Meditation: Sharing as I Start This New Journey

Do you meditate? Meditation is becoming increasingly popular as more people learn of its benefits and few drawbacks. This ancient practice helps not only the mind, but the body as well. Anxiety and stress are so prevalent in our society today, we need to do something about them. (Identifying Anxiety and Seeking Help) Some people undergoing treatments for serious illnesses such as cancer have found that meditation helps them cope with the side effects and it gives them another tool with which to fight their disease. Meditation helps reduce pain levels and stress; it can even lower blood pressure. Meditation makes people happier and more focused. And it can be done anywhere by anyone.

Meditation in its various forms has been studied and much as been written. Even the New York Times offered an opinion on it (Morality of Meditation) earlier this month. So what's not to like about meditation? Why doesn't everyone meditate? That's a great question, particularly since I am embarking on a meditation path, seriously for a change.

I've tried meditating before, although "trying" is a relative term. I'm not one to say that I'm too busy, because I know that if something is important enough to me, I will make time for it. But every time I tried, I complained about how my mind wandered too much, I was bored, I wasn't able to do it. The funny thing is, I don't have any problems sitting and doing nothing with just my thoughts to keep me company. For example, I like being on a bus or plane, just being there. But as I just wrote that, I realized it's not the same thing. I'm not just being there, along with my thoughts.  I'm also watching, listening, observing life around me.

I used to say that I was really trying - was I? I'm not so sure. But the past year has been a year of change for me. Between going to the gym and getting into shape - enough that I can enjoy a 20 km bike ride along the waterfront in less than an hour without feeling like I'm going to collapse - and working hard on my thoughts and how I feel about myself in relation to the world, maybe the time is right now to really work on meditation. The trick is to find what is right for me.

I have tried the just sitting there and meditate approach. Didn't work for me. I've had two psychologists give me recordings that they have made. Didn't work for me. I've tried yoga. Nope, didn't work (but I haven't given up. More on that in another blog post). I've bought a few meditation CDs. No go. So what to do?

Someone I trust and respect suggested I try a program that uses neuro-audio technology that he uses. I had to buy it, so I am taking a chance but I felt confident with the recommendation. I ordered the demo CD first and have been using that for the past week. It's only 20 minutes long, so I don't feel that I'm taking away too much from my other daily activities. However, it is recommended that the full program be done over an hour every day. I can already feel the excuses coming on: I'm devoting an hour several times a week to going to the gym already - what about the other stuff I have to do? Well, maybe I don't need to spend so much time reading news online? Maybe I could get up 15 minutes earlier? Or does it even have to be first thing in the morning? Maybe I can make the time later in the day.

And then there's the order of things that bug someone like me: when to actually listen. I'm very, very routine oriented. For example, if I've not left for the gym by 6:30 or 6:45 at the latest, I feel I can't go. Not because I don't have the time but because by the time I get back, I've thrown my morning routine off. So should I listen before the gym or after? It's probably an easy thing for most people, but I obsess over things like this. Just thinking about it is bugging me. What to do?

Well, I'll have to wait and see what I can do. I should get the full program within the next week. And we'll give it a try. I've not named the program yet because I want to try it first and I'm trying to see if I can get an interview with the founder - that's the writer in me.

Do you meditate? If so, do you have any words of wisdom for me as I start this journey?

Some Places Where You Can Find My Writing

Every so often, I'm asked where people can read my articles or posts. I've been writing online since the 90s, so there's a lot out there, but here are some of the places where you will find me most often.

First is a bit of an announcement: I'm a new contributor to Forbes.com. You can follow me and be informed of new posts by clicking on the "follow" button by my name. I'll be writing five columns/posts per month for them and my first was posted yesterday afternoon. It's quite timely in some parts of North America (and Europe) because of the topic: Summer Dehydration Can Kill: How To Keep Your Children Safe.

Several years ago, I was a writer for HealthDay News. I began writing for them again recently, so not only will you find pieces on their site, you may find some on news sites that pick up the HealthDay feed. One from a couple of weeks ago was a possible obesity and migraine link: Obesity May Boost Migraine Odds.

Over at ThirdAge.com, they sometimes ask for permission to repost some of my blog posts from here. I usually agree because the topics they are interested in are near and dear to my heart, usually safety related. I sometimes write quick pieces for them too. The most recent ones are part of a series that describe the different roles of healthcare providers.

I've been published in print magazines as well and many of these have an online presence. I'll have another piece in the next issue of the US Costco Connection. Sometimes these pieces are picked up by editions in other countries. A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece about the health benefits of potatoes. Several months later, I received a copy of the Korean CC - all in Korean, except for my article, which was reprinted there in English. That was a fun find. Recently, I was published in Alive magazine, which is also available online. This article was a fun one to write. It's on the importance of getting a properly fitting bra.

