this email. Please notify the sender immediately by email if you have received this email by mistake and delete this email from your system. All content of this email, such as text, graphics, images, or any other material contained in this email are for informational purposes only. Any information provided by U.S. Pain Foundation is not intended for use as a substitute for professional advice. The foundation cannot diagnose or recommend treatment. U.S. Pain does not represent itself as being an authoritative entity; please consult a trained or certified professional with questions pertaining to medical, legal, and financial concerns. U.S. Pain functions as a resource organization with a mission to educate, connect, inform, and empower those living with pain while advocating on behalf of the entire pain community.
Your ambassador team regularly creates new tasks, activities, and projects for you to complete when you are feeling up to it or when you have time. Make sure you periodically check emails and the ambassador toolkit for new volunteer opportunities. Emails may come from any member of the U.S. Pain team and will be sent from official uspainfoundation.org email addresses.
Again, welcome aboard! We look forward to working with you in an effort to empower, educate, and raise awareness! If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, we are always available at contact@uspainfoundation.org.
At times I trudge through my life, sometimes with steps as light as air, yet often as though pulling lead balls chained to my ankles; still, I find constant comfort in the face of Nature. We have had a dreary sort of Winter, although the holidays were bright and full. The unrest in the world is palpable, carried on the chilly wind and hanging in the raindrops that seem endless on every weekend that comes around here in Georgia.
Yesterday was a reprieve and I was determined to find solace in the free blessings and gifts of Mother Earth. The message in her soul is always the same, so clear and encouraging, sometimes more so in those arenas made by humans to showcase her handiwork.
We are here!!!
Each face is as unique as our own, their expression and exuberance so real you can almost hear their voices singing for…
Most of us have been in its grip before — the alarm goes off, our mind starts whirring away, and before we know it, we’ve done a freefall into worry. Neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett has been there, too, and she tells us how we can stop the spiral.
This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from someone in the TED community. To see all the posts, go here.
How often does this happen to you?
“You wake up, and as you’re emerging into consciousness, you feel this horrible dread, this real wretchedness. Immediately, your mind starts to race,” says neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett. “You think about all the crap that you have to do at work — you have that mountain of email which you will never dig yourself out of, the phone calls you have to return, and that important meeting across town. You’re going to have to fight traffic, you’ll be late picking your kids up, your dog is sick, and what are you going to make for dinner? Oh my God. What is wrong with my life?”
OK, you may not have the dog, the kids or the meeting across town, but what about the rest — the cascading catalog of to-dos, the sinking feeling that you’re behind even before your day has started, and the headlong tumble into despair?
Whew.
According to Barrett, those last two sentences of the above scenario — the “Oh my God. What is wrong with my life?” part — are especially treacherous. Why? Because too often we come to the sweeping and inaccurate conclusion that our life stinks.
But we don’t have to take this misery lying down, says Barrett. Through her research at the Affective Science Laboratory at Northeastern University in Boston, she has come to some mind-shaking realizations about human emotions. Contrary to what many of us think, our emotions are neither hard-wired into our brains nor are they out of our control. Instead, our emotions are guesses that our brains generate on the fly, based upon our past experiences.
As she explains in her book How Emotions Are Made — read an excerpt here — “Anytime you feel miserable, it’s because you are experiencing an unpleasant effect due to physical sensations. Your brain will try to predict causes for those sensations, and the more concepts you know and the more instances you can construct, the more effectively you can recategorize to manage your emotions and regulate your behavior.”
When we start that AM spiral into anxiety, as Barrett explains, “Your brain is searching to find an explanation for those sensations in your body that you experience as wretchedness.” But, she adds, “Those sensations might not be an indication that anything is wrong with your life … Maybe you’re tired. Maybe you didn’t sleep enough. Maybe you’re hungry. Maybe you’re dehydrated.”
So, the next time you feel gripped by morning dread, she suggests you ask yourself: “Could this have a purely physical cause?”
Check in and see: What’s going on with your body? When the alarm went off, were you roused from a deep sleep and you’re rattled as a result? Or, perhaps you’re too hot, too cold, achy or itchy …
Barrett says, “You have the capacity to turn down the dial on emotional suffering and its consequences for your life by learning how to construct your experiences differently.”
Welcome to Remedy, a blog by U.S. Pain Foundation. Remedy aims to provide people with the support they need to thrive despite chronic pain. It features the information about promising treatments, tips and strategies for self-management, resources for coping with the emotional and social effects of pain, unique perspectives from patients, clinicians, and caregivers–and much more. To submit an article idea, email contact@uspainfoundation.org.
If your child feels tired and achy, you may not worry initially. After all, there’s nothing urgent about what seems to be mild, general discomfort. However, if your child is constantly in pain, exhausted, having trouble sleeping, and experiencing intense moods, he/she may have fibromyalgia.
This condition is fairly common in adults, but parents and clinicians may overlook the possibility of juvenile primary fibromyalgia syndrome — that is, fibromyalgia in children.
