A Healthy Mind Could Mean a Healthy Heart
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s obvious that the heart is a very important part of the body to monitor, but many people may not realize there is also a connection between good heart health and good mental health.
While the most commonly noted ways to prevent heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic website, include exercising consistently, not smoking or using tobacco, eating healthy, and keeping fit, the American Heart Association website states there is a strong connection between heart... Read More
HIV is disproportionately high among gay men. Evidence suggests that men who have sex with men (MSM) are over 40 times more likely to develop HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases as a result of having unprotected sex than heterosexual men. These men are more likely to experience negative social and mental health consequences as well, including 
We know very little about the effects of environmental toxicity on the developing brain, but toxicity is a suspected cause, or maybe one of several causes, of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Less than 50 of the 3,000 chemicals common in our everyday lives have been sufficiently tested for safety. The recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with autism makes all research related to this disorder, including the effects of toxicity, seem urgent. A problem this prevalent, and one that requires long-term medical and social services... 
Maintaining proper medical treatment and adhering to a specialized protocol is essential for people who live with AIDS/HIV (PLWH). According to many studies, barely half of individuals diagnosed with 
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. -Mohandas Gandhi
“Richard” is 62 and was diagnosed with cancer a few days ago. The oncology social worker referred him for therapy because he was extremely anxious and distraught. He was convinced that he would be unable to work during treatment because he would be so sick. Further, as someone who was self-employed, he thought it meant he would lose the successful business he had built up over many years.
Richard’s doctor prescribed some Xanax to help him cope until he was able to start therapy. Richard... 
Can you name an autoimmune disease? If you can, you’re among a small, select group. According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), only 13% of Americans can actually name an autoimmune disease. March is Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month, and the AARDA is trying to spread the word about these common, disabling, and sometimes deadly conditions. There are more than 100 autoimmune diseases, affecting over 50 million Americans, and women are disproportionately represented. In fact, 75% of autoimmune sufferers are women.
Autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s immune... 
Declining health is a natural process of aging. The majority of individuals over age 65 experience more physical health problems as they enter the golden years than they did earlier in life. Some experience mild, common health problems, such as high blood pressure, arthritis, memory problems, and fatigue, while others struggle with more debilitating 
I believe the answer to that question can be summed up in the wonderful poem that follows, by Emily Perl Kingsley…
Welcome to Holland
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability—to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this….
When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip—to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy... 
Special needs children require a level of attention that far exceeds that of other children. Compassion, patience, and understanding are resources that are often quickly exhausted when addressing the demanding task of caring for these special children. As children enter 
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological condition that affects motor function. A large portion of people who have PD also struggle with psychological problems, including sleep impairment, psychotic episodes, learning deficiencies, anxiety, and even depression, with depression being the most common. The caregivers of individuals with PD are also at increased risk for emotional distress and psychological problems. Very little research has focused on how to reduce the symptoms of depression in PD (dPD). To address this obvious gap, Roseanne D. Dobkin of the Department of Psychiatry... 
Last month’s post focused on what NOT to do and say to a parent who has just been faced with an autism diagnosis. I received lots of feedback and was thrilled by the response. Many of you shared your similar experiences and offered the things that you found most helpful during that very vulnerable time. So what does effective comforting look like?
Hope
Many parents tell me they needed a sense of hope and that finding the right book, teacher, counselor, or doctor helped foster that hope—hope that this wasn’t the end of their dreams for their child and hope that their child could learn,... 
I first met Milton when I had my law office downtown about 20 years ago. He was selling flowers and dispensing good cheer to passersby on a street corner on my way to and from the courthouse. One day I treated myself to one of Milton’s lovely roses and we struck up a friendship of sorts. I no longer have a downtown office or a law practice, but Milton is still there. According to a recent news story, he still sells flowers and shares happiness with others—and it seems some of them are repaying him for what he has given them over the years.
Milton has cerebral palsy. His speech is difficult... 
It is common for people who have suffered a heart attack (myocardial infarction [MI]) to become depressed. Quality of life, physical health, and income can be drastically affected. Surviving a heart attack can require that people change many things about their previous way of life. Giving up things that they enjoyed, whether they were good or bad, can lead to 
When my son was initially diagnosed with autism he was three-and-a-half. It was the year 2000, and he was right at the crest of what I call "the autism tsunami"—when the number of cases began to exponentially explode. I remember being hesitant to call and tell people, not because of what I had to tell them, but because of the reactions people had. Now that I am treating parents of children with autism on a daily basis, I have recognized similar patterns in the comforting styles and reactions of my patients' friends and family. I've identified three styles of comforting that are least helpful.
The... 
