Blog

Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society released its 2012 Guidelines on Nutritional and Physical Activity Cancer Prevention. (http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/News/ExpertVoices/post/2012/01/10/ACS-Nutrition-and-Physical-Activity-Guidelines-Evolve.aspx)

These guidelines, based on evidence, science, research and experience, included the following statement from the American Cancer Society: “..our best advice to the general public to help reduce their risk of cancer through nutrition and physical activity is to:

• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout life
• Adopt a physically active lifestyle
• Consume a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant foods
• Limit consumption if you drink alcoholic beverages

I’m sure you understand why it’s important to follow these recommendations to reduce your cancer risk, but you might be asking why it’s important to do this for a healthy mind.

The fact is, in addition to having to battle a serious and often debilitating illness, most cancer patients (or their families, close friends and caregivers) will face some degree of depression, anxiety and fear.

While it is completely normal for these feelings to occur, sometimes depression, anxiety or fear become so overwhelming that it can negatively affect a patient’s life, including how they manage their treatment of the disease.  Depression and anxiety symptoms are also not only present in those who are currently fighting cancer either; they can suddenly appear years after successful treatment is completed. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/EmotionalSideEffects/AnxietyFearandDepression/anxiety-fear-and-depression-cancer-and-your-emotional-health

It may be difficult to identify symptoms of depression from symptoms of cancer and its treatment.  And those who experience the physical symptoms of pain, nausea or fatigue from their physical illness have an even greater likelihood to experience emotional distress. This is why it is so important to speak with your doctor (or cancer care team) if you notice any physical or emotional changes you may be feeling. If you are a caregiver or family member, this goes for you too!

And don’t underestimate the power of movement~ fitting in some exercise will help boost your mood and has been shown to directly reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer.

Thank you to the American Cancer Society’s website for providing the information for this post. Please find out more at www.cancer.org

Best wishes for great health!

Heather

At Carrier, we know only too well that like any mental health or addiction illness, problem gambling does not discriminate. And, it not only affects the person afflicted, but family members and friends as well.  To help spread the importance of this message, I’ve included parts of the official press release on Problem Gambling Month below:

“The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, Inc. (CCGNJ), is pleased to announce that Governor Chris Christie has proclaimed March 2012 as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in New Jersey.

A list of outreach activities, literature distribution, lectures, awareness programs and special events can be found on the CCGNJ’s special web page, http://www.800gambler.org/GAW.

The theme for 2012 is “Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime can be affected by Problem Gambling.” In New Jersey alone, an estimated 350,000 residents are considered to be pathological, problem or at-risk gamblers. Problem gamblers can be found in every community in our state and may be young or old, male or female, and from any ethnic or socio-economic group.

According to Donald Weinbaum, Executive Director of CCGNJ, “Gambling problems often remain hidden, because they cannot be detected in the same ways as other addictions. But there is help and hope for anyone affected, and I urge residents of NJ and other states to make this the month to learn more about problem gambling and to reach out for help for themselves, or a loved one, if needed.”

I strongly urge anyone who may be dealing with a gambling addiction – or if anyone suspects that a close friend or family member has a problem- to please reach out to the free, confidential and always-available 1-800-GAMBLER helpline. Numerous recovery resources are available, as well as a live chat component through the www.800gambler.org website during business hours.

Thank you for reading!

Heather Steel
hsteel@carrierclinic.com

Next Monday, February 13, marks the start of an unofficial holiday I recently learned about, and can’t wait to celebrate – it’s “Random Acts of Kindness Week.”

Based off of “Random Acts of Kindness Day,” which is celebrated here in the US on February 17th, Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week’s purpose is to inspire people to practice kindness and pass it onto others.

Simple concept, right? Sometimes we forget that the simplest, most random acts of kindness can bring the most joy to others- and, for the giver, a deep sense of purpose and happiness.

Based on research (yes, kindness has been extensively researched – check www.randomactsofkindness.org for the studies), practicing RAK can help promote happiness. For example, the Human Thriving Foundation, through its “Happiness 360 study” found that there are 13 human behaviors that, when practiced together, can predict happiness in an individual at over a 92% probability.
Don’t worry, I’m going to list those behaviors now …. And you’ll see, they are also easy to get started on, if you find you need to brush up on a few:
Social Support Group (do you have a strong network of friends that you can talk to, share with, and rely on?), Work-life balance, Volunteerism (make it a cause that you love!), Spirituality (that means different things to different people, it doesn’t necessarily mean God or religion), Hobbies, Leisure time (something other than watching tv!), Music, Intimacy, Donating, Exercise ( a minimum of 30 minutes 5 times a week is preferable, but smaller amounts work too!), Touching, Preventative health (schedule yearly check-ups and tests) and Random Acts of Kindness.
Cool.
So what are RAKs? How do you start?
It’s simple- here are a few things you can do, and please, feel free to visit the official randomactsofkindness.org site for tons of information and other cool research studies!
In you workplace:
• Set up free coffee, tea or hot chocolate during the week or on the 17th for your employees or coworkers;
• Send a floral arrangement to a nearby senior center, nursing home, police station, hospital, etc, with a small note of thanks;
• Organize a blood drive and dedicate it to Random Acts of Kindness;
• Donate a percentage of your revenue for one day to a group in need;
• Collect canned goods or household supplies throughout RAK week (or anytime throughout the year) for a food bank or homeless shelter;
• if you are a retail establishment, give away the first $10 of purchases on a given day to your customers.
In your community:
• Prepare treats (or maybe a coffee shop gift card) for neighbors, emergency workers, mail carriers, coworkers, military personnel or other community members with a note of appreciation.
• Call an animal shelter and find out what items they need (I’ll be doing this over the weekend )
• If you got a gift card over the holidays that you can’t use, give it to a family or organization in need.
• Help a neighbor with snow removal, raking leaves, cutting the lawn, etc. While helping an elderly neighbor might be something you already do, is there a single-parent home, or someone with a disability that you can help out as well?
• In the drive-through at Dunkin’ Donuts? Pay for a coffee for the person behind you.
• Obeying traffic rules and when safe, when you are in the car, stop and let that person trying to make a left onto a busy street go ahead of you. (we’ve all been there, especially if you live in New Jersey!)
• Offer a couple of hours of free babysitting to parents.
• Donate used books to a library, community center or shelter (call first to make sure they can use them.)
• Give carepacks to the homeless – include items that we use every day but probably take for granted- like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and deodorant.
I could go on forever- but you get the idea. When you start looking, you will see opportunities to practice Random Acts of Kindness all around you. Even a friendly hello or a sincere compliment counts!
I hope you’ll take this opportunity to boost your mood (and Karma) next week and throughout the year.
Please send me your suggestions or comments to hsteel@carrierclinic.com. However, this is not the place to leave detailed, personal health information, and any posts that are inappropriate or unrelated to our site will not be posted. Please call our Access Center at 800-933-3579 if you wish to speak with someone about a possible admission.
Thanks for reading!

