Health and Psychology

There are many helpful applications for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac that can help with weight loss.  There are a couple of strategies that health psychologists suggest to assist people wanting to lose weight.

STRATEGIES

1.  Don't think of weight loss as a diet.  Think of it as a permanent lifestyle change.  

2.  Keep track of what you eat.  

3.  Eat deliberately.  Don't just eat mindlessly on the couch while...

Let me explain what blood pressure is and how to think about it.  Blood pressure is evaluated by two numbers to check how your heart is circulating blood throughout the body.  The first or top number is the systolic pressure.  in lay terms, this is the amount of pressure the heart exerts when it is beating.  The second or bottom number is the diastolic pressure or the amount of pressure the heart is exerting at rest.  Blood pressure in adults is usually measured in th...

In both health psychology and neuropsychology I deal with individuals that are just coming to terms with a probable terminal illness. I say "probable" because there are always new treatments, the occasional miracle, and the occasional misdiagnosis that means there's much more time left, in some cases-years.  I also think terminal illness diagnoses is difficult for physicians.  Apart from "I'm sorry to tell you this..." they don't have the time to spend with someone to help them proc...

Many people who know me have met my fish DFW and my cat, Tatum, or at least have seen pictures.  In the past they knew me as the owner of Dalmatians-Zoey, Archie, Baxter, and Cinnamon.  Some people know that my last two Dalmations, Baxter and Cinnamon, died as a result of complications of methacillin resistent Staphlococcous aureous (MRSA) infections they acquired after my husband had a hip transplant that caused a hospital acquired infection in him that was transmitted to the dogs....

The New England Journal of Medicine just published an article on the need to develop guidelines on treating patients with multiple illnesses also known as co-morbidities.  No kidding.  The average person starts getting multiple medical conditions around age 50-65.  Some people start much earlier.  The difficulty is that the current system of medical treatment is disease specific and specialty specific.  

Here's the problem with treatment by disease. ...

There are 400 different types of anemia.  All of them contribute to depression and are often not diagnosed or treated adequately.  It's the first medical condition that needs to be ruled out in cases where depression hasn't responded to psychotherapy prior to initiating medication.  (The second condition is undiagnosed infection).

Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a main part o...

People use aspirin for a lot of things without really understanding what it does.  Aspirin is chemically known as acetylsalicylic acid.  It is used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an anti-inflammatory agent to reduce swelling, as an anti-pyretic agent to reduce fevers, and as a anti-coagulant to thin the blood.

It's this last use as a blood thinner that has come under question.  Many physicians have suggested that patients at risk of ...

Testing for accommodations of health issues, learning disorders, or psychological issues is a complex process. This requires a knowledge of the law under the Americans with Disabilities Act, an understanding of the educations system and the laws pertaining to it involving such terms as a Free and Public Education (FAPE), Least Restrictive Environment, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Individual Education Plans (IEP) and many other programs covered under education law.

April is National Sarcoidosis awareness month.

Sarcoidosis is an atypical autoimmune disorder that can impact all organs of the body.  It can affect all ages although it is typically diagnosed in people between age 20 and 50.  It is most commonly seen in African Americans and people from Scandanavian backgrounds, although it may impact other ethnic groups.  It's is commonly not diagnosed or is missed as a diagnostic consideration in Caucasians.

I got a rescued cat yesterday.  She's an 11 month old tortoiseshell colored female tabby.  She has some minor health issues and will need regular medication but nothing that can't be bought over the counter.

There are health benefits to having pets. Pets can decrease your:  blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness.  They increase your opportunities to talk to other people.  They increase your exercise l...