Tag: braccio

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss how CHRISTMAS CAN BE A TIME OF JOY FOR ALL PERSONS

    Christmas 2023 Christmas is a time of joy for Christians as it is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christians believe he was sent to earth to die for their sins so they can have a life of eternity with him and persons they loved and cared for on earth. Whether a person is a Christian or not, and there are over 2 billion Christians in the world, Christ was a person who came to show love and empathy for all persons. I can love and respect Mahatma Gandhi, who was a Hindu, for what he represented without being a Hindu. Who can really argue against one of Christ’s great commandments of the New Testament, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”? Who can really argue with his statement that only a person without sin should cast the “first stone” of criticism of others. Whether he was God or not, he was clearly a man of peace and love. A year ago I was talking about movies such as the Hallmark movies and how they can be so enjoyable during the Christmas season. I still believe Christmas themed movies and novels that present persons falling in love and showing great human kindness are enjoyed by countless millions of persons. The Christmas Carol ,written by Charles Dickens in1843, is a perennial classic as we see Ebenezar Scrooge go from being a pitiless lover of money and hater of Christmas to becoming a good Christian trying to help Tiny Tim and his family have a wonderful Christmas. It is true Christmas can be very stressful for a large percentage of persons and that can distract from the joy of Christmas. A study by the American Psychological Association showed 38% of persons had stress during the holidays. Hopefully, you can reduce this by focusing less on gifts and more on demonstrating love and compassion for ourselves, family, friends, and others we encounter during this period of Christmas. Our goal is to try to better develop our sense of love and peace by emulating the thoughts and behaviors of the Prince of Peace and Love, Jesus Christ. The emphasis on Christmas is not gifts but love with emphasis on communication with family and friends who are in the spirit of Christmas and reflect love, caring, and sharing positive feelings. Let us all enjoy the joy of Christmas in 2023 and remember the billions of persons who live and have lived trying to emulate the loving and caring ways of Jesus Christ over the centuries. It is Jesus and what he represents we are celebrating this Christmas, regardless of our spiritual beliefs.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss SURVIVING THE DEATH OF A BELOVED SPOUSE

    December 12, 2023- There are few things in life more devastating psychologically and leading to ongoing and even long-term trauma than the death of a beloved spouse. Over time,the two persons in many ways become one.When persons marry for life, they are thinking about all the years they hope to spend together sharing loving experiences. They may also have dreams of having children and a wonderful family life. There is an intense feeling of happiness and an eagerness for the future. There are no thoughts of a plan for the death of the loving spouse. When this occurs, it is a totally shattering experience. While caring friends, family members and professionals can be helpful, there is no clear road for the person to navigate emotionally. And for sure, the emotional road will be one with great emotional pain and suffering. Additionally, there can be physical problems resulting from the constant emotional stress on the person’s body. When one does lose a loving spouse, it is critical the surviving spouse not feel a need to immediately address all the concerns that may be coming to the mind. The exception would be financial concerns that must be addressed.The important thing is to recognize that grieving is a very personal experience and there is no one right way to overcome it. Even though there is a need for family and friends to be supportive and helpful, it is a very lonely journey only that person can experience. Important things to do when trying to survive the death of a beloved spouse would include the following: 1. Surround yourself with family and friends to the degree you are comfortable. It is critical there be human support and understanding. 2. Seek out spiritual support to the level of where you are spiritually. If you believe in an eternal life, then you are aware God chose to have your spouse come first and that you will eventually be together again. 3. If you have a more secular view of life, then always remembering the wonderful times you had together will help you go to the next stage of your life without your spouse. 4. Taking care of yourself physically is very important. You can do damage to yourself physically due to your emotional distress if you do not eat appropriately,do not exercise,do not do personal hygiene and generally do not care for yourself. 5. Seek out online groups for grieving the death of a spouse or various community groups or groups with religious affiliation. 6. Seek out a professional therapist experienced in grieving the loss of a spouse to help give direction and support. 7. Do not make rash major life decisions after the death of a spouse. Quitting a job, selling a house, moving to another state, or any other major decision is best done after a period of time of reflection and dealing with the intense grieving that will occur. 8. Do not allow others to determine what is the appropriate amount of time for grieving. That is a personal experience that is totally different for every person. The exception to this statement is when the person grieving the death of a spouse cannot move on and can become a threat to themselves physically and emotionally.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MEMORY SHARP

    WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MEMORY SHARPE

    An ongoing common concern of many persons in this age of long living persons is their memory. With that said,even young persons have these concerns as they lead busy lives with a lot of stress and even human isolation in such a fast paced digital world. Working from home further isolates people and memory can slip with too much isolation. We will exclude from our discussion conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, that clearly relate to the deterioration of a person’s memory through physical brain loss and dysfunction. That withstanding,the suggestions made here can be helpful for them also to function as best as one can for as long as possible. Today we are talking about ways to help you deal with memory loss that are typical for most persons as we live our lives. It is also important to realize that in the busy stressful lives that persons live in at this time, it is not unusual to feel overwhelmed and stressed out at times so that remembering things can be difficult for even the most astute persons. The following are ways to keep your memory sharp in your lifetime. These suggestions would be valid regardless of whether your concerns of memory loss are psychological, physical, or some combination of both. 1. Keep your mind active and always seeking out new challenges and things to learn about in your life. 2. Seek out ongoing in-person interactions with others. 3. Keep physically active everyday to keep the flood blow to all parts of the body. 4. Keep your life and home organized to make sure you keep appointments, make necessary appointments, pay bills on time, and check off items on a required daily list as you do them. 5. Cut out distractions from your life to help keep your mind sharpe and tending to what needs to be done. 6. Sufficient sleep is critical to ongoing good memory. 7. Eat a good healthy diet. 8. Stay away from toxic people who cause great mental distress. 9. Meet with appropriate medical and mental health professionals as necessary to be as healthy as possible physically and mentally.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) AND YOUR CHILD

    November 28, 2023- As we previously discussed, Obsessive-Compulsive DISORDER (OCD) can be a torturous psychological condition for even the brightest and most talented of persons. The cycle of obsessive thoughts seemingly only reduced by compulsive behaviors in a never ending cycle ,if not controlled, can greatly disrupt the life of the person with the condition. It can be particularly devastating psychologically for children and adolescents who do not understand what it is and believe it is normal that they can overcome obsessive thoughts by believing the compulsive behaviors will satisfy or eliminate them. OCD can alter the personality of the person with anger and high anxiety when someone tells them to stop these compulsive behaviors they believe must be done. Common obsessive thoughts and resulting compulsions include dirt which leads to constant washing of hands, constant reinforcement that what they are doing is right, extreme orderliness with clothes or whatever, belief they must pray over and over again to be forgiven for some wrong from the past,present or future, believing the compulsive behavior can save a life or disaster, and the belief their obsessive thoughts and resulting behaviors are normal and necessary to avert whatever is the fear they are eliminating . An additional concern is that anxiety, depression, insomnia,eating disorders and even suicide ideation can be side effects resulting from OCD. The following are suggestions on how to help your child or teenager suffering from OCD: 1. Do not believe it is a mental health condition your child will just grow out of. 2. Seek out an experienced therapist in treating OCD. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in the form of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is considered the gold standard for mental health treatment. 3. Talk to your family physician or pediatrician to discuss possible medication. There are medications such as the SSRIs that have been helpful in the treatment of children and adolescents with OCD. They are usually used with moderate to severe OCD. 4. Family counseling can often be helpful so everyone is working together. 5. In a sensitive manner, parents need to help their children realize OCD is a mental health condition that needs to be eliminated as much as possible. Children cannot be allowed to believe the behavior is normal.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss “DO NOT ALLOW PAST MISTAKES AND “WHAT IFS” RUIN YOUR PRESENT

    11-14-2023- Learning from mistakes in the past is a good thing to do. Thinking about things that we might have done in the past and wondering how they might have turned out can be interesting and also a good thing. These thoughts become a problem psychologically when we become overwhelmed by mistakes and perceived mistakes we made in the past and relive them and cannot be happy in the now. The anxiety creating “what iffing”is a classic cause of anxiety and can also lead to psychological turmoil by not being happy in the present and thinking about all the wonderful things that the person believes would have occurred if they had only done certain things. Of course,no one knows how events would have worked out on a choice not made. One cannot allow self to be negatively impacted by the past. If you find past mistakes or perceived loss of opportunities are causing you psychological grief,the following are suggestions to be happy in the present and not relive real and perceived mistakes in the past. 1. You can never COULD HAVE,SHOULD HAVE,MIGHT HAVE or OUGHT HAVE. Live in the NOW and do what you can. 2. Learn from your mistakes and use them as lessons in learning what not to do. Do not focus on them and cause yourself emotional pain. 3. As appropriate,advise others how to not make the mistakes you have made. This is a good way to feel better about your mistakes. 4. Do not emotionally torture yourself by replaying verbal and social interactions where you feel you embarrassed yourself. Learn from them. 5. If you cannot do this on your own,you can seek a therapist to help you experienced in such matters to guide you.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss HOW TO COPE WITH ENVIOUS PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

