wils Archives - Regional Psychological Services

Dec 15, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, adhd children, Anxiety, braccio, children and covid, couples therapy, dealing with difficult people, Depression, Divorce, east lansing, friendships, hope, making friends, meaning in life, mental health and covid, professional help, psychologist, psychology, psychology of life, raising children, relationship, relationships, schools and covid, schools and mental health, therapy during covid, wils, wisdom

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss SURVIVING THE DEATH OF A BELOVED SPOUSE

December 12, 2023- There are few things in life more devastating psychologically and leading to ongoing and even long-term trauma than the death of a beloved spouse. Over time,the two persons in many ways become one.When persons marry for life, they are thinking about all the years they hope to spend together sharing loving experiences. They may also have dreams of having children and a wonderful family life. There is an intense feeling of happiness and an eagerness for the future. There are no thoughts of a plan for the death of the loving spouse. When this occurs, it is a totally shattering experience. While caring friends, family members and professionals can be helpful, there is no clear road for the person to navigate emotionally. And for sure, the emotional road will be one with great emotional pain and suffering. Additionally, there can be physical problems resulting from the constant emotional stress on the person’s body. When one does lose a loving spouse, it is critical the surviving spouse not feel a need to immediately address all the concerns that may be coming to the mind. The exception would be financial concerns that must be addressed.The important thing is to recognize that grieving is a very personal experience and there is no one right way to overcome it. Even though there is a need for family and friends to be supportive and helpful, it is a very lonely journey only that person can experience. Important things to do when trying to survive the death of a beloved spouse would include the following: 1. Surround yourself with family and friends to the degree you are comfortable. It is critical there be human support and understanding. 2. Seek out spiritual support to the level of where you are spiritually. If you believe in an eternal life, then you are aware God chose to have your spouse come first and that you will eventually be together again. 3. If you have a more secular view of life, then always remembering the wonderful times you had together will help you go to the next stage of your life without your spouse. 4. Taking care of yourself physically is very important. You can do damage to yourself physically due to your emotional distress if you do not eat appropriately,do not exercise,do not do personal hygiene and generally do not care for yourself. 5. Seek out online groups for grieving the death of a spouse or various community groups or groups with religious affiliation. 6. Seek out a professional therapist experienced in grieving the loss of a spouse to help give direction and support. 7. Do not make rash major life decisions after the death of a spouse. Quitting a job, selling a house, moving to another state, or any other major decision is best done after a period of time of reflection and dealing with the intense grieving that will occur. 8. Do not allow others to determine what is the appropriate amount of time for grieving. That is a personal experience that is totally different for every person. The exception to this statement is when the person grieving the death of a spouse cannot move on and can become a threat to themselves physically and emotionally.

Dec 8, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, adhd children, Anxiety, braccio, children and covid, couples therapy, Depression, Divorce, east lansing, friendships, hope, making friends, meaning in life, mental health and covid, professional help, psychologist, psychology, psychology of life, raising children, relationship, relationships, schools and covid, schools and mental health, therapy during covid, wils, wisdom

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MEMORY SHARP

WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MEMORY SHARPE

An ongoing common concern of many persons in this age of long living persons is their memory. With that said,even young persons have these concerns as they lead busy lives with a lot of stress and even human isolation in such a fast paced digital world. Working from home further isolates people and memory can slip with too much isolation. We will exclude from our discussion conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, that clearly relate to the deterioration of a person’s memory through physical brain loss and dysfunction. That withstanding,the suggestions made here can be helpful for them also to function as best as one can for as long as possible. Today we are talking about ways to help you deal with memory loss that are typical for most persons as we live our lives. It is also important to realize that in the busy stressful lives that persons live in at this time, it is not unusual to feel overwhelmed and stressed out at times so that remembering things can be difficult for even the most astute persons. The following are ways to keep your memory sharp in your lifetime. These suggestions would be valid regardless of whether your concerns of memory loss are psychological, physical, or some combination of both. 1. Keep your mind active and always seeking out new challenges and things to learn about in your life. 2. Seek out ongoing in-person interactions with others. 3. Keep physically active everyday to keep the flood blow to all parts of the body. 4. Keep your life and home organized to make sure you keep appointments, make necessary appointments, pay bills on time, and check off items on a required daily list as you do them. 5. Cut out distractions from your life to help keep your mind sharpe and tending to what needs to be done. 6. Sufficient sleep is critical to ongoing good memory. 7. Eat a good healthy diet. 8. Stay away from toxic people who cause great mental distress. 9. Meet with appropriate medical and mental health professionals as necessary to be as healthy as possible physically and mentally.