And then there is the older stuff but pieces I still like. I wrote an essay-type piece for NursingLink a few years ago: Every Patient Has a Story. I still like that piece as I do another one I wrote for them, on the importance of health literacy.

As you can see, I'm all over the place with health writing. I've also written a few articles that appeared in the print magazine The Quilter, Montreal Home, and Jobboom. It's fun to get outside of health writing sometimes.

So, there are some of the places you can find me. And thanks for reading this blog. It's what helped spark so many of my opportunities.

Push to Extend HPV Vaccinations for Gay Men

Vaccines are quite controversial these days. There are still people who believe the autism/vaccine link, even though that has been debunked by the very person who made that claim in the first place. Other people believe that we need to build up immunity naturally, by getting the illnesses rather than through vaccinations. Some object just out of principle.

Vaccines are not fool-proof. It is still possible to get an illness even if you have had the vaccine because sometimes they don't work as well as they should. Unfortunately, some people also get some of the side effects, the adverse reactions they're called, some of which can be quite severe. But for the most part, vaccines have saved many, many lives. Certain diseases have been eradicated, like small pox, while others are rarely found in many parts of the world, like polio.

The HPV vaccine, a vaccine that protects against some strains of the HPV (human papillomavirus) has been one of the more controversial ones. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus. According to the CDC, it is the most commonly spread sexually transmitted infection (STI). The virus can cause cancers of the cervix and anus, as well as others.

There has been a push to ensure that all young women (below the age of 26 who have not yet been sexually active) to be vaccinated. There is also a call for young men under the age of 21 to do so, because they can pass on the virus.

In 2008, the United Kingdom began vaccinating the girls, but not yet the boys. The idea was that if the girls stopped getting the virus, it wouldn't be spread to the boys. But this thinking is changing, particularly because of the high rate of genital cancer among gay men, which is more than 15 times than that of straight men.

According to a press release issued by the BMJ: 

"Data from Australia show that HPV vaccination of girls has had an impact on the prevalence of genital warts in straight men, but there has been no such change in prevalence among gay men, say the authors.

In February this year, Australia extended its school based HPV vaccination programme to 12-13 year old boys, with a catch up programme for 14-15 year olds.

Recent research has shown that the HPV jab is effective in men, including gay men. The vaccine covers HPV 16 and 18, the two strains of the virus which account for most of the cancers associated with the infection."

What do you think about the HPV vaccine? Should it just be given to everyone?

Asthma: Let Your Child Do the Talking

When you visit the doctor with your child, do you talk to the doctor or nurse, or does your child? How you communicate with the doctor may make a difference in your child's care, said researchers in an article published in the July 2013 issue of the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

As parents, we want to be sure that the healthcare professionals get all the information that we feel is important. But in this study - which looked at children who have asthma - researchers picked up on information that only the child can present and the difference that it could make in their care.

"Our research shows that physicians should ask parents and children about the effects asthma is having on the child's daily life," said lead study author Margaret Burks, MD, in a press release. "Parents can often think symptoms are better or worse than what the child is really experiencing, especially if they are not with their children all day."

Researchers enrolled 79 children who were between five and 17 years old into their study. Fifty-three of the children had acute asthma and 26 had refractory asthma. The researchers asked the children to fill out the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire and their caregivers completed the Pediatric Asthma Caregiver’s Quality of Life Questionnaire.

When comparing the questionnaire responses, the researchers found that while the scores between the two – the children and the caregivers – were similar, the children reported a better activity-related quality of life than did their caregivers. There was also a greater difference between how boys responded compared with their caregivers.

Taking this information, the researchers concluded that while the caregivers are important and can provide useful information to the healthcare professionals, it’s important to ask the children directly too, to see how they view their illness and its impact on their quality of life.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology has put together a list that it feels are the five most important topics that children with asthma should discuss with their allergist:

1. Asthma prevents me from playing sports and taking part in other activities -- If your child cannot play sports or participate in gym class and recess activities, it's important they tell their allergist. This can be an indication their asthma isn't properly controlled. If they can participate in activities, it is also important they tell their allergist, to show their condition is being well managed.

2. When I am outside or at home my asthma symptoms become worse -- An estimated 60 to 80 percent of children with asthma also have an allergy. If nearly inescapable allergens, such as pollen, mold, dust and pet dander are triggering your child's asthma symptoms, an allergist may include immunotherapy (allergy shots) as part of a treatment plan.

3. I often feel sad or different from other kids because I have asthma -- Nearly half of children with asthma report feeling depressed or left out of activities due to their condition. Anyone with asthma should be able to feel good and be active. No one should accept less.

4. There have been times I have missed school because of my condition -- Asthma is the most common chronic illness in childhood and is a leading caused in missed school days. Research shows children under the care of a board-certified allergist see a 77 percent reduction in lost time from school.

