Our catastrophic lack of sleep is killing us

Employers think that if you need to get a good night’s sleep you must be lazy.  Electric lights, television, computer screens, longer commutes, the blurring of the line between work and personal time, and many other factors, contribute to a catastrophic lack of sleep that is killing us.  A lack of sleep is defined, for adults, as less than 7 hours a night.  Scientists say that every part of our biology is impacted by sleep deprivation; it seeps down into every possible nook and cranny.  The situation is so dire that doctors are prescribing sleep to patients, not sleeping pills, mind you, but sleep.  This has to change in our families, workplace and our communities.  Exhaustion is not a badge of honor.  Make a commitment to get sleep.  Prioritize the important things that really need to be done, get them done and get into bed.  Your life depends on it.

A high-definition eye scan can detect Alzheimer’s

Are you concerned about coming down with Alzheimer’s?  Do you have a brain injury or family history that might make you vulnerable to it?  There’s a new tool to help get the jump on the devastating disease.  It’s a retina-based test designed to predict your chances of developing Alzheimer’s.  The high-definition eye scan detects the buildup of amyloid-beta deposits.  These deposits are a sign of the onset of the disease.  The retina is now being seen as a reliable way to diagnose and record the progression of Alzheimer’s.  The number of cases is expected to triple by 2050.  Yes, we need as much time as possible to intervene and change the course of this condition with medications and lifestyle.  One lifestyle change that needs to be taken very seriously is to get sound sleep every night to allow the brain to clear itself of these proteins.  Help yourself now and get to sleep!

Women breadwinners are depressed

Historically, society was very clear on “men’s work” and “women’s work”.  But, women are now taking over the role of the primary wage earner, aka, the “breadwinner” and men are staying at home with the kids.  We’re allowed to arrange our lives in whatever way suits us, but what are the unintended consequences of changing powerful cultural traditions?  The most outstanding outcome is that women are more likely to feel depressed as the breadwinner despite being more than capable of bringing home the bacon.  But, we’re enjoying a greater sense of well-being.  The stay-at-home Dads also suffer mentally and feel deeply dissatisfied with life.  Overall, couples are at a higher risk of damaging their psychological well-being if they take on non-traditional roles.  This decline in mental health is likely related to many factors.  Take your time and consider the potential consequences of bucking tradition before you dive in.

Digital support for nervous public speakers

There’s a new public-speaking tutor on the Amazon Alexa platform designed to treat America’s #1 social phobia.  How does it work?  Using a cognitive restructuring approach to teach the person to recognize and change negative thoughts, this smart speaker trains nervous nellies without the need to use a face-to-face tutor.  Because the program helps to ease speech anxiety without making appointments and traveling to a tutor, progress is faster due to the user being able to access the system on demand.  Brief and frequent practice sessions result in much stronger skills.  Alexa is highly sociable due to its conversational style, resulting in a sense of personal closeness with the user.  Positive practice creates “automaticity” so that the speaker relies on training to carry them through moments of anxiety.  It’s good news for scared talkers.

The workaholic epidemic

One of the goals in life should be to achieve balance.  Yet, with more work creeping into our lives because of digital devices, we’re failing miserably.  We don’t know how to stop working.  Half of us can’t pull ourselves away and when we do, we get so anxious that we can’t enjoy ourselves.  We allow work to interrupt us during family time, weddings, funerals, and even romance.  We don’t take lunch, work over the weekend and at night, are the first to arrive and the last to leave.  We constantly check emails.  Bosses are demanding, workloads are unreasonable, and a driving need to finish tasks in order to achieve peace of mind are the reasons for these kinds of intrusions.  We’re willing to sacrifice our health even though we don’t think the extra work will advance our careers.  Time to change our behavior and get healthier!

Ruby has hard time putting down her phone and reading news before bed.  She's stressed out and not getting good rest.  How can she change this pattern?

Troy has quit smoking, now his wife wants to quit.  Troy is worried she'll be too stressed out if she quits now because we're in the middle of Covid lock down, that maybe she should wait.  Should Troy's wife try quitting smoking now or wait?

Troy's little boy is BIG into cars, even at this young age.  He constantly wants to read about, look at, work with, play with cars.  How does Troy and his wife deal with this?  They want him well rounded, but don't want to stifle his interests

Dr. Claudia shares a story about calling the campus police on her son because he was going to set off a bug bomb in the dorm to kill gnats, even though he was advised by Claudia and her husband not to because it was unsafe.  Do what it takes to teach your kids and keep them safe, no matter how you have to do it.

Carol's sister caught Covid-19 and wonders how soon she has to wait before going around her after she recovers.

Robin has two guy friends who love the same woman.  One of the guys proposed and got engaged with the woman.  The other guy expressed his love at the engagment party.  Why do people not express their love when they have their chance?

Amelia and her husband caught their 15 year old neighbor boy "peeping" on them.  Amelia has 2 teenage daughters and suspects the neighbor boy is looking at them.  Should Amelia alert the police? How should she address this situation? 

Dr. Claudia offers more advice and staying safe from predators

You need playtime to reduce your stress

Tired of being tired.  Want to have joy in your life?  Look at kids and see how easily they find joy.  We say to ourselves, “Oh, sure, they don’t have our responsibilities and worries!  It’s easy for them to be joyful”.  The fact is that kids find joy in playtime and we don’t play.  We don’t go out to play and we don’t play at home.  We’ve lost that exuberance for play along the way.  We’ve lost that ability to be silly and laugh with our whole bodies.  It may feel childish to you, but go out and play.  Play hopscotch; get on a swing and feel the wind in your hair.  Talk about a childhood experience.  Learn how to play a basic musical instrument, hit a tennis ball against a wall, get a karaoke machine and let it rip.  Let go of the competition and control.  Play your cares away.  You won’t need to do it every day, but you’ll be refreshed and restored from letting go.

Here’s how to tell when you need help

You wouldn’t think twice about getting medical care if you had a 105 fever, right?  But, what if you were feeling really overwhelmed every day and what if you get sick a lot, would you think you need help?  Probably not.  Do you notice that you’re drinking more than you used to and that you’re not as productive mostly because it’s so hard to concentrate?  OK, maybe.  Are you a little worried that you’re not excited about anything anymore and you don’t look forward to anything?  Yeah, something’s going on.  Now, your friends are concerned, and they say you’re pulling away from them.  You’re struggling in your relationships, especially the romantic ones.  Ready to do something yet?  No? Well, how about this?  You keep making the same “life” mistakes and now, you can’t sleep because there’s so much noise in your mind.  This list is a screaming call to action.  Get in to see a therapist right away and work on your life before you lose control of it.

Omega-3 fish oil really does help kids with ADHD

If your child with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder has a low level of omega-3 in their blood, high doses of this fatty acid just may help bring those symptoms under control.  Fatty acids aren’t made by the body, so it’s necessary to get them from your diet.  American children are known to have insufficient levels in their bloodstream.  But, because too much of this essential nutrient can make symptoms much worse, it’s very important to speak with your child’s psychiatrist or pediatrician to see if they can benefit.  Do not, under any circumstances, give your child a supplement, without your doctor’s approval.  Supplement toxicity is real.  Even if you see signs of omega-3 deficiency such as dry skin, eczema or dry eyes, you must have a medical consultation.  This approach of personalized medication might be just right for your child.