Tag: john braccio

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHAT FAILURE TEACHES US- subscribed to our YouTube page!

    WHAT FAILURE TEACHES US

    9-12-2023- All of us experience failure at one time or another. How we react to it is critically important for future success. We will achieve our goals that can make us feel successful and satisfied psychologically if we do not allow failure to sabotage us. My point is not to say that failure is a wonderful thing we should seek. No, my point is that everyone has failures in life and successful persons have learned from their failures and have made better decisions which leads to the successes they have in life. When someone gives up and becomes sad, disappointed, and even disillusioned by failures, and chooses not to continue the fight, then failure becomes the ruling psychological victor and the person runs the risk of seeing self as a victim with little or no chance for real success and happiness in life. One needs to see failure as a learning experience and begin the ongoing fight for success. The following would include what can be learned from failure: 1.Accept failure is a part of life we all experience. 2. Recognize that continuing to do something is the beginning of success. 3. Failure is part of reality. 4. Do not focus on what might have happened but focus on what can happen by learning from the failure. 5. Accept whatever blame you deserve in the failure and never take on the role of victim. 6. Never give up. As long as you are alive, there is always the opportunity for success and overcoming failure. 7. As devastating as can be a divorce,not getting a promotion,losing out on a love or getting fired, the key is to learn from these experiences and make every effort to not have them happen again. 8. Manage your time more effectively,because many failures are the result of not appropriately prioritizing what needs to be done to be successful and wasting a lot of needed time. 9.See failure as teaching us what we need to learn, as opposed to what we do not know. 10. Reduce the pain of failure by simply seeing it as part of the process to being successful. 11. Do not allow others to define you by your failures. You define yourself by your overcoming failures and being successful…My point here is not to minimize the emotional pain that failure can cause. No,my point is that failure is the first step to success by changing the process that failed and trying a new approach to lead to success. It is a positive mindset in the midst of failure. You may have to accept many failures before you reach the success you desire. Ted Williams became a great baseball hitter by constant study of the opposing pictchers and finely honing his batting skills. The whole process you are using may need to be altered or you may need new goals and projects. To never give up is the critical ingredient for success and overcoming failure.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss OVERCOMING REJECTION-

    OVERCOMING REJECTION

    Rejection is a common experience that everyone experiences in their life to one degree or another. It is often accompanied with anxiety,depression and low self-esteem. It is a painful experience and how we react to it determines how we will overcome it and even use it to our advantage. Rejection can relate to love, family experiences, friendships , career opportunities/promotions, or a myriad of things that one encounters in life. The important thing is not to allow rejection to devastate your self-esteem. Sadly, this happens to many persons and they are never able to fulfill their potential to become that happy and successful human being that is within them. The following are things to do to help you overcome rejection: 1.Accept rejection is a part of life. 2.Accept how you react to rejection will have a strong influence on how happy is your life. 3.Accept what happened even as you do not like it. 4.Visualize a better future and do things to make it become reality. 5. Do not allow rejection to ever define who you are. 6. Grow from your experience and learn from it. 7. Avoid unproductive continuous thinking about your rejection. 8.Surround yourself with positivity. 9. If rejected in love, recognize the other person was not where you are, and be aware that was not the right situation for you. 10.Pamper self with understanding and compassion. 11.Recognize there is a rainbow and clear sunny skies ahead of the stormy life you are experiencing. 12.If bypassed for a job or promotion, recognize you were not prepared for the job or move on to a new position that will appropriately take into account your abilities. 13.Seek out friends who you can discuss your rejection with and who can help you navigate your feelings and give you better perspective. 14.Seek out an experienced therapist who can help guide you through your rejection in your current situation or maybe your overall outlook on rejection to help you function more effectively in life…Implementing some of these suggestions will predictably help you deal more effectively with rejection. With that said, rejection is painful and how we address it psychologically impacts how happy we will be in our lives.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss HOW TO DEAL WITH ABRASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