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    November 7, 2023

    Last week we talked about the tortured life of the envious person. This week we are going to talk about how persons cope with the envious persons in their lives. Because we live in a competitive society where being number one or the best in their field is often the goal, it is not unusual there is a lot of envy in persons who do not reach that level of success. There also are envious persons who do not try to be number one but nevertheless are envious of hard working high achievers who they compare themselves unfavorably. Envious persons also can be envious of persons they see as greater or more successful. Because there is so much envy in the world, and envy is a part of every person even if to a minimal degree, it is important persons learn how to deal with envious persons. We do not need to worry about persons who are envious of us but do nothing more than being envious. With them, we can be positive and supportive of their positive traits and achievements. To those who are envious and we are not aware, there is nothing we can do. The problem is when persons are envious and try to undermine us in our lives,they can be just out and out sarcastic and mean to our face. They also try to undermine us when we are not around them and they are with others. Rather than being overwhelmed emotionally and feeling horrible because people are envious of us and try to undermine us, it is important we learn how to safeguard our self-esteem and confront such persons. The following are strategies to use to cope with the envious person who negatively impacts on us at whatever level in our lives. 1. Confront a person and stand up for yourself, and do not allow yourself to be bullied or treated unfairly. 2. Let the person know you are aware of their envy. Let them know you are not happy about it and are willing to confront them if they become sarcastic or try to undermine you in one way or another. 3. Try to talk to the person and indicate the behavior puts a strain on the friendship or whatever relationship there is, and that it could end it. 4. End the relationship with the person completely and recognize they are toxic to you and your life is far better without them in it. 5. If you must interact with them due to family, mutual friends, joint leisure activities etc., then keep your distance and always be on guard and willing to stand up for yourself as necessary. 6. As appropriate, ignore the person and let them say as they will with no need for any more interactions. 7. Be happy with who you are and what you have achieved,and never allow others to define you. 8. As felt necessary, seek out an experienced therapist to help guide you when dealing with envious persons.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss THE TORTURED LIFE OF THE ENVIOUS PERSON

    Subscribe to our page! 10-31-2023 Envy can be torturous to a person who constantly desires the good fortune they perceive someone else is experiencing and are very upset emotionally they do not have it. It is a case where a person does not look at the benefits and gifts they have in life but constantly compare themselves with others and do it in a negative way. They can be envious of someone they perceive as better looking, having better luck, having more wealth, having a better personality, coming from a better family, having a more attractive spouse, having a better circle of friends, or any other thing that someone could be envious. The result is that the person suffers a form of emotional pain because they do not have what the other person has. It can be positive if it inspires someone to try harder to achieve something. That would be a positive type of envy. But today we are talking about the type of envy that hurts the person emotionally, and from which some persons never recover in their lives as they constantly find things to be envious. It is the rather odd phenomenon of counting the blessings of others and underestimating their own. The end result is psychological hurt and frustration.The causes of envy are often low self-esteem caused by difficulties in one’s youth. They can relate to poverty or feelings of not being treated fairly at home and in life. There also are competitive persons who simply must be number one even in areas they clearly are not. It is not by accident that envy is considered one of the seven deadly sins. At its worst,envy can lead to mocking the person for their perceived superiority or one can use sarcasm and other passive-aggressive strategies to undermine the person that one has envy. Ways to overcome envy would include the following: 1. Count and appreciate your own blessings and achievements! 2. Develop a sense of happiness that others have their blessings. 3. Make envy positive by improving yourself in areas that previously caused envy. 4. never compare yourself with others except for self improvement. Love yourself! 5. Accept you are an envious person and determine to overcome it. 6. Make changes in your own life to help eliminate envy. 7. Seek and find spiritual satisfaction to help overcome worldly envy and be happier. 8. If you feel it would be helpful, seek out a trained therapist with a person who is experienced in helping persons with envy.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin discuss HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR DEALING WITH A DIFFICULT CHILD

