Health

In my last post, I spoke of Asimov's planet, Solaria, a society in which humans live long and are attended to by robots. But this science fiction is close to becoming reality-particularly for our elderly in need of care. Read More

Dr Michael Fitzpatrick, author of Defeating Autism, recently talked to me about how raising a child with autism can be made infinitely harder - emotionally, financially and practically - by the charlatanic ‘war on autism'. Read More

Eye candy is, by definition, good-looking people: Sweet to stare at, they tempt us with their addictive visuals. But the term has another meaning, especially when we remember that our brain's primary fuel is sugar. Eye candy is also a special kind of mutual gaze -- one that is dense with energy, sends our pleasure chemicals surging, and looks absolutely delicious. And it's good for you. Read More

When it comes to health care policy, we keep failing to take seriously the value of human relationships. The cost of this oversight is staggering. Read More

To get health care reform, you need the support or people who already have insurance.  These latter folks have legitimate needs for care that includes more time with their providers.  Including this as a demand in our movement for health care reform is politically advantageous. Read More

The question invariably asked by every rheumatoid arthritis patient: Do I have to take these medications for the rest of my life?

I do not know the answer to this question for any individual patient. But I do know that the answer is usually, Yes.

Yes, because there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis.

Poetry therapy is the intentional use of poetry and other forms of literature for healing and personal growth. The contributions and vision of poet and poetry therapist Ken Gorelick enhanced our knowledge about how personal insight is embodied in line and verse and just how poems can repair both body and mind. Most of all, his life's work helped both patients and colleagues listen to the powerful healing found in the "presences inside poems." Read More

Earlier this week I covered a new study that points to the disturbing effects (literally) of noise pollution in intensive care units. The second half of the article discussed several methods to reduce noise and their effectiveness. Read More

Do you procrastinate about making doctor’s appointments, forgo regular checkups, avoid diagnostic tests, or fail to get prescription medications because the money for these has gone to things you’ve bought obsessively? Have you allowed your shopping addiction to so damage your supportive human web of family and friends that it feels as if there’s no one to help you with your recovery or turn to in an emergency? Does the sheer amount of clutter in your home prevent you from having people over—or perhaps even present a serious risk to your health and safety? Read More