I recently returned from the 9th annual Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference in Dallas, Texas. This conference offers health care providers from many different disciplines a holistic approach to successfully diagnose and treat underlying issues contributing to neurological, behavioral, and psychiatric disorders. Research has revealed that many conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety,… Read more »
Mental Health
In a nutshell, disordered eating is when an individual’s relationship with food causes problems in their life or that of their loved ones. People are often surprised to find out that what they consider to be a lack of self-control or poor discipline is really “disordered eating,” driven by a part of our brain over… Read more »
Is there a mental health crisis developing in America, or just a popular topic in the media? National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) 2017 statistics document a nearly 13% rate of depression affliction in teenagers, and nearly 7% in adults; hardly an epidemic, but concerning, nonetheless. Every day, we all are faced with issues that… Read more »
We’ve all had days we don’t feel like doing much. Sometimes, we consciously know that lack of motivation is due to a feeling of sadness or some other depressed emotion. But what about those times when we can’t identify a reason or aren’t performing up to par and can’t figure out why? Is it possible… Read more »
I recently attended the 8th annual Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conference in Orange County. Health care practitioners from many disciplines converged to learn about new and integrative approaches to treating mental health disorders such as ADD, ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar, dementia, pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANDAS), autistic spectrum disorders and Alzheimer’s. The general theme… Read more »
Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, often about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. It is a nervous disorder that affects literally millions of people and is characterized by a state of distress and apprehension. Anxiety can present itself in many different ways from mild worry to physical manifestations… Read more »
You may be one of the millions of Americans who has longstanding problems with mood, sleep, concentration or weight. Or you may have a medical condition that seems difficult to diagnose or treat, such as brain fog, fibromyalgia or panic attacks. If any of the preceding applies to you, consider testing your neurotransmitters to determine… Read more »
Postpartum depression (PPD) is defined as a variable mood, anxiety, and feelings of despair and deep sadness that occur in a new mother from several days to several months after childbirth. PPD can last for months, or longer, and if untreated can affect the way a mother is able to function in her daily life,… Read more »
Individuals suffering from chronic pain assume that the pain symptoms are purely physical. There are many times though that clinicians scratch their heads to identify painful symptoms when nothing structural presents itself in an effort to prove a mechanical problem as the pain culprit. Dr. John Sarno, author of Mind Over Back Pain and Healing… Read more »
As a registered nurse, I have been with Eisenhower Medical Center and the Betty Ford Center for 29 years. I became an acupuncturist 15 years ago and have had impressive results treating patients with auricular (ear) acupuncture for chemical dependency, alcohol withdrawal, anxiety and pain. The ear is innervated (has nerve supply) from three major… Read more »
Oxytocin is commonly known as the “snuggle hormone” or the “love hormone.” Various types of positive sensory stimulations such as warmth, touch, or even eating food release it. Nature wired men and women to experience surges of oxytocin when bonding. It helps create the feeling of falling in love and naturally enhances a sense of… Read more »
Health care stress is rampant― affecting its providers (employees and the organizations) and customers (patients and their families) alike. “Most stress in life is unnecessary, though some of it is inevitable,” says Kiran Dintyala, MD, MPH, a board certified internal medicine physician with Eisenhower Medical Center. “There are simple things that one can learn to… Read more »
As a licensed marriage and family therapist, I have worked with many people on a one-on-one basis. I have also led many group therapy sessions and facilitated numerous support groups. Quite often I am asked: What is the difference between group therapy and support groups? Aren’t they pretty much the same? But if not, which… Read more »
New legislation became effective in June of this year allowing an individual to choose, when terminally ill, to receive medical aid in dying. It is known as the End of Life Option Act. This summer, the Cathedral City Senior Center hosted a workshop led by Paul Zak, a retired social worker trained by Compassion and… Read more »
Usually, my goal in writing on various subjects in Desert Health® is to mentor, teach, and provide support. This article on loss is coming from a unique perspective, more of a personal view, since my mother passed away April 15 of this year. As I walk through the steps of grief and loss, my hope… Read more »
More than 20% of all Americans, approximately 57 million people, consume prescription drugs intended to treat mental health issues including anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. Developing safe, targeted and effective drugs to treat these conditions has increasingly become a struggle for the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, there has been a gradual withdrawal of research… Read more »
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, major depressive disorder impacts roughly 1 in 6 Americans at some point in their lifetime and is now a leading cause of disability as well as one of the factors impacting the growing incidence of suicide. The costs associated with major depression are estimated to be $210… Read more »
Vitamin D is a nutrient present in almost every single cell in the body. It is primarily used to regulate calcium and mineral uptake, mineral metabolism, and bone growth. However, the abundance of vitamin D in the body’s cells indicates it has much broader actions than may be entirely known. One main role of vitamin… Read more »
Every day in millions of homes throughout the country, those who love another addicted to drugs or alcohol asks, “Why are they addicted?” “Why can’t they just stop?” “Don’t they see what it’s doing to them – and to me?” “Why doesn’t treatment work for us?” These are sincere and valid questions about the insidious… Read more »
It’s surprising to learn of the number of people in our community who don’t greet each new day with a smile. For them, mornings are a struggle, and the bright desert sun may be shaded by dark thoughts and feelings that cloud their mind and deplete their energy. They are of different ages, shapes and… Read more »