    October 24, 2023- A person is very fortunate who has not had a difficult child at one time or another during the period they were being raised. In my work with parents trying to learn how to deal with a difficult child, my point is not to find fault with parenting techniques that have been used up to that time, but rather to try to find the best way for the parents to be able to work with a difficult child in the here and now. An important thing to remember is that children do not misbehave simply because they desire to do it. There is a reason for the behavior. It can be a parent is too strict or too lax. There are many other reasons that the misbehavior can occur. The important thing is to try to learn why is your child being so difficult with you. If it is hard to determine from all the possibilities ranging from a child wanting to control the house to a child simply desiring attention and willing to accept negative attention versus no attention,do not worry. The important thing is to try the following strategies to help you and your child: 1. Recognize you are a parent and your job is to model good behavior and not allow you or your child to be rude or disrespectful. 2. Regardless of what has happened to the present, you need to set up boundaries on what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. 3. Keep control of your own emotions and not allow your child to create a sibling-like relationship with you that simply devolves into constant arguing and disagreement. 4. Seek out when your child is behaving appropriately and praise them at that time. The goal is to encourage and reinforce appropriate behavior. Too often the parent says nothing when the child is behaving appropriately for the risk of beginning a conflict. 5. Reward good behavior when possible with compliments and potentially with desired activities or things as long as it is not simply a child being good to receive rewards. It is important to remember that when children behave as desired,we often do good things for them and see it as appropriate. 6. Have few rules in the house and enforce them with consequences that the child is aware of with no surprises. 7. As possible, have family discussions where there can be agreements on what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior, and what are the consequences for inappropriate behavior. When this occurs, and you and the child are aware their activities have led to the resulting consequences,they then must accept the consequences as their own making. Successful family discussions relating to appropriate behaviors are not simple to do but something to work on as a family over a period of time. What are acceptable behaviors by you can also be part of the plan. 8.. Take into account your own temperament and personality when dealing with your child. It is very possible the temperament and personality of your child are quite different from you and this leads to a lot of the bumping heads that is occurring between you. Try to use an approach that takes into account the needs of your personality as well as that of your child. Understanding these differences can be critical in developing good communication between the two of you. 9. Recognize situations where there are high risks of problems occurring and plan accordingly for how you will react to them. 10. Make sure you focus on the problem of the moment and do not bring in previous problems lest the discussion become one of a list of problems and not a resolution of a current one. 11. Seek out a therapist who can help your child behave more appropriately and potentially do family counseling. 10. Seek out an experienced therapist in family dynamics who can help guide you to be a more effective parent for both you and your child.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss BE PREPARED PSYCHOLOGICALLY FOR RETIREMENT

    October 10, 2023:

    BE PREPARED PSYCHOLOGICALLY FOR RETIREMENT

    I have learned in my work as a psychologist over the decades that persons when getting ready to retire, often do it with planning about their physical and financial conditions. Without a doubt,these are important areas to evaluate when you consider retirement. The problem is too often persons do not think about what the impact retirement will have on them psychologically. For example, a job is more than something a person simply spends time at. No,a job impacts a person’s self esteem, friendships, and image to all persons they meet and interact with. Being a farmer, psychologist, bookkeeper , physician , governmental worker, factory worker, radio broadcaster, etc., is a major part of who they are. When they retire, they become a “retired person” and people see them as such. This can be fine for many persons, but many others do not realize the importance their job had on them in relation to status, levels of friendship, levels of authority and the constant interaction and challenges in the workplace. One needs to prepare for such a radical change to their lives. Even persons who did not like their jobs can miss the relationships and interactions that were meaningful to them on a day to day basis. I have known and worked with many persons who were not prepared for the significant changes that occur in their life after retirement. The “golden retirement years” can be depressing , lonely, and demoralizing when the person feels isolated,bored and even without purpose. They can even feel guilty at their failure to feel fulfilled with their retirement . A recent AARP study found 57% of retired persons say they had not prepared psychologically for retirement. The following are some suggestions to help a person be psychologically ready to retire: 1.Make sure you want to do it and are ready psychologically. 2.Do not let age be the primary retirement determinant. I will be 80 years old this week and have never thought a day of retiring. 3.See retirement as a new phase of your life with new goals and challenges. 4.Look for new dreams to be fulfilled. 5.Join new groups and rekindle old friendships. 6.Enhance family and spousal relationships. 7.Complete desired educational goals you desire to complete. 8.Meet with a therapist experienced in dealing with mental health of persons preparing to retire as well as retired persons. 9.Further develop your sense of spirituality and purpose in life.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHEN TO STAY AFTER AN AFFAIR

