HEALTH

WELLNESS--It is no secret that addiction recovery can be one of the hardest things to do, but those who suffer from a co-occurring mental illness may have a more difficult time staying sober than those who do not.

WELLNESS--Can a supplement really make you smarter?

A quick online search for “mental clarity supplements” will turn up tons of products, such as Neurohacker Collective’s “Qualia Mind,” WTHN’s “Fully Charged,” and Bulletproof’s “Unfair Advantage,” just to name a few. These supplements claim to improve focus, sharpen thinking, boost productivity and fight fatigue.

WELLNESS--If you get injured or have surgery, your doctor may prescribe opioids, a class of drugs used to treat pain.

Although opioids can be an important part of treatment, they carry serious risks of addiction, abuse, and overdose, especially if used continuously. This is true even for seniors and other people with Medicare coverage.

WELLNESS--For most “Game Of Thrones” fans, “The Long Night” was much, much longer than they had bargained for. It was so long, in fact, that fans across the country couldn’t unwind and fall asleep afterward.

WELLNESS--I’ve spent the past three years in therapy for trauma. I do a type of therapy called Somatic Experiencing that’s highly effective and has turned my entire life around.

WELLNESS--A person may experience a decreased libido from time to time during their lifetime, and for a variety of reasons. This could stem from being hit with a bout of stress, having a few late nights in a row or coming down with the flu.

WELLNESS--In college, I volunteered at an emergency room. It was standard stuff; I cleaned gurneys, escorted visitors, and ate way too much vending machine food. Whenever there was a code, a nurse would close the patient’s curtain, and my job was to stand in the hallway and make sure the family stayed away and that there was a clear path to the room. I didn’t have the bravado to elbow my way into the room to observe like other volunteers, and also I was a little afraid of what I would see. It wasn’t until I graduated and got a real job at a different ER that I realized something.

WELLNESS--When it comes to treating cancer, early detection can be beneficial. That’s why experts are constantly working to develop new technology that catches the disease or pinpoints your risk level as soon as possible.

WELLNESS--The night before my wedding, the symptoms started to creep in: A dull throbbing behind my eye turned into a piercing pain in my temple and slowly started to move to the other side of my head. I had worried for months that one of my frequent migraines would show up on the special day ― and that fear was slowly becoming a reality.

WELLNESS--I’ve struggled with weight loss for a long time. Like, a long, long time. Longer than the 2016 election cycle felt. Decades.

WELLNESS--"Generally, low back pain gets better quickly and you can get on with your life,” an expert said.

Back pain typically isn’t something to stress about ― but there are a few specific circumstances in which you might want to, well, watch your back.

Lower back pain is extremely common, affecting approximately 1 in 8 people, according to Neel Anand, a professor of orthopedic surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles. The good news is that 80-90 percent of lower back pain is innocuous and comes and goes, according to Anand.

WELLNESS--There's no playbook for responding to a loved one's cancer diagnosis, but there are things you can say to remind the person they're not alone. 

WELLNESS--Chances are that you know someone who is prescribed antidepressants. A report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that from 2011 through 2014 ― the most recent data available ― more than 12 percent of people ages 12 and over said they took antidepressants in the last month.

WELLNESS--Fertility rates in the United States dropped to a record low in recent years. Researchers aren’t entirely sure what’s causing the trend. Some theorize the dropping fertility rates are a result of women waiting longer to have kids and opting to focus on their education and careers instead.

WELLNESS--Fatigue, like stress and busyness, has become a default state for many people. The feeling, characterized by extreme tiredness and low energy, usually occurs after an especially mentally, emotionally or physically draining experience. (Think: hectic work travel or an illness.)

WELLNESS--The gender gap in running the U.S. government has taken a huge leap towards closure with the 2018 Midterms. More women and women of color joined the forces that are part of our governing structure than any other time in history.

WELLNESS--There are many stereotypes surrounding depression, from being unable to get out of bed to crying at all hours of the day. But those living with the condition will tell you that the illness comes in many forms, and often looks far different than what we’ve learned over the years from movies and the media.

WELLNESS--A few weeks ago, some friends and I planned to meet up for drinks. One person was cagey about what time she was available to hang out that evening, and another said nothing at all — and then didn’t join. 

WELLNESS--What makes California the very picture of healthy living? It’s neither sunshine nor silicone implants.

Our health secret is actually immigration.

While the President and others falsely blame immigrants for being sources of disease (including smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980), Californians have long known that immigrants make us healthier. (Photo above: Joe Weider, one of the famous brothers who immigrated from Canada and got Americans interested in bodybuilding, stands next to the future governor of California.) 

WELLNESS--So, you’ve vowed to be healthier this year. That typically means less fast food, and more exercise. But what are you doing for your mental health?

WELLNESS--For most people, stomach aches are a regular part of life. But beyond the acute, temporary discomfort that we’ve all experienced, there are also several forms of abdominal pain that can be a sign of a serious health issue and shouldn’t be ignored.