The Special Qualities of a Caregiver

The Role of Caregiver

            There really is not a textbook, no blueprint, and no guide on how to be a caregiver. This is true despite the fact that for Alzheimer’s disease alone, there are nearly 15 million caregivers and that number will rise dramatically in the next 25 years. Consider all the caregivers for loved ones suffering the different forms of illness and it is easy to appreciate how important the role of caregiver is in our society.

            It is true that caregivers are a special group. They are patient, compassionate, caring people who place the needs of others in front of their own. We all agree that these are highly admirable qualities, but it is also true that over time such qualities can be detrimental to one’s own health. It is indeed common for caregivers to be so focused on their role of caring for another that their own health and wellbeing gets neglected. We know that at least 33% of caregivers suffer depression, while others experience sleep disorder, anxiety, lost wages and reduced time spent at work.

            Caregivers are human beings and it is normal for feelings of guilt, irritability, frustration, resentment, and even anger to creep into their day as the pressure and time demands inherent on caregiving increase. Perhaps, a guide or a class on caregiving could be required prior to our graduation from high school! Not a bad thought, but I tend to think we are all born with the natural characteristics of caregiving and that some of us actually express this beautiful talent, this form of loving-kindness.

            I have spent nearly 30 years caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease and for each person who struggles with this disease there are two or more family members or friends who surround their loved one with support and hope. I have watched with great admiration the sweet and patient care granted by the caregivers and it has been a constant reminder of the goodness that we humans have.

            To all the caregivers who read this blog, God bless you and know that you represent the best of humanity. Continue to love, since love is the best medicine, and please take some time for your own needs.

Dr. Nussbaum

Prescribing Exercise

            Like many who are interested in health, I have been an outspoken champion on the benefits of movement, physical activity, and exercise. For me, the importance of exercise is directly linked to brain health in the form of learning, mood, energy, and esteem. I also appreciate that exercise helps nearly all parts of the body such as the heart, bones, joints, muscles, and digestion.

            Research has been quite robust on the benefits of regular exercise and health. Scholars such as Charles Hillman and Kirk Erickson have been leaders in demonstrating the benefits of physical activity to our structural and functional brains and bodies. Now, a new article written by Dr. Hausenblas and published in US. News (8-5-15) raises the question I too have been asking for years, “Why don’t physicians prescribe exercise?”

            The article underscores the fact that exercise is one behavior, one intervention and indeed prescription that significantly impacts our overall health. The science is clear as noted above in that exercise is not only preventative, but it can also help treat chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and depression. I would also include anxiety with this list and there are still others such as cognitive problems. Research indicates that people who exercise regularly can expect to live an average of seven years longer those who are inactive.

            A new initiative called Exercise is Medicine ® focuses on encouraging health care providers to include physical activity when creating treatment plans their patients. A key component to this program is to have all health care providers assess their patient’s physical activity at every visit. Physical activity should be recorded as a vital sign during patient visits and to encourage able patients to meet physical activity guidelines.

            Research published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health indicates that more than 50% of the physicians trained in the U.S. in 2013 received no formal education in physical activity, and that they are not prepared to help their patients with their exercise plan. Dr. Bob Sallis suggested exercise be listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference as it is probably the most powerful drug available.

            The Mayo Clinic noted that nearly 70% of Americans take at least one prescribed medication costing us $374 billion in 2014. We are a nation reliant on medication and a culture in search of a quick fix. Perhaps exercise can begin to be presented as a medicine and we can continue to educate all ages of the benefits of exercise and physical activity to our health and happiness.

WAIT

I was at a conference recently on Mindfulness and the speaker discussed some ways to stay in the moment and to avoid creating unnecessary tension or stress, particularly when engaged with another. He used the acronym WAIT to stand for "why am I talking"? This is not really a new technique, but one that seems like a good reminder to all of us when we feel some of the more turbulent emotions bubbling up inside. A little whisper of WAIT can keep us quiet, safe, and resistant to making a difficult situation worse.

Have a great day, listen, and enjoy that which nature and others bring you.

Dr. Nussbaum

Socialization and Brain Health

The Importance of Socialization to the Brain

            We have known for many years about the importance of friendship, loving relationships, family, marriage, and being connected human to human for our overall health and wellness. More recent research has related the importance of ongoing socialization to the brain and brain health.