    10-03-2023-

    WHEN TO STAY AFTER AN AFFAIR

    This is our third segment on affairs and their effects on relationships. We discussed why persons have affairs and what the person who had it can try to do to salvage the relationship. Today we discuss why the aggrieved partner chooses to stay in the relationship when the philanderer has true remorse and wants the relationship to continue. This remorse is the key first step in keeping the marriage together. Further factors would include the following: 1.Good friends who enjoy the company of each other and the sharing of their lives. 2. Similar moral and/or spiritual values. 3. Sexual attraction and sexual needs. 4. Children and the impact on them. 5. Common interests and joint activities. 6. Financial considerations. 7. Future joint dreams and goals. 8. Probability or belief spouse or partner will never again philander. 9.Emotional needs being met.10. Willingness to take part in counseling. 11. And most importantly,a strong bond of love.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM Rebuilding Trust After an Affair- subscribe to our YouTube page!

    September 26, 2023 Last week we discussed why persons have affairs. Today we are going to talk about how the person who had the affair can help rekindle the love in the relationship if the partner is willing to give the marriage or relationship another chance. It is critical that the person who had the affair clearly has remorse for what has occurred and tries to do everything possible to convince a spouse or partner what occurred was truly a betrayal, and will never happen again. The process will predictably be very slow and frustrating to the person who simply wants to let the past go and move on. That is not how things work in rebuilding a relationship where betrayal exists. When a person loves someone and believes they are loved equally, betrayal and infidelity are devastating to the whole underpinnings of the relationship and it is very hard to convince them they truly are the primary focus of the love of the person. The following are suggestions to try to make this happen: 1.Total authentic remorse. 2. Great long term patience. 3. Recognition the questions will keep coming over and over again. 4. Doubts about the authenticity of your remorse may be questioned for a very long period. 5. Always explain where you are when questioned during the rebuilding of love and trust period. 6. The timeline for forgiveness and building a different but potentially better love relationship is with the betrayed spouse or partner and not the philanderer. 7. A therapist trained in working with partners is philandering relationships could be helpful. 8.Spirtuality could also be a strong foundation for the rebuilding of the loving relationship. 9.Be aware,the betrayed person may never get over the affair and the marriage may end; however,it will not be because you did not try to authenticity rebuild a loving relationship.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHY PERSONS HAVE AFFAIRS

    September 22, 2023-

    WHY PERSONS HAVE AFFAIRS

    Most of us are aware of a person or persons in marriage or monogamous relationships that have intimate relationships with other persons. The opportunities are many in such a fast paced society. The electronic world we live in today allows these relationships to be sexual, emotional, and a combination of the two without being physically together. My purpose here is to talk about why persons do this. The reasons are amazingly varied and can range from shallow sexual relationships to intense online emotional and sexual activity. We will talk another time about how relationships can be salvaged when affairs occur. Reasons would include the following: 1.Persons with an incapacity to commit to a monogamous relationship and never will. 2. Risktakers who enjoy the activity and hope not to get caught. They like living on the edge. 3.Persons who get caught up in the moment and determine they are going to do what they are going to do and not worry about the consequences. 4. Compulsive sex addicts. 5.Those who have affairs while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 6. Persons who feel a lack of affection and the need to get it outside of the relationship. 7. A breakdown of communication between the spouses or partners that leads to the person feeling they need this and will get it one way or the other. 8. Poor self-esteem and the need to feel better about self by having another person pay them reinforcement and attention. 9. Concerns relating to conversations not taking place in the home and the need for discussion about them that only can occur outside of the home.10. Major physical or mental conditions of a partner such as severe pain, Parkinson’s disease, MS or dementia can lead to someone finding sexual and emotional satisfaction outside of the home. 11. Having children can lead to so much of the focus of the spouse or partner on the children, that the person feels abandoned and obtains sexual and emotional satisfaction outside of the home. 12. Physical separation for extended periods of time and the spouse or partner feels the need for in person sexual and emotional intimacy apart from the phone or visual communication…The point here is not to indicate any of these reasons, as well as many others, justify someone breaking the commitment to a marriage or monogamous relationship. The point is that affairs are incredibly common and it is critical that spouses and partners continually work on their relationships on a daily basis, and be aware that strong friendship is the glue that keeps relationships together. When persons take each other for granted, and do not treat each other like dear friends and let other priorities take precedence over their relationship, then affairs are often sadly the result.

