Search: brain

How the New Science of Gender Medicine Can Save MenΓÇÖs Lives

By
blog

Long before anyone had heard of the field of “gender medicine”, I was on a search to find answers to the questions “Why do men die sooner and live sicker?” I was five years old when my father tried to commit suicide. He had, what I was told was, a “nervous breakdown.” I didn’t know what that was, but I knew he was having trouble finding work in a down economy and he had become increasingly irritable, angry, and withdrawn. Although he didn’t die, our lives were never the same. The year before, the fat

Breast Cancer

Health Close-Up: Stage IV Breast Cancer

article

By Judy Kirkwood Editor's note: October is Breast Cancer Month. This article is ThirdAge's contribution to awareness about a form of breast cancer that is seldom discussed and is underfunded even though a third of patients have it. Read on for the courageous story of one of those patients and learn how easy it can be for you to help the cause.  

Divorce

Getting Past Betrayal

article

By Judy Kirkwood “The most important thing about me was that for quite a chunk of my life I was divorced. It was a fact that stayed with me even after I remarried. I have now been married to my third husband for more than 20 years. But when you've had children with someone from whom you're now divorced, that split defines everything; it's the lurking fact, a slice of anger in the pie of your brain.” Nora Ephron

Sleep Health

Best Treatments for Severe Sleep Disorders

article

  Sleep is one of our most ordinary but important activities. If we don’t do it “right,” we can suffer. Snoring, the partial blockage of your airway, has been linked to some serious health issues, including heart disease, diabetes and weight. And the more serious sleep apnea – a condition in which your airway can be completely blocked from anywhere to five to 50 times an hour – can be life-threatening. And in both cases, you’ll probably be plagued by dangerous drowsiness the next day, affecting everything from driving to your job.

The Secret to Getting Your Man to Become More Loving

By
blog

  George and Henry are cousins, but their behavior in love and at work couldn’t be more different. Here’s how they are described by Paul, a person who knows them both well. “George is a stand-up guy,” says Paul. “He gets along well with others and he always looks for the peaceful solution to conflict. He is loyal to his mate and shares in the housework and childrearing. He is a good provider and loves to give to his family and friends.”

Grandparents Day: A Reminder to Live a Healthy Lifestyle

blog

  As Grandparents Day 2012 approaches, I am renewing my annual vow to keep living the healthiest possible lifestyle so that I can, with some luck in the bargain, stick around to see my precious grandsons reach milestone after milestone. This all started the year the elder of the two was 15 months old. His eyes welled up with tears when I kissed him good-bye at the airport after a visit. I hugged him fiercely and then I said, as brightly as I could muster, "Bye bye!"

Mental & Emotional Health

Emotional Recovery After Public Trauma

article

  By Judy Kirkwood Horrific events like the shootings in a Colorado movie theater and a Sikh temple in Wisconsin affect not only those directly or peripherally involved, but also many people who only hear about them on the news. “Such events leave most of us feeling vulnerable, helpless, sad and anxious,” says Linda Ligenza, a consultant to the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. These killings, unlike those in war, happened in ordinary and familiar settings. This could have been me, we think.

Music and Alzheimer's

article

  By Judy Kirkwood If you've ever felt , or witnessed, the unimaginable despair and sadness that accompanies seeing a loved one with Alzheimer's, there could be good news for you. A new feature documentary, “Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory,” demonstrates the power of music to awaken and revive those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia--and to bring them closer to being themselves once more.. 

Mental & Emotional Health

A Lesson from Mary Kennedy's Death

article

  By Judy Kirkwood   Mary Richardson Kennedy’s death could not have been unanticipated. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 90 percent of people who die from suicide have the risk factors of depression and other mental disorders, including substance abuse disorders. Any knowledgeable health provider versed in dual diagnosis could have told the Kennedy and Richardson families that it was not a good idea for Mary to be living alone and to have total responsibility for her finances and health.

Mental & Emotional Health

When You Love An Addict

article

  How many times have I heard variations of this in the last two  weeks? “I can’t understand why Whitney Houston would overdose/abuse drugs/get so drunk, when she had been through treatment and achieved sobriety, a child who needed her, a great career, people who loved her, and such a strong faith.” In fact, I was sitting next to a Miami news anchor at dinner the other night who said the same thing.

Aging Well

10 Little Changes That Take Off Five Years

article

If the Fountain-of-Youth Fairy came into your life and offered to wave her magic wand so you would look at least five years younger almost instantly, we're betting you wouldn't turn her down. Well, here we are with the next best solution. Read on for 10 surefire strategies to make yourself appear more youthful than you do right now. Stand up Straight

Living Single

Are You Lonely?

article

If you're a Boomer who's living alone, you're part of a growing phenomenon. Close to 30% of the older population is in what the Census Bureau calls "single person households," and the number skyrockets to almost 50% for women over the age of 75. Yet while mid-lifers who are yearning for some "me time" may think that flying solo sounds great, the truth is that coming home to an empty house or apartment night after night can bring on depression as well as a host of related physical ailments.

What's The Matter With Him?

By
blog

"He used to be the nicest guy you could imagine, now he's become moody and mean." I hear this bewildered concern from women all over the world. "She used to be gentle and caring, now she treats me like her worst enemy." Men are equally frustrated and confused. Millions of women and men are finding that something strange is happening to them when their relationship moves into midlife.

The Irritable Male Syndrome And Male Menopause

By
blog

"He used to be the nicest guy you could imagine, now he's become moody and mean." I hear this bewildered concern from women all over the world. "She used to be gentle and caring, now she treats me like her worst enemy. Men are equally frustrated and confused. Millions of women and men are finding that something strange is happening to them when their relationship moves into mid-life. 

Memories of 9/11 in NYC

blog

  On September 14th 2001, three days after 9/11, I posted "Attack on New York: Report from the Front Lines" on DanceArt.com where I've been "The New York Dance Scene" blogger since 1997. Here is what I wrote when the tragedy was still so fresh:

7 Ways to Treat Depression With Food

article

Treatment for depression can be a complicated process involving both therapy and medication. But one often-overlooked factor is nutrition -- you are what you eat, and you need to eat food that will help you be happy. Here are seven tips to help you eat to curb depression.

you may also like

Recipes We