Author: braccioj

Question

Dr.Braccio:  Our pediatrician referred us to get a full psycho-educational assessment for possible mersin escort bayan ADD when we and the school noticed our son could not pay attention and was having problems at home and school. We had the assessment and he was diagnosed with AD/HD with Depression. This was surprising until we realized he has been down because of criticism he is getting at home and school. We’re going to now meet with the pediatrician but do not know what questions to ask. We feel he may need medication but are a little afraid. What should we ask and what is appropriate. We worry we could get the pediatrician upset if we ask too many questions.

Answer

It is fully appropriate to ask your pediatrician about medication. The pediatrician will most likely be impressed with the effort you have put into your questions. It also is true that parents must never have a child take medication without knowing enough about it to be comfortable. Risks need to be known and benefits need to greatly offset them.

It is a common for there to be other comorbid conditions with AD/HD. Depression with AD/HD can be as high as 20%. Your pediatrician can best help you determine the impact each condition has on the other. With or without medication, sometimes it takes awhile to determine if the Depression or AD/HD is primary and causing the other symptoms to occur. Sometimes each condition is separate from each other and other times one or the other enhances the other condition.

To begin with, make sure the pediatrician explains the diagnosis fully. In this case, it is both AD/HD and Depression. Ask as many question as you need to about the diagnosis to make sure you are comfortable with your understanding.

The following are some good basic questions to ask:

• Can you explain how the Depression and AD/HD interact and what relationship, if any, they have with each other?
• Could the Depression cause the AD/HD features or vice versa?
• What medication or medications are prescribed and how do they work on the body?
• How soon might we see an improvement?
• How often does our son take the medication?
• How will it be decided to change the dosage, end the medication or try another medication?
• What are the negative side effects of the medications?
• What happens if my child misses a dose or does not take it?
• Have there been studies done on the medication(s) with persons the age of my child?
• What do we do if we see changes we are concerned about?

This is an example of where people have come together and each is enriched. We all need a purpose in life.You can call it fate or the hand of anamur escort kızlar God.

Question

Dr. Braccio:  Due to an accidental death of one parent and a severe life ending illness to the mother, we have taken guardianship of our eleven year-old nephew. Amazingly, he’s a positive boy. We’re not. My husband and I never had children and he’s had a bad life and is bitter. Even his retirement party was without much ceremony. I’m negative and have very little to be happy about and am basically waiting to die. We worry we will ruin our nephew. He’s such a good and wonderful fellow. He makes us feel better with his sweet laugh and willingness to help out. We don’t mean to, but he’s already seeming unsure of himself as we find negative in everything. What can we do? He a gentle spirit and we want to help him.

Answer

Whether you believe in luck or spiritual intervention, your nephew appears to be what you two need to put positive meaning into your lives.

Your nephew shows one can be positive in spite of a tragedy filled life. Even though he is so young, you can learn from him and build a positive life together.

Interestingly, you have already identified the problem in this situation and it lies in your minds and hearts. As you have chosen to acquire these negative and destructive attitudes and behaviors, you can equally choose to change them. What would ultimately be the harm in a positive world view? The answer is a resounding “absolutely nothing”.

Ask yourselves this, “What kind of a pay-off do we get by remaining negative in our beliefs and expectations? Does this negativity serve to enrich our lives? Do we fear living in joy or peace? If you honestly ask these questions, the answer will clearly be there is no payoff, your negativity does not enrich your lives and amazingly, by your attitudes and behaviors, you must fear to live in joy or peace. Change your outlooks and launch yourself as eagles with clear vision to help yourselves and your nephew.

You can best make changes as you become increasingly aware of every self-limiting or other destructive thoughts and/ or behaviors you exhibit. Choosing love over negativity and debilitating fear would seem to be easy, but it is not when you are so ingrained with negative outlooks. Be responsible for your own happiness.

Since you’re including that loving and gentle spirited nephew in your lives, that responsibility does include creating a secure and harmonious emotional environment for all of you.

If you feel the need for support, there are many counseling and therapy resources available to continue your quest to do your best yourselves and your nephew. If you have a spiritual support group or a trusted minister, this can be very supportive and nurturing.