JUVENILE FIBROMYALGIA SYMPTOMS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by pain and fatigue. According to experts, children will often describe this pain as “stiffness, tightness, tenderness, burning or aching.” This pain can last for months and is often accompanied by other symptoms that affect a child’s overall well-being, energy level, and emotional health, including:
Tender spots on muscles
Difficulty sleeping and fatigue
Aches, including stomachaches and headaches
Lack of focus or memory
Anxiety and depression
If your child is experiencing these symptoms, you should see a doctor. There’s not one test to confirm it, so he/she will go through a range of tests to rule out other conditions.
Unfortunately, there is no one “cure” for fibromyalgia, which can be frustrating for patients, especially children. If left untreated, symptoms can lead to issues at school or making friends. Many parents describe this as a “vicious cycle” where symptoms continue to feed the condition.
Experts still aren’t sure what causes fibromyalgia or how it develops in the body. Some believe that mixed-up pain signals in the brain cause greater pain chemicals and/or overactive pain receptors. Others think it might be triggered, in part, by an emotional event like an illness, injury or psychological stress. But even if the cause involves emotions, the pain is still real.
HOW CHILDREN CAN COPE WITH FIBROMYALGIA
It’s important to create a support team and get your child’s primary care doctor, pain specialist, psychologist, physical therapist, and teachers on board. The more people are aware of your child’s condition, the more they can help him/her cope with symptoms at home and school. You may also want to look for pain support groups near you, for both your child and you as a parent.
Your doctor can help you decide whether medication, such as anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, or nerve pain medications, may be right for your child. He or she also may recommend therapies like injections or topical creams. In conjunction with these interventions, your doctor will probably prescribe treatments like physical therapy and behavioral changes, which are crucial to long-term management of fibromyalgia.
Let’s go over some nonpharmacological strategies for coping with fibromyalgia.
FIVE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVED SYMPTOMS
Although fibromyalgia may disrupt your child’s life, affecting school and friendships, you may be able to improve your child’s quality of life with these natural therapies and changes. Of course, there’s no cure for fibromyalgia, but by managing symptoms, you can help your child get back to some sense of normalcy.
Get moving!
Exercise can be incredibly valuable for managing your child’s fibromyalgia symptoms. Exercise can relieve muscle stiffness and tire out the body physically so that your child can fall asleep more easily. In particular, pool exercises have been shown to help patients because the warm water can have a soothing effect on pain and also promote blood circulation.
Consider signing up your child for swim class to get regular exercise that is both fun and good for symptoms. Start with limited intervals of exercise at first, and slowly increase them as symptoms allow. Aquatic physical therapy can be extremely beneficial for patients whose fibromyalgia is too severe for regular pool activities.
Incorporate meditation methods
While your child may not be interested in meditation, try to incorporate some of the practices in your child’s daily life. After playtime, encourage your child to take a moment to relax and reset. In addition, teach your child how to use relaxing breathing exercises when he/she feels overwhelmed during school or before bed.
Studies show that meditation can help reduce fibromyalgia patients’ stiffness, anxiety and depression. In the least, promoting a stress-free environment and creating a sense of relaxation will help your child feel less anxious.
Say goodnight to fibromyalgia
Your child’s sleep routine is essential for improving fibromyalgia symptoms. Chart out the best routine for your child together. Make sure he/she goes to bed at the same time every day and start “sleep-ready” habits an hour before bed. This routine could include a break from screen time, reading a story together, listening to a relaxing song and/or taking a hot bath. Promoting a relaxing environment will help your child get to sleep.
Make sure you’re not giving your child food late at night, especially items with any caffeine or sugar. Also, be sure take away tablets and cell phones. The blue light can wake up your child instead of helping him/her get sleepy. Sufficient sleep is essential to managing pain.
Change your child’s diet for success
Some experts recommend following an anti-inflammatory diet to prevent aches and pains. In general, an anti-inflammatory diet is based on the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fish, fish, vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil.
Update your child’s lunch to include a handful of nuts, or add an apple for a snack. Anytime you can add fruits and vegetables to his/her diet, do it! This boost of nutrients will fuel your child for success. Try to limit junk food as well, which has no value and could actually inflame your child’s pains.
Schedule your child for a physical therapy session
Your child could benefit from seeing a physical therapist or chiropractor near you. Recent studies show how physical therapy or chiropractic can have a positive impact on fibromyalgia patients. Finding the right physical therapist is important. Call in advance to ensure they have experience with fibromyalgia and/or with children. Specific exercises in physical therapy can help to improve your child’s core strength and incorporate techniques to soothe muscle aches and pain. Similarly, regular massage therapy sessions with an experienced masseuse can improve your child’s exercise, sleep and mood.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR
A fibromyalgia diagnosis can be challenging, but doesn’t have to take over your child’s life. It’s a good idea to talk to an expert to come up with the most effective care plan for your child, one that ideally includes a diverse range of strategies, like those listed above. Together, you can talk about your child’s specific issues and needs, and figure out the best way to improve symptoms.
About Dr. Brent Wells
Dr. Brent Wells is a graduate of the University of Nevada where he earned his bachelor of science degree before moving on to complete his doctorate from Western States Chiropractic College. He founded Better Health Chiropractic and Physical Rehab in Anchorage in 1998. He became passionate about being in the chiropractic field after his own experiences with hurried, unprofessional healthcare providers. The goal for Dr. Wells is to treat his patients with care and compassion while providing them with a better quality of life through his professional treatment.