Sep 15, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, Cognitive behavioral therapy, dave akerly, dave ramsey, dealing with death, dealing with finances in marriage, dealing with life situations, dealing with loss, dealing with regret, death of loved one, Depression, east lansing, finances, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, ptsd, retirement, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHAT FAILURE TEACHES US- subscribed to our YouTube page!

WHAT FAILURE TEACHES US

9-12-2023- All of us experience failure at one time or another. How we react to it is critically important for future success. We will achieve our goals that can make us feel successful and satisfied psychologically if we do not allow failure to sabotage us. My point is not to say that failure is a wonderful thing we should seek. No, my point is that everyone has failures in life and successful persons have learned from their failures and have made better decisions which leads to the successes they have in life. When someone gives up and becomes sad, disappointed, and even disillusioned by failures, and chooses not to continue the fight, then failure becomes the ruling psychological victor and the person runs the risk of seeing self as a victim with little or no chance for real success and happiness in life. One needs to see failure as a learning experience and begin the ongoing fight for success. The following would include what can be learned from failure: 1.Accept failure is a part of life we all experience. 2. Recognize that continuing to do something is the beginning of success. 3. Failure is part of reality. 4. Do not focus on what might have happened but focus on what can happen by learning from the failure. 5. Accept whatever blame you deserve in the failure and never take on the role of victim. 6. Never give up. As long as you are alive, there is always the opportunity for success and overcoming failure. 7. As devastating as can be a divorce,not getting a promotion,losing out on a love or getting fired, the key is to learn from these experiences and make every effort to not have them happen again. 8. Manage your time more effectively,because many failures are the result of not appropriately prioritizing what needs to be done to be successful and wasting a lot of needed time. 9.See failure as teaching us what we need to learn, as opposed to what we do not know. 10. Reduce the pain of failure by simply seeing it as part of the process to being successful. 11. Do not allow others to define you by your failures. You define yourself by your overcoming failures and being successful…My point here is not to minimize the emotional pain that failure can cause. No,my point is that failure is the first step to success by changing the process that failed and trying a new approach to lead to success. It is a positive mindset in the midst of failure. You may have to accept many failures before you reach the success you desire. Ted Williams became a great baseball hitter by constant study of the opposing pictchers and finely honing his batting skills. The whole process you are using may need to be altered or you may need new goals and projects. To never give up is the critical ingredient for success and overcoming failure.

Sep 7, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, Cognitive behavioral therapy, dave akerly, dave ramsey, dealing with death, dealing with finances in marriage, dealing with life situations, dealing with loss, dealing with regret, death of loved one, Depression, east lansing, finances, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, ptsd, retirement, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss OVERCOMING REJECTION-

OVERCOMING REJECTION

Rejection is a common experience that everyone experiences in their life to one degree or another. It is often accompanied with anxiety,depression and low self-esteem. It is a painful experience and how we react to it determines how we will overcome it and even use it to our advantage. Rejection can relate to love, family experiences, friendships , career opportunities/promotions, or a myriad of things that one encounters in life. The important thing is not to allow rejection to devastate your self-esteem. Sadly, this happens to many persons and they are never able to fulfill their potential to become that happy and successful human being that is within them. The following are things to do to help you overcome rejection: 1.Accept rejection is a part of life. 2.Accept how you react to rejection will have a strong influence on how happy is your life. 3.Accept what happened even as you do not like it. 4.Visualize a better future and do things to make it become reality. 5. Do not allow rejection to ever define who you are. 6. Grow from your experience and learn from it. 7. Avoid unproductive continuous thinking about your rejection. 8.Surround yourself with positivity. 9. If rejected in love, recognize the other person was not where you are, and be aware that was not the right situation for you. 10.Pamper self with understanding and compassion. 11.Recognize there is a rainbow and clear sunny skies ahead of the stormy life you are experiencing. 12.If bypassed for a job or promotion, recognize you were not prepared for the job or move on to a new position that will appropriately take into account your abilities. 13.Seek out friends who you can discuss your rejection with and who can help you navigate your feelings and give you better perspective. 14.Seek out an experienced therapist who can help guide you through your rejection in your current situation or maybe your overall outlook on rejection to help you function more effectively in life…Implementing some of these suggestions will predictably help you deal more effectively with rejection. With that said, rejection is painful and how we address it psychologically impacts how happy we will be in our lives.