As you try to direct your thoughts, reinforce in your own mind that you have positive intentions to think and behave in the most nurturing ways for your own and your nephew’s sake.

This child is a perfect psychological fix for your needs. How fortunate you are to celebrate life with such a sensitive and gentle spiritual young man. Set high expectations for yourselves and live up to them every day. You can actually “behave” your way into a new and always growing.

Have fun and surprise yourselves with the wonder of the day and the excitement of new adventures. This child has brought you a most precious gift, joy! Cherish and embrace it wisely! Use it to cut loose the bitterness and unhappiness of your pasts. The future is now and it can be warm and sun drenched daily experience. The possibilities are limitless.

The New Year is a new beginning for many persons as they choose resolutions to konya merkez eskort improve themselves. I encourage you to do that now or another time if you are not ready on January 1st. I love to see a person choose to be more effective and happy in his or her personal life, social life, work life, family life, or spiritual life.

The following article is what I wrote for the Lansing State Journal as a response to a question that may be helpful to you as you successfully complete resolutions for the New Year or thereafter. The topic this month is “New Year’s Resolutions”. The “I’m Free From Smoking” Freedom Kit as well as others in our online store could hopefully help you.

Question

Dr. Braccio:  We again are trying as a family to make and keep our New Year’s Resolutions. Our problem is that neither I, my wife or either of our two teenage children keep them for more than a month or two. I’m always going to quit smoking, my wife is always going to lose weight and our kids are always going to study more. We either forget or just decide we will not do them. It seems we try to do too much or choose things we won’t do. Can you help us with this so 2006 will be different?

Answer

Your problem is very common. Most persons enter the New Year loaded with resolutions and good intentions. With time, the resolutions are often forgotten or seem like too much work. We all know persons just like you, who each New Year’s Day are going to exercise every day, study more, lose 75 pounds or never smoke a cigarette again. Come February or March, or even sooner, many are back to not exercising, not studying, overeating and smoking.
Other common resolutions would be to learn something new, help others, organize your life better, reduce debt, stop drinking alcohol, get more out of life and show more love for your family and dear friends.

Success comes with being reasonable and having attainable goals. For example, if you quit smoking, you need to be aware of how powerful nicotine addiction is and have a plan on what to do when the going gets tough. For those who plan to lose weight, you need to plan your meals and eat nutritiously. Good study habits need a quiet environment with planned times on a regular basis. Exercising requires you to know where and when you will exercise on a planned basis.

The following are some things you can do to give yourself a greater chance for success in the coming year:

• Be reasonable and realistic in your resolutions. It is better to set and accomplish smaller resolutions than fail at big ones. For example, you are better to lose 10 pounds than fail at losing 75.
• Plan out each resolution in advance with a purposeful plan that will include how to do it and what problems with solutions that you may encounter.
• Use a team approach of your family and/or friends. For example, you can exercise as a family, couple or with your neighbor.
• Get excited about your resolutions. See them as opportunities to improve yourself as you accomplish what you desire.
• Set up rewards as you succeed. For example, buy a CD or DVD you want if you stop smoking for seven days.
• Choose a person you can count on to talk to for encouragement if the going gets tough.
• If you fail, see it as temporary and go back to working on your resolution. The completion of many successful resolutions have been doted with small failures.
• Recognize you have the internal power to accomplish what you desire and do not give up.

What’s NEW in 2006?

“AD/HD: A parents guide to help your child take control over AD/HD” Freedom Kit will be available by March of 2006. It is a comprehensive DVD and CD Freedom Kit to specifically deal with children and adolescents. Your child deserves the tools to achieve self-control. An adult version is planned to be available in the Summer of 2006.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding my website or products, please email me or call (800) 233-0766. All products have a 30-day money back guarantee. My goal is to satisfy you and be helpful.

