Tag: Depression

    Dr Braccio&Dave Akerly1320 AM discuss COMMON MEMORY PROBLEMS THAT ARE NORMAL-Subscribe to our page!

    COMMON MEMORY PROBLEMS THAT ARE NORMAL 1-11-22 There are few things more stressful to persons as they age as problems with their memory. While these are legitimate concerns for many persons, there is too much stress put on persons who have normal memory problems that occur as they get older. Many of them take place with persons that have nothing to do with aging problems but high levels of anxiety, sleep deprivation, depression, inappropriate use of prescription medication, alcohol/substance abuse, and the effects of a diagnosis such as ADHD. The important standard on if memory problems are significant is if they do not allow the person to function effectively in life and take care of themself. Common memory problems that are normal would include the following: 1. Absent-mindedness. 2. Thought/Word blocking.3. Fading memories. 4. Memory retrieval. 5. Forgetfulness. 6.Scrambling facts.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Ackerly of 1320 AM discuss SMALL WAYS TO MAKE YOU HAPPY NOW

    SMALL WAYS TO MAKE YOU HAPPY NOW 01-04-22 Last week we talked about making choices, goals, and resolutions for the year 2022. This week we are going to talk about ways that can make you happy right now. Being able to find things that will make you happy “in the now” is really important because being in a bad mood is not only bad for your mental health that day but can lead to an enduring day to day sadness and unhappiness that can lead to long term negativity and even depression. The following would be examples of ways to make you happy now: 1. Call a friend or family member. 2. Enjoy a happy memory. 3. Get love from your cat or dog. 4. Hug someone you love. 5. Focus on what is good in your life. 6. Listen to music you love. 7. Offer someone a smile. 8. Talk to an upbeat person. 9. Plan future events. 10. Eat something you love. 11. Exercise. 12. Walk around the block. 13. Take a hot bath or shower. 14. Light a scented candle. 15.Search your spiritual/moral values. 16. Deep relaxation/self hypnosis/meditation. 17. Take a break from your cell phone and all electronics. 18. Watch a comedy video. 19. Trust yourself. 20.Love yourself as much as you can love others…When you hear or read over the list I have put here, you will identify with many of them and also think of others you would add. The important thing is for each of us to find ways we can use that will give us joy and pleasure in the moment. Life is ultimately made up of all the moments/minutes we live. Minutes turn into the hours, days, weeks,months, years and decades that make up our lives. The more happiness and satisfaction you can find in each minute will ultimately determine how happy and satisfying of a life you experience.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 IMPLEMENT THE CHOICES TO MAKE 2022 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER.

    IMPLEMENT THE CHOICES TO MAKE 2022 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER.

    12-28-21

    Most of us do not focus enough on how the course of our lives is predominately determined by the choices we make day in and day out. 2022 can be a time we make resolutions/goals/choices that are realistic and can be broken into segments where a few failures will not lead to dropping the whole process. Useful resolutions/goals/choices would include the following. 1.Do not let perfect interfere with good and very good. 2.Exercise and overall health program. 3.An honest evaluation of the appropriateness of your job for your dreams and abilities. 4.Do not let fear and routine stop you from finding ways to make dreams come true. 5.Never ending learning plan. 6.Written resolutions that are monitored and tweaked as needed. 7.Kind self-affirmations. 8.Listen to learn more in interactions with others. 9.Be a caring friend. 10.Enhance current and past relationships with family and friends to be more meaningful. 11.Live in the present and prepare for the future without letting the past ruin both. 12.Regardless of age,prepare for retirement. 13.Improve your problem solving skills for yourself and those around you. 14.Develop tools to overcome procrastination. 15.Make sure you have enough balance between work and play/fun. 16.Always make time for those you love and care for. 17.As with a garden,work on your relationship with your spouse or significant other daily. 18.Be financially responsible. 19.Enhance your spirituality/moral code to both help you day to day and also to give you purpose and more meaning for your life..As you can see,this list could be endless. The important thing is for each of us to realistically look inwardly and find areas we want to improve,clearly write them out,prioritize which ones to work on in a realistic manner,and finally implement them on January 1,2022 or whenever you decide to begin. Be aware,eighty percent of traditional new year resolutions are no longer followed by February 15. You want to plan wisely and be part of the twenty percent.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly CAUSES OF MENTAL FATIGUE/BURNOUT &HOW TO COMBAT THEM- subscribe to our page!

