Living Well
Is your loved one anxious or stressed at the care facility? Here’s a tip for decreasing the stress level of someone with dementia in a long-term care home. Yesterday I attended a caregivers support group through the Alzheimer Society of Vancouver (I’m a Master’s of Social Work student at UBC, and my practicum placement is [...]
Since there is no cure, the goal of treatment for fibromyalgia is managing the painful symptoms. Here are several tips for living with fibromyalgia, from a new Canadian review of research. These tips for living with fibromyalgia are directly from “Fibromyalgia: evolving concepts over the past 2 decades” from the May 2013 issue of the [...]
Effectively treating your illness isn’t just about meds and doctors’ visits! These surprising treatments for chronic illness involve stressing more, embracing aging, and hoarding your reserves. Today is my inaugural Tippy Tuesday on Quips and Tips! I’m kicking it off with a quip from poet Elizabeth Alexander: “I have an image in my head: I’m [...]
Why do I believe the first thing you need to do if you’ve been diagnosed with early stage dementia is join a support group? Because I’m doing my practicum placement with the Alzheimer Society in Vancouver (I’m working towards my Master’s of Social Work at UBC), and I’m honoured to be co-facilitating support groups for [...]
I’ve lived with infertility for four years, and am always learning new ways to make it easier! Infertility is a roller coaster, with good days and bad days. I think the easiest days are when I don’t meet pregnant women, babies, or toddlers. It’s easier to cope with infertility when I’m not reminded of the [...]
Many cancer survivors say their diagnosis led to a new, better outlook on life. These stories of readjusting life priorities after cancer or chemotherapy treatments may help you cope with a diagnosis…or at least give you the strength to keep putting one foot ahead of the other. When an orthopedic surgeon told Becky Roth, a [...]
Music therapists help people heal from physical illnesses such as stroke and emotional illnesses such as depression. Here’s how music affects your brain. Recent psychological research in music therapy shows that the pleasurable experience of listening to music releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Dopamine is associated with rewards such as food, drugs and [...]
If you’re living with a chronic disease, I know you have insights and information that others need! Share your story – I publish articles that describe how survivors cope with chronic illness, remission, and life in general. I also feature books, products, organizations, and resources that help people cope with disease. Have you started a [...]
Finding the right natural treatment for depression can ease feelings of sadness, numbness, or fatigue – without the nasty side effects of medication! If you’re struggling with clinical depression or the blues, check out these herbs, supplements, foods, and lifestyle tips. Treating depression naturally depends on the cause of depression. First, you have to realize you’re not [...]
Maybe you don’t know what the Mediterranean diet is – or maybe you’re ready to eat food that fights chronic illness! Either way, check out these research studies that reveal how the Mediterranean diet reduces the effects of disease and increases longevity. The Mediterranean diet is characterised by the consumption of fruit, vegetables, and legumes [...]
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