Aug 25, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, adhd children, Anxiety, braccio, children and covid, couples therapy, dealing with difficult people, Depression, Divorce, east lansing, friendships, hope, making friends, meaning in life, mental health and covid, professional help, psychologist, psychology, psychology of life, raising children, relationship, relationships, schools and covid, schools and mental health, therapy during covid, wils, wisdom

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR MEMORY

August 22, 2023 – We all have questions about our memory at one time or another. Oftentimes, memory issues can relate to high levels of anxiety, depression, prescription medications,drug and alcohol abuse,high blood pressure,brain injury,and the general stressors of life that make it difficult for us to remember things that are important or not important. However, it is also true that as we age problems with memory can become significant, and it is important that we notice when this occurs and determine what we will do to try to control the memory problems as best we can. Typical questions to ask would include the following: 1.Do you feel you have memory loss? If so, how? 2.Do you feel you have intermittent memory problems? If so, how? 3. Do you feel memory problems are causing you significant problems in your personal, marital, and/or professional life? If so, how? 4. Have you noted ongoing consistent memory loss? 5. Do you get lost walking or driving in neighborhoods you are very familiar? 6. Do you regularly forget common words you have used daily your whole life? 7. Do you sometimes talk “word salads” that you think are understandable but are not by others? 8. Do you ask the same question over and over again in brief spaces of time and have no idea you are doing it? 9. Who has noticed you may have memory problems? If so, what specific examples and concerns are mentioned? 10. Are you under significant stress in your life? 11.Do you have high blood pressure, insomnia, stroke history or other physical conditions that could relate to your memory loss?… If you answer yes to some of these questions, it is important you talk to your family doctor and a psychologist skilled in the assessment of memory problems to determine the extent of the problems and possible medical and mental health help to positively impact on the symptoms as much as possible.

Aug 14, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, ADHD in schools, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dealing with life situations, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, ohi in schools, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, teachers understanding adhd, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss HOW TO DEAL WITH ABRASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

HOW TO DEAL WITH ABRASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

Abrasive and argumentative people are focused on their outlooks. They are always ready to challenge anyone at any time over their views. Anger is often present. They may have personality disorders like Narcissism and Intermittent Explosive Personality Disorder. Others are just difficult people annoying everyone they encounter with their know-it- all attitude. Some of them may be this way because they were always challenged and put down when they were growing up and this is their defense mechanism to always challenge others before they even have a chance to challenge them. Still others think they are always right and others need to know they are not very smart and it is their job to let them know this whenever they choose. it also is true that abrasive and argumentative persons often have low self-esteem They feel better finding fault with others as a way to build up their feelings of inadequacy. Regardless of the many possible causes, ways to defend yourself against such difficult persons would include the following: 1.Do not argue with an argumentative person when they make negative comments 2.Drop out of a discussion that obviously is going nowhere. 3.Understand that behaviors of abrasive and argumentative persons are the result of long ingrained inappropriate social habits. 4.In spite of the oftentimes hurtful nature of their comments,do not take them seriously. 5.Consider offering support for persons when they show remorse and ask for advice 6.Do not insist on arguing with the person when you can prove you are right and they are wrong. They will become adamant and angry. 7.Interact with them as little as absolutely necessary. 8.If necessary,make it clear you will not be bullied when there is no other option…If you follow one or more of these suggestions,it is still very difficult to have positive social interactions with such persons. You may have to interact if you work with them or they are family members,friends of them or friends of friends.The main thing is not to let them impact you and your view of yourself. They are long time abrasive and argumentative by choice from negative habits they formed in the past. They have to deal with their problems. It is critical in order for you to maintain positive self-esteem that you not have others take you down with their abrasive and argumentative ways. Only you can give credence to who you are.