    12-21-2021 Mental Fatigue/Burnout is when a person is overwhelmed emotionally and finds it hard to complete even simple tasks without great effort and often with many mistakes. It is the psychological equivalent of being physically exhausted. It is when life’s expectations far exceed one’s ability to complete them. Causes of Mental Fatigue/Burnout would include the following: 1. Caregiving. 2. Impossible timelines. 3. Excessive responsibilities. 4. Lack of sleep. 5.Substance/alcohol/prescription abuse. 6.Inappropriate prescription drugs. 7. Depression. 8.Anxiety 9. Lack of focus. 10.Wrong profession/Project. 11.Physical pain. 12.Isolation/loneliness. 13.Lack of life purpose. 14.Lack of mindful exercise and thought. 15.Excessive electronic communication. 16.Lack of recreation and fun activities…As you can see, there are many causes for Mental Fatigue/Burnout. The following are some strategies to overcome Mental Fatigue/Burnout: 1. Determine if you are in the right job or life environment. 2. Take periodic timeouts when needed. 3. Break life’s activities by priority. 4. Break activities into segments and take a break when completing one or more determined segments. 5. Have fun. 6. Take long weekends as possible. 7. Implement a strong exercise regimen. 8.Music. 9. Develop hobbies. 10.Some combination of appropriate medications and counseling for better life perspective and to combat such conditions as anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. 11. Mindfulness to make life choices that enhance your happiness and purpose in life. 12.Appropriate sleep. 13. Turn off all electronic communications for determined periods of time

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss CAUSES OF MEMORY LOSS AND DEMENTIA – subscribe to our page :-)

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss CAUSES OF MEMORY LOSS AND DEMENTIA 12-14-21 Memory loss and dementia can develop as persons age. This is particularly true at this time when persons live into their 80s in large numbers. Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. Few of us do not know persons suffering from memory loss or some stage of dementia. At this particular time, 55 million persons worldwide suffer from dementia with 10 million new cases being added each year. Even though this information may be difficult for us to hear or experience as many lifelong strong persons we love and care for may begin to have progressively worse memory problems and dementia, it is important we all try to keep ourselves as healthy as we can physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially to limit the effects of aging on all of us. The following are common causes for memory loss and dementia: One. Excessive alcohol use. Two. Smoking. Three. Depression. Four. Anxiety and Stress . Five. Nutrition deficiencies. Six. Head injury trauma. Seven. Sleep medication and long term lack of sleep. Eight. Blood vessel disease. Nine. Strokes. Ten. Misuse of prescription or illegal drugs.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly POTENTIAL PROBLEMS FOR ADULTS NOT TREATED FOR ADHD- Subscribe to our page!

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly POTENTIAL PROBLEMS FOR ADULTS NOT TREATED FOR ADHD- Subscribe to our page! 12-7-21 Adults not treated or diagnosed with ADHD clearly run the risk of the problem areas mentioned below. They should not be surprising outcomes when one realizes the ADHD hallmarks of inattention, lack of focus, impulsivity, and hyperactivity in some combination can torpedo the best efforts of a person. 1. Relationship problems. 2. Employment instability. 3. Parenting problems. 4. Anger issues. 5. Substance abuse. 6.Inappropriate and impulsive risk-taking. 7. Procrastination. 8.Indecision. 9. Annoying interruptions of persons. 10. Cannot sit still. 11. Missing important and less important deadlines. 12. Inconsistent relationships. 13. Lack of organization. 14. Impatience. …When one takes a look at these fourteen problem areas and there certainly could be more than these, it is wise and important for adults to seek out diagnosis and treatment if they feel they are having problems in these areas due to the characteristics of inattention, lack of focus, impulsivity, and hyperactivity in some combination. The important thing is that awareness of ADHD in adults is the first step leading to diagnosis,treatment,correction and then predictably leading a happier and more successful life. As I mentioned in our segment on children with ADHD last week, approximately half of the assessments we do at this time are adults.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH ADHD- subscribe to our page!

    HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH ADHD 11-30-21 A constant array of questions come to us as we regularly assess persons for possible AD/HD diagnosis. Even though maybe half of our assessments are adults, most questions come from concerned parents. The following are suggestions to help your child with AD/HD: 1. Be patient and realize your child has problems with inattention and lack of focus, and also may have problems with hyperactivity. 2. Need for specific routines except for free time throughout the day due to the awareness your child can easily get distracted and do and/or say inappropriate things. 3. If medication is taken, monitor it carefully and regularly follow up with the prescribing physician. 4. Have specific rewards and consequences for clearly defined behaviors. 5. As much as possible, involve your child in the identification of inappropriate behaviors and consequences as well as rewards for appropriate ones. 6.Model desired behaviors you have for your child. This is critical. 6. Catch your child when behaving as desired. 7. Try to ignore behaviors you do not like unless on your list of unacceptable ones. 8. Make sure your list of undesirable behaviors and consequences is well defined, understood, and enforced. 9. Make sure the list is reasonable and new inappropriate behaviors are not randomly added and enforced. This will destroy the whole process of obtaining appropriate behavior. 10. Break activities into workable segments taking into account the attention abilities of your child. 11. Work to develop stronger skill sets to stay focused for longer and longer periods of time. 12. Make sure appropriate,diet,sleep and exercise are incorporated into each day. 13. Be loving and caring parents channeling the uniqueness of your child into a successful and happy person.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss THANKSGIVING IS A DAY WE ALL CAN GIVE THANKS-subscribe to our page!

    In an age that fault can be found even in the most benign of situations, Thanksgiving Day remains a holiday all of us can live in the moment and find things we can be grateful. I personally find this is my favorite holiday because it does not relate to gifts or homage to any particular person,place or thing. It is a day of peace and enjoyment for individuals, friends, family and acquaintances as they get together individually or in some combination to give thanks. Typical things to be grateful for would include the following: 1.Life2.Family. 3.Health. 4.Leisure 5.Loving animals. 6.Strong friendships. 7.A place to live. 8.Love of country. 9.Parents. 10. Children. 11. Comforting spiritual thoughts and beliefs. 12. Mobility. 13. Love. 14. Food. 15. Music. 16. Television, phone and other electrical devices. 17.Car and other vehicles. 18. Good humor. 19. Movies. 20. Good mental and physical health care. 21. Good self-image. 22. Shopping. 23.Freedom. 24. Flowers. 25. The great outdoors. 26 Chocolate and other desserts. 27. Colors. 28. Loving animals. 29.Weekends. 30 Receiving caring letters,notes and emails. 31 Laughter 32.Vacations. 33.Shopping. 34.Surprises 35.Books 36.Any other thing that crosses your mind and gives you something to give thanks…This list of what to be grateful for simply came to my mind as I was thinking about it. They obviously all do not relate to one person. There also are countless others that are not included. They simply give some idea of the many things we can give thanks for this 2021 Thanksgiving Day. I personally give thanks to anyone who is reading this and finds it at all helpful.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss THE PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY PERSON

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss THE PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY PERSON 11-16-21 Persons usually talk about psychological problems rather than addressing the characteristics of the psychologically healthy person. Typical characteristics of the psychologically healthy person would include the following: Number one. Appropriately express and experience emotions. Number two Adaptable to stress and pressure. Number three. Courteous and friendly. Number four. Authentic and honest. Number five. Emotionally secure and stable. Number six. Confident. Number seven. Loving and affectionate…This is not to say the psychologically healthy person must have all of these characteristics in full force, but that they are the characteristics that tend to comprise the mentally healthy personality. Even if someone would not mention these specific characteristics and would come up with some different ones, the end result is that a person generally can tell who is or is not psychologically healthy. The key thing for all of us is to try to continuously improve ourselves and become as psychologically healthy as possible.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss EMOTIONAL PAIN RESULTING FROM A “FALSE GUILT COMPLEX”