            Our brains do quite well when we are integrated with others, involved in a community of people, and living with a sense of contribution, role and purpose. Our “will to live” is often a byproduct of the energy and spirit we give and take from others. Our “failure to thrive” is quite different and can result from a withdrawal and isolation from others and from personal meaning.

            Why is socialization so important to the brain? In my own work on brain health, I have discussed the need for “novel and complex” stimulation to promote the necessary neurophysiological changes (at the cellular level) that serve as the foundation for brain health. The cells in our brains rejoice with novelty and complexity, with new learning, and this is what occurs when we engage with others. We share stories, debate issues, problem solve, emote, create, and work on communication, not a bad workout for the brain!

            In our own lives we may have experiences when one of our loved ones is withdrawing or slowing isolating from others. You may know someone who no longer attends his or her typical activities or has lost interest in those programs or events that once were a source of pleasure and joy. When our bodies isolate and withdrawal so do our brains. This can lead to a lack of novelty and complexity, a lack of social interaction, and an unhealthy reliance on the “rote and passive.” Ultimately, a brain that isolates and segregates has the risk of developing dementia, a condition of the brain quite opposite of brain health.

It is important for us to reach out to those we love and encourage them to remain integrated, to continue contributing in personally meaningful ways, to maintain a social network for ongoing discourse, and to always engage in the Novel and Complex. Stay away from physical and emotional isolation and your brain cells will always rejoice!

Purpose in Your Life

The Importance of Purpose

Why are you here? What difference do you want to make? What is your purpose for getting up each morning?

These are basic and simple questions. Yet, the answers to these questions are profound and have specific correlates to one’s mental and physical health. You can only imagine the faces of the teenagers in my audiences across the country when I ask them about their purpose in life. The earlier we get started trying to understand what our lives mean and what difference each of us can make the better our sense of self and overall wellbeing.

Research indicates that living a long healthy life can be explained by how well we adapt to things outside of our control. Longevity and health has much less to do with genetics or cognition. In addition to being adaptive across our lifespan, the idea of purpose in our lives becomes vital. Unfortunately, many do not explore this question and each of us needs to take some time today to think about our purpose.

Sometimes we discuss “will to live” or “attitude” as being important parts of health. A will to live must involve a purpose, something we are driven to represent or achieve, a goal or meaning that is greater than self. The great news is that our purpose in life can be quite simple and small. The important point is that we align what we do with what we care most about. So many are simply acting each day to complete tasks without the connection to our great purpose with our time and action.

Take some time today to think about your life and to consider what you have accomplished for yourself and for others. Then, think about something that you have “always wanted to do” or perhaps reflect on “something that might be missing” in your life. These thoughts will create a pathway for you to identify and immerse yourself in your Purpose.

Once identified, live your purpose to the fullest as if each day is your last. Your passion and positive energy will be contagious. You will feel happier and your body, spirit, and brain will thank you. So will the people you affect in your life as your purpose helps to affect their lives in a healthy and meaningful way.

Dr. Nussbaum

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The Brain Carries the Blueprint to Your Behavior

Ellen Langer is a Harvard psychologist who wrote a book (2009) “Counterclockwise” that documented a study she and her students led in 1979 to test the idea that our environment and our thoughts can lead to how we feel, behave, and age.

The results of the study supported the idea that, if you believe you are active and vibrant your body will respond favorably. Essentially, we live in a society that quietly and sometimes not so quietly mandates that we become frail and limited as we age into our latter lifespan.

The study and my belief system is that “your brain contains the blueprint to how you will fell, behave, and indeed age.” We are the only animals on the planet who through thought can make ourselves feel happy or miserable!

Regardless of the social pressure or of the “typical and expected” behavior we are supposed to conform to, it is critical that we establish in our brains the blueprint for how we will age. Our bodies will respect and follow that blueprint to a large degree and this is really the foundation for positive psychology. However, it is much more than that to me.

Dr. Langer underscored an important reality that society has not captured yet. Our brains are the most brilliant system available to us as individuals and as a species. The chemical and electrical energy of our brains have what may be described as unlimited potential. This includes control over our health and it is my belief that one day we will tap into this potential to unlock an entirely new approach to wellness and healing.

Until that day, please bathe your brain in positive thoughts, healthy and happy attitudes, goal setting and big dreams, and ongoing forgiveness, kindness, and love. Your body will take notice and you will age with grace, health, and personal meaning.