5. My asthma disappeared -- It is important your child carry and use their inhaler as prescribed, even if symptoms aren't bothersome. While asthma symptoms are controllable with the proper treatment, there isn't a cure for asthma and it likely won't disappear. An asthma attack can strike at any time.

Mental Health in a Disaster Situation - Quebec, California, Alberta...

Many of you may have heard about the disaster that just affected a small town in Quebec, Lac Megantic. A train with crude oil crashed in the center of this little lakeside town of 6,000 people and erupted into a fireball. The result was flattened buildings and several deaths - a war zone depiction, we're told. Many people still remain unaccounted for, which means the death toll will likely rise.

The day after this event, there was the Asiana plane crash in San Francisco. Before that, massive flooding in Calgary and High River, Alberta. And the list goes on. Major disasters affecting many people - those who are affected directly and those who go in to help the victims.

Mental health is a funny thing. We can be so strong in the face of such adversity as we work through such events, but then a seemingly small incident can be the last straw and send someone into a place they didn't know existed. For this reason, it is so important to address mental health issues from the start. We have to know that this is a vital part of the whole realm of care that people need.

The American Psychological Association offers a volunteer disaster relief service that responds to disasters across the continent. They have an informative tip sheet for the general public to learn about the psychological effect of disasters: Managing traumatic stress: Tips for recovering from disasters and other traumatic events. It discusses what can happen during and after the event, how different people may respond to the event, how to help yourself, and when you should seek professional help. There is also a post-traumatic growth inventory survey that may help people figure out how they are feeling.

If you are helping others, either in an official capacity or just doing what you can to help out, it's important to take care of yourself too. You know that airline instruction about if you're traveling with a young child or someone who needs help - if oxygen masks drop, place yours on first before the one on the person in your care? That's because that person needs you to be strong enough to help them, so you need the oxygen. It's the same thing with mental health. If you're not mentally healthy, if you're burned out, depressed, anxious about what you've seen and heard, you can't be as effective a helper. So you need to take care of yourself.

The Emergency Social Services site at the British Columbia government website says it well:

"As disaster workers we have the potential to become secondary victims, working long, hard hours under poor conditions. In some cases, physical dangers exist."

The page goes on to give tips on how you can help relieve the stress, even in the midst of chaos.

Remember, that just because the event is over, it doesn't mean that it no longer has an effect. Take care of yourself. Be aware that you may be vulnerable. And most importantly - ask for help. It's the only way people can know that you need them. 

Wise Words About Depression, From a Teen

Invisible diseases are the toughest to cope with, in my opinion. Invisible health issues, such as chronic pain, celiac disease, or fibromyalgia, are difficult for people to understand because they can't see them. They can't see the problems that they cause and the effects that they have. A cast on your arm is easy to understand. Scars on your skin are obvious to see. But something hidden, invisible - not so much.

Depression is one of those illnesses and not only is it invisible, it's also a mental illness. This makes it even more difficult. As Kevin Breel says in his fantastic talk about depression, we are so accepting and understanding of any body part breaking, except for the brain. How true. 

If our appendix becomes inflamed and needs to be removed, we have surgery. If we get cancer, we get treatment. If we break a limb, we get a cast. But if our brain doesn't act right, if chemicals are not the right level or messages are interrupted, we're stuck. 

What makes Kevin's talk so compelling, so important, is his age (19) and who he is (a writer and stand-up comic). As he says in his talk, no one would guess that he struggles with depression. He's a handsome, popular, high achieving young man. Smiling and working hard, he's one of the last people you would ever dream as having a serious problem like depression. But he did. And he still does.

The good news is that people are beginning to talk about it more. When young people like Kevin speak out and celebrities like Jon Hamm and Bruce Springsteen talk about their experience with depression, those who have been hiding may begin to see that they're not alone. Why is it so important that we talk about depression? Because people need to know they aren't the only ones living with it. They need to know that other people have similar problems and that there is hope.

This week, there was an article in the New York Times article that discussed a treatment for depression, called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS. TMS isn't for everyone and it may not work for all who try it, but maybe someone who needs it will read about it and benefit from it. If we don't write articles and blog posts about depression and its treatment, people feel alone.

If I can help you take just one thing away from this blog post, it's that you understand that people with depression are everywhere and may be among those who you least expect it. If you have depression, it can be difficult to reach out. The reasons are so varied and so individual, but they can range from fear of being thought less of ("What does he have to be depressed about? Doesn't he know what real problems are, how lucky he is?") to fear ("If my boss finds out, I might get fired.") And even if people do want to ask for help, sometimes they don't know how.

Depression has many descriptions. I see it as a hole, a deep, deep hole. And once you're in it, unless someone lowers a ladder, you feel like you'll never get out. If you are depressed, ask someone for that ladder. If you know someone who is depressed, please offer it. Let that person know you're there and that you care.