Aug 3, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, ADHD in schools, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dealing with life situations, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, ohi in schools, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, teachers understanding adhd, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320AM discus WHEN “THINGS” DO NOT MAKE YOU HAPPY- Subscribe to our page!

August 1, 2023

It is a reasonable human desire to want things to make our life easier and more pleasant. It iscertainly true that having a nice home, car and other possessions such as electronic equipment,home furnishings, jewelry, and whatever else someone may desire to have can bring us a lot ofhappiness. It becomes a problem when we become obsessed with owning things and areconvinced by owning them we will be happy. And then,we are not happy after getting all these“things” we knew would make us happy. When this occurs,and it often does,persons need tofind internal aspects of themselves outside of their physical possessions to give greatermeaning to their lives. These would include learning new things,developing greaterspirituality,helping others,showing gratitude,focusing on being happy with what one has ratherthan always chasing the “thing” to make self happy,seeking out your purpose in life,find out whoyou really are,enjoying the moment one lives as it is all that is guaranteed in life,do not compareyour possessions with someone else,and enhance personal relationships with loved ones andfriends…A person’s world ruled by seeking happiness with owning “things” can be very lonelyand even downright depressing if one ends up alone or with shallow relationships because thisin effect can lead to the proverbial “love of gold” over personal development and lovingrelationships.

Jul 29, 2023 braccioj Blog 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, ADHD in schools, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dealing with life situations, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, ohi in schools, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, teachers understanding adhd, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of1320AM discuss WHAT CHILDREN WITH ADHD WISH THEIR PARENTS & TEACHERS KNEW

We specialize in ADHD assessments and treatment. As a result, it is very common for us to work with children with ADHD who feel they are not understood by their parents. We also see this with adults who discuss problems they had growing up when,even when their parents were well-intentioned, they did not feel they were understood. As with children now,they were seen as lazy or purposely not trying to pay attention when they were talked to or asked to do things. This can easily occur with persons who have problems with lack of focus, inattention, and resulting procrastination. Children with ADHD have a lot to deal with themselves,let alone when dealing with parents who may very well love them, but not know how to help them and can try parenting strategies to help them that are counterproductive. In a non-technical way, ADHD persons are wired differently. It is not that they cannot focus, but they often focus on many things at the same time unless they have a great interest in something. This too often does not allow them to complete required activities in school or follow directions at home because they were asked to remember too many activities to do in a row and they usually get sidetracked and forget what they are supposed to do. Persons with ADHD can be thinking about many things at the same time, and appear not to be paying attention purposefully with say a boring conversation or something they have no interest in. They then easily drift off into other thoughts. This can be exasperating for both parents and the persons with ADHD. A further major problem with persons with ADHD is that they often have comorbid conditions of anxiety, depression,anger and low self-worth because they cannot function like the average person. Siblings and other children often mock or laugh at them and their parents can get quite angry when they do not understand they need support to overcome their problem areas and not anger,ridicule and unjustified and inappropriate discipline. In such situations, a trained therapist who is expert in ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment can be very helpful to all involved persons.

Jul 27, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 discuss HOW TO OVERCOME TIME BLINDNESS

7-25-2023

How to overcome time blindness

Do you have the condition of TIME BLINDNESS? Even though a hallmark of ADHD,it is also common with persons with Autism, significant Anxiety,grief and Depression. It makes for a very difficult time for the person and those they interact with in all life activities. Punctuality is a trait highly respected and required to be successful in most settings. Is fact, approximately 15% of firings result from persons not being timely at work. Many persons with this condition may actually do a fine job, but lose their jobs because they are consistently late. Typical problems other than employment,even if with the best intentions, include constantly missing deadlines,not paying bills on time, forgetting important dates,not showing up for appointments or showing up very late or even the wrong time. This can be exasperating for other persons involved in their lives as well as for them. It can lead to not receiving a job, losing a job, hurting relationships and causing poor self esteem. Suggestions to overcome TIME BLINDNESS would include always wearing a watch,planning your day the day before in as specific detail as possible,do not allow the immediate interest of the moment to sabotage the day,avoid time traps electronic or with persons,have reminders to go off on your phone,start thinking of what you will do before the time you will begin,check off your daily activities as you complete them and add in breaks and additional time for projects to get them done and not end up rushing to complete them at the last minute.

