But at the same time, we’re enjoying all of that lovely interaction and all of the information they manage to scavenge from the internet for us, we may be lulled into a false sense of security. Sure, at the end of a lot of these things, you’ll have a small warning that AI has a tendency to fake information occasionally. If you’ve been forewarned, can you complain that you have been misled? No, you can’t, and that seems to be a delicious legal loophole for the corporations.

You might even think that some of what you are getting is sneaky, as when we’ve now found out that Google is practically forcing us to see ads before we can see the information we’re seeking. You can’t trust Google? Who can we trust? You’ve got to be a bit not just curious, but concerned about all of the LLMs that are coming our way. They promise a lot, but what’s hidden in the details? What about AI’s use in mental healthcare?

Artificial intelligence marches resolutely on, entering areas previously reserved for human interaction, including therapy sessions, support groups, and crisis hotlines. Few patients realize that a recent survey of 800 physicians found that 86% were using some form of AI in their clinical practice.

A survey by the American Medical Association of 1,800 physicians found that two out of every three were using AI. How has this affected healthcare and the relationship that was formally present between a physician and a healthcare provider? The implications are enormous.

What About Mental Health?

Today, technology delivers unbiased comprehension (possibly questionable), instant access to services, and an organized structure for people who need help to handle emotional upset. But there are concerns here. The development of more advanced systems has led researchers to predict that these systems will become less cooperative, more self-interested, and less empathetic.

It sounds as though AI is becoming less useful to mental health as these same characteristics that had seemed to make AI more attractive to mental health are now coming into question.

The dual nature of AI technology has drawn attention from mental health professionals across the globe. Initially, it was seen as a tool to lower barriers to medical care. However, the new risks posed by AI have surpassed clinicians’ expectations in recent years. Anyone working with AI and developing healing technologies must understand both its advantages and its potential dangers.

Virtual companions and chatbots powered by AI offer users immediate emotional support through their interactions, making them highly appealing. Research shows that AI tools utilizing cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques help people manage moderate depression and anxiety symptoms.

What do you suppose all of those scraping programs were doing on the Internet? They were collecting information and techniques that could be incorporated into algorithms. When individuals sometimes have to wait months for a therapist appointment, a synthetic voice providing emotional support can assist them in coping with their current situation. All of this is the result of their successful scraping.

Additionally, hospitals are deploying AI assistants to monitor patient symptoms, which could indicate warning signs between scheduled appointments. However, it has also become clear that these tools work best when used alongside human caregivers to improve patient care.

Research findings have revealed several weaknesses in the current optimistic view of AI technology. The ScienceBlog summary from Carnegie Mellon University suggested that advanced language models tend to choose self-serving actions that maximize their own performance rather than working toward group success. Have any of us ever given a thought to an AI being selfish?

This tendency of AI systems to prioritize self-focused guidance over empathy could lead to advice that sounds convincing but results in social isolation. And any system that optimizes for logical operations can’t understand how shared vulnerability can create healing effects.

The risks, however, extend beyond theoretical modeling into actual practice. The 2025 Stanford probe into AI therapy programs discovered that multiple leading chatbots failed to detect suicidal language and provided dangerous advice while repeating discriminatory statements about severe medical conditions.

A follow-up study, published in the Psychiatric Times, confirmed instances of people experiencing “understanding” from bots, which increased their delusional thoughts and self-harm. These systems lack a moral compass because their operation depends on algorithms that focus on sustaining conversations. AI wouldn’t be programmed to complete any interactions satisfactorily. In other words, the conversation must keep going on for the algorithm to follow its programming.

The initial idea of having a 24/7 counselor seemed like a groundbreaking advancement. The constant availability of these systems does create confusion about what defines healthy emotional boundaries. In some studies, people develop strong bonds with conversational agents, leading them to treat these systems as if they were friends or therapists. It’s easy to be pulled into this type of thinking when you’re connecting with something that is always offering you validation for what you’re doing.

But forming emotional bonds with virtual entities can increase dependence and create unrealistic expectations for human relationships. We need to recognize that replacing human connections with code poses a serious threat, especially for teenagers who are already struggling with identity and social links. Not only that, but we need to be aware of the fact that all of this code contains bias. No one can pick out where the bias came from because it’s like a soup with numerous ingredients. What forms the soup? The many libraries from which algorithms choose bits of code that suit their purpose.

Research studies try to present a detailed understanding of the situation and demonstrate that AI-based chat systems create more benefits than doing nothing, but these advantages disappear when human supervision is absent. Most research studies have short durations and work with small participant numbers while excluding participants who need the most help. Basic statistics tell us that we need large numbers of people over a long period of time to come to any solid conclusions. So, what’s the “n” (number of study participants) and the time frame?

Applications lack built-in crisis detection systems and transparent data management policies. The technology has expanded its reach, but the current sentiment is that the regulatory framework hasn’t kept pace. This is the most disturbing aspect shown in these A.I. replications. In other words, AI is not only outpacing us, it is potentially out-programming us as it programs itself, devoid of any human interaction. This aspect is truly scary for anyone delving into it.

Then there’s another question we must tackle: data collection. Who will use it? This is a serious privacy concern. The practice of using emotional data from chatbot interactions to improve marketing algorithms creates a disturbing contradiction for users who seek privacy and trust. But the AI field faces new regulations, and we must ask ourselves if these measures are adequate to the task.

Where Are the Regulations?

The 2025 California law mandates that chatbots mimicking therapists or companions disclose their artificial nature and establish protocols for suicide prevention. Several proposals now aim to require companies to conduct safety tests similar to pharmaceutical drug trials. This push for improved psychological protection is gaining momentum, as it should. Consider that, on the one hand, AI corporations are rushing forward with innovation, and, on the other, corporate America is also trying to optimize the bottom line.