    HOW TO DEAL WITH ABRASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

    Abrasive and argumentative people are focused on their outlooks. They are always ready to challenge anyone at any time over their views. Anger is often present. They may have personality disorders like Narcissism and Intermittent Explosive Personality Disorder. Others are just difficult people annoying everyone they encounter with their know-it- all attitude. Some of them may be this way because they were always challenged and put down when they were growing up and this is their defense mechanism to always challenge others before they even have a chance to challenge them. Still others think they are always right and others need to know they are not very smart and it is their job to let them know this whenever they choose. it also is true that abrasive and argumentative persons often have low self-esteem They feel better finding fault with others as a way to build up their feelings of inadequacy. Regardless of the many possible causes, ways to defend yourself against such difficult persons would include the following: 1.Do not argue with an argumentative person when they make negative comments 2.Drop out of a discussion that obviously is going nowhere. 3.Understand that behaviors of abrasive and argumentative persons are the result of long ingrained inappropriate social habits. 4.In spite of the oftentimes hurtful nature of their comments,do not take them seriously. 5.Consider offering support for persons when they show remorse and ask for advice 6.Do not insist on arguing with the person when you can prove you are right and they are wrong. They will become adamant and angry. 7.Interact with them as little as absolutely necessary. 8.If necessary,make it clear you will not be bullied when there is no other option…If you follow one or more of these suggestions,it is still very difficult to have positive social interactions with such persons. You may have to interact if you work with them or they are family members,friends of them or friends of friends.The main thing is not to let them impact you and your view of yourself. They are long time abrasive and argumentative by choice from negative habits they formed in the past. They have to deal with their problems. It is critical in order for you to maintain positive self-esteem that you not have others take you down with their abrasive and argumentative ways. Only you can give credence to who you are.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320AM discus WHEN “THINGS” DO NOT MAKE YOU HAPPY- Subscribe to our page!

    August 1, 2023

    It is a reasonable human desire to want things to make our life easier and more pleasant. It iscertainly true that having a nice home, car and other possessions such as electronic equipment,home furnishings, jewelry, and whatever else someone may desire to have can bring us a lot ofhappiness. It becomes a problem when we become obsessed with owning things and areconvinced by owning them we will be happy. And then,we are not happy after getting all these“things” we knew would make us happy. When this occurs,and it often does,persons need tofind internal aspects of themselves outside of their physical possessions to give greatermeaning to their lives. These would include learning new things,developing greaterspirituality,helping others,showing gratitude,focusing on being happy with what one has ratherthan always chasing the “thing” to make self happy,seeking out your purpose in life,find out whoyou really are,enjoying the moment one lives as it is all that is guaranteed in life,do not compareyour possessions with someone else,and enhance personal relationships with loved ones andfriends…A person’s world ruled by seeking happiness with owning “things” can be very lonelyand even downright depressing if one ends up alone or with shallow relationships because thisin effect can lead to the proverbial “love of gold” over personal development and lovingrelationships.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of1320AM discuss WHAT CHILDREN WITH ADHD WISH THEIR PARENTS & TEACHERS KNEW

    We specialize in ADHD assessments and treatment. As a result, it is very common for us to work with children with ADHD who feel they are not understood by their parents. We also see this with adults who discuss problems they had growing up when,even when their parents were well-intentioned, they did not feel they were understood. As with children now,they were seen as lazy or purposely not trying to pay attention when they were talked to or asked to do things. This can easily occur with persons who have problems with lack of focus, inattention, and resulting procrastination. Children with ADHD have a lot to deal with themselves,let alone when dealing with parents who may very well love them, but not know how to help them and can try parenting strategies to help them that are counterproductive. In a non-technical way, ADHD persons are wired differently. It is not that they cannot focus, but they often focus on many things at the same time unless they have a great interest in something. This too often does not allow them to complete required activities in school or follow directions at home because they were asked to remember too many activities to do in a row and they usually get sidetracked and forget what they are supposed to do. Persons with ADHD can be thinking about many things at the same time, and appear not to be paying attention purposefully with say a boring conversation or something they have no interest in. They then easily drift off into other thoughts. This can be exasperating for both parents and the persons with ADHD. A further major problem with persons with ADHD is that they often have comorbid conditions of anxiety, depression,anger and low self-worth because they cannot function like the average person. Siblings and other children often mock or laugh at them and their parents can get quite angry when they do not understand they need support to overcome their problem areas and not anger,ridicule and unjustified and inappropriate discipline. In such situations, a trained therapist who is expert in ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment can be very helpful to all involved persons.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 discuss HOW TO OVERCOME TIME BLINDNESS