    November 9, 2021 EMOTIONAL PAIN RESULTING FROM A “FALSE GUILT COMPLEX” To feel guilty when having done something wrong to another person or even letting oneself down from doing what one made a commitment to do is reasonable, but to feel guilty and often emotionally overwhelmed for something someone has not done is how I would define a false guilt complex. Examples would include the following: 1. Feeling guilty and emotionally drained as a caregiver for a loved one when one feels their needs cannot be met. This is a very common problem in this age as we live longer and there can be tremendous pressure on spouses and family members to look after their loved ones but feel guilty when their own needs are not met and they are overwhelmed by their responsibilities. 2. Feeling bad due to the success you are having when someone else is not being successful. 3. Having thoughts that one considers amoral and/or wrong that make them feel evil and/or someone not living up to their unreasonable moral code. 4. Being convinced one is bad and not doing enough for other persons. 5. Replaying negative tapes from the person’s youth that they were not a good person and would never be a good person. 6. A firm belief one is morally inferior to others and can never live up to their own expectations. 7. The belief one is always offending persons in the interactions they have with others and cannot be convinced they have not done this even if persons say directly to them that there has been nothing offensive said. 8. The belief one is so bad/evil that no one could ever love or care for them…If one does not overcome their false guilt complex, they can never be happy because of their ingrained belief of how bad they are. The false guilt complex can lead to such problems as low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, tearfulness, phobias, panic attacks, physical problems, and even self-hate. Due to how ingrained these beliefs can be in the person, success in overcoming them is very difficult. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is when a person replaces these irrational thoughts with positive thoughts. This is a good way to try to overcome the false guilt complex. A trained therapist and sometimes clergy are professionals who can be helpful in treatment.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss SUCCESSFUL DUAL-CAREER COUPLES

    Dr Braccio- SUCCESSFUL DUAL-CAREER COUPLES 10-19-21

    We live in a society where more and more couples are both working and have specific work, couple, family, and work expectations that must be synced together in order for the marriage to be successful. The large number of divorces show that many couples are not able to navigate the difficult terrain to be successful. The following are suggestions that can help the dual-career couple succeed: 1. Determine prior to marriage how they plan to coordinate life activities pertaining to the marriage, child-rearing, financial goals, personal goals, and the breakdown of specific responsibilities each will have in the relationship. This will change over the course of the marriage based on what is occurring in their lives. 2. Supporting and enhancing each other as they together meet chosen goals that are mutually agreed upon. 3. Willingness to forgo personal goals when the needs of the overall relationship require this to be done. 4. Ongoing and sometimes changing roles by one of the persons to be the primary caretaker of the children and/or other responsibilities due to particular educational or career opportunities or responsibilities of the other. 5. Recognition that in spite of the financial and career success that can come from dual-career couples, disappointment and frustration can also occur when one or both are stymied from individual goals when the overall responsibilities of the relationship need to be primary. 6. The ability to make changes as needed that may require job changing or job adaptation. 7. Recognition a desired job advancement or different job would cause more harm than good for the couple and is not entered into. 8. Enduring love in any relationship requires openness, compromise, organization, agreed-upon role expectations, willingness and ability to change, mutual respect, and strong support of each other.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss BAD JOBS FOR PERSONS WITH ADHD

    Dr Braccio & Dave Ackerly discuss BAD JOBS FOR PERSONS WITH ADHD 9-28-21

    Last week we discussed jobs that would be good for persons with ADHD. This week we are discussing jobs that are bad for persons with ADHD. Important things to consider are the hallmarks/characteristics of ADHD that include lack of focus, inattention, hyperactivity, Impulsivity, and procrastination. If one takes into account the negative impact on a person with a combination of these characteristics in the wrong job, it becomes clear why seeking and finding the right job is critical to not just work satisfaction but all aspects of one’s life. The following are jobs that clearly would be inappropriate for persons with ADHD: 1. CPA/accountant. 2. Planner of events. 3. Executive assistant. 4. Assembly line position. 5. Routine and monotonous work in any setting but particularly in a cubicle environment. 6. Micromanaged environments with very specific rules and expectations. 7. Controlling bosses.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss of 1320 AM GOOD JOBS FOR PERSONS WITH ADHD