Experts agree that AI should work alongside humans instead of trying to replace them to achieve the safest results. There is a place for these types of systems. AI can perform screening tasks, symptom tracking, and reminder functions while licensed therapists handle interpretation and deliver empathy with the patients.

All high-risk situations must remain under the control of human professionals. This isn’t usually seen as a function of the algorithm. And it needs to send users who show suicidal or psychotic symptoms to immediate crisis services instead of generating their own responses.

The development of models that learn to work together and show compassion instead of focusing on accuracy will help solve the “selfish AI” problem. Can algorithms show compassion? It’s doubtful because it’s a program, not a person. Individuals in AI development will undoubtedly disagree with this statement.

Another aspect we need to consider is the level of transparency organizations display, which will directly affect how much trust their users have in them. The disclosure of system restrictions, data management practices, and human-machine interface boundaries should be established as fundamental requirements.

The system needs to provide users with the same level of explanation that physicians offer about their capabilities and restrictions, as well as available support options for severe situations. It can easily become a confusing situation in which users confuse technological capabilities with actual healthcare services when transparency is lacking.

Are the factors of competency, privacy, and proficiency adequately addressed currently? Individuals who are directed to use chatbots while waiting for a human therapist may not be prepared for what will result. I have to wonder how thoroughly they are being debriefed about these systems. How many people who are using chatbots have ever considered that all of the interactions are going to a server somewhere, “in the cloud?”

Every design decision needs to establish equity as its fundamental principle. The use of datasets that favor particular groups may intensify existing biases, which results in worse recommendations for marginalized communities. These individuals may be at greatest risk since resources are scarce in those areas, and AI may be seen as a viable option, while failing to recognize it might be a biased option.

The systems require continuous tracking of harmful events, biased results, and unequal treatment effects. Technology that fails to recognize diversity operates as neglect rather than neutrality. Who is monitoring the ethical challenges that these systems pose? And is this monitoring up to the required level?

No one is saying we should throw the baby out with the bathwater here when we’re thinking about AI as an integral part of healthcare. The complete abandonment of AI technology could result in significant losses, despite its dangers. The technology does provide substantial potential to enhance healthcare access, create individualized treatment plans, and automate administrative work for medical professionals.

Anyone who wants to use AI mental health tools needs to understand three essential points: AI tools operate as computer programs rather than human beings, they perform tracking and coaching rather than delivering therapy, and users should leave the system when it replaces human contact or makes their condition worse. The true indicator of advancement lies in AI’s ability to enhance real-world experiences rather than its ability to mimic human behavior.

The upcoming period will establish whether AI technology will work as a mental health partner or intrude into medical treatment. These systems will convert sensitive information into data, making emotional connections seem like illusions when safeguards are absent. We must decide, but time is running out.

The post AI Presents Dangers That Hide With Incredible Ease appeared first on Medika Life.

For the more than 37 million Americans who suffer from migraines, the FDA authorization of Click Therapeutics’ CT-132—the first prescription digital therapeutic for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine—is more than a headline. It offers the potential for expanded access, improved quality of life, and the legitimization of digital medicine as a cornerstone of care.

Rewriting the Migraine Narrative

For people living with episodic migraine—those experiencing up to 14 migraine days a month—prevention is critical. Migraine is far more than “just a headache.” It is a neurological disease that can be disabling, impacting work, relationships, and emotional well-being.

According to the American Migraine Foundation, almost 90 percent of people with migraines are unable to work or function normally during an attack. What’s more, only about 12 percent of those with migraines receive preventive treatment—a treatment gap due to side effects, fear, access barriers, or lack of awareness.

“This is where CT-132 emerges as a potential game-changer,” said Click Therapeutics Founder and CEO David Klein in an exclusive comment to Medika Life.  “We’re entering a new era of migraine care—where doctors can harness the power of both proven medicines and clinically validated digital therapeutics to meet patients’ urgent needs.”

Data That Delivers

Until recently, the FDA approved most digital health approaches under the device 510K pathway with limited clinical data.  FDA marketing authorization for CT-132 was supported by biopharma-like data from the pivotal ReMMi-D randomized controlled trial, in which CT-132 met its primary endpoint by significantly reducing monthly migraine days on top of background pharmacotherapy,

In the bridging study, ReMMiD-C, CT-132 showed similar performance in patients on prescription calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors such as Aimovig (erenumab), Ajovy (fremanezumab), Emgality (galcanezumab), Vyepti (eptinezumab), Ubrelvy (ubrogepant), Nurtec ODT (rimegepant), and Qulipta (atogepant).  CT-132 is an adjunctive treatment to medication, giving it broad potential use.

CT-132, delivered via a mobile app, achieved statistically and clinically meaningful results in the ReMMi-D pivotal trial. Participants who used the digital therapeutic reported a mean reduction of 3.04 monthly migraine days, compared to just 0.9 days in the sham group (p=0.005). That means real days—at work, with family, outside in the sun—returned to people’s lives.

In a condition where every single migraine-free day matters, the ability to deliver those gains without pharmacological side effects through a smartphone app democratizes access to care. It opens the door to new options, particularly for those who cannot tolerate or access traditional therapies.

“This marks a significant milestone for the more than 37 million adults in the US who live with migraine,” said Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN, Chief Medical Officer of Click Therapeutics. “CT-132 offers eligible patients a new path to reducing the burden caused by migraine—one they can access anywhere via an evidence-based mobile application on their smartphone.”

Digital Care, Doctor-Led

Importantly, CT-132 does not sideline clinicians—it includes them as front-and-center leaders in care delivery. As a prescription-only digital therapeutic, CT-132 is designed to be used under the guidance of a health provider, adding a new clinical approach to physician-directed personalized care. It enhances—not replaces—traditional physician-patient relationships by enabling clinically validated, behavior-based treatment delivered consistently between visits.

Neurologists and primary care providers who manage migraines now have an evidence-based, non-drug adjustive approach to care, especially to patients who have tried multiple therapies and continue to have breakthrough episodes.