    7-25-2023

    How to overcome time blindness

    Do you have the condition of TIME BLINDNESS? Even though a hallmark of ADHD,it is also common with persons with Autism, significant Anxiety,grief and Depression. It makes for a very difficult time for the person and those they interact with in all life activities. Punctuality is a trait highly respected and required to be successful in most settings. Is fact, approximately 15% of firings result from persons not being timely at work. Many persons with this condition may actually do a fine job, but lose their jobs because they are consistently late. Typical problems other than employment,even if with the best intentions, include constantly missing deadlines,not paying bills on time, forgetting important dates,not showing up for appointments or showing up very late or even the wrong time. This can be exasperating for other persons involved in their lives as well as for them. It can lead to not receiving a job, losing a job, hurting relationships and causing poor self esteem. Suggestions to overcome TIME BLINDNESS would include always wearing a watch,planning your day the day before in as specific detail as possible,do not allow the immediate interest of the moment to sabotage the day,avoid time traps electronic or with persons,have reminders to go off on your phone,start thinking of what you will do before the time you will begin,check off your daily activities as you complete them and add in breaks and additional time for projects to get them done and not end up rushing to complete them at the last minute.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHY PERFECTIONISM OFTEN LEADS TO DEPRESSION

    WHY PERFECTIONISM OFTEN LEADS TO DEPRESSION

    If one thinks about it, it is not surprising that a perfectionist often ends up being depressed. Common symptoms of depression that a perfectionist experiences would include sadness, pessimism,negativity, painful memories of present and past less than perfect behavior,loss of pleasure,feeling guilty for perceived imperfections, poor self-esteem, very critical of self and feelings of worthlessness. Not all perfectionists experience all of these characteristics, but for sure, seeking and even demanding perfection in a very imperfect world can easily lead one to be unhappy with self, and then with most if not all other persons in their lives. Another cause of sadness for a pessimist is loneliness as they often have very poor relations with other persons. It is not bad enough that they expect perfection in themselves, but they also expect perfection in others. Because no one is perfect, and the perfectionist demands it, even slight imperfections can lead to anger and dismissal of persons as friends because they do not meet the perfectionistic standard…Strategies to reduce depression caused by perfectionism would include tolerance,humor,recognizing excellence is not a synonym for perfect,no one is perfect or anything else on earth,mindful positive thinking,replacing negative thoughts with positive ones and loving and accepting you as you are. A trained therapist aware of how to help a depressed person caused by their perfectionism might be considered and be helpful.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss Positive and Negative Guilt

    June 6, 2023 Guilt is a very difficult thing for most persons to get right. Therapists will tell you that a good percentage of their clients suffer from some form of guilt. The problem is knowing what is positive guilt versus negative guilt. Positive guilt is when a person is aware they have done something wrong to another person and tries to make amends as best as can be done,and then let’s it go. This can be done by directly talking to the person and indicating they have done wrong and trying to do whatever can best be done to overcome the harm that has been caused and make things right. Problems occur when a person carries guilt even after they have done all they can to correct it. This does not mean the person has not done wrong, but to carry guilt for something that is resolved or cannot be resolved is a waste of time and can drag a person down. This does not mean the person does not have some bad feelings about what has been done, but is aware to carry guilt around will drag them down emotionally and interfere with their own psyche and interactions with other persons. It also can result in someone playing the role of martyr, which is not healthy for anyone involved. The martyr uses guilt to control a person with guilt that never ends. Negative guilt is the type that manifests itself with poor self-esteem, unrealistic expectations of what one can do, and often feeling guilty for things they have no control. An example would be something a mayor has done in a city that somehow the citizen feels they are guilty. To feel bad about something that a mayor has done is reasonable, but it is not reasonable to carry guilt and feel bad for something they have no control. It is a clear waste of time and can lead not only to poor self esteem but also anxiety,shame,social withdrawal,insomnia and depression. Another example would be if a relative or friend does something wrong and somehow the person carries the guilt for the act or behavior when in reality they have no control over what has occurred. A person with reasonable guilt is able to recognize when they do wrong and the recognition of what they have done and the attempt to resolve it will build strength, not only in themselves but in their relationships with others. This is the goal of a person who means well, but is aware that human beings fail and the best of us make mistakes that can hurt other persons. It is also important persons learn from what occurred and not do it again.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss FINDING YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE IS CRITICAL TO YOUR SELF ESTEEM AS A HUMAN BEING

