Mental Health Articles

In the News Psychological Hacks for Better Mental Health– Part I

Humans are complicated beings with complicated minds. According to one Science journal, we have anywhere between 12 and 50 THOUSAND thoughts per day.

With that many thoughts coursing through our heads each day, it’s no wonder that many people struggle with managing their mental health.

In this two-part article, we offer some psychological hacks to help you maintain more positive thoughts throughout your day. 

• Recognize all the times you got it right. Rather than wake up each morning anxiousabout what didn’t get done on the to-do list, focus on what’s going well.
• Protect your emotional well-being day with the Big Three: Quality sleep, lots of water, and slow, deep-breathing.
• Consider your options when catastrophic thinkingthreatens to derail your mood. Close your eyes (this helps to block out stimulation) and fill in the blanks: I am afraid of ________. The worst-case scenario would be ________. On a scale of 1-10, the likelihood of this happening is ________. If this happens, I can do ________ and ________ and ________, instead of worry, feel helpless or stuck.
• Talk less.You don’t need to explain yourself as much as you think you do.
• Share your talents. When things don’t go your way it’s easy to think you’re a failure. You’re not. Switch the dial and notice your unique gifts. Find someone to help out.
• Hug your family, friends and pets Don’t forget yourself — you need hugs, too.
• Spend a few extra minutes in bed each morning to focus on the day ahead and all the opportunities that await.

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In the News: June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month - Part II

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some slowed thinking and occasional problems with remembering certain things. However, serious memory loss, confusion, and other major changes in the way our minds work may be a sign that brain cells are failing. 

As Alzheimer's advances through the brain, it leads to increasingly severe symptoms, including disorientation, mood, and behavior changes; deepening confusion about events, time, and place; unfounded suspicions about family, friends, and professional caregivers; more serious memory loss and behavior changes; and difficulty speaking, swallowing, and walking. 

What are the risk factors? 

Age, family history and genetics, having Down syndrome, sex (females tend to get Alzheimer’s more than males, mainly because they live longer than males) head trauma, excessive alcohol consumption, air pollution, and poor sleep patterns.

How can I prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?

Evidence suggests that taking steps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease may also lower your risk of developing dementia.

To follow heart-healthy lifestyle choices that may reduce the risk of dementia:

• Exercise regularly.
• Eat a diet of fresh produce, healthy oils, and foods low in saturated fat, such as a Mediterranean diet.
• Follow treatment guidelines to manage high blood pressure, diabetes. and high cholesterol.
• If you smoke, ask your health care provider for help to quit.

In the News June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month– Part I

During the month of June, we recognize those living with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Here we dig deeper into Alzheimer’s, treatments, outlooks and more.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.

Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.

Does everyone get Alzheimer’s when they get older?

Alzheimer’s is NOT a normal part of aging. Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years

In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. On average, a person with Alzheimer's lives 4 to 8 years after diagnosis but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors.

Is Alzheimer’s curable? 

Alzheimer’s has no cure, but treatments demonstrate that removing beta-amyloid, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, from the brain reduces cognitive and functional decline in people living with early Alzheimer’s. Other treatments can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer's and their caregivers.  

What are the signs/symptoms of Alzheimer’s? 

The most common early symptom of Alzheimer's is difficulty remembering newly learned information. Most of us eventually notice 

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Healthy Living: Breaking Those Bad Habits

From overeating to watching too much TV, there’s only one way to break a bad habit – make a plan!  Unfortunately, what may work for one person, may not work for another.  So here are some ways to break some of the most popular bad habits.  Hopefully it works for you!

Watching too much TV. – Studies show that people watch an average of 4 hours of television each day and these studies also show that excessive T.V. watching can be linked to developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  Here are some ways to avoid watching too much TV: only watch when there is something specific you want to see, do chores during commercials, make a list of things you need to accomplish before sitting down to watch TV, and create a TV-watching plan and stick to it. 

Drinking too much alcohol. – Tired of being hung over and sluggish? Then you should do everything you can to cut back on drinking too much alcohol.  To cut back try these tips: drink one glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have, drink only when you are having a meal, or try drinking something that looks like an alcoholic drink, like root beer or a drink with a slice of fruit in it. 

Smoking. – While this may be one of the hardest habits to break, it’s still possible as many, many people do it every year. The best plan is to talk things over with your doctor because they can offer the best cessation treatment for you.  But some other approaches that you may consider include hypnotherapy, exercise, or electronic cigarettes. 

Overeating. – No matter how hard you try to cut calories, it still seems like sometimes the cravings are still there.  Experts say that sometimes it is best to give into those cravings.  When people do give into their cravings occasionally, they have a better chance of losing weight and keeping it off, than those who ignore their cravings and avoid certain foods.  Experts also advise that if you can avoid nighttime eating that you will be well on your way to prevent overeating as well.

In the News Autism Awareness – Part II

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A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have limited, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, including any of these signs:

• Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand flapping.
• Performs activities that could cause self-harm, such as biting or head-banging.
• Develops specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest change.
• Has problems with coordination or has odd movement patterns, such as clumsiness or walking on toes, and has odd, stiff or exaggerated body language. 

When should I seek medical advice regarding my child and autism?

Signs of autism spectrum disorder often appear early in development when there are obvious delays in language skills and social interactions. Your doctor may recommend developmental tests to identify if your child has delays in cognitive, language and social skills, if your child:

• Doesn't respond with a smile or happy expression by 6 months.
• Doesn't mimic sounds or facial expressions by 9 months.
• Doesn't babble or coo by 12 months.
• Doesn't gesture — such as point or wave — by 14 months.
• Doesn't say single words by 16 months.
• Doesn't play "make-believe" or pretend by 18 months.
• Doesn't say two-word phrases by 24 months.

Loses language skills or social skills at any age.