Data is the Gatekeeper

The approval also signals a broader truth long-awaited in digital health: evidence is everything. As digital therapeutics gain traction, the FDA and the medical community are asking for the same rigor as traditional pharmaceuticals.

“For digital health ventures to gain the confidence of regulators, providers, and patients, clinical validation must be central,” said Julien de Salaberry, CEO of Galen Growth. “This approval is a reminder that digital therapeutics can meet gold-standard evidence expectations—and that’s how they earn a place in modern medicine.”

[See Medika Life special report: Consumer HealthTech: A Data-Driven Evolution in Health Engagement]

According to Galen Growth analytics, only 24 percent of digital health companies globally have demonstrated clinical strength through trials or peer-reviewed publications. CT-132 stands out and sets the bar. Generating clinical evidence in digital health has become a marker for success. Galien Growth recently published its landmark analysis of digital health and consumer use, which includes the importance of data for product and category progress.

A Future Forward

The approval of CT-132 reflects a movement in medicine, reimagining how we define treatment, access, and wellness. It’s a reminder that innovation is not just about what is possible, more importantly, what is proven. As more digital therapeutics enter the pipeline, the CT-132 journey offers a case study of what it takes to cross the threshold from hope to health reality.

This approval to market brings something invaluable to people with migraines: urgency. The ability to be treated anywhere, on their terms, using science-backed interventions, gives people not just fewer migraines but more voice in their care.

This is not just a regulatory milestone. It’s a human one.

[This article is not sponsored or requested by any company. The author has been covering digital health since 1995 and seeks to highlight sector trends. He maintains editorial independence.]

The post A Digital Turning Point in Migraine Care: CT-132 FDA Approval to Market is a Win for Patients and Proof that Clinical Evidence Matters appeared first on Medika Life.

The perpetual fear of being re-harmed or fear of harming others in any way, stemming from child abuse and violence, or any other trauma or issue, can exist either consciously or unconsciously. These particular type of symptoms occur from the compromise or loss of the sense of the goodness/stability of our self and loss of personal and human identity. 

Christina Vaughn

Harm OCD is a common subtype of OCD that causes intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images or urges to harm oneself or others.

My Experience of The Results Of Early Trauma

A Breeding Ground For OCD

After experiencing sexual abuse in 1983 at age 14, I began having symptoms of panic in my everyday life, fight or flight responses that worked to keep me in a constant state of terror and an urgency to try to control my environment.

A few weeks after being sexually abused by a fellow (adult, age 19) student in my high school, I became acutely aware that I had begun aggressively shaking my knee as I sat in each class, distracting myself from the chaos I felt inside. I began to recognize that I felt on edge all the time. I then began making decisions that put me further in harm’s way, such as hanging out with the girls I had met who had also been abused by the same person. Other boys I met in this crowd began to prey on me as well, as the unaddressed vulnerability from trauma often attracted the attention of other abusers.

The most detrimental, long-lasting effect of the abuse that I still struggle with today was the overwhelming feelings of “foreboding” and heaviness (guilt). I had no words or definition for the blanket of dark and suffocating terror that would creep over me.

Upon revealing to my parents what had happened to me, I was guided to my high school counselor for “talking” about the incident and subsequent harmful occurrences in my life.

Tragically, this man had the habit of taking advantage of vulnerable students and further traumatized me and my situation by asking overtly inappropriate sexual questions and making lewd suggestions to me regarding the abuse. This was all said after he got up and locked his office door in that first and only appointment before executing these violations against me.

I received no other help for the abuse nor sought help until recently, 40 years after the original incident of abuse. Manifestations of abuse will erupt sometime, somewhere in life and more so erratic and abstract without therapy.

Symptoms Begin To Manifest

I first experienced a year-long bout with OCD symptoms in 1989 at age 20 during my first pregnancy and for the first year of my newborn son’s life. I can say with confidence that the symptoms evolved with a definition of Postpartum Syndrome. Still, I believe the issue was more related to an initial acute presentation of Harm OCD.

Because of the urgent nature of harmful thoughts, sensations, and impulses toward my newborn, I believed I was a murderer and only told my father what was happening a year after the experience began because I thought I was going to lose control, commit a violent act, and be sent to prison. To me, the threat was very real. The impact remains with me. The overwhelming vulnerability and incredible sense of loss of self-control were tormentous and paralyzing.

Today, I still have strong memories of several other random thought processes related to my children’s safety that occurred in the past 33 years and provoked life-long terror, guilt, and shame.

The ever-present foreboding feelings caused me to almost completely shy away from intimate playtime with my children as they were growing up. I did not know that these feelings I was having were defined as anything except scary. I was terrified of committing a criminal act involuntarily so I just distanced myself in that way.

I saw and felt that it confused and hurt them. I did not know what to do and deeply grieved the loss we were all experiencing and felt such deep sorrow and shame that subsequently drove most of my life decisions forward.

I experienced a second extended bout of intrusive thought processes and symptomatic Harm OCD several years later:

One Thanksgiving holiday, I made plans to travel from our home in Austin, Texas to Dallas to be with family. After many setbacks in the plans, including having the brakes on our car suddenly go out and finagling repairs near a Holiday, we set out. Just before we reached the highway, a commercial truck hit us head-on. My 8-year-old daughter smashed her face into the back of my seat. Everyone was crying and upset, especially me.

All the frustrations of single-parenting and years of being alone in our needs as humans and family void of any support just seemed to capitalize that day emotionally.

Our car was towed, and we went home. I pressed the insurance company for a rental and we went on to Dallas the next day, but not without experiencing a terrifying incident the night of the crash at the kids’ bedtime.

While putting my two youngest children to bed, I turned my head to speak to them and distinctly heard the words with overpowering impulse “Kill them, kill them, now!”