The jury is still out about these substances’ effects on human health. But if you want to reduce your family’s exposure, this is how.
1. Use fresh or frozen foods instead of canned, when possible.
2. Use soy infant formula only if there is a medical reason for it, such as lactose intolerance or milk allergy, says Heather Patisaul, Ph.D. Genistein — a natural estrogen found in soy plants — is present in large amounts in soy-based baby formulas. (Some countries require a prescription for it.)
3. Don’t microwave food in plastic containers or covered with plastic wrap. When plastic is heated, the chemicals in it can more easily migrate to food.
4. Use BPA-free baby bottles. Check labels — the biggest manufacturers of baby bottles in the United States (including Disney, Gerber, and Playtex) stopped using BPA in 2009.
5. Avoid storing food or drink in plastics with the recycling numbers 3, 6, and 7 on the bottom — or buying items packaged in these plastics.
6. Don’t use chemical poisons on plants or bugs.
7. For drinking water, use a faucet-mounted filter that has been approved by the American National Standards Institute to “remove volatile organic compounds.” (Pitcher filters may not be enough.)
8. Choose soaps, toothpastes, and deodorants without triclosan. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, antimicrobials like triclosan are unnecessary and may help breed drug-resistant germs.
9. Avoid heavily fragranced products or air fresheners, which may contain phthalates.
10. Go to senate.gov to tell your senators if you want more EDC research and regulation.
In the largest genetic study of its kind, scientists have identified more than 200 genes associated with depression that could give new insights to researchers looking for treatments to what is the leading cause of disability in the world.
Combining anonymous data from more than two million people who were part of the three different genome-wide association studies on depression, an international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Edinburgh, identified 269 genes associated with depression.
“These findings are further evidence that depression is partly down to our genetics,” said Professor Andrew McIntosh, of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, who led the research. “We hope the findings will help us understand why some people are more at risk of depression than others, and how we might help people living with depression and anxiety more effectively in the future.”
Published in journal Nature Neuroscience, the study, which included data from the UK Biobank, 23andMe, and the Psychiatry Genomics Consortium, found that many of the strongest associations were on or near genes involved in neurotransmission and response to stimuli that are part of the central nervous system. And the associations further highlight the importance of studying cortical regions of the brain and their role in the condition, according to the researchers.
Trauma, social factors, and life events all play a role in depression, but by understanding the influence genes have and their role in how an individual responds to those external factors, could help in developing more personalized treatments, the researchers said.
This study also found that depression shared genetic associations with neuroticism — a personality type that is characterized as being more fearful and worried. Researchers also found a shared genetic association with smoking. The later association may indicate that depression could lead some people to smoke.
Some of the same genes that influence a person’s propensity toward impulsiveness also affect whether or not he or she will use drugs, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
Published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, the study is another in a series of studies done by researchers looking at the genetic underpinnings of behavior, addiction, and psychological disorders. For this work the scientists used data from more than 20,000 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research, making it the largest genetic study of impulsive behavior to date.
Behavior
“By studying the genetic basis of normal variation in behavior, we can learn about the role of genetics in complex psychiatric disorders like drug abuse,” said lead author of the study Abraham Palmer, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and vice chair for basic research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. “Additional studies of younger and more diverse populations could provide additional insights into the genetics and consequences of impulsiveness.”
For this work, and a study Palmer and his team did last year that also looked at another measure of impulsivity called “delay discounting,” the researchers compared genetic data with survey responses on impulsivity and a history of drug use from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. The genome-wide association study found variants in the gene CADM2 — previously implicated in risk-taking, alcohol consumption, and cannabis use — associated with impulsivity and drug use. The team also identified an association with a variant in a gene previously implicated in schizophrenia risk — CACNA1I. They also saw an association with something called “negative urgency”— a tendency to act impulsively in the face of adversity.
Big Data
These findings demonstrate how an individual’s genetic makeup may predispose them to engage in risky behavior, including drug use and abuse. Additional studies of younger and more diverse populations could provide further insights into the genetics and consequences of impulsive personality traits, the researchers said.
The study also shows the potential of large datasets like 23andMe.
“Data shared by 23andMe research participants helped make this work possible — and this is one of several recent publications we’ve worked on related to personality, behavior and psychiatric conditions,” said Sarah Elson, PhD, Senior Scientist, 23andMe.
“These findings may have potentially significant effects on how we interpret the relationships between genetics and mental health; and, in the future, predict and treat some of these hard-to-understand conditions.”
I’ve struggled with Chronic Lyme, Fibromyalgia, and Dementia for six years, every week it’s a follow-up or test for the latest ailment. I’ve made the decision to step off the Doctor Hamster Wheel in 2019.
I saw a Rheumatologist two months ago, the clueless PA told me there wasn’t Lyme in Texas. REALLY? The doctor named a few possible illnesses and took my blood. The doctor’s visit was a bust but the lab work revealed my Calcium is high. Which can cause serious complications? She suggested having my Parathyroid checked. WOW, something came out of the lab work, I have another ailment to deal with!
I saw the Endocrinologist, it was straight forward. A blood test, a scan at the hospital and possible surgery. We scheduled the scan immediately since it was affecting my heart. I fell down the stairs and banged myself up a good one. I landed a perfect 10! NO, I can’t lean my head back for two forty-five minute sessions. The test was rescheduled.
