Dr. Pat has asked Megan Riddle, M.D./Ph.D. to consult with a wife who is overwhelmed with caregiving for her husband and is seeking advice about ways to share the responsibilities and the steps she can take to improve her quality of life.
While the classic depression, officially called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), gets the most attention, there are actually different kinds of depressive disorders. Your niece may be experiencing Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD), also known as dysthymia. With PDD, the depression itself may be less severe than seen in Major Depressive Disorder, but it lasts much longer — at least two years to meet the formal diagnostic criteria.
Eating disorders have long been thought of as the affliction of the young. However, the more we learn about disordered eating, the more we have come to realize that this problem is far more complex than that, and affects women across the lifespan.
While we would all be wise to eat healthfully and engage in regular exercise, for some, medications that promote weight loss may be a helpful option.
This epidemic of violence has risen to the level of a public-health issue. While the nation hunkers down into the pro- and anti-gun control camps, we need to remember that there are some things on which we can agree: What we are doing now isn’t working. We need to start funding research on gun violence – whether that’s the act of a pair of shooters at a holiday party or the accidental death of a toddler. We need to better understand what is going on and how to stop it.
How can you make yourself one of the successful New Year’s resolution setters, rather than someone who ditches the plans the first week? Here are five scientifically based tips to help you succeed in the new year.
‘Tis the season for frantic holiday shopping, with newspapers filled with sale flyers, the holiday storefronts packed with the latest seasonal “must haves” and the email inboxes flooded with last-minute sales. It’s enough to make your head spin and drain your pocketbook. Instead, this holiday season, I would like to offer five gifts I hope you consider giving yourself. They don’t cost anything but may leave you feeling merrier this holiday season.
Right now, you are being bombarded by messages about holiday weight gain. “Avoid those 5 holiday pounds!” “Drop the Egg Nog and drop that extra weight!” The media reminds us again and again that American gluttony will have us bursting at the seams. So, here’s the secret all those news articles leave out: No one knows where that five pound number came from.
In the sixth of our two-months-long series, "40 Things for Every Woman in Her 40s," Dr. Megan Riddle writes about actions you can take to reduce stress and improve your mood.
This is the second in our series of Medical Monday articles intended to be useful to all our readers, but pointed especially toward those in their 40s. This week, we focus on mental health.
Last week, the New England Journal of Medicine, the nation’s premier medical journal, released an article describing new discoveries related to the FTO gene and its link to obesity, bringing with it hopes for new treatment options.
Three recent articles in scientific journals explore some of the underlying factors that contribute to obesity. The articles show that we must move beyond the strongly held societal beliefs that obesity is merely an issue of willpower and look for the deeper roots of the condition — in our genetics, how we are raised, and even the size of our plates.
Some of the simplest things—gardening, spending time with a pet, exercising, dancing—can boost our mental health. And, none of them require a doctor’s prescription.