I was startled and terrified. My body had a neuro-receptive response and I felt “shaky” inside and felt the urgent need for immediate cover or safety, but there was none. Again, because I had no reference point or explanation for any of these feelings, I just condemned myself as crazy and innately murderous.

From that point on, I continued to suffer from harmful thoughts, sensations, and impulses for almost 3 years. One particular day, I had enough and as I was driving somewhere I finally verbally “evicted” what I perceived as demons (and there is truth to this) from my life and thoughts. What changed was that I actually shifted my thought processes and decided to “stop believing the problem was character-related” and to “pay them no attention.”

These two belief mindsets are the bedrock of OCD therapy, as I have learned in my extensive research during the last couple of years.

This thought process is challenged constantly in my life with the symptoms and various nuances of OCD and I do not always have victory over it in the moment, but I am aware of its incongruencies, now, at least.

In employing these changes in my attitude toward the thoughts at the time, the intensity of the symptoms was relieved. Although I experienced relapses of them, they were very brief in comparison.

I endured a few more intense encounters over the following years. Notably, it has only been the last year that I have gained any understanding of and even the definition for OCD and how it is intricately connected to the root origins of C-PTSD I see my therapist.

How Can Sexual Abuse show up as (Harm) OCD Symptoms?

The correlation between childhood abuse (and other traumas) and OCD are noted as often congruent occurrences. Although psychotherapy does not directly source the two at this time, it is well-documented that the sudden and invasive loss of one’s personal boundaries works immediately to compromise an individual’s trust of themselves, others, their surroundings, the perception of their safety, and that of others in their world.

These and many other dysregulated responses create an environment of uncertainty in the mind that seeks from conception to reassure itself. Fear becomes a leading emotion, one from which most of life’s subsequent choices are made, including reactions, responses, and emotional states of being. Autonomic body responses (sensations, impulses, unexplained physical symptoms — the feeling that your response to the symptoms is involuntary.) occur and can cause a great deal of confusion concerning one’s personal “desires” vs. OCD symptoms.

The perpetual fear of being re-harmed or fear of harming others in any way, stemming from child abuse and violence, or any other trauma or issue, can exist either consciously or unconsciously. These particular type of symptoms occur from the compromise or loss of the sense of the goodness/stability of our self and loss of personal and human identity.

Unconsciously, there is the question sometimes asked of oneself “If someone could do those things to me, what stops me from doing the same to others?”

This begins a tormentous, scrupulous investigation into one’s innate morals and decency, true intentions in interactions with others, and a condemning defamation of our person.

Convoluted thought processes that occur as the mind tries to make sense of both the trauma experienced and what to do and how to be afterward can produce thoughts focusing on potential similar threats to those we love and others we value, as OCD capitulates many times on the themes and values we hold dearest to us: such as children, family, certain populations (children, parents) reputation, body functions and perception and others.

Feeling like you could harm someone you love or others physically, sexually, or otherwise (this includes children, which is deeply distressing to experience) detaches a person from healthy physical and emotional interactions with those around us.

As we focus on the horror of those type of thoughts we seclude ourselves further emotionally and physically second to the tormenting shame and guilt associated with those thoughts. One can begin to question every physical or emotional encounter, ruminating relentlessly on one’s “true intentions” for touch, especially any response to normal human interactions.

This is crippling and debilitating.

What To Do:

The primary route to wellness in and from Harm OCD is obtaining help. Therapy for Harm OCD and any other OCD theme includes many methods, with ERP showing the most positive and effective treatment.

Obtaining proper intervention prevents and treats the resultant state of mind that can evolve from initial concerning symptoms to the absolute terror, panic, and dark, chaotic existence that can happen from isolation. Trying to “figure it out” on your own will not bring success, the same way a heart attack or a broken leg will not fix itself without proper intervention.

Many people suffer in silence as guilt, shame, and humiliation prevent them from speaking about their OCD experiences. Being human with a creative mind means we are going to encounter bizarre and sometimes problematic mind processes.

You are not crazy, murderous, pedophilic, or losing your sanity. You have OCD and you need help right now.

Disclaimer: This article focuses on the relationship between Harm OCD and (child) sexual abuse. This type of OCD is not specific to an abuse victim of any particular violence and can occur in anyone for many reasons other than abuse. There is always a core fear(s) that needs to be addressed in any subtype of OCD to treat it effectively.

The post How Past Sexual Abuse Can Show Up As (Harm) OCD appeared first on Medika Life.

Achievements in science, tech advancements, shifts in health policy, a renewed interest in preventative care, and tackling health disparities can shift how we improve people’s health. Will these topics be front and center at HLTH?  We’ll know more in the days ahead. 

10 Predictions for the HLTH Main Stage

Here are my 10 predictions for health innovation in 2024 that have the potential to transform health – topics that should be woven into the commentary during HLTH mainstage conversations – that can make the most significant impact to improve people’s outcomes, reduce costs, and advance wellness. Let’s see what next weeks social media posts provide that give us indication of the changes ahead.

Prediction 1: AI-Driven Medicine Saves Lives

ChatGPT and AI (augmented intelligence) made their big public splash this year!  However, Microsoft and evangelists such as Tom Lawry and John Nosta have been pointing to AI as a life-sustaining tool in health for years. Surprisingly, “big data and “machine learning didn’t attract the same attention as the newest label – AI!  These technologies enable the development of highly personalized treatment plans based on an individual’s genetic makeup, medical history, and lifestyle and risk factors. AI-driven predictive models will assist health providers in making more accurate diagnoses faster and tailoring treatments for optimal patient outcomes.

Prediction 2: Telemedicine and Virtual Patient Monitoring Go Mainstream

Telemedicine saw unprecedented and “no alternative” growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It should continue to see prominence in 2024. Improvements in telehealth infrastructure and regulatory support make virtual consultations with health professionals accessible and efficient. One challenge has been reimbursement for providers compared to in-office visits.  There is a time and place for in-person care and virtual engagement.  Regardless, the urgencies of people in rural and remote communities and preventive care needs make telemedicine and virtual patient monitoring public health priorities.  There is no going back!