2019 is starting like the other six years, with a heart test scheduled, a Parathyroid scan with possible surgery, and a test for Traumatic Brain Injury from the fall. There are a few days left in 2018, I want to know who I am, how have I changed in that time. I developed Agoraphobia, haven’t driven in six years and have only seen the inside of doctor’s offices.
I took the first step for 2019, decided which test to cancel, bought two patterns for knitting and opening an Ebay store. Most importantly I get to decide who I am, not remain another patient.
I can’t begin to say how much I appreciate your support, the comments and emails helped push me forward. The WordPress family means so much to me. I pray your year starts healthy as possible. I look forward to developing new friendships and reading and learning from your post.
“Too many people are buying things they can’t afford, with money that they don’t have… to impress people that they don’t like!” Nothing to do w/ “books” — Just like the quote!” ― Will Smith
“I don’t like to share my personal life… it wouldn’t be personal if I shared it.” ― George Clooney
“What’s the whole point of being pretty on the outside when you’re so ugly on the inside?”― Jess C. Scott, I’m Pretty
“I’m obsessively opposed to the typical.” ― Lady Gaga
“When everything gets answered, it’s fake.” ― Sean Penn
“The downside of my celebrity is that I cannot go anywhere in the world without being recognized. It is not enough for me to wear dark sunglasses and a wig. The wheelchair gives me away.” ― Stephen Hawking
We talk about the toll suicide takes on families and the tragedy for the people who’ve died. What we don’t openly talk about is suicide’s toll on the doctors who have treated these patients. But when a patient dies by suicide, it leaves us profoundly changed.
The news came by text as we drove home from brunch. My patient had died that morning by suicide. I read the text and wailed. My husband was driving, and our adult children happened to be away, traveling together on an exotic journey. I struggled to gather words, and my husband held control of the car through those excruciating moments when he thought something horrible had happened to our kids. I calmed down enough to tell him that the tragedy involved a patient. He was relieved. I was not.
U.S. suicide rates increased by 25.4% between 1999 and 2016.1 It’s been estimated that at least half of psychiatrists will lose at least one patient to suicide during their career.2 There are no estimates on how many primary care physicians will have the same experience, though they often treat psychiatric disorders. Among people who complete suicide in the United States, 46% have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, and many more people have undiagnosed mental illness.
We talk about the toll suicide takes on families. They experience grief, guilt, regret, anguish, anger, and stigma, and they often face significant financial and logistic consequences. We talk about the tragedy for the people who’ve died — the years of life lost, the graduations and weddings they won’t attend, the grandchildren they’ll never hold. Since suicide is considered preventable, these deaths inflict an added injury on the survivors, who may face the lingering pain of believing that there was something more they might have done.
What we don’t openly talk about is suicide’s toll on the doctors who have treated these patients. Death is part of life, and for many physicians it becomes a routine element of the job. Oncology patients die, trauma patients die, geriatric patients die — indeed, everybody eventually dies. In psychiatry, however, death is not a usual or expected outcome, and suicide induces the sharpest feelings of failure. We may grieve the loss of patients when they die of cancer, but when they die by suicide, it leaves us changed, sometimes even devastated.
Psychiatrists are considered the experts on suicide. After all, many people with major depression have feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of ending their own lives. In an outpatient psychiatry practice, it’s not uncommon for several patients a week to talk about psychic demons, dark thoughts, or the wish to simply not wake up, but such thoughts rarely crescendo to a suicide attempt, and much less often to a completed suicide.
A suicide plan with stated or presumed intent generally triggers hospitalization, and suicide risk is part of the daily landscape for inpatient psychiatrists. Insurers often require that patients be a danger to themselves or others as the standard for admission, making psychiatry the only specialty in which an illness must be deemed life-threatening for the patient to obtain hospital care. Yet the ongoing shortage of psychiatric beds makes it difficult for all but the sickest of patients to be admitted, and in rural areas the nearest facility may be hours away. A few states rely on the unconscionable practice of holding ill patients in jail until psychiatric beds become available. When depressed patients deny having any intention of harming themselves, inpatient options are rarely used. Moreover, even when patients are admitted, the average length of stay is only days, although medications for depression take weeks to begin working.
Suicide is often an impulsive act — it is not always planned, and patients don’t always share their intentions. Most psychiatrists care for many patients they deem “at risk” for suicide, but even if we are the experts on suicidal thinking and behavior, we’re generally fortunate enough not to be experts on completed suicide.
When my patient died, I told a few colleagues who are also my friends. All were sympathetic, but some could tolerate listening to my ruminations for only so long. Suicide is a topic that makes us all uneasy. It’s the psychiatrist’s biggest professional fear and failure, and on top of our own loss, self-recrimination, and regret, we may fear a lawsuit or feel defensive and anxious. I had worried about this patient and had carefully considered the care I provided. There had been numerous hurdles to optimal treatment, and looking back, I could see no obvious breaches of the standard of care. Still, for months afterward, my thoughts kept looping back to what else I might have tried. Yet all my mental machinations won’t bring the patient back to life. A patient suicide can fill us with shame, and we worry that our colleagues will judge us to be inadequate. The stigma associated with suicide attaches to the patient, the family, and also the doctor. At times, I’ve felt this suicide was my professional burden to bear alone.
