How Competent Are You? By blog Competent is a word that describes people who know what they are doing. When everyone raves about your apple pie compared to other apple pies theyΓÇÖve eaten, you become known as an authority on the subject of apple pies. But what about the baker who thinks her apple pie is just as good as yours, maybe even better, in spite of evidence to the contrary? This is a sign of incompetence, according to a study done by researchers at Cornell University.
_ Pain Management Chronic Pain & Painkillers: Why You ΓÇ¿Should Consider AlternativesΓÇ¿ By Sondra Forsyth article By Dr. Frank King Roughly 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain lasting more than six months, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine. Throughout the past decade, the use of painkillers such as Vicodin, Percocet and OxyContin has soared by 300 percent. For many ΓÇô 17,000 people per year, or 46 each day ΓÇô the treatment is worse than the pain. ThatΓÇÖs the number of users who die from the medicine, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Menopause: Trigger for the Boomer GenerationΓÇÖs Encore Career By blog Seems like when youΓÇÖre raising kids or climbing the career ladder, itΓÇÖs all about checking off ΓÇÿto doΓÇÖ lists. Constant activity, travel, ballgames and baby-sitters can make your head spin. Suddenly, youΓÇÖre done. The kids leave the nest; your career is winding down, leaving you to wonder, whatΓÇÖs next?
_ Mental & Emotional Health Risky Work Scenarios Make Women Anxious & Less Competent By Sondra Forsyth article Risky situations at work increase anxiety for women and hurt their job performance, according to a study done at Stanford University and presented at the 109th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in August 2014 in San Francisco. On the other hand, study author Susan R. Fisk found that anxiety did not raise anxiety levels for men and that menΓÇÖs job performance was unaffected.
Companion and Caregiver By blog The words companion/caregiver are positive words for us who have parents. They are also sad words. They are not positive words for our parents. I know. My mother has a ΓÇ£companion,ΓÇ¥ she says! Not a caregiver. We dare not call Mimi a caregiver. My father had a caregiver. Below are tips I have learned that I want to share with you when you may have to look for a companion or caregiver for your own parents.
_ Friendship Friends and Your Health By Jane Farrell article Friendships can have a major impact on your health and well-being, but it's not always easy to build or maintain friendships. Understand the importance of friendships in your life and what you can do to develop and nurture friendships. What are the benefits of friendships? Good friends are good for your health. Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. Friends prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends can also: Increase your sense of belonging and purpose
Aging Well Seniors Have Roomies, Too By Jane Farrell article By Judy Santamaria, MSPH Most of us know that loneliness isn't good for us -- but as we age, many of us find our circle of friends and family diminishing in size for various reasons. Sometimes consciously, sometimes not, loneliness can creep in, and begin to affect our spirits in a less-than-healthy way. Recently, I've been hearing about some really interesting ways seniors are stacking the deck in their own favor to combat loneliness associated with aging, and I wanted to share a few of them with you here.
Five Sex-Positive Results of Celibacy By Jane Farrell blog Let’s define celibacy versus abstinence. The terms are often used interchangeably, yet for the purposes of this article, they are two different concepts. According to the website Wait Until Marriage, abstinence is defined as the absence of sexual intercourse, whereas celibacy is the avoidance of all forms of sexual activity. People who abstain from sex often date, kiss and have oral sex. Abstinence is a method of managing potential STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Many people of faith also want to wait until marriage to engage in full sexual relations. Celibacy is a way of being that avoids all sexual situations. This can often demand the avoidance of dating altogether, as it did for me.
Doc, Doc, DockinΓÇÖ on HeavenΓÇÖs Door By blog I have to confess I open up my junk mail if that’s all there is in the mailbox. I don’t know if that is a true sign I am turning into an old lady, or just curious. Well, it serves me right. There in a plain brown wrapper in an oversized envelope was a multitudinous stack of official looking papers, the crown piece being a “real certificate” with all that blue and white scrolly-doily looking edging.
Caregiving Without An Attitude By blog A few months ago, I attended a memory loss conference and encountered what I refer to as an “Alpha Alzheimer’s Caregiver.” I’ll call her Deborah.
_ Widowhood Mourning the Death Of A Spouse By Jane Farrell article Losing a spouse is one of life’s most heartbreaking events. You may react in a number of different ways: sorrow, fear, even anger (that your husband didn’t look after his health, for example). You can also feel guilty that you have survived, while he hasn’t. You may even feel a certain sense of relief, especially if you have been an in–home caregiver or your spouse has been in a nursing home.
_ Why It May Be More Than "The Blues" By Jane Farrell article Everyone feels blue now and then. It’s part of life. But if you no longer enjoy activities that you usually like, there may be a more serious problem. Feeling depressed without letup can change the way you think and the way you experience emotions. Doctors call this clinical depression.
_ Caregivers for Wounded Veterans By article More than 1.1 million spouses, parents, and friends are caring for the injured and disabled who have served in the U.S. military since Sept. 11, 2001, often doing so without a formal support network and putting their own well-being at risk, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
40 Steps to Making a Bed... And Other Lessons in Caregiving By blog One recent morning, a clinical manager who helps train aides at the home care agency where I work, shared with me a lighthearted comment that she'd overheard from one of her newest trainees. "Who knew making a bed was so complex?" the aide had said. That got me thinking -- and counting.
How to Love an Angry Man: Part 2 ΓÇô Dealing with Anger vs. Rage By blog Dear Dr. Jed, I’m worried about my husband. He’s angry all the time and blames me for everything that is wrong. He calls me names, yells at me, looks at me with such hatred, I want to disappear. He’s never hit me, but I’m afraid of him. He totally denies that there are any problems with him. When he gets mad he calls me a bitch and a lot worse and tells me I’m crazy and should be hospitalized.
Getting the Love You Want By blog What is the secret to attracting your soul mate and the loving relationship you yearn for? Really, it’s very simple. It all starts with you and loving yourself. Only when you truly love yourself can you be in a loving relationship. Here are my five tips to truly loving yourself so you can get the love you want. Distinguish between your wants and desires
The Myth of Mental Illness By Jane Farrell blog A new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is due out next year and there is renewed discussion about what constitutes a “mental illness.” One of the world’s leading psychiatrists is questioning the very concept of mental illness. “In non-psychiatric circles mental illness all too often is considered to be whatever psychiatrists say it is,” Dr. Z tells us. “The need to re-examine the problem of mental illness is both timely and pressing.