    FINDING YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE

    Considering life on earth is a one time experience,each of us needs to seek out our purpose that can give us maximum happiness while helping others as best we can and not harming others. When you consider the anger,anxiety and depression so many people have,it is clear literally millions of persons have not found their purpose in life. A simple way to determine if you have meaningful purpose in life is simply to ask yourself,”Am I happy and satisfied with my life”. If not,then you need to determine what would give you purpose and resulting happiness. Others can advise and help you,but only you can determine this yourself. You are the pilot of the voyage only you can take in your life. While there are many others,the following singularly or combined are typical factors that lead to a life with purpose: 1. Faith in God, and our eternal life thereafter. 2.Having a meaningful relationship with a partner in marriage, or a significant other relationship. 3.Raising children to be loving, caring, and effective human beings. 4. Achieving success in sports, education, broadcasting,computers,medicine, law, engineering, farming, skilled trades, etc. to your maximum potential or your chosen level. 5. Making a difference in the lives of others by helping them to be happy and successful human beings finding their purpose in life.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss LOVING AND EFFECTIVE GRANDPARENTS RESPECT PARENTAL RIGHTS

    May 23, 2023

    There are few things more joyful in life than spending time to love on our grandchildren. We want to pamper,hug and spoil then whenever we are with them. However,problems can occur when grandparents interfere with the parenting of their children. Problems can be even worse when interfering with the parenting of the son or daughter-in-law. It is critical grandparents respect how their children raise their children and not interfere. As grandparents made errors in parenting,so will their children. As grandparents learned to parent,even though making many mistakes,they learned along the way as will their children. Giving advice is not recommended unless asked for or there is real danger for the child. I can attest in both my experiences as a long time Psychologist and walking the road of life that many grandparents have little or no contact with their grandchildren because they tried to replace their children as parents or were seen as intrusive and interfering. The following are statements to avoid that can be considered toxic: YOU DID THAT WRONG…I WOULD HAVE HANDLED THAT VERY DIFFERENTLY…LET ME RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM…YOU WILL NEVER BE A GOOD PARENT… I RAISED YOU TO BE A BETTER PARENT THAN YOU ARE.. YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN CHILDREN… YOU ARE NOT TREATING THEM RIGHT…YOU WILL DESERVE THEIR HATRED WHEN THEY GROW UP…I DO NOT MEAN TO INTERFERE,BUT….

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    Dr Braccio Mike Austin of 1320 AM WILS discuss LIVING IN THE NOW- Subscribe to our page!

    May 16, 2023 Live in THE NOW and enjoy it is my advice to one and all. Life is an ongoing one way ticket to wherever our abilities,efforts and opportunities take us. It is important to remember the one way ticket has an inescapable ending. Yesterday is a memory and the future may or may not happen for us. “Here today and gone tomorrow”— is an adage to always keep in mind. Goals are critical for ongoing happiness in THE NOW,but we must enjoy the ride of life. I would predict no one at the end of life says the following: 1.I WISH I WORRIED MORE ABOUT THINGS THAT DID NOT MATTER OR NEVER HAPPENED. 2.I WISH I SPENT LESS TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS I HAVE LOVED IN LIFE. 3.I WISH I HAD MORE SENSELESS ANGER AND ARGUMENTS WITH PEOPLE THAT LOVED AND CARED FOR ME. 4.I WISH I TOOK MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SABOTAGE MY HAPPINESS IN LIFE BY NOT ATTEMTING TO REALIZE MY DREAMS. We need to tune out all the negative and distracting noise we can in our electronically connected world. With mindfulness,we need to notice and live each day enjoying what we experience. Each day is a kaleidoscope of experiences we can mindfully be aware and joyfully experience. The alternative is to dwell in the past or focus on the future in a way THE NOW is squandered and not lived and enjoyed. Do not let that happen to you. You can never COULD HAVE,SHOULD HAVE,OUGHT TO HAVE DONE SOMETHING. The past is over. All we can do is enjoy the good memories in THE NOW and learn from the bad ones.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss SURVIVING A SPOUSE/PARTNER WITH ADHD

