Many good studies have proved that an optimistic outlook has significant long-term health benefits. According to an article in Family Medicine, a journal for primary care doctors, some holistically oriented family physicians are recommending daily exercises in optimism to reduce the risk of developing all sorts of illnesses, both physical and emotional.
Category: Mental Health
Pre-Menopause Anxiety
One of the most common symptoms my patients tell me about during their pre-menopause years is a pervasive sense of mild depression and anxiety. No particular reason for it, they report, just a sense that things aren’t going right, wanting to cry for no reason over little things that never bothered them.
Escaping Routine
Do you have the sense that the months (and years) are slipping past too quickly? No doubt you’ve once groaned, “I can’t believe it’s April already. Wasn’t it just New Year’s Eve?” Even worse, you’ve heard someone celebrating 25 years on the job mutter a little sadly, “It seems like yesterday that I walked into this company.”
Important Depression Update
For many susceptible women, the combination of holiday stress and the dark short days of winter trigger a flare-up or first-time appearance of depression. If it happens to you, you’re not alone. Epidemiologists (who chart the incidence of disease) now believe that up to 10% of people suffer from depression, and that after pain, depression is the second most common cause of disability.
Holiday Stress Rx: Part 3
Click here for the Health Tip link. My patients sometimes have difficulty comprehending the extent to which chronic stress is responsible for their symptoms. Maybe it’s easier to understand how viruses cause a cold or plant spores bring on allergies. After all, both can be seen under a microscope. And yet chronic stress is much […]
Holiday Stress Rx: Part 2
Click here for the Health Tip link. Women play such a central role in family and celebration, to the degree that the stress of holiday demands can make you feel exhausted, anxious, and sick. Taking some time for yourself may seem counterintuitive, but it’s precisely what you need. Here’s another prescription for keeping healthy during […]
Q&A: Interactions Between Antidepressants and Supplements
Q: I’m currently taking Effexor and Wellbutrin for depression. Eventually I’d like to eliminate these medications. Will the Triple Whammy supplements harm me in any way while taking these prescribed medications?
SAMe for Depression and Arthritis
SAMe (pronounced “sammy”) is the abbreviation for a molecule already made by your body, S-adenosylmethionine. Some good clinical studies have shown that SAMe supplements are effective for three seemingly unrelated conditions: depression, arthritis, and liver disease.
Stress and Brain Fog: Three Steps to Clear Thinking
Your brain will simply not function efficiently when you’re stressed out. You’ll forget why you walked into a room, miss important appointments and birthdays, and find that balancing your checkbook is an exercise in advanced mathematics.