Colleagues who have experienced a suicide told me that attending the funeral and meeting with the family was helpful. But we have no systematized way of coming together to learn from these cases, and no set rituals of our own to mark a death and find a path toward healing.
Days after the death, I attended a professional event and felt disingenuous as I made small talk, never mentioning the recent cataclysmic event in my professional life. It took some time and distance before I could tell my colleagues that this tragedy had transpired. With some trepidation, I mentioned a “bad outcome” to a couple of distressed patients as part of my plea that they relinquish possession of firearms until their mood improved. It felt unconventional, but I found that “Please do it for me” held some power and shifted the dialogue away from the question of my willingness to trust them.
I am still figuring out how to quiet my haunting emotions. For quite some time, I would wake up with my dead patient front and center in my mind, and we traveled together through the days. My sadness for the family remains immense. My feelings as a doctor are complicated by the fact that this particular patient had not followed my treatment recommendations and so my sadness is mixed with anger — yet somehow it feels wrong to be angry with a dead person who had suffered so deeply.
I am working my way back to being the psychiatrist I was before. At first, I felt anxious about taking on new patients and about ongoing treatment with my high-risk patients. Psychiatry is a gratifying specialty, and it’s not unusual for patients to verbalize their appreciation for the care they have received. After the suicide, I found such exchanges difficult; after all, keeping people alive had always been key to my understanding of what it is to be a good doctor, and every time a patient expressed gratitude I thought of my patient who died. I am left with the nagging questions of whether I can trust my own intuition about when a patient is safe and whether I can trust my patients to be forthcoming. I had treated this patient for only a short time; I can’t imagine the intensity of the grief I would feel if a patient I’d cared for for years were to lose this battle.
After a celebrity suicide, the media tends to reduce the solution to a singular message: Get help. But sometimes getting help and being identified as a person at risk are simply not enough. Sometimes we do everything possible and patients still choose to end their lives.
Suicide affects not just psychiatrists but also physicians in all specialties. As we tackle a tragedy that touches so many, I hope we can also lift the barriers that keep us from addressing our own anguish.
Author Affiliations
From the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore.
When it comes to Caregiving you may have questions regarding the options like where to live, type of facility or helping your loved one remain at home. Questions like Government benefits, health insurance, home care, and the never-ending questions that continue as your loved one ages.
Please welcome Author Harry Cline of The New Caregiver’s Comprehensive Resource: Advice, Tips, and Solutions from Around the Web from newcaregiver.org.
The 3 Best Ways to Prioritize Self-Care When You are a New Caregiver
New caregivers take on a host of new responsibilities that can become overwhelming and taxing. In order for caregivers to provide the best possible care, they must take first help themselves. After all, if you neglect to care for yourself, you cannot effectively help anyone else.
1. Reduce Your Stress in Healthy Ways
Caregivers expect to be tired. You may even expect to be frustrated at times. One thing you may not be prepared for is the amount of stress you will face as a new caregiver. Indeed, caregiver stress stems from several sources, including concerns about making ends meet if you cut your work hours to provide care for a loved one, feeling unqualified to provide the level of care your patient deserves, or facing the unique challenges of caring for someone with dementia or a physical limitation.
No matter the causes of your stress, it is imperative that you handle it in healthy ways. Managing stress becomes necessary if you are more irritable, have difficulty sleeping, or become forgetful. As soon as you notice warning signs of stress, take action.
Some of the most effective ways to reduce stress include taking a walk, working in a garden, reading, meditating, or talking with a friend. The American Psychological Association (APA) also recommends taking a break from the stressor, exercising, smiling and laughing, and getting social support to manage your stress effectively. You need to find the best way to manage stress given your situation and prioritize it before the stress impacts your physical and mental health and impedes your ability to provide quality care.
2. Avoid Addictive Substances
Conversely, it is crucial that you avoid self-medicating with addictive substances when you feel stressed in your new caregiving role. For instance, you should avoid drinking alcohol when you need to manage your caregiving stress because researchers found that “caregivers who experience social and emotional burden related to caregiving are at risk for problematic alcohol use.” The last thing you want to do is increase your risk of alcoholism when you become a caregiver.
3. Put Your Physical Needs First
If you don’t fuel your body properly, you will not have enough left in the tank to fulfill your caregiving duties. Putting your physical needs first is one way to ensure you will have what it takes to provide the best care to your patient. Prioritizing your physical needs includes eating balanced meals, exercising, and getting enough sleep.
Eating balanced meals – Eating a healthy diet will help you maintain good health and feel your best, both physically and mentally. You should eat at last five fruits and vegetables each day. You also should opt for whole grains when it comes to bread and pasta. Choose lower-fat dairy products and increase your intake of protein with beans, fish, lean meats, and eggs. Opt for unsaturated fats and eat less sugar.
Exercise – AARP recommends taking time for your fitness needs as a caregiver. While you likely don’t have time to go to the gym every day, you can exercise when your loved one naps or attends a day program. Try quick, simple exercise like taking a brisk walk around the block or following exercise videos at home. You need to get in 30-40 minutes of moderate exercise at least three times a week. Try yoga to relieve stress through meditation while getting some exercise. And, focus on strength training when you can’t take a walk because you will need to be strong enough to move your loved one.