Question

Dr.Braccio:  My husband and silifke escort numaraları I are heavy smokers. We have been for over fifteen years. We actually met at work outside smoking. We both have enjoyed smoking but feel for the sake of our two young children that we should stop.  We’ve each tried to quit various times separately and together. But we keep smoking. We both seem to need to smoke in spite of how bad we know it is for us and our children. Can you give us ideas on how we can do it? It’s tough for us to quit and it shouldn’t be so hard.

Answer

For one who has seen dear friends and clients die difficult and undignified deaths, who himself smoked for twenty-seven years, and has tried to help persons stop smoking for the past twenty-five years, the power of nicotine addiction and the havoc it and related chemicals cause on the human body are tragically very clear. Included would be: Nicotine, Arsenic, Ammonia, lead and carbon monoxide.

Even though millions of people have quit smoking on sheer determination, most failed at least a few times and many needed some type of a program or plan to quit. Regardless of what motivates you to quit, the key is a firm belief that you can quit and an iron desire to stop. Success will not happen if either is lacking.

The dangers of smoking are so obvious and harsh that you need to face them closely as you continue to smoke. The American Lung Association says there are approximately 430,700 deaths per year in the United States resulting from smoking related illness. Yearly costs in the United States due to smoking are $97.2 billion dollars in lost productivity and health care costs. Smoking is responsible directly for 87% of lung cancer and most cases of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Second hand smoke is dangerous for everyone. Your children will have a greater tendency to colds, bronchitis, asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. The toll for smoking is deadly and horrific for the smoker and those who inhale second hand smoke.

Why quit: American Cancer Society: Second hand smoke, smoking by pregnant women, diseases.  Based on what I have read and seen work over the years, the following are suggestions that could help you. You can pick and choose what would be helpful to you. Remember that the journey to stop smoking is very individual. Many just say enough is enough and “stop cold turkey” while others need a more involved program or planning process.

• Determine why you do smoke and why you feel it would be good to stop smoking.
• Make a decision to quit smoking.
• Write down the reasons you desire to stop smoking and keep it with you at all times. Try to have at least five: Health, cost, worries for hurting others, dirty clothes. Pull it out and look at it each time you are going to smoke and then when temptation occurs after you have stopped smoking. This is something very important to have and use.
• Pick a quit date and clear your house , work , car and any other places where you have smoked before of cigarettes, ashtrays and anything you associate with smoking. It is best the quit date be on a calm and peaceful day. (Just like eating).
• Find a support person or team you can talk to when tempted or you need to talk. You can also use each other.
• Recognize you cannot have another cigarette and say to yourself, “One cigarette is too many and thousands and thousands would not be enough”.
• Stay away from persons and environments that trigger smoking. This often includes drinking alcohol and eating out.
• Even if prescriptions may not be necessary from your physician, to meet with your family physician about using nicotine replacement products is a good idea. If you use the non- nicotine medication Zyband/Welbutrin, you need a doctor’s prescription.. Even if many persons choose not to replace nicotine with nicotine, they are helpful to some on their own or in connection with some of these suggestions. Nicotine replacement has been helpful with heavy smokers. It also is true that nicotine is only one of over 4,000 components in cigarettes, including arsenic, carbon monoxide and other deadly chemicals.
• Use the Trance Hypnosis Deep Relaxation tape to help you stop smoking before you quit and use it at least once daily. Two or more times is better. Hypnosis works for some if they feel it can be helpful as part of the overall process of stopping smoking. As with most strategies, belief in the process has much to do with the success of the person stopping smoking.
• Take deep breathing breaks in place of smoking breaks to help you relax and curtail smoking craving by mimicking the inhaling of cigarettes.
• Acupuncture is another strategy used to help stop smoking.
• Immediately after you quit smoking, drink a lot of water to help flush the nicotine out of your body as well as satisfying any oral cravings you may have.
• Deep breathing.
• Do something different and get out of the situation. Physical Activity, visit the dentist to clean your teeth. Change habits to make smoking more difficult like tennis, jogging, walking, biking, etc
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to both eat healthy and help you resist any weight gain.
• Weight control. Do regular exercising to keep healthy, maintain your weight, keep your mind off smoking and get pleasure and relaxation while ridding your body of nicotine and nicotine cravings.
• If you need an oral replacement, you can use cinnamon sticks, straws, celery, strawberries, carrots, mints, etc.
• Use a squeeze ball, worry beads, a pencil or something else to keep your hands busy to drop part of the smoking habit.
• Recognize the first few days will be very difficult and not smoking the first three weeks is critical. Be prepared for the internal statements as the addictive “Mr. or Ms. Nicotine” says, “Go ahead and have just one.” Relapse can never occur without taking “just one”.
• Constantly applaud yourself for being a non-smoker and being aware you will never smoke again.
• What to expect: Depression, anger/irritability, headache, restless insomnia trouble confrontation, frustration. Withdrawal is tough. Will begin within a few hours and peak two or three days later. Symptoms can last a few days to a few weeks.
• Recognize that to stop smoking must be irreversible to you as choices to marry and have children.
• Set a goal of what to do special with money saved from smoking. If the two of you smoke one pack of cigarettes each day, and as heavy smokers you probably smoke more, the cost is $3,285.00 a year at $4.50 a pack. A family trip to Florida or California would be a wonderful reward and you could go in style!
• Go to a cemetery to quietly and solemnly think how many people are there long before their time due to smoking. It is a sobering experience.
• Think regularly of the sad waste of a life of someone you knew who died early because of smoking.
• If you relapse, recognize failure is giving up. At least is set back and nothing more. Start his program over.