    GOOD JOBS FOR PERSONS WITH ADHD 9-21-21 Many persons are of the belief that ADHD is a condition only for children. That is not accurate. Fifty percent of persons diagnosed when young continue the condition into adulthood. The hallmarks or characteristics of ADHD are some combination of inattention,lack of focus,hyperactivity and impulsivity. How persons deal with these hallmarks determine how successful and happy their work life and overall life will be. As with any person, the important thing is to accurately assess yourself and determine what would be an appropriate career to enter. The following careers are generally considered good careers for persons with the characteristics of ADHD. They are jobs generally filled with pressure, tension, uniqueness, variety, competition and challenge. The following would be careers that would meet those characteristics: 1.Police officers. 2.Firefighters. 3.EMTs. 4.ER Doctors and Nurses. 5.Self-employed Business Owners. 6.Risk-taking entrepreneurs. 7.Commission sales persons. 8.Entertainment industry. 9.Hospitality industry. 10.Athletes 11.Computer based activities that require innovation, challenge and constant new development.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss HOW TOO OFTEN DEBILITATING PHOBIAS SEEM TO HAVE THEIR OWN CONTROLLING PERSONALITIES

    9-7-21 A phobia is an unreasonable fear taking into account the circumstances. Most persons have fears and anxiety. Reasonable levels of anxiety and fear are actually useful in our daily lives. When the fear and anxiety go beyond reasonable levels and hinder the ability to function effectively, we are then looking at a phobia. Phobias when developed in the person seem to take on a life of their own. It is not unusual for psychologists and physicians to work with persons who have panic attacks resulting from phobias that have the same symptoms as a heart attack. Visits to the HOSPITAL ER are not uncommon. Persons that experience the symptoms are absolutely convinced they could be dying. If not as dramatic, other phobias hinder the ability of persons to function due to a fear of heights, spiders, wasps, open spaces, crowded spaces, driving on the expressway,hyper-cleanliness, food danger, sitting in the backseat of a car, being a passenger in a car, not sitting near an exit, not sitting on the aisle in an airplane, fear of flying, etc. in a really never-ending list of possibilities. Because persons are often embarrassed to admit their phobias, they often are prisoners of them and lead a life where they will do anything they can not confront them. The phobia actually becomes an overriding decision-maker in the person’s actions. I have seen and continue to work with persons who have phobias that negatively impact their ability to function. The most effective strategies to overcome phobias include some combination of the following: 1. EXPOSURE THERAPY/DESENSITIZATION where the person gradually introduces self to the phobia in small doses and eventually is able to overcome it. A common strategy would be to eventually be able to ride on an elevator or fly on a plane by gradual exposure to them. 2. COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY is when a person confronts the problem mentally and works to change the thinking patterns as they attempt to overcome the anxiety and fears resulting from the phobia. 3. MEDICATIONS include beta-blockers, antidepressants, and sedatives like Xanax. 4. DEEP BREATHING to help reduce anxiety and reduce symptoms. 5. FLOODING THE PHOBIA Is when you confront the phobia directly over and over again. Example, if you are fearful of riding an elevator you do it over and over again to reduce the anxiety to the point it is as normal a behavior for you as it would be for the average person. 6.SUPPORT GROUPS online or in-person where a person can get group support. A danger is that members may swap symptoms and the person may not be helped. 7. AN EXPERIENCED THERAPIST who is able to address the behavioral aspects of the phobia. 8.A FAMILY PHYSICIAN OR PSYCHIATRIST to address medication that can be helpful…An important thing to be aware of is that phobias are present in large numbers of persons and they can be very debilitating and lead to persons not living peaceful lives. Because most persons do not understand phobias,they can appear ridiculous and incomprehensible. Because of this, persons often keep their phobias to themselves and do not find release from the emotional pain they experience. The implementation of the strategies above can hopefully help persons overcome their phobias.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR- Subscribe to our page :-)

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR 1320 AM WILS 8-31-21

    Simply stated, self-destructive behavior is damaging to the person psychologically, physically, or both. Examples of psychological self-destructive behavior would include debilitating fear, compulsive behaviors like gambling or shopping, extreme sadness, and unhappiness, not being able to relate to other people in a healthy way, eating disorders, PTSD, and phobias. Examples of physical self-destructive behavior would include suicide, substance and alcohol abuse, risky and impulsive sexual behaviors, self-injury, and compulsive behavior resulting in risky physical activities that can lead to death or major injuries. The causes of self-destructive behavior are varied. They would include high anxiety,risk attraction,risk aversion,extreme fear,social isolation,OCD,phobias,PTSD,addiction,low self-esteem, personality disorders, ADHD,emotional abuse,and childhood abuse. One can simply look at the overdose deaths in America and see how such risky behaviors can lead to death for many thousands of persons each year. A more subtle self-destructive behavior is sabotaging yourself in life and not advancing in such areas as work, love, and personal relationships. If you find that you have self-destructive behavior and want to take control over it,the first step is to say you are going to end it and do something to change it. Immediate sources of support would include family, friends, therapists, medical doctors, clergy, and support groups.