Get more sleep – It’s often difficult for caregivers to get enough sleep because their patients don’t sleep well. To improve your quality of sleep, try meditation or relaxation techniques. Don’t drink caffeine before bed and prioritize exercise. Nap when your loved one naps. If all else fails, look into respite care to give you a break so you can get more sleep.
By prioritizing self-care, new caregivers ensure they are up to the task of helping a loved one to the best of your ability. Begin by reducing your stress in healthy ways and avoiding addictive substances. Then, put your physical needs first.
23andMe received FDA clearance to report on the two most common genetic variants influencing what is called MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP), a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome.This new clearance is part of…
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La nueva serie de comedia dramática británica Sex Education es un golpe inmediato, que pega a los estudiantes de la escuela secundaria Moordale y sus preocupaciones basadas en el sexo justo en frente de su cara sin previo aviso o disculpa.
Porque esto es un espectáculo en una misión: “[se trata de] animar a la gente a arrancar la venda de la ayuda y tener esas conversaciones incómodas, torpe sobre el sexo, en lugar de embotellar todo en el interior, o pensar que tienen que ir en línea para obtener las respuestas, ” escritor Laurie Nunn le dijo a Digital Spy y a otra prensa. “Para tratar de hablar con sus compañeros o-si pueden manejarlo-a sus padres, o a sus amigos.
“Realmente pensamos que eso les va a ayudar a tener relaciones sexuales más saludables. ”
Es un propósito noble y por eso, nada es sanitizado. Las preocupaciones que los personajes están lidiando están pintadas en los colores más ruidosos, enfáticamente salpicado a través de la pantalla porque, como el reparto y la tripulación tienen contras
“La primera campana de alarma que experimenté cuando vi que era la forma en que sugirió que el sexo y la terapia de relaciones era algo completamente dividido de la salud general de la gente y el bienestar mental, ” profesor Sarah Niblock, Director Ejecutivo del Reino Unido Consejo de psicoterapeutas, le dice a Digital Spy exclusivamente.
“Eso es un poco ridículo y que tipo de socava toda la premisa de lo que sigue. ”
A lo largo de la serie, los estudiantes de diferentes orígenes y Estados sociales se acercan a Otis (Asa Butterfield) para obtener ayuda con una serie de problemas extraños y maravillosos en relación con el sexo y sus cuerpos.
Otis entonces prepara sus perlas de sabiduría, al igual que su terapeuta de sexo y relaciones calificado madre Jean (Gillian Anderson) hace a sus clientes, y lejos van, instantáneamente más ligero, ya no empantanado por sus problemas pesados.
Al igual que Sherlock Holmes, Otis, de 16 años de edad, utiliza la evidencia antes que él para localizar el quid de sus acertijos y, en última instancia, conseguir que sus pacientes.
Netflix’s brand new British comedy-drama series Sex Education packs an immediate punch, sticking the students of Moordale Secondary School and their sex-based concerns right in front of your face without warning or apology.
Because this is a show on a mission: “[It’s about] encouraging people to rip the band-aid off and have those uncomfortable, awkward conversations about sex, rather than bottle it all up inside, or think that they have to go online to get the answers,” writer Laurie Nunn told Digital Spy and other press. “To try and talk to their partners or – if they can handle it – to their parents, or to their friends.
“We really think that that’s going to help them have healthier sexual relationships.”
It’s a noble purpose and because of that, nothing is sanitised. The concerns that the characters are grappling with are painted in the loudest colours, emphatically splashed across the screen because, as the cast and crew have consistently emphasised, Sex Education is nothing if not real.
It does the heavy lifting, having those all-important yet toe-curling dialogues – about relationships, identity, and what healthy, consensual sex looks like – that most of us swerved like Fast & Furious drivers during our younger years, and often still do.
But it could be accused of falling short in one central narrative tenet: the depiction of therapy.
“The first alarm bell I experienced when I watched it was the way it sort of suggested that sex and relationship therapy was something completely split off from people’s overall health and mental well-being,” Professor Sarah Niblock, Chief Executive of the UK Council for Psychotherapists, tells Digital Spy exclusively.
“That’s kind of ridiculous and it sort of undermines the whole premise of what follows.”
Throughout the series, students from a number of different backgrounds and social statuses approach Otis (Asa Butterfield) for help with an array of weird and wonderful problems regarding sex and their bodies.
Otis then dishes out his pearls of wisdom, just as his qualified sex and relationship therapist mother Jean (Gillian Anderson) does to her clients, and away they go, instantly lighter, no longer bogged down by their weighty woes.
Like Sherlock Holmes, 16-year-old Otis uses the evidence before him to pinpoint the crux of their conundrums and ultimately, get his patients instantly back on track.
This, according to Niblock, is simply not how it works.
“I’m actually a little bit surprised it survived the script editing,” she said. “Problems in relationships occur because of deeper stuff. It’s not something that you can split off from the rest of your life.
“Often if people have a general sense of ‘mental un-health’ then it does get manifested through relationship difficulties. Problems in relationships, particularly around sex, often come about as a result of something that’s much more fundamental.