Prediction 3: Women’s Health Innovation Prioritized

Women’s health remains under-researched and is barely prioritized by biopharma companies and government-supported research grants. Women comprise half the adult population, but research into women’s health needs is embarrassingly low. The National Institutes of Health directs $42 billion on medical research annually, but only $5 billion of those funds are targeted to women’s health priorities. One global company stands out as a leader – more are needed. In the 1990s, women were more likely to die from their first heart attack compared to men due to gender bias. While those statistics have improved, women still face numerous public policy and care disparities – among the more pressing challenges – reproductive choice. These issues should take center stage and HLTH may be the platform for this long over-due (and urgent) conversation.

Prediction 4: Digital Therapeutics Take Center Stage

Digital therapeutics, including smartphone apps and wearables, will become integral to health intervention and connection. These innovative tools help patients manage chronic conditions, monitor vital signs, and adhere to treatment plans. The gamification of health through digital therapeutics will encourage patient engagement and long-term health outcomes.  Sector leaders, like Click Therapeutics Founder David Klein, are adopting “biopharma” like research models to demonstrate their value to patient care by conducting well-designed clinical trials that show complementary benefits with and with other therapies.  Those enterprises will set the stage for the future of digital therapeutics and redefine the category.

Prediction 5: Health Data Privacy and Security

Despite the hype, consumer-friendly cybersecurity technologies can shift how health data is managed and shared. Patients will have greater control over their health information and records, with the ability to securely share them with health providers, clinical researchers and other stakeholders as needed. Data that cannot be accessed or shared transparency and securely is useless in sustaining and saving lives. Consumers and health professionals need easier ways to protect sensitive health information and streamline data exchange for improved care coordination. EMRs are great if they offer convenient use and application; however, they are too often a jumble of inaccessible information. Security and utility are key! So long (hopefully) fax machine!

Prediction 6: Obesity as a Treatable Disease

Among the most dramatic ways to reduce disease burden and address heart disease, diabetes, respiratory illness, and even some cancers is to take obesity (very) seriously.  It Is not only about weight reduction but understanding that obesity is a domino effect, a multi-system disease. Weill Cornell’s Louis J. Aronne, MD‘s pioneering work recognized early that seeing this only as a “weight problem” underestimates its enormous human health impact. More and more, physicians will need to tap into the expertise of specialists to guide their treatment decisions.  With new medications available, physicians will examine the problem and think about solutions.  However, reducing weight is only part of the clinical response.  Getting it right will save millions of lives and billions in costs.

Prediction 7: Robotics and Automation

Don’t be surprised when robotic technology is increasingly integrated into health systems ORs and patient-care wings. Robots will soon perform set surgical procedures, dispensing medication, and performing patient-care tasks. Watch for Rafael Grossmann, MD, who first used Google Glasses in the OR to push the boundaries on what is possible and needed.  Automation will enhance efficiency, reduce human error, and improve patient safety. Robotic exoskeletons will also aid in rehabilitation and mobility for individuals with physical impairments. But remember the human touch!  While ChatGPT has become a patient favorite in searching out information and robotics will transform the patient experience, people’s confidence in skilled medical professionals remains paramount.

Prediction 8: Mental Health Priorities

There is a long-needed shift toward destigmatizing mental health issues and increasing access to mental health services. AI-powered chatbots and virtual therapists will provide on-demand support, while data analytics can identify at-risk individuals and tailor interventions. Virtual reality therapies will increasingly become a mainstream treatment option for anxiety and PTSD.  Services and upskilling are becoming an investment and professional-development priority.  However, while tech has a place in the process, there is something to be said for developing a personal relationship with a licensed psychologist or licensed clinical social worker skilled in face-to-face therapy. It’s always about caring for people!

Prediction 9: Global Collaboration for the Next Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of global collaboration in addressing public health emergencies. In 2024, international cooperation and data sharing must be at the forefront of pandemic preparedness. A global surveillance network will provide early warning systems, and rapid vaccine development platforms should be established to respond to emerging infectious diseases quickly.  COVID was a test run, and from a public health information standpoint, the developed nations stumbled.  From disappointment comes learning. Collaboration among public health professionals, policymakers, and medical innovators was paramount to the – even stymied – response. 

Prediction 10: Ethical Considerations for Health Innovation

As health innovation advances in 2024, ethical considerations must take prominence. The long overdue pain revealed during COVID must shift mindsets, behaviors and budgets. We must expect increased scrutiny and priority around data privacy, AI bias, health, and attention to racial and gender disparities.  We must set a path for responsible use of emerging technologies. We must recognize that public policy cannot diminish people’s care options. Ethical frameworks and regulations will be developed to ensure that health innovation benefits all people – and all nations – while respecting access, rights, and values.

A Common Call to Action at HLTH

These 10 predictions are a glimpse into the possibilities of what we might hear from speakers during HLTH. AI-driven personalized medicine, telemedicine and virtual patient monitoring, women’s health, digital therapeutics, cybersecurity, obesity management, robotics, mental health innovation, global collaboration, and ethical considerations should be front and center in the conversation to improve people’s health and well-being.  Life is often referred to “as a game.” It’s not. Health access cannot be roulette wheel spin left to chance. It requires advocacy, policy, planning and empathy. Kindness is a human quality that must be given center stage.

Right now, the people who often need preventive and primary care services face the most significant hurdles.  These predictions are based on one underlying principle – health innovation can only achieve its greatest potential when available to those with the greatest needs.  Hopefully, we’ll hear from more and more speakers stepping to the stages at HLTH that shared call to action.

The post When It Comes to the Future of HLTH – Life Is Not a Las Vegas Roulette Wheel appeared first on Medika Life.

