Medications Aren’t The Only Option

 

As the Opioid Crisis shook the public’s view of painkillers and pharmaceutical companies came under fire for their marketing practices, many patients looked for alternatives. One of the leading contenders; talk therapy.

Psychologists, therapists, and social workers have become a crucial part of pain treatment programs, proving to be as effective or more so than medication. Still, finding the right pain counseling can take effort.

Many pain psychologists treat chronic pain with cognitive behavior therapy (which focuses on reframing thoughts to positively affect behavior and emotions) or mindfulness (which involves learning to become conscious of feelings without reacting to them). Acceptance and commitment therapy combines C.B.T. and mindfulness to help patients accept their emotions and respond to them. Another method is biofeedback, which monitors patients’ muscle tension, heart rate, brain activity, or other functions to make them aware of their stress and help them learn to control it. And some clinicians use hypnosis, which can be effective at managing pain for some people. What unifies all these treatments is a focus on teaching patients how they can use their minds to manage their pain.

Large medical centers and boutique practices are more likely to have comprehensive pain treatment but tend to be in urban areas. People in rural areas or those who can’t afford the services get left out, said Rachel Aaron, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins Medicine. But even in cities, not all large medical networks have pain services.

If you are interested in trying a pain therapist, Dr. Aaron said, the first stop should be your primary care doctor. Some insurance plans cover pain psychology, but others do not. It’s important to talk to a mental health provider first about how to get treatment covered.

After that, look for specialized pain clinics by calling hospitals in your area or use the Find a Therapist function on the Psychology Today website.

Some experts recommend working with licensed professionals with doctorates or master’s degrees in psychology or clinical social work with additional training in chronic pain, and to interview them about their training and approach before getting started. Most important, you should feel comfortable enough to open up with them.

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Gentle Exercise will Help You Remember | Neurofeedback Armonk

Forgetful? A little gentle exercise every day can help improve your memory.

Light workouts create new connections in the areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus, that are responsible for memory.

Exercise, such as walking, yoga, and tai chi, may not make you sweat, but it is making a difference to your brain, say researchers from the University of California at Irvine. They scanned the brains of 36 young adults before and after 10 minutes of light exercise and discovered new connections between the hippocampus and cortical regions of the brain were already being created.

The hippocampus is vital for memory recall and is one of the first areas to deteriorate with Alzheimer’s disease.

It could be that light exercise, which every one of us can do, can also reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we get older.

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Most ADHD Children have the Problem as Adults

 

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) is often thought of as a problem of childhood – but 90 percent go on to suffer symptoms as adults, such as speaking impulsively, or not being able to make decisions.

It’s important for people to recognize that ADHD carries on into adulthood, and there will be times when a person can’t manage situations or feels less in control, said researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine.

It was thought that half of all children diagnosed with ADHD would still suffer from it as adults, but the Washington researchers estimate the true figure is much higher and could be as high as 90 percent of cases.

They followed the health of 558 children when they were eight and until they reached the age of 25. All the children had been diagnosed with ADHD.

The researchers aren’t sure why ADHD symptoms flare up in adulthood but suspect it could be related to stress or not following a healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and sleep. Symptoms come and go, the researchers found, and many in the study group had worked out their own coping mechanisms.

Adults with ADHD are much more likely to be in a creative profession. “The key is finding a job or life passion that is compatible with ADHD. You are going to see a lit of creative people who have ADHD, whereas ADHD people who may be required to do very detail-oriented tasks at a computer will find it very difficult,” said Margaret Sibley, one of the researchers.

ADHD has two main clusters of symptoms: inattention can manifest as disorganization, forgetfulness, or having trouble focusing, while those who are more hyperactive can be verbally impulsive, indecisive, compulsive when they grow up.

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