“So I think the way it compartmentalises sex and relationships as being something that’s just there and everything else in your life is great, but you’ve got this sexual problem, is very simplistic.”
The way in which Otis is able to address the hang-ups of his fellow students during a five-minute lunch slot is also a concern for Niblock.
“I think it’s also a little bit unrealistic in the way that it portrays quick fixes,” she continues. “That’s not to say for one moment that you have to go into psychotherapy for years and years. Things can resolve themselves pretty quickly.
“But you can’t just sort it out overnight. You’ve got to be prepared to be in it for a bit of time to really get to the root cause of what’s causing those problems in relationships.
“I’m concerned that viewers might take away a distorted view of therapy. My worry is that programmes such as Sex Education are going to make people think that when they see a psychotherapist, that they’re in an unsafe relationship with somebody who might not necessarily have the proper background.”
It’s not just Otis’s age and lack of life experience that is a problem for Niblock and her fellow professionals. It is also the way in which his friend Maeve (Emma Mackey) crowns him an expert for simply observing his mother in action from afar: “The programme makes out that anyone can just learn the skills and practise it.
“You have to have years and years of training and deep study and deep reflection to learn the ability to work with what are people’s most unconscious feelings and experiences, so that concerns me.”
Portraying therapy in an accurate, responsible light is no mean feat, but it’s something that Niblock says can be done with a comprehensive understanding of the process, and of the relationship between therapist and client.
Unfortunately that doesn’t quite fit with the demands of fast-moving narrative TV. “It doesn’t follow a nice kind of flow. It doesn’t follow a linear pattern where you go from A to B and then you’re better. It often goes backwards and forwards. There are highs and lows. But people don’t really know what goes on. It has a lot of mystique around it.”
Niblock cited Scandinavian thriller Black Lake and Dexteras two other shows which get it spectacularly wrong: “In Black Lake, there is the representation of a psychotherapist as somehow being able to have control over their clients, that somehow they can manipulate them.
“I think if they worked with us they’d realise actually that it’s the client or clients that are in the driving seat. It’s they who have full control over the process, and the therapist is there really to support them and hear them and… ask them questions, get deeper into things and reflect back to them.
“They can’t start twisting their mind and control them or turn them into murderers as you saw on Dexter with Charlotte Rampling’s character. If you’re a writer or producer, you should go and immerse yourself within the particular sector.
“You can’t really shadow a psychotherapist, but you would be able to get a much better sense of it if only they were to talk to us and organisations like ours who would be more than happy to advise and give a little bit of script advice.”
Yet despite therapy often being a very emotionally demanding experience, representations on screen can play with comedic elements.
“We do look at humour in the consulting room because actually therapists and their clients will find times when actually, something is extremely funny,” she said. “It covers the full spectrum of emotions.
“But it’s just important that the power relationship between the therapist and the client is represented accurately. There’s nothing more frightening than thinking someone will overpower you and control you.
“The most scary thing we face is lack of control. It’s one of the most stressful, anxiety-inducing things, the sense that you can’t change your circumstances. And what concerns me with some of these programmes is they almost portray psychotherapy as being able to make people go mad and lose sense of who they are.”
Niblock went on to say that if that stigma isn’t dealt with, the fallout could be catastrophic: “So many of us will experience a mental health issue in our lives. The most important thing we can do is talk to somebody. We’ve done research that shows that people don’t really know what a psychotherapist is and when they see those representations on TV it will certainly put them off.
“So we’ve got to do a lot of work to make sure that people better understand and can make informed choices about their care.”
1734 Robert Morris, merchant (signed Declaration of Independence)
1865 Congress passes the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in America (passes 121-24)
1872 Zane Grey, American West novelist (Riders of the Purple Sage)
1925 Charles Aidman, American TV narrator (New Twilight Zone), born in Frankfort, Indiana
1949 ‘These Are My Children‘ is broadcast live on Chicago’s NBC station. It’s the first in what will become an institution of daytime drama serials, many of which will be sponsored by–yes–soap manufacturers. Television soap operas will begin dying out in the 21st century as tastes change.
Many of us hold deeply ingrained beliefs about ourselves that are simply not true. You can start to free yourself from them by editing your narrative, says psychiatrist John Sharp.
Every weekday for the month of January, TED Ideas is publishing a new post in a series called “How to Be a Better Human,” containing a helpful piece of advice from a speaker in the TED community. To see all the posts, click here.
There are many things in our lives that we have little control over — the news, the weather, the traffic, the soup of the day at our local café. But among the things that we can control, there’s a big one: our story.
This narrative is not the one that contains the objective facts of our lives;
instead, it’s “the story you’ve been telling yourself about who you are and how everything always plays out,” says psychiatrist and Harvard Medical School professor John Sharp.
And he adds, “If you want to change your life, it needs a re-edit.”
The problem with this story is that too often, it’s not accurate — writer Marilynne Robinson calls it “a mean little myth.”
Sharp, the author of The Insight Cure: Change Your Story, Transform Your Life, explains, “Some emotionally difficult scenes are way over-included — just think of all the things you can’t let go of — and other scenes are deleted, such as times when things did go well. The worst part about the false truth … is that it becomes our self-fulfilling prophecy, the basis of what we expect from ourselves in the future.”