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    May 9, 2023

    SURVIVING A SPOUSE/PARTNER WITH ADHD

    This is a followup discussion from last week on how adults with ADHD often feel misunderstood. Today we discuss how a spouse/partner survives the lack of focus,inattention,procrastination,clutter,chaos,irritability and seeming lack of caring in some combination that a person with ADHD brings to the long term relationship. Data shows divorces are twice as likely when a spouse/partner has ADHD. The important thing to remember is that your ADHD spouse is in common language wired differently. Together youneed to honestly look at the needs of each other and decide what strategies you can use to best live and love each other. One thing not to do is to become the parent in the relationship. Giving cues on things that need to get done or to begin shortly can be helpful as long as they are respected as helpful and undertaken. Recognize distraction may not be disrespectful but accept it within acceptable limits. Recognize irritability may be a symptom and accept it as long as you are not disrespected. Being chronically late or not getting things done on time can be exasperating as can be forgetting important dates and agreed upon activities. Together you can work out strategies to overcome these common problem areas. If you cannot overcome the frustrations that result in these or other problems tigger,singly and/or as a couple you can seek out professional expert therapists in ADHD.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss ADULTS WITH ADHD OFTEN FEEL MISUNDERSTOOD

    Subscribe to our page! 05-02-2023 A major part of our practice relates to ADHD evaluations. ADHD evaluations for adults in our offices as opposed to children are a growing percentage that now comprises at least half or more of them. Diagnosed adults often feel misunderstood due to a recognized medical health condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 that many still do not believe exists. To the contrary,they see persons with ADHD symtoms of lack of focus,inattention,distractibility,chaos,forgetfulness ,procrastination,not paying attention in conversations or butting into them as being self-centered and insensitive and use ADHD to excuse their not achieving or being a good person overall. To reinforce these negative thoughts,at times the person with ADHD can be very effective and not showing some or all of the ADHD symtoms. This is because when highly motivated to do something,which is critical,the person with ADHD can function effectively. The problem is it is very hard for the person with ADHD to find things that generate the attention and interest levels to the point there is success by being committed to the activity. Games,sports and specific academic areas can reach these interest levels. Reported successful persons with ADHD would include Bill Gates,Michael Jordon,Albert Einstein,John F. Kennedy,Jim Carey and Michael Phelps

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss BINGE EATING DISORDER

    April 11, 2023 Subscribe to our YouTube page!

    Binge Eating Disorder is often a very solitary condition where the person with the condition has depression,anxiety and low self esteem. Even if it only impacts three percent of the population in the United States,it is a real problem if you are one of the nearly 4,000,000 persons with this condition. Common characteristics of Binge Eating Disorder would include the following: 1.Eating alone or in secret. 2.Eating when not hungry. 3.Feeling a loss of control over eating. 4.Eating quickly. 5.History of binge eating associated with it reducing anxiety,depression,loneliness,failure,OCD tendencies. 6.Feeling anxiety,guilt,depression,shame due to the binge eating. 7.Failing on one diet after another. 8.Obesity occurs with many persons. 9.Continuing to eat even when uncomfortably full. 10.Binge eating at least 1 day a week for 3 months…If one feels they have Binge Eating Disorder and they cannot control it,a good person to start with is the family physician. This is particularly true when a parent becomes aware their child has it. Treatment often includes a team including a dietitian,medical doctor and trained therapist with eating disorders.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM SIGNS A MARRIAGE OR RELATIONSHIP IS OVER OR COMING TO AN END

    Subscribe to our YouTube page! 04-04-2023

    The headlines generally are about fiery and angry divorces that never seem to end. A prime example of such a couple ending a relationship would be the defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Spouses often seem more like combatants who can for the rest of their lives literally detest each other. While that sadly is too often true,what we are discussing today are the millions of divorces or relationships that end simply because they slowly have lost the love,energy and excitement that propelled them into fulfilling relationships filled with love and satisfaction. Sometimes the progress of relationship erosion is barely payed attention to until the feelings and desire are gone to save the marriage or relationship. The unfortunate result is a quiet and uneventful ending often filled with disappointment and a difficult rupture for children and loved ones. The following would be signs that the relationship is over, or is coming to an end: 1.Spouses/partners feel a lack of love and caring.2.Lack of sharing communication about their lives. 3.Building major parts of their lives away from the other. 4.Not planning for the future with mutual activities or dreams. 5.Lack of physical and emotional intimacy. 6.Not caring for the needs of the other. 7.New boundaries within the relationship building up. 8.Wanting to always be with others outside of the marriage/relationship or within it. 9.Insensitivity on a regular basis. 10.No desire to save the marriage or relationship.