Helpful information on the dangers and effects of smoking and how to stop can be found on the internet sites of the American Lung Society, American Heart Association, and The American Cancer Society.  Even though there is much help out there, nicotine addiction through smoking is very powerful; however, if you have the heart and will and use the resources that fit your individual journey to stop smoking, you will succeed. I have confidence in you. Say after me: “I’m Free From Smoking”.

Welcome to my very first newsletter

I will write about a specific topic in each newsletter and include a previously written article. The topic this month is “Bullying.”

This is an age when we are escort bayan mersin tying to stop bullying in our schools. This is a positive direction that society is pushing. There are few things more painful than seeing your child or someone you care for feeling hurt and fearful because of bullying.

The Question/Answer article below is one I wrote for the Lansing State Journal. It will hopefully be helpful to you or someone you love. Any feedback on the article or the topic would be appreciated.

Question

“I recently heard my ten-year old daughter talking about how mean they are to a girl that rides the bus with them to school. They call her four eyes because of her thick glasses and call her weird and ugly. They seem proud of themselves. I went in and said I could not believe what they are doing. The two girls were sent home and I really gave it to my daughter. She tried to defend herself but then quit and cried after I said how horrible it was to do what she did.  I called the mothers of the girls I sent home. They are friends of mine and agree completely with me. I called the home of the girl and apologized to the mother on my part and had my daughter apologize to her daughter. The mother thanked me. I feel I did the right thing. My husband said I overacted and should have let them work it out. What do you think?

Answer

I think you did the right thing to firmly let your daughter know her behavior was horrible and totally unacceptable to you. That she initially tried to defend herself shows the need for a strong approach to educate her on appropriate behavior. You need to explain to your daughter why bullying is terrible and unacceptable. Try to have your daughter understand how bad she would feel if treated the same. You can do this in a firm and loving manner.

That your daughter had help from two of her friends makes the treatment even worse and pure bullying.  In the case of the mother of the girl, in today’s world it was a risk to call her without knowing what reaction she might have. This was not a problem with the girls with your daughter because their mothers are your friends. To call the principal for some direction would have been a better idea. You would have gotten the same results with minimal risk. It would still be a good idea for you to call the principal to explain what happened and make sure this bullying does not happen again.

I would disagree with your husband. While it is a part of good parenting to not over involve ourselves in every relationship problem our children have, it does not relate to this situation. Your daughter must learn that bullying is totally inappropriate. Good parenting requires that it be extinguished immediately before it ends up as an ingrained type of behavior that would be much harder to change.

If this type of behavior continues, you will need to set up definite consequences. Hopefully, your firm and decisive action will not make this necessary. In this case, the tears of your daughter probably had a cleansing quality effect on her.