Having animals in our lives is good for us. I know this for a fact, but science says so, too. Just type “Pets” and “Health” into Pubmed, there’s tons of evidence. One review article titled The Best Medicine examines numerous research studies and concludes that …
This show was taped way back in early winter, well before the pandemic, so pardon the lack of facemasks! But as we head into a COVID-19-induced mental health epidemic, we need this show and the wisdom that master Bikram Yoga instructor Diane Ducharme Gardner has …
“Doctor Tello, I’ve been forgetting things… I’m worried about my memory.” This is one of the most common patient concerns I encounter, and with good reason. 50 million people worldwide have dementia, an astronomical number that is projected to triple by 2050. For people who have witnessed …
The old saying is: You have to give to receive. Seriously, there is scientific evidence to back this up. Volunteering is good for you, emotionally and physically. Multiple studies support myriad benefits of volunteering. In a 2013 systematic review and meta-analysis of forty studies (including …
I wanted to get to the office early, to tackle the formidable tasks on my to-do list. Of course, as soon as I entered the train station, my train was arriving. I booked it through the turnstile and trotted down the stairs and burst out …
Walking offers so many physical and mental health benefits. But usually, I don’t make time to just take a walk. Lately, I’ve been trying. About two workaday mornings a week, I hop off the train one stop before the hospital and power-walk through town. I’m …
Many of us were seriously concerned about an anonymous surgery resident who blogs at burntorangescrubs.com. They had written a post titled “Physician Depression and Suicide II” that sounded, frankly, suicidal. Calls went out on Twitter, doctor Facebook groups, and this blog to send messages of …
I was on the subway this morning, idly perusing Twitter, when a desperate tweet caught my attention: “Does anyone know who this blogger is? They sound suicidal. They need help. Please retweet.” The link was to this post by an anonymous American surgery resident. In …
I am not an inherently even-keeled human being. Heck, I can’t even say that I’m always emotionally stable. A lot of ingredients and elbow grease help create and maintain my (currently) pretty high-functioning professional persona. One REALLY important ingredient is activity. I move around as …