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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 discuss HOW TO SENSITIVELY INTERACT WITH THOSE IN CHRONIC DAILY PAIN OR PAINFUL LIFE THREATENING ILLNESS

    12-13-2022

    Persons with chronic pain or painful life threatening illness often suffer from depression,insomnia,anxiety,stress,anger,substance/alcohol abuse and even hopelessness and suicide. A further problem is persons with chronic pain or illness often feel isolated because persons often do not know how to interact with them because they cannot relate to their problems even if they understand it would be very difficult if not horrible to always be in chronic pain or a painful life threatening illness. Based on long term experience with persons on both sides of this situation,the following are recommendations meant to help persons interact sensitively and effectively with those in chronic pain or chronically ill: 1.Be open and honest. 2.Listen to how their condition impacts them both physically and emotionally. 3.Be tolerant to a possible uncharacteristic negative and even angry mood. 4.Make sure the meeting is not about you and your feelings or pains. 5.Let them know you care and will be helpful any way possible. 6.Do not compare their situation with someone else. 7.Use active listening to fully understand their feelings. 8,Read up on the effects of chronic pain and illness on someone both psychologically and physically.

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss LOCUS OF CONTROL IN YOUR LIFE

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    11-15-2022

    Locus of Control is something very important in determining how you look at life. If you believe in “internal locus of control”,then you have the belief you can control what is going on in your life. Preparation,planning and training dominate the thinking and direction you have in your life. But if you believe in “external locus of control”,then you are basically feeling life happens to you and you do not have control over it. You are like a leaf driven by the wind to unknown places. Each day can be filled with dread and fears about what may occur. Research shows high achievement and positive self-image are enhanced by the belief you determine your successes and failures by your decisions. However,there is little doubt successes are strongly influenced by opportunities and circumstances one may have little control. Illness and lack of opportunities can halt and negatively impact the success and self-esteem of almost anyone. A reasonable view to have good mental health is to have a mixture of both. Believe you can control what you can in yourself but also recognize opportunities can occur separate from your plans and preparation. 

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    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH SPORTS PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

    Sports Performance Anxiety is more common with athletes than one might think. Our concern here relates to athletes specifically in elementary through high school and how parents can help them. With that said, the suggestions can relate to athletes of any age and whether playing an individual or team sport. Over the years I have worked with many parents who are amazed when a sporting activity their child previously loved has begun to cause them great anxiety to the point they are feeling miserable emotionally and often want to quit the sport entirely. Because I have worked with many athletes who have Sports Performance Anxiety,I can tell you it can be very emotionally devastating and can put a real cramp in the life of the person involved and their parents. The following are suggestions given to parents over the years I have found can be quite helpful for the child to reduce the anxiety to the point it is useful anxiety and not debilitating anxiety: 1.Accept anxiety is a common trait for any athlete. 2.Identify the symptoms and maybe unusual behaviors or changes in thinking that are showing your child is not behaving in their regular fashion. When this occurs,there is a need for positive parental intervention. 3. Develop a conversation with your child that is positive and not critical. The most loving and meaningful statements by a parent can be devastating to their child by being negative and making them fearful of their performance rather than helping them be their best. 4.Try to identify with your child by indicating any anxiety you have had in the past when involved with sports or other activities that have been stressful for you. This can develop a bond between the two of you that allows for conversation that does not put all the pressure on your child.5. Help yourself and your child realize if they can think themselves into being overly anxious that they have the ability to think themselves into being less anxious. As difficult of a concept as this may be for you or your child to understand, it is true and something that needs to be worked on and developed. 6.It is useful to have mantras that can be used to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. For example, if a child feels they cannot function effectively and will let the team down, they need to say they will try to do their best to help themselves and the team be at their best.7. Deep breathing is a timeless procedure to use when a person is feeling anxious,stressed out and needs to relax. Just breathing in and breathing out deeply over and over again while thinking a positive mantra can be very helpful to an individual.8. Help your child realize their job on the team is to try to use all the skills and training they have learned to do the best job they can. This will not always lead to the level of success they desire; however, if this is done and understood they will realize they are achieving and helping the team as best they can. 9. Help your child have realistic expectations for what they can do and encourage them within their abilities to do the best they can. This recognition and acceptance of ability with maximal opportunity for development can positively be used to help your child function to the best ability that is possible. 10.If you feel you need outside help,seek out an experienced therapist who can help you with Sports Performance Anxiety.