Are you in control of your life?
Have you ever wondered what separates the people who achieve their goals from the people who do not? There are so many things it could be. Maybe the people with success stories were born into wealthier or healthier families. Maybe those who do not realize their dreams do not have access to the same resources. Maybe it is just a matter of which star was in ascension when you were born. Not so! Actually, what it comes down to is the answer to this question… “Are you in control of your life?” If...
Why is there such a stigma around getting help?
1 in 8 - that is how many people around the world suffer from mental illness. 1 in 8. That represents nearly one billion men, women, and children struggling within themselves… fighting battles in their own minds. 1 in 8 also certainly, absolutely, positively represents men, women, and children that you know personally. They are your family members. Your friends. Your colleagues. Your neighbors. The wait staff at your favorite cafe. It may even be the person you see in the mirror. So many...
What Aristotle says about happiness.
It is a sad reality that we all have problems. I am sure this is not news to you. Some of those problems are physical and we must treat them with a bandage or with a change in our diet. Other times, the cause is much more difficult to trace… there is no blood leading back to a wound. Instead, we feel its effects throughout our lives and search blindly for solutions. We feel around in the dark for a way back to our best life. My desire as a healthcare professional has always been to help my...
Busting Six ADHD Myths
One of my favorite things about my job is that I get to give people a great gift: awareness. Really, I love it! People come to my office with questions about their wellness, wondering about this thing or that thing that is going wrong, and get to give them an expert opinion and watch them make choices from a place of empowerment. That is what gets me out of bed in the morning! And sometimes, that insight can be life-changing - not just because of the proper treatment they can get, but because...
TIPS: The H in ADHD (Part 2)
blogLast week, I introduced you to one of my patients coping with the “H” in “ADHD” - hyperactivity. She was at her wit’s end, her mind working all the time, not letting her slow down even for a minute. Her mind was moving too fast to let her rest - but scattering too much to let her get anything done. Her story belongs to many sufferers of ADHD. Hyperactivity can result in restlessness, fidgeting, racing thoughts, and other debilitating symptoms. If you see yourself reflected in these things,...
The H in ADHD
This month, I have been writing to you about ADHD and the different ways it shows itself. People affected by ADHD suffer from a dysregulation of the brain’s dopamine system… maybe their brains are not producing enough dopamine, or they are not processing it properly, or it is being wasted. In the end, the effect is very detrimental to executive functioning - focus, time management, and productivity can be difficult for these people. This is the “Attention Deficit” part of ADHD. Today, I want...
The LOVE effect on your ADHD brain
A patient once came to me who was struggling with burnout. She told me she was feeling listless, passionless, and fatigued. She had lost her motivation, and she was feeling generally overwhelmed. Going to work each day was a chore. She was definitely describing burnout! She said she was depressed, and she asked me for medication. Something was clearly off in her life. But I wanted to ask more questions before I gave her a pill. And I am glad I did! By the end of our talk, I could see there was...
Your superpower
Did you know that you have a superpower? No, really! We often underestimate our own ability… we think of our lives as simple, straightforward, and small-scale. But the truth is that each of us has the power to impact other people. And not just in small ways - we can change the course of someone’s life! We hear the word “influencer” and think of big names with lots of followers on social media. But really, everyone is an influencer. We influence our partners, our children, our friends, our team...
Do you need some help?
Recently, a fascinating study was done at UC Berkeley. Post-doctoral fellow Elizabeth Kirby noted an interesting relationship between stress and the brain’s creation of new neurons. Her research showed that the stress response encourages the brain to form new cells related to memory - but only when the stress lasts for a brief time. When prolonged beyond a few moments, stress actually inhibits the brain’s ability to grow new cells. In other words, Kirby’s study confirms what we already know…...
How to “spice up” your mental performance
Today’s world loves low-effort, immediate solutions. We are used to things available at the push of a button. Over the last few years, we have moved from movie rental shops to streaming services… from snail mail to e-mail… and from window-shopping to same-day shipping. We have grown used to the path of least resistance! In a society like this, it makes sense why many people seek medication if they are feeling “off.” Taking a pill seems like a straightforward solution to their ills. But...
Are you in a toxic relationship?
If you would, I want you to take a quick assessment with me. Take a look at these questions and answer them as honestly as you can… When you are done eating, do you feel judgmental of yourself? Is it difficult for you to say no to food when it is offered to you, or when the thought occurs to you to eat? Do you consider food a release or refuge at the end of a hard day? Do your cravings control your grocery shopping? Instead of throwing them away, do you feel obligated to eat unhealthy foods...
My 7 ways to achieve brain peak-functioning
We make many choices each day based on how we are feeling or what we want at the moment. What we eat is a great example of this. Maybe you are particularly conscious of your health. But more likely, you had a lunch that was convenient, or maybe you even went out to buy something that you were especially craving. But choosing these things based on taste is like choosing what to fill your car with based on color! Your brain is a beautiful machine capable of incredible performance… but only if...
How to talk to your stress
Last week, I wrote about stress and anxiety - how they show up in our lives, how they affect us, and how we can manage them. This is a vitally important topic in a world that constantly exerts pressure on us in a number of ways. We have fast-paced work environments that expect us to produce, produce, produce, and a 24-hour news cycle that is constantly reminding us of war and disease to keep us afraid and ratings high. There is more to be said about stress this week. Sometimes, stress is...
Smile – it’s good for you!
It is a sad reality of adult life that many of us are more often stressed than we are not. Think about it: when was the last time you felt you had nothing at all to worry about? It was probably months, if not years ago. That may depend on the kind of life you live and your personality - some people live their lives completely unburdened - but probably, the last time you were totally unconcerned was a very, very long time ago. On the other hand, when was the last time you were totally stressed...
More THIS = better cognition
Do you ever find yourself so busy that you miss out on meeting our basic needs? We all have days where we neglect ourselves. Maybe you skipped your walk today, or missed an hour of sleep to work on an important project. Maybe last week you spent too much time working and not enough time in leisure, unwinding. Life gets in the way of balance - it happens to the best of us. But eventually, everyone feels the effects of neglect. It is okay; we cannot keep complete track of absolutely everything...
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