12 things you can do to brighten up when having a bad day
As they say, when you get lemons in life, make lemonade out of it. Instead of fixating on the things that aren't going well in your life, remind yourself of everything you're thankful for.
9 suggestions on how to nurture a Chronically Ill Patient’s Mental Health
When a patient is diagnosed with a chronic illness, not only is he the one experiencing this change but his whole family, all going through different emotions at the same time. With the decrease in physical health also comes an increase in mental health concerns. As the frequent hospital visits and medical consultations become the [...]
What are the causes, effects and the suggestions for Nursing Burnout
Nurses who provide emotional support to their patients, comforting and reassuring them in the depths of physical and psychological suffering, are providing not just their physical efforts but also their emotional efforts too.
In Conversation Series
In Conversation Series introduces a new medium in the exploration of the illness experience. We hope to have upcoming videotaped conversations with patients, caregivers and clinicians which we hope will convey these unique experiences from a variety of perspectives.
Role of Technology in Mental health
The only constant is change. With ever-changing technology, this cannot be truer. Checking your devices multiple times has become second nature for most of us. As the internet is evolving, so is our dependence on it. Some may even term it an addiction. The internet, which was introduced as a way to make our lives [...]
Think like an Elder
Thinking about aging often brings to mind physical transformations: the weakening of bones and muscles, the slow fade of energy, the aches, and the pains. But as our bodies change with age, so do our minds. It’s true that many elders experience some level of memory loss, a series of mental changes known collectively as [...]
Mindful Yoga for Managing Anxiety
Whether it is the patient or the caregiver, diagnosis of a serious health condition like the need for dialysis therapy can bring turmoil and trigger anxiety. The onset of anxiety affects you not only mentally but also physically. You may begin feeling one or more effects of anxiety, like trouble sleeping, headaches and muscle tension. [...]
The Trauma of Dialysis Initiation
We are happy to announce that Dr. Gavril Hercz’s article is published, in the Perspective section of JASN October 2017 28: 2835-2837. The link for the article can be found here. http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/28/10/2835 "The trauma of dialysis initiation" discusses at length the psychosocial impact of serious medical illness, such as kidney disease, which affects not only [...]
Beyond the reception desk
The clinical reception area or the reception desk, be it in a clinic or hospital, is the first and last place that a patient encounters during their anxious visit. Thus it has a major role in imprinting a positive or negative impression, while also influencing the dynamics of the encounter while there. The receptionists not [...]
8 books to help your child deal with death
Death can be a difficult subject and most of us feel uncomfortable talking about it. Death, however, does not differentiate, being an inevitable outcome for all of us. Personal meanings of death can vary, though. Through the ages, for most of us, the best way to deal with it was with denial. Maybe this is the reason that most [...]
‘Helping professions’ and Burnout with 10 proven prevention methods
When nothing turns out right We all feel burnout sometimes, and the helping professions like that of physicians and psychologists are also not immune to it. Having a perfect work-life balance seems like an illusion. In 1970, American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger coined the term “burnout” to describe the consequences of severe stress and high ideals experienced [...]
Companions to a Mindful Life
Often, especially during times of stress, we feel a strong urge to feel calmer, de-clutter our minds and approach the world in a more mindful way. Mindfulness has become a popular and employed stress reduction tool and has become something of a buzzword in recent years. […]
“When Breath Becomes Air” – by Paul Kalanithi
Book review by Mona Rassi “When Breath Becomes Air” is a book written by a 36 years old neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Before going to medical school, Paul Kalanithi studied English literature. He loved reading and writing, and he took the opportunity to write a book that will influence the lives [...]
Feeling Depressed? Listen to your inner voice
Feeling Depressed? Listen to your inner voice Of the 7.5 billion world, a staggering 350 million people suffer from depression, which by all counts is an alarming figure. Many who are depressed may not even know it. While the impact of depression touches every aspect of someone’s life, both the individual and his or her [...]
“Until Further Notice, I am Alive”- by Tom Lubbock
Until Further Notice, I Am Alive by Tom Lubbock A few weeks ago, Sifted Sand published a review of The Iceberg by Marion Coutts, a book detailing her husband’s terminal illness and how their lives changed after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This week, we review the second half of the story, written [...]