HEALTH & WELLNESS

What to know about EMDR therapy for PTSD
HEALTH & WELLNESS

What to know about EMDR therapy for PTSD

While there is medication and counseling to assist individuals who suffer from PTSD, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is also a treatment option. Post-traumatic stress disorder is so common there is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs center devoted to understanding it and sharing information with the public. In fact, around 8% of the population will have PTSD at some point in their lives, according to the National Center for PTSD. And while there is medication and counseling to assist individuals who suffer from PTSD, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is also a treatment option. The American Psychological Association informs that the therapy focuses directly on the memory, “to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing a...
Free apps to ease anxiety
HEALTH & WELLNESS, TECHNOLOGY

Free apps to ease anxiety

Anxiety apps offer both supplemental support for individuals undergoing professional therapy as well as self-help aid While a doctor, psychologist or mental health practitioner is the best resource for major issues, anxiety apps offer both supplemental support for individuals undergoing professional therapy as well as self-help aid for anyone desiring to lessen anxious thoughts, actions and habits. Mental Health America stressed that there are several apps available, but recommends these: ‒ ReachOutBreathe (free; iOS only): Manages anxiety via controlled breathing exercises. ‒ Self-Help for Anxiety Management (free for iOS and Android): Provides users with a symptom tracker, educational articles, relaxation techniques, coping skills and advice for managing anxiety. Plus, Social Cloud is...
HEALTH & WELLNESS

Can’t sleep? Here’s what to do

There are ways to minimize agitated nights of tossing and turning. For many individuals, anxious nights are commonplace. Often, life’s pressures mount mentally when physical bodies are at rest. There are ways to minimize agitated nights of tossing and turning. Psychologytoday.com’s strategies include: ‒ Write it down. A to-do list, whether necessary for work or personal life, when written down wreaks less havoc on the mind. Plus, anxiety can be heightened by simply trying to remember all that needs to be accomplished. Writing items on a piece of paper or making a list on a smartphone alleviates some mental pressure. ‒ Focus on something positive or inspirational that can be taken care of the next day or in the future; write that down as well. ‒ Pray, meditate, count blessings, reminisce....
Solutions to overcome FOMO (fear of missing out)
HEALTH & WELLNESS

Solutions to overcome FOMO (fear of missing out)

FOMO contributes to a person’s dissatisfaction with their own social lives FOMO is a pervasive modern anxiety perpetuated by social media. Noah Webster, in his first “American Dictionary of the English Language” published in 1828, had no reason to include the word. Yet in 2003, MySpace launched and was followed by Facebook in 2004. Thousands of people began sharing posts of daily life. Before 2004 closed, FOMO was a real word defined in the dictionary that still bears Webster’s name as “fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing.” In an April 2018 report, businessinsider.com expounded ”... FOMO contributes to a person’s dissatisfaction with their own social lives ... It triggers negative feelings like boredom and lon...
Sunburn do’s and don’ts
HEALTH & WELLNESS

Sunburn do’s and don’ts

Individuals who “cook” themselves, as the character Kramer so famously declared in an episode of “Seinfeld,” can get relief. Sunburns can happen any time of the year, but during hotter summer months, when the sun’s rays hit the Earth at a steeper angle, chances increase for the painful condition. Individuals who “cook” themselves, as the character Kramer so famously declared in an episode of “Seinfeld,” can get relief. However, suffering Kramers often choose the wrong methods to alleviate sunburns. Men’s Health shared “5 Surprising Things That Will Make Your Sunburn Even Worse”: 1. Failure to hydrate. Drink at least eight glasses of water. (Avoid alcohol when sunburned; healthline.com in May pointed out that alcohol is a diuretic, causing the body to remove fluids from the blood through ...
Flesh-eating bacteria making headlines, but cases are ‘rare’
HEALTH & WELLNESS

Flesh-eating bacteria making headlines, but cases are ‘rare’

Touted prominently this summer is news and educational information about current Eastern coastal algae blooms and flesh-eating bacteria. Many beaches have been closed due to high risk of infection or death. Ecowatch.com in June shared: “Vibrio vulnificus is an ‘opportunistic pathogen’ ... The bacteria thrive in warm salty and brackish waters and enter humans either through breaks in the skin or after being consumed with raw seafood. Up to one-third of people with vibrio vulnificus will die from the infection, which can cause a flesh-eating and commonly fatal bacteria known as necrotizing fasciitis.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists necrotizing fasciitis as rare, but also notes that 700 to 1,200 cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. Those with immune-comp...
HEALTH & WELLNESS

Can’t sleep? You probably need to make these changes.

Brain research has shown how relevant sleep is to health, so it’s more important than ever to get a good night’s sleep. In the bedroom, that means not just decorating in calming colors but also minimizing stressors and optimizing conditions for a restful night. We asked some experts for advice and products to achieve that. Minimize noise A key obstacle to uninterrupted sleep is noise. To reduce it, Brooklyn-based architect and designer Adam Meshberg, founder of Meshberg Group, recommends soundproofing the walls — building an additional thin wall in front of the original, adding a layer of QuietRock sheetrock, or sealing any cracks or gaps within the walls. To a lesser extent, wallcoverings can also absorb sound, he says, though a padded wallcovering will do more than a simple wallpaper. C...
6 safety tips for summertime joggers
HEALTH & WELLNESS

6 safety tips for summertime joggers

The key is to run sensibly A disagreeable notion, perhaps, to take a jog during summer months when temperatures soar? The key is to run sensibly. Road Runners Club of America offers this sound advice: 1. Stay hydrated: Pre-hydration with a few glasses of water before running is advised, then carry a bottle or wear a hydration pack and sip at least every 20 minutes. Rrca.org recommends weighing yourself before and after running and, to determine proper hydration, “you should have drunk one pint of fluid for every pound you’re missing. Indications that you are running while dehydrated are a persistent elevated pulse after finishing your run and dark yellow urine. Keep in mind that thirst is not an adequate indicator of dehydration.” 2. Pay attention to the day’s air pollution and humidity ...
Overwhelmed? 8 ways to alleviate that feeling
HEALTH & WELLNESS

Overwhelmed? 8 ways to alleviate that feeling

Feeling overwhelmed leads to poor productivity, stress, emotional upheaval and, according to Psychcentral.com, anger, helplessness and panic attacks Suffocation is an analogy equated often with the feeling of being overwhelmed. No wonder it can be so paralyzing. Feeling overwhelmed leads to poor productivity, stress, emotional upheaval and, according to Psychcentral.com, anger, helplessness and panic attacks, with possible symptoms of rapid heartbeat, sweating, chest pain and shortness of breath. People become overwhelmed for a range of reasons, such as the birth of a child, death of a loved one, a move, a job change, having overnight visitors and more. Psychcentral.com’s strategies to help alleviate feeling overwhelmed include: ‒ Accept the anxiety and, “Think of acceptance as riding ou...
Postpartum depression: Signs to look for in women and men
HEALTH & WELLNESS

Postpartum depression: Signs to look for in women and men

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth In the Victorian era, it was known as melancholia. However, modernity recognizes the feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety and exhaustion accompanying the birth of a child as postpartum depression. Yet, while such entities as the National Institute of Mental Health maintain, “Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth,” Medical Life Science and an increasing number of health-related experts also refer to the condition as paternal postnatal depression because new fathers can be affected. In May, psycom.net reported around 1 in 10 men experiences PPND after the birth of a child. For women, the condition is often the result of a quick drop in hormones (estrogen and progestero...