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    THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR(OCD)

    August 29, 2023 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder(OCD) can psychologically torture a person with a constant cycle of obsessing on an act or thought,having severe anxiety about eliminating it and completing a compulsive act or thought to relieve the sometimes debilitating anxiety. While the OCD sequence can relate to a seemingly almost endless list of thoughts and behaviors,they very commonly occur with extreme cleanliness and hatred of dirt or germs,hand washing,hoarding,keeping things in a rigid or symmetrical manner, numbers, and making sure over and over again you have locked the door or turned out the lights. A good example is the person constantly washing their hands and can only relieve the belief their hands are not dirty by constantly washing them again and again in an endless cycle. I remember a house hoarder who could no longer put things in his house buying another house to reduce his anxiety! An important thing to remember is that everyone has some activities they are very concerned about completing and getting them right. Wanting to have an orderly room or clean hands would be reasonable things for a person to desire and do. It becomes a problem when the OCD symptoms begin to interfere in the life of the person and the resulting anxiety and attempting to resolve it with rituals and time consuming activities and thoughts impact negatively on a person’s life that a person meets the diagnosis of OCD. It also is important to note that OCD symptoms can overlap with anxiety , ADHD, and depression to name a few. It is not unusual for a person with OCD to have additional diagnoses. Over the years, I have talked to many persons with OCD and can verify the condition can really be torturous for the person psychologically. I have talked to persons who are so concerned about food in a restaurant that they will pick through it with a fork and knife to make sure there are no bugs or other forms of dirt in it. Others who will not go to a restaurant out of utterly unreasonable fears of food contamination. Additionally, I have known persons so obsessed with how safe the air they are breathing or the water they are drinking that they are never comfortable with them to the point they are always checking them. This negatively impacts on their ability to function in all areas of their lives…If you feel you have OCD or some of the symptoms are growing and interfering with your psychological well-being,now is a good time to obtain an evaluation by an experienced psychologist in OCD and and also talk to your family physician or pediatrician to take back control of your life. .

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR MEMORY

    August 22, 2023 – We all have questions about our memory at one time or another. Oftentimes, memory issues can relate to high levels of anxiety, depression, prescription medications,drug and alcohol abuse,high blood pressure,brain injury,and the general stressors of life that make it difficult for us to remember things that are important or not important. However, it is also true that as we age problems with memory can become significant, and it is important that we notice when this occurs and determine what we will do to try to control the memory problems as best we can. Typical questions to ask would include the following: 1.Do you feel you have memory loss? If so, how? 2.Do you feel you have intermittent memory problems? If so, how? 3. Do you feel memory problems are causing you significant problems in your personal, marital, and/or professional life? If so, how? 4. Have you noted ongoing consistent memory loss? 5. Do you get lost walking or driving in neighborhoods you are very familiar? 6. Do you regularly forget common words you have used daily your whole life? 7. Do you sometimes talk “word salads” that you think are understandable but are not by others? 8. Do you ask the same question over and over again in brief spaces of time and have no idea you are doing it? 9. Who has noticed you may have memory problems? If so, what specific examples and concerns are mentioned? 10. Are you under significant stress in your life? 11.Do you have high blood pressure, insomnia, stroke history or other physical conditions that could relate to your memory loss?… If you answer yes to some of these questions, it is important you talk to your family doctor and a psychologist skilled in the assessment of memory problems to determine the extent of the problems and possible medical and mental health help to positively impact on the symptoms as much as possible.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 WILS discuss HOW TO ENHANCE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AS WE AGE

