About loneliness

About loneliness

Someone recently told me he felt a great sense of loneliness despite living in a big city. Loneliness is one of the social ills afflicting the psyche of more people of all ages in developed countries in the XXI Century. Not long ago if you wanted to communicate with someone you had to speak with the person. Today, our societies congregate on cities where we do not know who is our next door neighbor. Technology is creating a generation of functionally autistic people who have no genuine contact with other humans except for brief excerpts of text on our phones. And every day our attention span grows shorter. One effect of modern adult life is its complexity. Have you read the terms of use of iTunes? In this environment, who has time for other people?

So people are becoming increasingly isolated. And with the loss of the sense of interconnectedness between us and nature there we develop a sense of social narcissism. In this way begins to rear its head one of the ills of our age: loneliness.

To feel lonely is to feel that our connection with others has been severed. People become mere objects and become just objects to other people, we depersonalize each other. And in the process we deny one of the essential characteristics of human beings: that we are social beings.

Humans need deep emotional relationships in the same way we need oxygen and nutrients. We could say our relationships are the food of the soul. We can try to replace those relationships and try to replace love with money, sex, or many other things. But we know that is a trick that does not work because it leaves the soul empty. Worse, when we realize it is a problem we've hit rock bottom and do not know how to get out.

There is good news, however. There is no need to fall into the abyss of loneliness and if you fall you do not have to stay in it. Always remember that the biggest limitations of humans are those imposed by ourselves. And that is also your solution ... free yourself. To exit the solitude you can follow some simple but effective steps:

• Reactive old connections. In the same way that modern technology has created much of the problem of loneliness, used judiciously it can reconnect you with friends you have not seen in a while. And as time passes it becomes more important to keep in touch with those people who know you back five, ten, thirty years ago. Taking a moment for a phone call from time to time is something everyone can do. Coordinate a gathering of friends. If there is the will, there will be the way. Believe me, the other person is in the same situation.
• Get out of your house! You can’t connect with other people if you stay in your house like a vampire in his coffin. Search the world and find it. When you are exposed to differnet experiences you will find more opportunities to develop relationships with others.
• Get involved in activities that interest you. When we are young our relationships are based on geography. You share the same room, the same university, and so on. Relationships when we become adults rely more on shared interests. Search in groups, classes and activities of your interest and find like-minded people. Collect people compatible with you and you will find that before you realize it, you have reactivated your social life and developed connections with people.
• Seek the elderly. Our society of 24 hours / 7 days a week tends to put aside our elders. A shame, because they are people of great wisdom who have much experiences, stories, and advice to  offer to the younger generations. And they are the most solitary of people and really appreciate when people gets interested in them. Sit and listen to an older person. You'll be surprised.
• Did I mention to leave your house from time to time?
• Enter an information diet. Keep your information consumption to a minimum. There is so much information competing for your attention that you get out of your use of the information all that is unnecessary and hinders your growth. Of course, don’t forget to read this blog.
• Do not pay so much attention to your smartphone.

The information in this blog is not a substitute for a medical evaluation. Consult with your physician about any health concerns you have.

For appointments with Dr. Romero call 787-764-5642 or visit www.mimejoramiento.com

As always your opinions are important. Share them so that others benefit from your experiences and perspectives.

Health explained

We should all aspire to our highest potential. A constant state of mediocrity, conformity and constant unhappiness are the most common effects on people of our modern society. You deserve better and the primary tool you have to achieve your maximum potential is your health.

Health however is a poorly understood concept. Most people think of health as simply the absence of obvious disease. But health is more. In 1946 the World Health Organization defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This means that to be healthy is to find our comfort and enjoyment of life in all its dimensions. And keeping your health is what will allow you to reach your full potential.