Jul 22, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, Anger, Anxiety, bipolar, career change, cognitive behavior, Cognitive behavioral therapy, dave akerly, dealing with death, dealing with finances in marriage, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, finances, focus, inattention, john braccio, narcisism, narcisist, neuropsychology, obsessive compulsive, procrastination, psychologist, ptsd, raising children, retirement, self esteem, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHY PERFECTIONISM OFTEN LEADS TO DEPRESSION

WHY PERFECTIONISM OFTEN LEADS TO DEPRESSION

If one thinks about it, it is not surprising that a perfectionist often ends up being depressed. Common symptoms of depression that a perfectionist experiences would include sadness, pessimism,negativity, painful memories of present and past less than perfect behavior,loss of pleasure,feeling guilty for perceived imperfections, poor self-esteem, very critical of self and feelings of worthlessness. Not all perfectionists experience all of these characteristics, but for sure, seeking and even demanding perfection in a very imperfect world can easily lead one to be unhappy with self, and then with most if not all other persons in their lives. Another cause of sadness for a pessimist is loneliness as they often have very poor relations with other persons. It is not bad enough that they expect perfection in themselves, but they also expect perfection in others. Because no one is perfect, and the perfectionist demands it, even slight imperfections can lead to anger and dismissal of persons as friends because they do not meet the perfectionistic standard…Strategies to reduce depression caused by perfectionism would include tolerance,humor,recognizing excellence is not a synonym for perfect,no one is perfect or anything else on earth,mindful positive thinking,replacing negative thoughts with positive ones and loving and accepting you as you are. A trained therapist aware of how to help a depressed person caused by their perfectionism might be considered and be helpful.

Jun 21, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, Anxiety, braccio, cognitive decline, cognitive functioning, Depression, east lansing, existentialism, hope, iq, meaning in life, professional help, psychologist, psychology, psychology of life, wils, wisdom

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 WILS discuss HOW TO ENHANCE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AS WE AGE

HOW TO ENHANCE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AS WE AGE June 20, 2023 A major concern persons have as we age is to keep our mental alertness and cognitive thinking abilities as finely honed as possible. Even though Alzheimer’s and dementia take a toll on millions of persons as we age, there is no reason we need to rush the process or try not to do whatever we can to keep our cognitive abilities to the highest level possible so we can live an independent life as long as possible. It is important throughout our lives to be active and using our brains. Even though an organ and not a muscle,the brain is like any muscle in the body and functions best when actively used. There is nothing worse for a person to do than to do nothing, and simply wait for life to come to them as they do not keep active physically or mentally. The person becomes like a dry leaf in the wind being blown from one place to another with no fixed direction. The obvious solution is to be active physically with a solid exercise routine, eat nutritious food, get enough sleep, and always be doing things to keep the mind active. Examples would be volunteering,maintaining employment,meeting with friends and family, church activities, social activities, card games,reading,learning classes, and any other activity that keeps us involved with people and keeping our mind sharp. These are the things we need to be doing. In reality,it is quite simple. But for too many persons, they choose what one might call “The road of least resistance”, and do not keep their minds in tiptop shape. My advice to them from a mental health perspective, which also impacts on them physically,is to keep both the body and mind in constant use as much as possible. While age can clearly have an impact on us physically,and as I stated earlier, there is no need we have to rush along the process; and as a result, lose years of life that could be filled with learning and enjoying life to the fullest. As I have often said, life is a one time shot for us to use the time that makes up our individual lives as best we can with the primary goal to be as effective and happy as possible.