To begin revising your narrative, Sharp recommends doing the following:
1. Identify where your narrative diverges from reality.
For Sharp, his parents divorced when he was young, and he says, “the false truth that I held to so dearly was that just … as I couldn’t be effective in keeping my parents together, I probably couldn’t be effective at much of anything else, and this left me feeling very insecure.”
Since you’ve long accepted your false story as the official account, it may not be super-obvious to you. If you’re not sure what it is, try filling in these blanks, says Sharp:
“If I break a promise to myself, I feel ___________.”
“When someone ignores me, I feel _____________.”
“When my partner or best friend and I have a big fight, I feel _____________.”
Why these prompts? Our inaccurate narrative tends to be one that we default to when we’re faced with difficulty or disappointment.
Another way to help you identify your old story is to listen to your self-talk and notice when it includes statements that begin with “I always ______,” “I’m always ______,” or “I never ______.”
After you find your ingrained story, think back to your childhood and try to look for the experiences that helped feed it. And if you end up identifying multiple false stories, choose the one that’s had the most impact on your life. Sharp says, “While I know there are many stories and many possible revisions for all of us, I truly believe that there’s one underlying story that you deserve to identify and rework first.”
2. Question your beliefs.
Let’s say your deep belief is no matter what you do, it’s not enough; perhaps your parents were rarely satisfied with your achievements, even when they were stellar, and fixated on your next report card, exam or accomplishment. So, ask yourself: While that might have been the case when you were younger, is itreally true now that what you do is never enough?
“When you view it from an adult perspective, you can see that it’s not fair or just to ourselves,” says Sharp.
Your story doesn’t have to have been caused by your parents, but it’s typically the result of a relationship we had when we were young. Explains Sharp, “It happens at a time before we know the difference between a healthy and and unhealthy reaction to something that really scares us, so we hold on to the wrong conclusion.”
3. Don’t beat yourself up.
It’s normal to feel a bit discouraged when you realize how long you’ve been telling yourself a false narrative. But know you’re far from alone — many of us walk around with these stories, says Sharp. “We need to be compassionate with ourselves about how this came into being.” Most people come up with them for what he calls “understable reasons” — the need to maintain a sense of control and the tendency for kids to take specific circumstances and generalize broadly.
4. Introduce positives into your narrative.
Think about all your strengths and talents, and appreciate them. While the situations that led to the false story have made you into who you are today, they’ve probably affected you in positive ways as well. Maybe they’ve made you more resourceful, more responsible, more empathic, or more ambitious. These positives, big and small, deserve a place in your story, too.
5. Leave behind the old story.
“Cut away what no longer serves you,” says Sharp. “Identify and gather up all the many exceptions … and accept that it’s safe now to move on. You no longer have to hold on to that false security.”
One of Sharp’s patients was a woman who avoided all challenges and adversity. Upon reflecting about her past, she realized “she suffered from the false truth that when she fell, she couldn’t pick herself up,” says Sharp. “Now she knows she can, and her future looks entirely different and better.”
Sharp is a fervent believer in the power of editing one’s story. “If I hadn’t cut away from my ‘mean little myth,’ then I’m confident now that I wouldn’t be here with you today,” he says in his TEDx talk. “In my 20 years of clinical practice, I’ve seen this kind of transformation over and over again.”
Traído a usted por la ciudad médica plano de las mujeres
Si su hija se aproxima a la pubertad, tiene una tarea importante por delante. Cuanto mejor la preparó para los próximos cambios biológicos, más fácil será su transición a la feminidad.
Las madres e hijas juntos pueden aprender sobre los aspectos biológicos, médicos y prácticos del estilo de vida de la menstruación de un obstetra/GINECÓLOGO en el personal del centro médico de plano.
Estamos blogueando desde todos los rincones del mundo, tal vez un hospital o centro médico cerca de usted tiene información similar. Siempre se puede iniciar un grupo para educar a las niñas en áreas más pequeñas. Si tienes suerte, tu madre te da un buen ejemplo de lo que puedes esperar y abrazar los cambios. M
Tamanu oil is derived from the Tamanu tree, which originates in the Polynesian islands, tropical Southeast Asia, south India, and the tropical African Coast. With antioxidants, antibacterial, anti-inch, and healing properties, it has been used for skin care as well as hair care. The smell is slightly sweet and someone nutty, the color is greenish-yellow, and the shelf life is normally two years, depending on how it’s stored. Here are eight ways this oil benefits your overall health.
Treats Acne by reducing bacterial growth.
Soothes dry skin by moisturizing and adding antioxidants.
Smooths wrinkles with fatty acids and antioxidants.
Heals wounds, cuts, and abrasions with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties.
Reduces the appearance of scars and stretch marks thanks to the cell regenerating and renewal characteristics.
Treats ingrown hairs with antibacterial property.
Fights scalp irregularities and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents.
Restores hair health and shine by sealing in moisture.
Notes
Before using Tamanu oil, test it on a small area of your skin to make sure you’re not allergic or sensitive to it.
Avoid using Tamanu oil if you have a tree nut allergy.
For deep, infected wounds, please seek immediate care from a healthcare provider.
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