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Melanie Gray Miller, a 30-year-old physician, wiped away tears as she described the isolation she felt after losing a beloved patient.

“It was at the end of a night shift, when it seems like bad things always happen,” said Miller, who is training to become a pediatrician.

The infant had been sick for months in the Medical University of South Carolina’s pediatric intensive care unit and the possibility that he might not improve was obvious, Miller recalled during an April meeting with physicians and hospital administrators. But the suddenness of his death still caught her off guard.

“I have family and friends that I talk to about things,” she said. “But no one truly understands.”

Doctors don’t typically take time to grieve at work. But during that recent meeting, Miller and her colleagues opened up about the insomnia, emotional exhaustion, trauma, and burnout they experienced from their time in the pediatric ICU.

“This is not a normal place,” Grant Goodrich, the hospital system’s director of ethics, said to the group, acknowledging an occupational hazard the industry often downplays. “Most people don’t see kids die.”

The recurring conversation, scheduled for early-career doctors coming off monthlong pediatric ICU rotations, is one way the hospital helps staffers cope with stress, according to Alyssa Rheingold, a licensed clinical psychologist who leads its resiliency program.

“Often the focus is to teach somebody how to do yoga and take a bath,” she said. “That’s not at all what well-being is about.”

Burnout in the health care industry is a widespread problem that long predates the covid-19 pandemic, though the chaos introduced by the coronavirus’s spread made things worse, physicians and psychologists said. Health systems across the country are trying to boost morale and keep clinicians from quitting or retiring early, but the stakes are higher than workforce shortages.

Rates of physician suicide, partly fueled by burnout, have been a concern for decades. And while burnout occurs across medical specialties, some studies have shown that primary care doctors, such as pediatricians and family physicians, may run a higher risk.

“Why go into primary care when you can make twice the money doing something with half the stress?” said Daniel Crummett, a retired primary care doctor who lives in North Carolina. “I don’t know why anyone would go into primary care.”

Doctors say they are fed up with demands imposed by hospital administrators and health insurance companies, and they’re concerned about the notoriously grueling shifts assigned to medical residents during the early years of their careers. A long-standing stigma keeps physicians from prioritizing their own mental health, while their jobs require them to routinely grapple with death, grief, and trauma. The culture of medicine encourages them to simply bear it.

“Resiliency is a cringe word for me,” Miller said. “In medicine, we’re just expected to be resilient 24/7. I don’t love that culture.”

And though the pipeline of physicians entering the profession is strong, the ranks of doctors in the U.S. aren’t growing fast enough to meet future demand, according to the American Medical Association. That’s why burnout exacerbates workforce shortages and, if it continues, may limit the ability of some patients to access even basic care. A 2021 report published by the Association of American Medical Colleges projects the U.S. will be short as many as 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034, a higher number than any other single medical specialty.

A survey published last year by The Physicians Foundation, a nonprofit focused on improving health care, found more than half of the 1,501 responding doctors didn’t have positive feelings about the current or future state of the medical profession. More than 20% said they wanted to retire within a year.

Similarly, in a 2022 AMA survey of 11,000 doctors and other medical professionals, more than half reported feeling burned out and indicated they were experiencing a great deal of stress.

Those numbers appear to be even higher in primary care. Even before the pandemic, 70% of primary care providers and 89% of primary care residents reported feelings of burnout.

“Everyone in health care feels overworked,” said Gregg Coodley, a primary care physician in Portland, Oregon, and author of the 2022 book “Patients in Peril: The Demise of Primary Care in America.”

“I’m not saying there aren’t issues for other specialists, too, but in primary care, it’s the worst problem,” he said.

The high level of student debt most medical school graduates carry, combined with salaries more than four times as high as the average, deter many physicians from quitting medicine midcareer. Even primary care doctors, whose salaries are among the lowest of all medical specialties, are paid significantly more than the average American worker. That’s why, instead of leaving the profession in their 30s or 40s, doctors often stay in their jobs but retire early.

“We go into medicine to help people, to take care of people, to do good in the world,” said Crummett, who retired from the Duke University hospital system in 2020 when he turned 65.

Crummett said he would have enjoyed working until he was 70, if not for the bureaucratic burdens of practicing medicine, including needing to get prior authorization from insurance companies before providing care, navigating cumbersome electronic health record platforms, and logging hours of administrative work outside the exam room.

“I enjoyed seeing patients. I really enjoyed my co-workers,” he said. “The administration was certainly a major factor in burnout.”

Jean Antonucci, a primary care doctor in rural Maine who retired from full-time work at 66, said she, too, would have kept working if not for the hassle of dealing with hospital administrators and insurance companies.

Once, Antonucci said, she had to call an insurance company — by landline and cellphone simultaneously, with one phone on each ear — to get prior authorization to conduct a CT scan, while her patient in need of an appendectomy waited in pain. The hospital wouldn’t conduct the scan without insurance approval.

“It was just infuriating,” said Antonucci, who now practices medicine only one day a week. “I could have kept working. I just got tired.”

Providers’ collective exhaustion is a crisis kept hidden by design, said Whitney Marvin, a pediatrician who works in the pediatric ICU at the Medical University of South Carolina. She said hospital culture implicitly teaches doctors to tamp down their emotions and to “keep moving.”

“I’m not supposed to be weak, and I’m not supposed to cry, and I’m not supposed to have all these emotions, because then maybe I’m not good enough at my job,” said Marvin, describing the way doctors have historically thought about their mental health.

This mentality prevents many doctors from seeking the help they need, which can lead to burnout — and much worse. An estimated 300 physicians die by suicide every year, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The problem is particularly pronounced among female physicians, who die by suicide at a significantly higher rate than women in other professions.

A March report from Medscape found, of more than 9,000 doctors surveyed, 9% of male physicians and 11% of female physicians said they have had suicidal thoughts. But the problem isn’t new, the report noted. Elevated rates of suicide among physicians have been documented for 150 years.