    Dr Braccio speaks with Dave Akerly U.S. WORKERS UNDER 40 CONSIDERED CHANGING CAREERS DURING PANDEMIC

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM NEARLY A THIRD OF U.S. WORKERS UNDER 40 CONSIDERED CHANGING CAREERS DURING THE PANDEMIC That headline from the Washington Post giving data from a recent July 6 to July 21 poll by the Washington Post-Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University gives us some fascinating information about a surprise outcome of the horrible pandemic. During a period when many persons lost jobs, had to rely on unemployment benefits, and were often working from home occurred,changes occurred in the way many Americans looked at their lives. Previously, persons often were in jobs and assumed that this was what their work life was going to be. They accepted they would drive back-and-forth to an office,factory,work site, retail,restaurant or whatever particular job they were in. This all changed. Persons began to enjoy being able to work from home with often the ability to spend a lot of quality time with children and spouses that before was not possible. This led to many persons deciding they were not going to return to a traditional office setting and were going to seek work so they could continue to work from home if their employer did not allow it. Still others with the ability to work from home chose to move to locations that met the type of lifestyle they desired. I personally know two persons who moved from Michigan to Florida and one to Texas. I also know a person who returned to Michigan to live near family. The pandemic has also led to many persons being able to change careers and continue their education while on unemployment or able to have more time to consider work career enhancement training. This could occur by persons having so much more time at home versus on the road traveling from one place to another often in a hurry or in congested traffic. In the study mentioned above, 17% of persons said they had already moved either temporarily or permanently. That persons under 40 are the persons most likely to make this kind of move makes sense because this is the time that persons are not so far advanced in their careers at work settings that leaving and beginning a new career or a similar job in a new geographical setting would be as difficult to do. What is surprising to find out is that the United States in June had a record of 10.1 million jobs available. This has led to employers offering more work flexibility to retain workers as well as raising pay and offering different benefits. The pandemic has also taught many persons guarantees are often not granted in life. The statement that change is the one thing one can count on is very true. As this poll shows,some positive things have resulted from this deathly pandemic. Millions of people are reassessing important aspects of their lives including career choice, location to live it,meaning in life,and potential new careers and relationships with family and friends. These are positive things coming from the horrible impact we continue to experience from the pandemic in our daily lives.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of WILS discuss REDUCE THE STRESS OF DECISION MAKING-subscribe to our page!

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM WILS REDUCE THE STRESS OF DECISION MAKING 8-10-21 Decision making in the simplest of lives to those of the highest levels of government or industry can be painful and produce great stress. Countless books, speeches and articles that pertain to effective decision-making continue to occur all the time. The following are some basic suggestions to reduce the stress and pain of decision-making: 1. Clearly identify the problem to be solved. 2.Effectively recognize the difference between important and routine/unimportant/less important decisions. This alone can greatly reduce stress in a person’s life. 3.Search for alternatives to solve it. 4.Determine if the decision is reversible or irreversible. This is a very import factor in decision making. 5.Consult with others as needed. 6.Play the devil’s advocate on possible decisions. 7.When time is not critical and it is hard to make an important decision, take some time to think about it. There are times the old proverb,LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP,is useful. 8.When time is critical and a decision must be made, make it and never second guess a decision that cannot be redone. In such a case the old proverb,STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT,is useful to guide in such situations…The intent here is not to go into depth on such a complicated matter as decision making. The important thing is that many if not most persons waste a lot of time not making decisions and then worrying about them when they do make them. Hopefully, the basic suggestions above will be helpful.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of WILS discuss RESENTMENT AND ITS NEGATIVE IMPACT- subscribe to our page!

