Category: Health / Illness / Medical Issues
The Good Therapy Blog
September 20th, 2010 |
New links between physical and mental health are discovered practically weekly. Recently, a study published in the journal Heart finds that while both depression and heart disease are linked with shorter life expectancy, the combination of the two is particularly risky. Among people with heart or circulatory disease, those who also have depression are a full four times more likely to die from their heart problems. Physicians should pay more attention to the emotional and psychological needs of their patients, the study recommends. Changes... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Carlsbad Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
September 18th, 2010 |
It’s not just a singular traumatic event such as an explosion or accident that can have psychological impact on a person. Studies show that a difficult hospital stay, especially in an intensive care unit, can cause a person to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Such stays often involve irregular sleep patterns, drifting in and out of consciousness, extreme pain, and medications that alter perception and awareness. As a result, spending several days in the ICU can be very disorienting. To help patients feel... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Evanston Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
September 13th, 2010 |
Psychological health issues are significantly more common among people with HIV/AIDS than in the general population (43.7% and 16.5%, respectively), according to a new study from South Africa. On one hand, pre-existing mental health issues may cause people to participate in behavior that makes them more likely to contract the illness, such as illicit drug use and unprotected sex with multiple partners. On the other hand, contracting such a serious illness may... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Denver Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
September 8th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Last week, President Barack Obama addressed the nation and announced the end of combat operations in Iraq. This announcement holds weight for troops stationed overseas, but for soldiers back home, other elements of the president’s address were far more immediately relevant. President Obama spoke of two pieces of legislation passed since his election: the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (or CVOHSA). The Post-9/11 GI Bill, among other thing, has made college education possible for some 300,000 veterans. But... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Newport Beach Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
September 6th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Seeing a counselor to quit smoking has been previously shown to be quite affective (more so than nicotine patches and gum alone), and now, addiction counseling for smokers will be more accessible to several groups of the population. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) this week announced that Medicare, both parts A and B, will cover treatment for those who want to find a counselor to help quit smoking. Since smoking-cessation counseling has evidence-based proof of effectiveness,... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Lake Oswego Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
August 12th, 2010 |
As noted last month, cancer treatments can have a significant effect on a person’s sexuality and desire to be intimate. Common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, which may be worsened by sexual activity, and fatigue, which may persist for months after treatment is finished. Hair loss is another common side effect of chemotherapy, and it can be particularly distressing to women. One woman described feeling like “an old man” because of her mastectomy and baldness.
Chemotherapy also has some gender specific side effects. Depending on a woman’s age, it may cause a profound... Read More
August 2nd, 2010 |
Once again, research shows a direct connection between mental health and physical health. Previous studies have drawn connections between depressive thoughts and physical ailments including cardiovascular health and generalized pain. But a new study shows a silver lining: people who are less confrontational may heal faster, at least when it comes to foot sores related to diabetes. The study found that people with depression had typically larger sores, and that those with confrontational responses to stress tended to... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Evanston Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
July 30th, 2010 |
Hospitals are increasingly incorporating more than just medical care for patients who are ill or injured. Psychologists, counselors, and religious guides can all play a role in helping an individual maintain mental, emotional, and spiritual balance, even toward the end of life. A new study of spiritual care looks at both the number of people interested in spiritual care, as well as their perception of that care. The study found spirituality to be important to over 80 percent of patients, and it was strongly tied to relationships.... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Plano Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
July 30th, 2010 |
Rheumatoid arthritis disrupts Anika's career early in life.
At the age of 44 Anika a fitness trainer and tennis coach was crushed by a diagnoses of Rheumatoid arthritis. She had always been the epitome of health and vitality. She watched her diet and weight and enjoyed her physically active life and career. Recently pain and stiffness in her fingers, wrists and knees was making it difficult for her to swing the tennis racket and get her clients bodies to work out effectively. She was getting tired more quickly, and finding herself fatigued even when she was at rest.
Women are twice as likely... Read More
July 14th, 2010 |
Many recent studies have documented connections between depression and heart disease, but new research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry shows connections between anxiety and heart disease as well. The study finds that among people with stable heart disease, people with generalized anxiety are 74 percent more likely to die of heart-related causes than people without anxiety. So far, it’s unknown whether anxiety triggers heart disease, or whether a single underlying... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Birmingham Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
July 13th, 2010 |
“Alice” is a long-term cancer survivor. She has beaten the odds of dying from stage four breast cancer many times over the years. She came into therapy because she was feeling “stuck,” and was wondering if she might be depressed.
Several visits into our work together, after exploring how things were going in different areas of her life, she said she wanted to talk about something that was difficult to discuss: her sex life with her husband. “Sex” is one of the most emotionally charged words in the English language. Our personal histories, family values and attitudes play a role... Read More
July 9th, 2010 |
The British Heart Foundation has recently released a statement about the connection between mental health and heart disease. Their position, essentially, is that the connection is a complex one that has yet to be fully understood. Studies show that if people have both heart disease and anxiety, they’re at a greater risk to experience heart failure, heart attack, and stroke. Thus far, it’s unknown exactly the connection between the two. Anxiety in general could lead to more stress, which could manifest physically as heart... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Silver Spring Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
June 29th, 2010 |
Most women who have weathered childbirth, and watched as their male partners squeamishly stood by, might think they are warriors when it comes to pain tolerance. However, most research has shown that women are actually more sensitive to pain. Women also tend to experience more pain during their lifetimes and develop more chronic pain conditions. Yet health care professionals sometimes minimize, misdiagnose, and offer insufficient symptom relief for pain conditions women present to them. Although men may delay getting the treatment they need for pain, once they do seek help, they are often treated... Read More
June 25th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Omega-3 supplements may be an effective tool to help some people overcome depression. The findings come from a major study, which was a collaboration between several Canadian universities and was recently published online by the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The study found that over 8 weeks, low doses (1050 mg/daily) of omega-3 supplements yielded significant reductions in the symptoms of depression, and performed comparably to popular anti-depressant medications.... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Redondo Beach Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