    HOW TO ENHANCE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AS WE AGE June 20, 2023 A major concern persons have as we age is to keep our mental alertness and cognitive thinking abilities as finely honed as possible. Even though Alzheimer’s and dementia take a toll on millions of persons as we age, there is no reason we need to rush the process or try not to do whatever we can to keep our cognitive abilities to the highest level possible so we can live an independent life as long as possible. It is important throughout our lives to be active and using our brains. Even though an organ and not a muscle,the brain is like any muscle in the body and functions best when actively used. There is nothing worse for a person to do than to do nothing, and simply wait for life to come to them as they do not keep active physically or mentally. The person becomes like a dry leaf in the wind being blown from one place to another with no fixed direction. The obvious solution is to be active physically with a solid exercise routine, eat nutritious food, get enough sleep, and always be doing things to keep the mind active. Examples would be volunteering,maintaining employment,meeting with friends and family, church activities, social activities, card games,reading,learning classes, and any other activity that keeps us involved with people and keeping our mind sharp. These are the things we need to be doing. In reality,it is quite simple. But for too many persons, they choose what one might call “The road of least resistance”, and do not keep their minds in tiptop shape. My advice to them from a mental health perspective, which also impacts on them physically,is to keep both the body and mind in constant use as much as possible. While age can clearly have an impact on us physically,and as I stated earlier, there is no need we have to rush along the process; and as a result, lose years of life that could be filled with learning and enjoying life to the fullest. As I have often said, life is a one time shot for us to use the time that makes up our individual lives as best we can with the primary goal to be as effective and happy as possible.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 WILS discuss DIAGNOSING ADULT AUTISM Spectrum Disorder(ASD)

    4-18-2023 Subscribe to our YouTube page Autism was not added as a diagnosis until 1980 into the DSM-3. I was already functioning as a Full License Psychologist at that time! The definition has evolved into the current DSM-5. Over these years since 1980,diagnosis and treatment have been overwhelmingly related to children. This is changing as more and more persons are being diagnosed by Psychologists and Psychiatrists experienced with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) Diagnosis. In our office we have been consistently getting more such referrals the past few years. In 2020,the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 2.4% of the adult population has ASD. it appears this percentage will continue to increase as our society becomes more knowledgeable on the condition. Many high functioning adults with ASD have not been diagnosed because they have been able to mask their symptoms or have never been challenged in their life -space beyond their limited social skills when compared to the average person. Common characteristics of ASD would include the following: 1.Having difficulty understanding what others are thinking, or feeling. 2.Finding it hard to develop friendships or preferring to be alone 3.Becoming very anxious and awkward in social situations. 4.Appearing rude, blunt, or not interested in what others are saying. 5.Finding it hard to express feelings appropriately in social settings with groups or individuals. 6.Taking words, statements, and idioms literally. 7.Having certain routines that are consistent day after day. 8.Not understanding the rules of social interaction and saying inappropriate things with no awareness they are inappropriate. 9.Obsessive amount of time spent on a specific topic, and only wanting to study all about it and discuss it with others who may have no interest. 10.Doing repetitive actions over and over again such as rocking in a chair, tapping fingers or putting hands consistently through the hair. 11.Speaking in a noticeably monotone or hollow-like tone…A problem with appropriate diagnosis is that other conditions relating to anxiety,depression,OCD and cognitive impairment have a number of the same symptoms. It also is true many persons with ASD can also have an additional diagnosis. We have found this to be particularly true with ADHD,anxiety disorders and OCD.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM WHY MEN ARE UNABLE TO COMMIT TO MEANINGFUL LOVE RELATIONSHIPS

    Subscribe to our YouTube page! March 28, 2023- Why men cannot commit to a meaningful love relationship,even if they want one,is a common topic of discussion. Most persons have known one or more. The pain and frustration they cause to potential partners can be devastating because they often come on as sincere persons seeking love and commitment. Except for the inability to enter a meaningful love relationship,there are many different reasons they cannot commit. There is not a one size fits all explanation. The reasons are actually deeply embedded in the psyche of the person. They would include the following: 1.Selfishness/Narcissism. 2.Trust Issues. 3.Fear of failure/rejection. 4.Fear being trapped. 5.Fear of emotional dependence. 6.Plan for failure. 7.Seems tedious or too much work. 8.Only in love with the chase. 9.Insecurity. 10.Other priorities in life. 11.Cannot give up the single life. 12.Previous bad relationships. 13.A need to be able to leave the relationship whenever desired. 