So given that definition here are some tips to reach that total health status, or at least get as close as possible to this ideal:

• Prevention is your main tool. Whether your annual physical exam (got one, right?) or being at your ideal weight, measures that prevent you from getting sick are your primary tool to achieving and maintaining your health.
• Strengthen your mind, body and spirit. You do not have health if you have a perfect body but your mind is in disarray and your spirit is empty. Fill your life with healthy experiences that can enrich all dimensions of your being.
• Have fun. All work and no play is not life, and certainly it’s not health. Look for activities that fill you with joy and people with whom to share them.
• Create healthy relationships. We are social beings and need to connect with other people. Promote healthy relationships and stay away from toxic relationships. Attracts people to fill your life with love, knowledge and wisdom. Distance yourself from people who are emotional, economic and personal parasites. They will not contribute to your growth. In short, surround yourself with people who promote your growth and expand your horizons. Remove those people who will sink you with them into the whirlpool of their twisted lives.

The information in this blog is not a substitute for a medical evaluation. Consult with your physician about any health concerns you have.

For appointments with Dr. Romero call 787-764-5642 or visit www.mimejoramiento.com

As always your opinions are important. Share them so that others benefit from your experiences and perspectives.

Psychiatry and mental illness explained

It seems like a good idea to start a discussion about concepts of psychiatry with a discussion about what is psychiatry. Psychiatry is the branch of medicine devoted to the study, diagnosis and treatment of patterns of emotion, thought, and behavior that causes disruption of the normal functioning and the quality of life of a person and people around him or her. The psychiatrist has the knowledge to diagnose and treat these conditions and improve the quality of life of these persons. This group of conditions is called mental illness, but perhaps a better term would neuropsychiatric conditions.

The vast majority of disorders of emotion, thought and behavior is the result from disruption of normal brain function. The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. To put into perspective just how complex the brain is, picture that in your head you have more connections between your neurons than the number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. With so many connections it is understandable;e that sometimes these connections won’t work well.

There are several factors that can affect brain function and cause dysfunction. The first factor is genetic. If you have any close family with a neuropsychiatric condition you have a higher risk of developing a condition if you are exposed to high stress situations. This does not mean you will develop a condition. For example, if you are female and your mother developed breast cancer, you have a higher risk but doesn’t mean you will have the disease.

Another major factor is the stressors to which we are exposed. This runs the gamut from traffic jams you face every day to serious interpersonal situations. Depending on your vulnerabilities at some point your brain might overload and you develop a neuropsychiatric condition. And there are many other factors, such as medical conditions. Each body is a universe. And in that universe when a part is not working well it affect other parts of your body. Thyroid conditions, diabetes and others may manifest as anxiety, depression or other neuropsychiatric conditions.

The job of the psychiatrist then is to obtain a history and if necessary a physical examination the necessary information to reach a description of how brain function is affected. That way you can formulate an improvement plan for that person to return to health.

It's worth making the distinction between a psychiatrist and a psychologist. A psychiatrist is a doctor who specializes in brain function and the way other medical conditions can affect the brain. It has the ability to integrate the medical and the mental dimensions of human beings to work to improve a person’s health. A psychiatrist can help a person change her thought and behavior patterns (a process called psychotherapy) and/or use medications to restore the brain’s normal function in the same way that a diabetic uses insulin to regulate glucose metabolism in the blood. A psychologist is a person who specializes in studying the phenomena of emotion, thought and personal and social behavior of a person and also has training in the process of psychotherapy.

Several points should be considered when it comes to neuropsychiatric conditions:

• A psychiatric diagnosis is not destiny. It is simply a description that helps clinicians to better understand your situation and to communicate with other clinicians. Neuropsychiatric conditions symptoms vary widely among people with the same diagnosis.
• You're not a passive victim of a neuropsychiatric disorder. Like any other medical conditions, neuropsychiatric disorders may improve or worsen depending on your actions. A healthy lifestyle with exercise, good nutrition, good relationships, and eliminating unnecessary or toxic stress in your life can make a huge difference in the way a neuropsychiatric condition manifests itself.
• There are effective treatments. If your emotions, thoughts and behaviors are disturbed to the point of affecting your quality of life it is time to seek professional help and improve your quality of life.
• Do not give up. Neuropsychiatric conditions can make you or your family feel great despair. Remember that there are various types of help and there are more tools than medicine and psychology to help you be well again.

The content on this blog is not a substitute for a proper medical evaluation. If you have any questions regarding your health consult your physician.

For appointments with Dr. Romero call 787-764-5642 or visit www.mimejoramiento.com

As always your opinions are important. Share them so that others benefit from your experiences and perspectives.