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But in the meantime, perhaps you're wondering, who is this game designer to be talking to us about deathbed regrets? And it's true, I've never worked in a hospice, I've never been on my deathbed. But recently I did spend three months in bed, wanting to die. Really wanting to die. Now let me tell you that story. It started two years ago, when I hit my head and got a concussion. The concussion didn't heal properly, and after 30 days, I was left with symptoms like nonstop headaches, nausea,...

"We studied what it meant to be “mentally tough” and what characteristics the mentally tough athlete possessed. Characteristics of Mentally Tough Performers Cope more easily with setbacks Have control over anxiety and use it productively Have higher self-confidence Use more positive self-talk Have a positive outlook on the future Set specific goals and visualize accomplishing goals Have a support network" "But the reality is that the majority of people who experience stressful or traumatic...

"I n the mid-'90s, the CDC and Kaiser Permanente discovered an exposure that dramatically increased the risk for seven out of 10 of the leading causes of death in the United States. In high doses, it affects brain development, the immune system, hormonal systems, and even the way our DNA is read and transcribed. Folks who are exposed in very high doses have triple the lifetime risk of heart disease and lung cancer and a 20-year difference in life expectancy. And yet, doctors today are not...

By P. Berman, A. Hosack & K. Hecht Another week without a single letter! What is going on! Are those Carsons preventing my Claire from writing me!! Is it that therapist’s fault!!!! Larry kept rocketing back and forth between scorching rage and bitter loneliness . He had been waiting for three weeks and still no new letter from Claire. He had been forced join the pathetic other guys in his reading group w ho had nothing to offer but re-reading old letters. Those other men, the ones with...

We know that children learn through play, but adults can as well! Thus at the Beyond Paper Tigers Conference, CRI is offering a chance to learn and have fun in an exclusive first- Speed Gaming! Remember Speed Dating? Well, neither do we, but a fun session of this year’s conference is our version called Speed Gaming, without the embarrassing questions, geeky outfits, or overblown claims that one had to sit through with Speed Dating! Instead of a row of bachelors facing you, we will have...

Mai Le, an ACEs champion and program associate with First 5 San Mateo, wasted no time getting to the point of why she was asking lawmakers to support legislation that would help prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). “When I was a child, my father had a psychotic break and was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia,” she said in a conversation with Eric Dietz, a staff member for State Senator John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa). L-R: Eric Dietz, Richa Sharma, Mai Le “I’m a high achiever,...

Photo Credit: Photo by Marina Shatskih on Unsplash The allegations raised in the recent documentaries about Michael Jackson and singer R. Kelly made headlines this past month, but they were soon buried in a flood of news about the Mueller report and new political scandals. Then, just days ago, we learned of a sting operation in New Jersey that led to the arrest of 16 men, from teachers to police officers and ministers, who were caught attempting to solicit sex from minors. All of these...

"When Kristina Wong’s mother told her if anyone finds out she went to therapy she would never be able to get a job, it became crystal clear just how taboo discussions of mental health were in her family." "There are a number of reasons why, according to experts. Discussing mental health concerns is “taboo” in a variety of Asian-American communities where seeking help is stigmatized, explained Koko Nishi , a licensed psychologist on the counseling staff at San Diego State University. As a...

In an unprecedented step toward a comprehensive climate change response among G7 countries, British Parliament voted to declare a "climate emergency" in the United Kingdom earlier this month. The motion came from the main opposition Labour Party, which has championed environmentally ambitious policies. "We have no time to waste. We are living in a climate crisis that will spiral dangerously out of control unless we take rapid and dramatic action now," Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour...

Economists can be dull people. But one economist said something that has remained with me for years – that ‘poor diets’ are often excellent decisions on a money-to-calorie basis. You get more calories for what you spend, which is why ‘poor diets’ are a good thing for those lower down the socioeconomic gradient. From a health perspective, of course, ‘poor diets’ are a bad decision – that’s where my use of ‘poor’ clearly comes from. And so, in health, especially in the worlds of health...

As a citizen who has reversed more than 100 overdoses, every now and then I have a cry that is so uncontrollable, and painful, and deep, that I wonder if I will ever stop crying. Recently, I experienced one of those cries. It was after reversing a young man who was overdosing who looked just like my son. He was 16 or 17 years old, still with his school ID around his neck. It took three doses of Narcan — the overdose reversal medication — to bring him back. Surprisingly, he wanted me to call...

"She responded: "You don't need therapy. You're fine . Imagine what it was like for me." She then recited the story I had heard so many times before. She came alone to this country from the Philippines in the early 1980s. She raised my little sister and me as a single mom. She worked two jobs to support us, including working grueling overnight shifts and holidays. Life was hard. Really hard." "She didn't think that what I was going through was a big deal. This absolutely crushed me. Whatever...