Articles

Here is a collection of articles:

• Adolescent Alcohol and Drug Use (PDF)
  Risk factors for alcohol and drug use: Low grade or poor school performance; Aggressive, rebellious behavior...
• Cautionary Guidelines for the Use of Opioids in Chronic Pain (PDF)
  Jon Streltzer, MD, Penelope Ziegler, MD, Brian Johnson, MD
• Concepts of Death by Age Group (PDF)
  The concept of death from a child’s perspective is very different from an adult’s understanding of death. Furthermore, as the child grows and matures, his/her earlier ways of thinking about death will change. It is essential for the adult to have a sense of how children conceptualize death at different ages so that when the time comes to talk about death, whether of a pet or a loved one, the adult can respond in a manner appropriate to the child’s developmental age...
• Coping With Crisis (PDF)
  When unexpected, traumatic events occur, it is normal to have strong physical and emotional reactions. Sometimes these appear immediately after the events, and sometimes they don't begin for several days, weeks or even months. While unpleasant, these reactions are normal and usually temporary, leaving no long-term effects on the individual experiencing them.
• Depression (PDF)
  Clinical depression is a serious and treatable medical illness experienced by as many as one in five Americans over a lifetime. Without treatment, the symptoms can last for months, years or a lifetime...
• Guidelines to Help a Child Through Grief (PDF)
  As soon as possible after the diagnosis of terminal illness or death set aside time to talk to the child. Give the child the facts in a simple manner. Be careful not to go into too much detail. The child will ask more questions as they come to mind...
• Healing From Grief Takes Time (PDF)
  Allow yourself to grieve. Letting painful feelings out helps you heal. Share your feelings with someone you know and respect...
• Healthy Relationships (PDF)
  Schedule regular date nights and make this time a priority. The equivalent of 1 per week is the ideal and greatly enhances intimacy. Be polite to your partner. Say please and thank you. Honor each other’s feelings as if they were your own...
• Helpful Hints on the Rights to Grieve (PDF)
  While it is helpful to reach out to others as you grieve, you need not feel obligated to accept the unhelpful responses you may receive from some people. You are the one who is grieving, and no one may take that right away from you...
• Money Management: A Family Affair (PDF)
  This article explores how families can work together to improve their communication and household money management. Studies show that couples and parents and their children often argue over financial priorities and issues related to saving and spending. These disputes are particularly likely to occur during periods of economic difficulty (i.e., furlough or job loss) and may lead to growing anger and frustration, personal isolation, separation, and even divorce.
• Safe Treatment of Pain in the Patient With a Substance Use Disorder (PDF)
  Penelope P. Ziegler, MD
• Saying No (PDF)
  Stall and count to 10 before replying if you must give an instant “Yes” or “No." Consider the cost in time of saying “Yes” instead of “No.” Forget about saying “I’ll let you know” when what you really mean is “No.” You only postpone the inevitable and lost time fretting about it...
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (PDF, 62 KB)
  Many of us are familiar with the “winter blues” as we plod through the darkness of winter feeling tired, craving carbs and not wanting to get out of bed. We gain a little weight, dream of a beach vacation and move on successfully with our lives with little to no consequence. Some people, however, experience a heightened form of these symptoms.
• Stress Management (PDF)
  Stress management is a decision-making process. When we are feeling the effects of a stressful life position or a stressful lifestyle, we have 3 major ways we could deal with that stress...
• Time on Fire Review (PDF)
  A review of Time On Fire by Evan Handler. A memoir of a young man’s struggle to survive leukemia. Evan Handler was an up-and-coming New York actor in his 20’s when he was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia which, he was told, he was unlikely to survive. Based on his hit off-Broadway play, Time On Fire is a memoir of Handler’s 5 year journey through some of the best and worst that medicine and its providers have to offer...