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHAT ARE PANIC ATTACKS AND HOW TO COPE WITH THEM

    March 21, 2023

    Subscribe to our YouTube page! A panic attack is a sudden intense fear that triggers severe physical and emotional symptoms. They are often not predictable and very intense. The person feels they may die and may end up going to the emergency room at the hospital out of fear they are having a heart attack or something so horrible is happening to them that they cannot cope with the symptoms. Typical symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea,trembling,abdominal cramping, chest pain, dizziness, numbness, or tingling sensation, and even feelings of detachment from reality. Another problem with panic attacks is once a person is over one, the great fear is that they are going to have another one. Common causes of panic attacks would be genetics, overuse of caffeine, or alcohol, major stress, and personality traits that result in greater worry,negativity and more sensitivity to stress. Panic attacks often seem to come on with no warning and very quickly. Over time,persons can generally figure what triggers them. One of the worst things about the panic attack is that they do not often seem to have a cause. As a result,they can be very frightening because of an unknown cause,sudden onset and fear of dying. Anyone who has had panic attacks will tell you how emotionally and physically devastating they are at the same time.. Solutions to panic attacks would include the following: 1.Limit intake of caffeine and alcohol. 2.Get sufficient sleep. 3.Daily exercise. 4.Determine the triggers that bring on the panic attacks. 5.Confront the panic attack when it occurs. 6.Do deep breathing over and over again when you feel the panic attack coming on and throughout the panic attack. 7.Talk to someone during the panic attack who can let you know all is going to be fine. 8.Recognize the panic attack is not dangerous and will not kill you in spite of what you are feeling. 9.You need to know ,in spite of whatever you believe,you are creating your panic attack and can think your way out of it. 10.As needed, meet with your family physician to discuss anti-anxiety medication.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss FALSE BELIEFS ON MARITAL AFFAIRS

    03-14-2023-Considering how common marital affairs are,it is amazing how many false beliefs there are about them. I have found this to be true since beginning to work with couples back in the 70s to the present. Common false beliefs would include the following: 1.Closely monitoring the whereabouts of a spouse will eliminate marital affairs. It may help,but someone determined to have affairs will have them. 2.Affairs do not occur when there is good intimacy in the home. Even though the chances of marital affairs are less in such cases,they still occur. 3.Spouses who cheat do not love their spouses. While most would agree with this,it is sadly not always true. This is particularly true with the “one nighters” or brief flings. 4.Infidelity is just about sex. This is not true. Spouses often have affairs to show they are still young,desirable,attractive or to enhance their ego. There also may be anger,wanting to feel loved,need for affection or showing control. 5.Spouses who cheat once will always cheat again. While the probabilities are higher in such cases,it is often not the case. The possible shame,remorse and possibility of losing economic power,a spouse and family can be so powerful that once is often enough. 6.Marriage cannot survive a marital affair. While this is often the case,it is not always true. Hard work and total honesty as a couple can reset the marriage on the loving course it started out. Marriages also survive due to finances,low self-esteem of the spouse,lack of love,family expectations and responsibilities.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discussTHE JOYS OF BEING A FATHER-subscribe to our YouTube page!

    02-07-2023 Today is a shout-out for the joys of being a father. There are few things more joyful than being a father. Whether the father believes from a spiritual perspective a child was sent from God for them to raise to be a good human being, or from a secular perspective nature has provided them a child to raise to be a good human being,the joy of being involved in bringing a new human being into the world is breathtaking and as exciting as it can get. Even sometimes the majesty of seeing a child being born can cause sheer amazement. Even though the mother carries the child, the father is clearly directly involved in the process and what joy when the father sees a child for the first time! While there will be many tears along the way in trying to best raise their child, the choice of being a father and raising your own child can overwhelm anything negative. What a wonderful life-role it is to be a loving father with children. What joy to see a little baby laughing with you or a child thinking you are a strong hero or running to the door yelling papa to hug you when you enter the home from work. I must add,what I say here is impacted by the fact I am the father of two remarkable children. With that said,I believe there are countless fathers around the world who equally love their children and greatly enjoy or have enjoyed raising them until they are successfully launched into their lives.