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of WILS discuss RESENTMENT AND ITS NEGATIVE IMPACT August 3, 2021 Resentment is a psychological reaction when one feels mistreated. One can also have bitterness/resentment at self if one believes opportunities were ignored or thrown away. Resentment does not have one cause. Disappointment and frustration are common feelings we all experience to some degree or another as we live our lives. When the feelings are some combination of bitterness, anger, disappointment, envy, and feeling used, then resentment can set in and can last for a lifetime if not resolved. Triggers for resentment could include being passed over for a job or opportunity, not listened to, taken advantage of, put down, rejected, ridiculed, mocked, ignored, missing or ignoring an opportunity, not allowed to do something in life, envious of others, relationship betrayal or rejection, etc. Resentment is like an emotional corrosive acid that eats away at the very soul of the person. If aimed at a person, it punishes you while the object of the resentment is often leading a happy life unaware of your resentment or could care less. Ways to fight resentment include forgiving and letting go, honestly determining if your resentment is realistic and fair, self-forgiveness/compassion for errors/mistakes,replace negative thoughts with positive ones,recognizing only you can change your own views of resentment,accepting you cannot change the past,accept you cannot often change outlooks or behaviors of others in the past or present,stay away from toxic people,and above all,forgive what you can and let go of what you feel you cannot. The SERENITY PRAYER is a good read when resentment builds up and someone needs to let it go for their own mental and physical health. The following quote from it can be very helpful as a person tries to overcome resentment: GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE;COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN;AND WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss IS YOUR CURRENT RELATIONSHIP FOR LIFE?

    July 27, 2021 From someone who was involved for some years with the Pre-Cana Marriage Preparation program in the Diocese of Lansing, and currently continues to work with persons prior to and after their marriage, it is surprising how many persons do not effectively analyze the relationship they are in and are planning to spend a lifetime without answering questions like the following. 1. Will each of you help make the other person a better human being? 2.Do either of you have secret plans to try to make major changes in the other person? 3. Are you able to share decision-making and power in a fair manner? 4.Are each of you the best friend of the other? 5.Do each of you think in terms of “us” or in terms of “I”? 6.Are each of you comfortable sharing passwords for social media and financial accounts? 7.Do each of you have a realistic understanding of the positive and negative traits of the other? 8. Do you see potential problem areas relating to financial decisions, philandering, team player attitudes, parenting, etc.? 9.Do each of you share common values pertaining to religion, politics, child rearing and general views of living together as a monogamous couple? 10.Are each of you able to disagree in a civil manner and work together to resolve problems as well as agreeing to mutual areas of disagreement? 11. Are each of you willing to sacrifice for the other one taking into account the needs and desires of each other? 12. Are you both sexually compatible? 13. Do close friends and family members believe the two of you will make a good lifelong relationship?… These are questions that I believe are important for any couple thinking of entering a marriage together for a lifetime to be able to answer. I remember many years ago when I was going over to St. Thomas Aquinas Church in East Lansing, Michigan to do part of the Pre-Cana Marriage Training when a person I was talking to suggested I have each partner look at the other and ask the following questions: “Would you want that person to help raise your children?”Would you want a child who would become like that person?” This is actually good advice. I simply give this example to let you know that any person you talk to can give you some ideas on what is important in a marriage; however, the important thing is to take into account your interactions together as well as opinions from those that know both of you with love and caring. When in doubt and not sure what to do, it is important to consider meeting with a respected clergy or therapist experienced in marital work to give some needed perspective.

    HOW TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ANXIETY AND ADHD

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss HOW TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ANXIETY AND ADHD July 20, 2021 Anxiety and ADHD have in common such characteristics as worry,inattention, restlessness and irritability. The key difference in ADHD characteristics is that they primarily relate to concerns stemming from focus and inattention while anxiety stems from fear and nervousness. Anxiety is far more common with 19.1% having it as opposed to 4.4% with ADHD. With that said, ADHD has a comorbidity of 50% with anxiety. The following are necessary to come up with a correct diagnosis to obtain the appropriate treatment both psychologically and medically for each condition. 1.The DSM-V requires onset of ADHD to begin prior to 12 years of age while anxiety can occur at any age. 2.Triggers for anxiety relate to the “what ifs” that could occur in almost any situation. ADHD is generally triggered about deadlines and performance related activities. 3.Testing is important for both anxiety and ADHD. This includes observations and clinical history for both. ADHD testing tends to be more extensive and includes measures for processing speed, working memory and errors that commonly occur when persons have characteristics of ADHD. These measures can also be helpful with anxiety. 4.Appropriate treatment both psychologically and medically for each condition requires valid diagnosis. This can include when a person has both conditions.