Bah Humbug, it’s the Holiday Blues

     Charles Dickens’ Ebenezer Scrooge felt it and so did George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s—the holidays can make you feel unhinged.

     “During the holiday season, there’s just so much to do and not enough hours in the day,” says Julie Kugler-Bentley, RN, LCSW-C, CEAP of Meritus Health’s Behavioral Health. Women in particular can feel overwhelmed by all the holiday prep work explains Julie. Between work, family commitments and extra holiday tasks, women’s “me time” falls off the radar screen and stress builds. “This is a time when fewer deposits are put into the emotional bank account,” says Julie.

Childhood ADHD Explained

Many of us have had those days where it feels like our head is in a fog no matter how many hours we sleep or cups of coffee we drink. For children with untreated Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD for short, that is the norm.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, ADHD is a common affliction with as many as 7% of school-aged children diagnosed with it.

When Gluten is not Your Friend

    Going gluten-free is all the rage for celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow, but living without many foods like cereal, pizza and salad dressing can be hard—just ask someone with celiac disease. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NIH), 1 in 133 people have celiac disease, a unique autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. The body's immune system causes it to overreact in response to gluten in food—like wheat, barley and rye.

An Out-of-the Box Way to Exercise

     Beth Doyle’s day job involves working as a care manager on the intermediate care unit of Meritus Medical Center. At night and on the weekends, Beth’s free time is spent belly dancing. Widely misunderstood as a dance to entertain men, belly dancing joins women together in a celebration of music and self-expression.

Protecting Your Derriere

     Many of us can relate to something that’s a pain in our lower extremities. But for those who sit in a wheelchair or power chair for longer than two hours at a time, discomfort in the posterior could turn into a pressure sore.

     “Anyone who has decreased sensation or circulation, like people with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, peripheral neuropathy, incontinence or anyone who cannot reposition themselves while sitting are at risk for pressure sores,” explains assistive technology professional Denver Muir, CRT, ATP, CRTS of Equipped for Life.