Jun 7, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with family, dealing with guilt, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, emotional pain, guilt, john braccio, Parenting, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss Positive and Negative Guilt

June 6, 2023 Guilt is a very difficult thing for most persons to get right. Therapists will tell you that a good percentage of their clients suffer from some form of guilt. The problem is knowing what is positive guilt versus negative guilt. Positive guilt is when a person is aware they have done something wrong to another person and tries to make amends as best as can be done,and then let’s it go. This can be done by directly talking to the person and indicating they have done wrong and trying to do whatever can best be done to overcome the harm that has been caused and make things right. Problems occur when a person carries guilt even after they have done all they can to correct it. This does not mean the person has not done wrong, but to carry guilt for something that is resolved or cannot be resolved is a waste of time and can drag a person down. This does not mean the person does not have some bad feelings about what has been done, but is aware to carry guilt around will drag them down emotionally and interfere with their own psyche and interactions with other persons. It also can result in someone playing the role of martyr, which is not healthy for anyone involved. The martyr uses guilt to control a person with guilt that never ends. Negative guilt is the type that manifests itself with poor self-esteem, unrealistic expectations of what one can do, and often feeling guilty for things they have no control. An example would be something a mayor has done in a city that somehow the citizen feels they are guilty. To feel bad about something that a mayor has done is reasonable, but it is not reasonable to carry guilt and feel bad for something they have no control. It is a clear waste of time and can lead not only to poor self esteem but also anxiety,shame,social withdrawal,insomnia and depression. Another example would be if a relative or friend does something wrong and somehow the person carries the guilt for the act or behavior when in reality they have no control over what has occurred. A person with reasonable guilt is able to recognize when they do wrong and the recognition of what they have done and the attempt to resolve it will build strength, not only in themselves but in their relationships with others. This is the goal of a person who means well, but is aware that human beings fail and the best of us make mistakes that can hurt other persons. It is also important persons learn from what occurred and not do it again.

May 31, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss FINDING YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE IS CRITICAL TO YOUR SELF ESTEEM AS A HUMAN BEING

FINDING YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE

Considering life on earth is a one time experience,each of us needs to seek out our purpose that can give us maximum happiness while helping others as best we can and not harming others. When you consider the anger,anxiety and depression so many people have,it is clear literally millions of persons have not found their purpose in life. A simple way to determine if you have meaningful purpose in life is simply to ask yourself,”Am I happy and satisfied with my life”. If not,then you need to determine what would give you purpose and resulting happiness. Others can advise and help you,but only you can determine this yourself. You are the pilot of the voyage only you can take in your life. While there are many others,the following singularly or combined are typical factors that lead to a life with purpose: 1. Faith in God, and our eternal life thereafter. 2.Having a meaningful relationship with a partner in marriage, or a significant other relationship. 3.Raising children to be loving, caring, and effective human beings. 4. Achieving success in sports, education, broadcasting,computers,medicine, law, engineering, farming, skilled trades, etc. to your maximum potential or your chosen level. 5. Making a difference in the lives of others by helping them to be happy and successful human beings finding their purpose in life.

May 23, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss LOVING AND EFFECTIVE GRANDPARENTS RESPECT PARENTAL RIGHTS

May 23, 2023

There are few things more joyful in life than spending time to love on our grandchildren. We want to pamper,hug and spoil then whenever we are with them. However,problems can occur when grandparents interfere with the parenting of their children. Problems can be even worse when interfering with the parenting of the son or daughter-in-law. It is critical grandparents respect how their children raise their children and not interfere. As grandparents made errors in parenting,so will their children. As grandparents learned to parent,even though making many mistakes,they learned along the way as will their children. Giving advice is not recommended unless asked for or there is real danger for the child. I can attest in both my experiences as a long time Psychologist and walking the road of life that many grandparents have little or no contact with their grandchildren because they tried to replace their children as parents or were seen as intrusive and interfering. The following are statements to avoid that can be considered toxic: YOU DID THAT WRONG…I WOULD HAVE HANDLED THAT VERY DIFFERENTLY…LET ME RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM…YOU WILL NEVER BE A GOOD PARENT… I RAISED YOU TO BE A BETTER PARENT THAN YOU ARE.. YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN CHILDREN… YOU ARE NOT TREATING THEM RIGHT…YOU WILL DESERVE THEIR HATRED WHEN THEY GROW UP…I DO NOT MEAN TO INTERFERE,BUT….