Happy February! I can’t believe how quickly January has passed. For those of you who made the resolution to “get healthy” (I know I did!), here is some information that might help you keep your resolution.

Friday, February 3rd is “Go Red Day.” I hope all of you are planning to wear red on Friday to support and promote this nationwide initiative to educate all the women in your life about the risks of heart disease.

Heart disease is the number one killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year.

Most of us don’t start worrying about our heart health until our 40s, 50s, or even 60s…and usually only after we’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

But there is another link to heart disease that we need to be aware of, and that is depression. While depression can strike anyone, research (complements of www.nimh.nih.gov) shows that “people with heart disease are more likely to suffer from depression than otherwise healthy people, and conversely, that people with depression are at greater risk for developing heart disease.”

Wow.

Depression complicates treatment for heart disease by making it harder to take medications and participate in healthy living activities (such as heart-healthy cooking, getting exercise and proper amounts of sleep). And this is true for both men and women.

Treatment for depression can help both diseases, so please talk to your doctor if you think you might suffer from depression. Your physical health may depend on it. For further information on depression and heart disease, please visit www.nimh.nih.gov.

And don’t forget to visit www.goredforwomen.org to get heart healthy at any age. It’s never too early to start taking care of your health!

Please send me your suggestions or comments to hsteel@carrierclinic.com. However, this is not the place to leave detailed, personal health information, and any posts that are inappropriate or unrelated to our site will not be posted. Please call our Access Center at 800-933-3579 if you wish to speak with someone about a possible admission.

Thanks for reading!

Welcome to Carrier’s new blog! Yes, it looks a lot like the old one, but we’ll be adding content, pictures and sometimes even a video or two on a weekly basis this year.
Part educational, part fun, we’ll feature clinical guest bloggers who will talk about healthy living, coping skills, stress, depression, adolescent issues, grief, and many other topics.
Is there something you would like us to write about? Please let me know by emailing me at hsteel@carrierclinic.com. I’ll keep your information confidential.
As a reminder, Carrier Clinic offers free support groups on a weekly basis, including our Codependency Program, Bright Futures for Kids, Mood Disorder Support Group, Parents Support Group and Al-Anon Family Group. All group times and descriptions can be found on our website at http://www.carrierclinic.org/programs-free.php.
This year, we’ll also be starting a monthly e-newsletter, filled with information and upcoming free programs and health screenings. If you’d like to receive the e-newsletter, please join our mailing list by clicking here.
And, for those of you who want to get involved with the 2nd Annual Walk of Hope, we’ve just announced the date: September 15, 2012, on Carrier’s campus at 252 Route 601, Belle Mead, NJ 08502. Please click on our Walk of Hope button on our home page for more information.

Please send me your suggestions or comments to hsteel@carrierclinic.com. However, this is not the place to leave detailed, personal health information, and any posts that are inappropriate or unrelated to our site will not be posted. Please call our Access Center at 800-933-3579 if you wish to speak with someone about a possible admission.
Thanks for reading – I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions ~

Best,
Heather

For our East Coast community, the last few weeks have been very stressful. First there was an earthquake, something we are definitely not accustomed to. Then, many of us suffered from the devastating effects of Hurricane Irene (and now Lee). And while “mother nature” has been very busy these last few days, the beginning of September always means something else as well:

It’s time for kids to go back-to-school.

Now, I realize that having your kids go back to school is not the same as your house flooding. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected by the recent storms. But the truth is, while going back to school is usually an exciting time for most parents and their children, some adolescents may start feeling overwhelmed and anxious when faced with the prospect of returning to the classroom.

Although a little nervousness in a new situation is common, severe anxiety can often interfere with school, family, and other responsibilities. Unfortunately, the number of adolescents with Anxiety disorders and Depression is rising as well.

If your child is having trouble falling or staying asleep, is complaining of stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, or shows signs of irritability or poor concentration, it may be time to call your pediatrician or healthcare provider.

With the help of a professional, adolescent anxiety and depression can be treated successfully through talking, relaxation techniques, medications, or a combination of therapies.

For more information on Adolescent Anxiety and Depression, please visit the following link, provided by the National Institute of Mental Health.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health/index.shtml

thank you for reading!

Heather Steel
Carrier Clinic