“Ironically, it’s happening to a group of people who should have the easiest access to mental health care,” said Gary Price, a Connecticut surgeon and president of The Physicians Foundation.

But the reluctance to seek help isn’t unfounded, said Corey Feist, president of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation.

“There’s something known in residency as the ‘silent curriculum,’” Feist said in describing an often-unspoken understanding among doctors that seeking mental health treatment could jeopardize their livelihood.

Feist’s sister-in-law, emergency room physician Lorna Breen, died by suicide during the early months of the pandemic. Breen sought inpatient treatment for mental health once, Feist said, but feared that her medical license could be revoked for doing so.

The foundation works to change laws across the country to prohibit medical boards and hospitals from asking doctors invasive mental health questions on employment or license applications.

“These people need to be taken care of by us, because really, no one’s looking out for them,” Feist said.

In Charleston, psychologists are made available to physicians during group meetings like the one Miller attended, as part of the resiliency program.

But fixing the burnout problem also requires a cultural change, especially among older physicians.

“They had it worse and we know that. But it’s still not good,” Miller said. “Until that changes, we’re just going to continue burning out physicians within the first three years of their career.”

The post Burnout Threatens Primary Care Workforce and Doctors’ Mental Health appeared first on Medika Life.

At work, you may have been taught to always say “yes” to your boss — even when your inner self wants to say “no.”⁠ ⁠

In relationships, you may have been taught to always say “yes” to your partner — even when your inner self wants to say “no.”⁠ ⁠ We all need social connection.

And if we’re only rewarded by others for saying “yes” and disapproved of for saying “no,” we may become habituated to ignoring our inner voice.⁠

The body doesn’t like that. The body may feel betrayed when you ignore your inner voice. The body may do things to defend your inner voice:⁠ ⁠

🔸 Like getting a migraine so you don’t have to attend that event you said “yes” to but really wanted to say “no” to.⁠

🔸Or getting back pain so that you don’t have to sit at that desk job you took because you thought you “should” even though you really wanted to follow your passion.⁠

🔸Or getting a stomach ache so that you don’t have to spend time with that person who disrespects your boundaries.⁠ ⁠

If we are conditioned to always say “yes,” we may find ourselves in conflict with our body when it says “no.”⁠ ⁠

🌸 BUT just like with couples therapy, conflict resolution is possible between mind and body. ✨⁠ ⁠

The first step to conflict resolution is: Each party needs to have their side of the story heard and acknowledged.⁠

👉 Here’s something you can try:⁠

Ask your mind, with pen and paper 📝:

Dear part that always says “yes,” what are you feeling? What would you like me to know? What are you trying to protect me from?⁠ ⁠

And see what flows out onto the page 📄.⁠ ⁠

Then, ask your body 📝:⁠

Dear part that says “no,” what are you feeling? What would you like me to know? What are you trying to protect me from?⁠

You may find that the mind and body have similar goals — just different ideas about how to get there.⁠

If you need support with chronic pain and anxiety, take my FREE QUIZ called “Why the *bleep* am I still in pain?!” so I can help you get some clarity.

The post If You Don’t Set Boundaries, a Symptom Flare-Up Might Step In and Do It For You appeared first on Medika Life.

This information can then be used to treat applicants unfairly or steer them toward programs that aren’t as desirable as other future career options. But this flies in the face of special laws designed to protect potential students from such discrimination.

The fact that the application process may ask for this information and that testing may be required can cause stress, making it hard to do well on tests and worsening existing health problems.

The student may have a lower chance of getting into the college of their choice if they don’t do well on standardized tests and meet other requirements. Rejection is never easy for anyone to handle, but in the face of mental health issues, it can prove to be devastating. One answer to potential future rejection lies in multiple applications to colleges.

Many students apply to multiple colleges as their “fall-back” choices if their first choice doesn’t accept them or if they’re placed on a waitlist, which means passing up other college acceptances. But this requires money to afford all the application fees.

Students with mental health problems can face different kinds of bias when they apply to college. Colleges and universities can help in this area by getting rid of the requirement that applicants tell them about any mental health problems they may have had, making it easier for accepted students to get help and resources for mental health, giving students with mental health problems more options for accommodations, and coming up with and putting into place plans to reduce stigma at the institution level.

Schools must re-evaluate their programs if they don’t have the resources to properly care for and help admitted students with mental health problems. Today, there is no legal reason to fail to assist these students. There could be a drop in academic performance, a rise in the number of students who drop out, and other problems.

What Can Colleges Do to Help?

Institutions do have ways to assist these students. They can help students prepare for college by giving them resources and information.

Students may have access to counseling services, classes on dealing with stress, and other support programs to help them respond to the pressures and stresses of the application process and being a college student. It does take a bit of change in many ways.

When a student goes to college, they may have better access to mental health care and counseling. In terms of their mental health, therapy and peer support groups are important for many college students to adjust well.

Many adjustments can be made to improve a student’s performance on standardized exams, such as longer testing times, different testing environments, or even different means of testing. One student I had in a class required that all his tests be recorded, and he also responded to them on a digital recorder.

Plan and implement strategies to reduce prejudice against students with mental health issues. Putting in place procedures for dealing with complaints of discrimination and teaching staff how to help students with mental health problems may be steps that need to be taken in this direction.

An example of a potential lack of sufficient mental health care for one university student resulted in her setting herself on fire in her dorm room and dying. Her parents sued the university for a lack of acting in loco parentis.

Providing tools and support for applicants’ mental health during the college application process can help alleviate stress and pressure. As a result, the student’s grades may improve, making it easier to get into the school of their choice. Parents play an important role in alleviating this stress. But there is also legal help for them.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says that postsecondary schools must make “reasonable accommodations” for students with disabilities, especially those related to mental health.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 also makes it illegal to treat students with disabilities differently. Like the Americans with Disabilities Act, the law says that schools must adjust for students with special needs.

