Diagnosis of any chronic illness like kidney disease can be a very turbulent time for any patient. The information and diagnosis may feel overwhelming and the patient might feel at a loss in connecting with his family, friends and even healthcare team. What is it like to live with a chronic kidney disease, how does [...]
As we approach the year-end, Team Psychonephrology would like to thank you all for your continuous support and encouragement throughout our journey together. We would like to recap some of the topics that received the widest viewership. At the beginning of this year, we started a new blog series, “in conversation series”, where the patients [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Is your decision well informed? Living kidney donations save many lives every year. It can be best described as the donation of a kidney from a healthy person, made of his or her own free will. Donating an organ gives you a sense of accomplishment, as you were able to save another person’s life. You [...]
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 [...]
Inspirational and humorous There are many books and articles that deal with people living with kidney disease. Our current review is a different genre of book, a memoir of a lady who had three kidney transplants. Angela Balcita, the recipient and the author of this book, shares her inspiring story. Angela calls herself and her [...]
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 [...]
The Iceberg- Marion Coutts This book is a compelling and moving day-to-day account of the physical and emotional impact of a close family member becoming terminally ill. The writer has beautifully constructed a moving narrative, baring all her emotions and thoughts over a three-year journey as her husband dies with incurable cancer. […]
Physician-Assisted Death in the Renal Unit? A special four-part series on the various struggles physicians face with the legalization of Physician-Assisted Death. PART FOUR In Conversation with Drs Rauf Sirman, Sonu Gaind and James Downar The series ends with a discussion between presenters Drs Rauf Sirman, Sonu Gaind, and James Downar and the audience comprised of community/academic [...]
Physician-Assisted Death in the Renal Unit? A special four-part series on the various struggles physicians face with the legalization of Physician-Assisted Death. PART TWO Do Not Harm – Help Me Die: Navigating Mental Health Issues in the Turbulent Waters of Intolerable Suffering and (Ir)remediability Presented by Dr. Sonu Gaind Dr. Sonu Gaind opens up his lecture by [...]
By Norman B. Levy Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry | Associate Director, Medical-Psychiatric Liaison Service | State University of New York | Downstate Medical Center | Brooklyn, New York As its name indicates, “psychonephrology” explores the psychological impact of kidney disease and focuses particularly on patients receiving kidney transplants or [...]
