Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes.

Most of us think of TLC as Tender Loving Care. These letters conjure up thoughts and feelings of nurturance towards our loved ones. However, most of us don’t always associate TLC with caring for ourselves. A recent edition of the American Psychologist, a reputed publication of the American Psychological Association, addresses this very issue in great detail.

Roger Walsh, Ph D, MD, did a comprehensive review of research, spanning the last few decades, and concluded that “Lifestyle changes can offer significant therapeutic advantages for patients, therapists, and societies, yet are insufficiently appreciated, taught or utilized,……….in the 21st century, therapeutic lifestyles may need to be a central focus of mental, medical and public health.”

The best part of these recommendations is that they are inexpensive, are known to treat multiple physical and emotional pathologies and preserve and optimize social, psychological and cognitive well-being (Walsh, 2011). The simplicity of these recommendations is contrasted by how difficult these are to implement in our lives. The tendency to use pills and rely on external sources of gratification is universal, specially, since we continue to be bombarded by commercials highlighting the values of these magical remedies. Unfortunately often medical and mental health professionals, also subject to the same socio-cultural influences of this fast paced and consumer driven society, underestimate and underutilize the following lifestyle treatments:

Exercise not only helps people feel better by reducing anxiety and depression. It can help children do better in school, improve cognitive performance in adults, reduce age-related memory loss in the elderly, and increase new neuron formation in the brain.

• Diets rich in vegetables, fruits and fish may help school performance in children, maintain cognitive functions in adults, as well as reduce symptoms in affective and schizophrenic disorders.
• Spending time in nature can promote cognitive functions and overall well-being.
• Good relationships can reduce health risks ranging from the common cold to strokes as well as multiple mental illnesses, and can enhance psychological well-being dramatically.
• Recreation and fun can reduce defensiveness and foster social skills.
• Relaxation and stress management can treat a variety of anxiety, insomnia, and panic disorders.
• Meditation has many benefits. It can improve empathy, sensitivity and emotional stability, reduce stress and burnout, and enhance cognitive function and even brain size.
• Religious and spiritual involvement that focuses on love and forgiveness can reduce anxiety, depression and substance abuse, and foster well-being.
• Contribution and service, or altruism, can enhance joy and generosity by producing a “helper’s high.” Altruism also benefits both physical and mental health, and perhaps even extends lifespan. A major exception the paper notes is “caretaker burnout experienced by overwhelmed family members caring for a demented spouse or parent.”

Aiming to implement all these changes can be overwhelming and time consuming. Perhaps tackling one change per week can be more realistic. However, inviting friends and family to join you in making these changes can address a few of the therapeutic lifestyle changes, ex, improving relationships and taking care of others.

Inspired by: Walsh(2011) Lifestyle and mental health. American Psychologist, 66(7), 579-592.

Web link to summary of the article: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/02/beyond-tlc.aspx

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Games and play have been a part of all cultures. Besides being a source of amusement and joy for young and old, they seem to have a significant role in socialization of young people and a means of social interaction for people of all ages. This was clearly evident during the recent frenzy of the World Cup. All boundaries of race, religion, class, caste and even political ideologies, were set aside to a common goal. Psychologists, educators and sociologists have long known that play is an essential way for children, and adults, to learn about themselves, their world, and the concept of rules in life. The use of play makes learning easier, transforms relationships, and creates a climate of mutuality.

Lullabies, nursery rhymes, peek-a-boo, bouncing on the knee, etc., make way for more imaginative and interactive play as a baby grows. Development of language, recognition of faces and facial expressions, and social skills are naturally developed through these activities. As the baby grows, the increasing cognitive and physical development allows for more complicated games that incorporate more complex rules and physical activity, from using gross motor skills to fine motor activities.

Bring to mind little children who take delight in playing with a string, an empty box, a noisy rattle, or just about anything. The reason we think of this activity as play is the delight visible on their faces. This kind of play does not need to involve another person. As the child grows older, he or she finds that delight in sharing activities with others. The developing brain allows imagination to bring even more choices to the use of the string, an empty box and a noisy rattle. Play becomes more complex and ingenious games are invented. Games and play become more complex and competitive as children get older.

While children are having fun, they are also learning about rules and order of things in the real world. Some games are about luck and chance while other games require strategizing. Some games require strength and endurance while other games require fine motor skills and finesse.

In the present times, physically challenging games and interactive play have been replaced, Read the rest of this entry »

Complexities of Culture: Changing Nature and Definition of Families in Diverse Society

Will be presented by Gitu Bhatia, Psy.D., Abbas Hadjian, J.D., CFLS, and Diane Goodman, J.D.

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The CultureCounts.net team, Gitu Bhatia, Pys.D., Abbas Hadjian, J.D., CFLS, Diana Martinez, J.D., Linda Bortell, Psy.D. will present the professional workshop:

“Cultural Complexities in Family Law Matters” at this event, on  April 15th, 2011, 10:00a.m – 12:00p.m. Read the rest of this entry »