May 18, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio Mike Austin of 1320 AM WILS discuss LIVING IN THE NOW- Subscribe to our page!

May 16, 2023 Live in THE NOW and enjoy it is my advice to one and all. Life is an ongoing one way ticket to wherever our abilities,efforts and opportunities take us. It is important to remember the one way ticket has an inescapable ending. Yesterday is a memory and the future may or may not happen for us. “Here today and gone tomorrow”— is an adage to always keep in mind. Goals are critical for ongoing happiness in THE NOW,but we must enjoy the ride of life. I would predict no one at the end of life says the following: 1.I WISH I WORRIED MORE ABOUT THINGS THAT DID NOT MATTER OR NEVER HAPPENED. 2.I WISH I SPENT LESS TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS I HAVE LOVED IN LIFE. 3.I WISH I HAD MORE SENSELESS ANGER AND ARGUMENTS WITH PEOPLE THAT LOVED AND CARED FOR ME. 4.I WISH I TOOK MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SABOTAGE MY HAPPINESS IN LIFE BY NOT ATTEMTING TO REALIZE MY DREAMS. We need to tune out all the negative and distracting noise we can in our electronically connected world. With mindfulness,we need to notice and live each day enjoying what we experience. Each day is a kaleidoscope of experiences we can mindfully be aware and joyfully experience. The alternative is to dwell in the past or focus on the future in a way THE NOW is squandered and not lived and enjoyed. Do not let that happen to you. You can never COULD HAVE,SHOULD HAVE,OUGHT TO HAVE DONE SOMETHING. The past is over. All we can do is enjoy the good memories in THE NOW and learn from the bad ones.

May 11, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss SURVIVING A SPOUSE/PARTNER WITH ADHD

Subscribe to our page!

May 9, 2023

SURVIVING A SPOUSE/PARTNER WITH ADHD

This is a followup discussion from last week on how adults with ADHD often feel misunderstood. Today we discuss how a spouse/partner survives the lack of focus,inattention,procrastination,clutter,chaos,irritability and seeming lack of caring in some combination that a person with ADHD brings to the long term relationship. Data shows divorces are twice as likely when a spouse/partner has ADHD. The important thing to remember is that your ADHD spouse is in common language wired differently. Together youneed to honestly look at the needs of each other and decide what strategies you can use to best live and love each other. One thing not to do is to become the parent in the relationship. Giving cues on things that need to get done or to begin shortly can be helpful as long as they are respected as helpful and undertaken. Recognize distraction may not be disrespectful but accept it within acceptable limits. Recognize irritability may be a symptom and accept it as long as you are not disrespected. Being chronically late or not getting things done on time can be exasperating as can be forgetting important dates and agreed upon activities. Together you can work out strategies to overcome these common problem areas. If you cannot overcome the frustrations that result in these or other problems tigger,singly and/or as a couple you can seek out professional expert therapists in ADHD.

May 4, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss ADULTS WITH ADHD OFTEN FEEL MISUNDERSTOOD

Subscribe to our page! 05-02-2023 A major part of our practice relates to ADHD evaluations. ADHD evaluations for adults in our offices as opposed to children are a growing percentage that now comprises at least half or more of them. Diagnosed adults often feel misunderstood due to a recognized medical health condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 that many still do not believe exists. To the contrary,they see persons with ADHD symtoms of lack of focus,inattention,distractibility,chaos,forgetfulness ,procrastination,not paying attention in conversations or butting into them as being self-centered and insensitive and use ADHD to excuse their not achieving or being a good person overall. To reinforce these negative thoughts,at times the person with ADHD can be very effective and not showing some or all of the ADHD symtoms. This is because when highly motivated to do something,which is critical,the person with ADHD can function effectively. The problem is it is very hard for the person with ADHD to find things that generate the attention and interest levels to the point there is success by being committed to the activity. Games,sports and specific academic areas can reach these interest levels. Reported successful persons with ADHD would include Bill Gates,Michael Jordon,Albert Einstein,John F. Kennedy,Jim Carey and Michael Phelps

Apr 13, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, adult children, anorexia, Anxiety, binge eating, bullimia, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, eating disorders, empty nest, john braccio, Parenting, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss BINGE EATING DISORDER

April 11, 2023 Subscribe to our YouTube page!

