The talk you must have with your parents

While I am not superstitious by nature, talking about illness and death makes me feel like I am tempting fate. But after researching an article on advance directives for UTHealthLeader, I am determined to have a serious talk with my parents about their healthcare wishes. I learned that in a medical emergency, you might not be able to communicate with your parents' medical team--unless you have signed the right paperwork.

That's a scary thought. I want to be sure I honor my parents' wishes about their healthcare. But what are they? I think I know, but do I?

Do you?

Do suicide rates go up during the holidays?

Like many people, I always thought that suicide rates spike during the holidays. If you are lonely and depressed, the cheerfulness of the holidays make you feel even more lonely and depressed in contrast, right? Wrong. It turns out the idea that more people commit suicide during the holidays is common misconception. In fact, suicide rates are lowest in December, and peak in the spring and the fall, according to the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics. The reason why is unclear. Some mental health experts speculate that all the hubub and family togetherness during the holidays may temporarily prevent people from committing suicide.

"The holidays are a time when relationships are emphasized and celebrated," says Thomas Ellis, PsyD, APPB, director of Psychology at The Menninger Clinic in Houston and author of books about the treatment of suicidality. "Research is really clear that relationships act as a strong buffer to suicide."

See my Menninger News and Notes brief for more about suicide and the holidays.

On money, sex and power...

We know these three age-old influences control our lives. But they also interfere with treatment for mental illness, says Michael Groat, PhD, director of the Professionals in Crisis treatment program at The Menninger Clinic. Groat says we often tie our self-worth to the amount of money we have. "For patients, money can be closely connected to their sense of status and identity." Find out what Groat says about the roles of sex and power in treatment in my News and Notes article for The Menninger Clinic.  

Will it hurt my baby?

I am a worrier by nature. But I really took it up a notch when I was pregnant with my daughter and my son. I worried about drinking wine before I knew I was pregnant, loud crowd noise at football games and even feta cheese (unpasteruized cheese is linked to listeria).  How I wish I had access to the expertise of Texas TIPS, a new service sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).  Texas Teratogen Information Pregnancy Service (TIPS) gives pregnant and nursing women advice from trained genetic counselors on what to do if they have been exposed to a teratogen—a substance that could be harmful to their baby. Read more about their recommendations in my latest article for UTHealthLeader, Hello? Is my baby OK?

How to talk to your child's teachers...and get rid of that ringing in your ears

I've been a little behind in updating my blog lately, so this one's a twofer! First, I share some useful tips on how to talk to teachers if your child has emotional or behavioral problems, in my latest News and Notes article for The Menninger Clinic, a world leader in psychiatric treatment, research and education headquartered in Houston. Any parent of a school-age child knows how challenging it can be to communicate with teachers. It is often difficult to know exactly what is going on inside the classroom. Who is right: your child, or the teacher? Communication is even more critical for parents of children with emotional and behavioral problems. “Teachers hold valuable information related to a child’s social and academic life,” says Elizabeth Newlin, director of the Adolescent Treatment Program at The Menninger Clinic. A teacher’s insight into a child’s emotional and behavioral changes plays a key role in the treatment process, she adds. Find out more in my article, Four ways to communicate with teachers about your special-needs child.

Next, I tackle tinnitus in my UT HealthLeader story, Tinnitus: When Silence Becomes Deafening. The inner noise of tinnitus is distracting and bothersome, making it difficult for people with the condition to work or live a normal life, says Nabil Al-Muhtaseb, director of the Audiology Hearing, Tinnitus and Balance Clinic at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The sounds of tinnitus range from a mild ringing or buzzing to a high-pitched, insistent whine, depending on the severity. Luckily, new treatments can help. That wasn't always the case. “When I was in medical school 30 years ago, they used to tell us, ‘There is nothing we can do for tinnitus,’” says Muhtaseb, one of the few physicians-turned-audiologists. “Over the last 10 to 15 years, we have developed many ways of managing hearing loss and tinnitus in particular.”

When writing these stories, I am always amazed by the wealth of medical technology and expertise right in my own backyard. It is a blessing to call Houston home.