Binge Eating Disorder is often a very solitary condition where the person with the condition has depression,anxiety and low self esteem. Even if it only impacts three percent of the population in the United States,it is a real problem if you are one of the nearly 4,000,000 persons with this condition. Common characteristics of Binge Eating Disorder would include the following: 1.Eating alone or in secret. 2.Eating when not hungry. 3.Feeling a loss of control over eating. 4.Eating quickly. 5.History of binge eating associated with it reducing anxiety,depression,loneliness,failure,OCD tendencies. 6.Feeling anxiety,guilt,depression,shame due to the binge eating. 7.Failing on one diet after another. 8.Obesity occurs with many persons. 9.Continuing to eat even when uncomfortably full. 10.Binge eating at least 1 day a week for 3 months…If one feels they have Binge Eating Disorder and they cannot control it,a good person to start with is the family physician. This is particularly true when a parent becomes aware their child has it. Treatment often includes a team including a dietitian,medical doctor and trained therapist with eating disorders.

Apr 5, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, adult children, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, empty nest, john braccio, Parenting, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM SIGNS A MARRIAGE OR RELATIONSHIP IS OVER OR COMING TO AN END

Subscribe to our YouTube page! 04-04-2023

The headlines generally are about fiery and angry divorces that never seem to end. A prime example of such a couple ending a relationship would be the defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Spouses often seem more like combatants who can for the rest of their lives literally detest each other. While that sadly is too often true,what we are discussing today are the millions of divorces or relationships that end simply because they slowly have lost the love,energy and excitement that propelled them into fulfilling relationships filled with love and satisfaction. Sometimes the progress of relationship erosion is barely payed attention to until the feelings and desire are gone to save the marriage or relationship. The unfortunate result is a quiet and uneventful ending often filled with disappointment and a difficult rupture for children and loved ones. The following would be signs that the relationship is over, or is coming to an end: 1.Spouses/partners feel a lack of love and caring.2.Lack of sharing communication about their lives. 3.Building major parts of their lives away from the other. 4.Not planning for the future with mutual activities or dreams. 5.Lack of physical and emotional intimacy. 6.Not caring for the needs of the other. 7.New boundaries within the relationship building up. 8.Wanting to always be with others outside of the marriage/relationship or within it. 9.Insensitivity on a regular basis. 10.No desire to save the marriage or relationship.

Dec 16, 2022 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, Anxiety, chronic pain, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with family, dealing with guilt, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, emotional pain, guilt, illness, john braccio, pain, Parenting, psychologist, talk radio, terminal illness, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin discuss HOW TO SENSITIVELY INTERACT WITH THOSE IN CHRONIC DAILY PAIN OR PAINFUL LIFE THREATENING ILLNESS

12-13-2022

Persons with chronic pain or painful life threatening illness often suffer from depression,insomnia,anxiety,stress,anger,substance/alcohol abuse and even hopelessness and suicide. A further problem is persons with chronic pain or illness often feel isolated because persons often do not know how to interact with them because they cannot relate to their problems even if they understand it would be very difficult if not horrible to always be in chronic pain or a painful life threatening illness. Based on long term experience with persons on both sides of this situation,the following are recommendations meant to help persons interact sensitively and effectively with those in chronic pain or chronically ill: 1.Be open and honest. 2.Listen to how their condition impacts them both physically and emotionally. 3.Be tolerant to a possible uncharacteristic negative and even angry mood. 4.Make sure the meeting is not about you and your feelings or pains. 5.Let them know you care and will be helpful any way possible. 6.Do not compare their situation with someone else. 7.Use active listening to fully understand their feelings. 8,Read up on the effects of chronic pain and illness on someone both psychologically and physically.

Tag: wils