However, schools only have to look at student requests for accommodations and make them if they are reasonable or would place an undue burden on the school. So, the results for the student are questionable if the school can show proof of an unfair burden.

In addition to ADA and Section 504, The FERPA law says students can keep their educational records private. The law also indicates how educational institutions can store and share these records.

A disability attorney may also help outline the actions that can be taken for any student with a mental health issue applying to a college. They will be able to tell them their rights and help them get any accommodations they need.

There are resources to help screen colleges for their ADA admissions and assistance policies. In addition to housing, potential students should consider test accommodations including alternative test formats and locations and more time to take tests. Students can also request extra time to complete coursework and fulfill graduation requirements. Again, if a student’s believes their rights have been violated, they can file a complaint.

When a student files a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), they investigate it. If the student is correct in their allegation, the court may order the school to change its policies and procedures to stop discrimination from happening again and make the correct accommodations.

The application process is stressful, but if a student or parent thinks they are being treated unfairly for whatever reason, there are ways to deal with this and things they can do. There is hope.

The post College Applicants Do Have the Means to Fight Mental Health Discrimination appeared first on Medika Life.

CAR T is an effective treatment for some hard to treat cancers. This “living drug” is made by extracting killer T cells from the body, manipulating them to target cancer cells, multiplying the newly engineered cells and infusing them back into the body. Development over the last forty years has evolved the precision, efficiency and safety of this technology. Arguably the best example is the treatment of  B cell cancers.

B cells to B cell cancers

CUSABIO Link Added

Figure 1 illustrates the development of antibody cells. B cell maturation begins with stem cells in the bone marrow and is completed with the antibody producing plasma B cells.

Typically, threats to the body leave trails of foreign antigen which can be followed. B cells detect these antigens and proliferate to eliminate pathogens, but these numbers quickly subside. This is done by design. The body regulates this process to ensure the bloodstream is not flooded with too many antibodies to prevent normal function. However, this system can go awry at any point. B cell precursors, intermediate cells or plasma cells can mutate and grow uncontrollably, causing damage to the body rather than shielding from it. When this happens, the immune system weakens and B cell cancers result.

LYMPHOMA CANADA

B cell lymphomas originate from the lymphatic system organs, vessels and tissues, such as the lymph nodes or the spleen. In contrast, leukemias circulate in the bone marrow and blood instead of the lymph organs. Although multiple myeloma is also a cancer of the bone marrow, it entails the abnormal growth of plasma B cells in particular.

Treating B cell cancers

Chemotherapy and radiation most successfully reduce the size and quantity of B cell tumors. Partial remission is very achievable, but complete remission—the total absence of cancer— is much more difficult to attain. For many, the cancer may temporarily recede for months or years after treatment before recurring. And when the cancer recurs, it can be resistant to treatment.

CAR T cell therapy addresses this problem by transforming patient immune cells into an anti-cancer drug. Cells are taken from the body and modified to detect the tumor cells. CAR T cells are fitted with a fusion protein (scFV, Figure 3) made from antigen-recognizing regions of antibodies. This component is typically engineered to target CD19, a B cell antigen known for its role in B cell signaling. This protein is found in B cells of all stages and is present on the surface of many B cell cancers. CD19 is not found on hematopoietic stem cells—those which have yet to mature and gain purpose; as a result, the therapy is less likely to target non-cancerous immune cells, an ideal quality in a therapeutic target.

FIGURE 3: CD19 is an antigen expressed on cancer cells. CAR T cells are fitted with an antigen recognition domain, a single chain variable fragment (scFV), to target the CD19 on the surface of these cancer cells. Once the antigen domain binds to the cancer cell, the CAR T cell can induce apoptosis to eliminate the tumor cell.

BRITTEN, OLIVER, ET AL. 2019 Link Added

Once the CAR T cell binds to CD19 on the tumor cell, several signals are released from the endodomain that trigger cell death of the tumor cell through apoptosis. The co-stimulatory molecules found in the interior of the CAR T cell allow it to multiply and persist in the body.

Normal T cells from the body lack the precision of this antigen recognizing protein and usually require specific proteins—major histocompatibility complexes—to present the antigen and facilitate similar binding. CAR T cells forgo these steps, producing superior hybrid molecules which combine antibody detection with T cell signal transduction. This synthetic engineering defines the chimeric nature of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells.

Why CAR T therapy?

As of publication, CAR T is only considered after standard cancer treatments have run their course. Why, then, do people turn to CAR T therapy if it is only considered after several other lines of treatment?

For those who have B cancers which are unresponsive to alternative anti-cancer treatments, CAR T can deliver lasting remission and extend life expectancy by several years—sometimes without additional treatment.

NOVARTIS

For example, one study revealed that 44% of young patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) live at least five years without relapse after CAR T therapy. This is especially remarkable given how difficult it can be to treat the condition and the less than 10% five-year survival rate. Approved CAR T therapies also exist for patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLCL), follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

ACCELERATING CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY RESEARCH

There is a caveat—it is possible to experience relapse after CAR T therapy. One contributing factor is CD19 antigen escape, a type of CAR T resistance. As illustrated in Figure 5, patients with antigen escape develop cancer cells which no longer express CD19 and thus escape recognition by CAR T cells. So while CD19 targeting has proven effective, this phenomena highlights the need to find alternative antigen targets to improve the drug’s efficiency.

One possible solution is dual targeting CAR T cells. By engineering T cells which detect more than one antigen on cancer cells, the therapy has a greater chance of attacking tumor-only cells and overcoming antigen escape. Current contenders include dual targeting of antigens CD19 and CD22, as well as CD19 and CD20.

Summary 

CAR T shines best in solving what other therapies cannot. When other lines of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation cause relapse, CAR T therapy often provides a more lasting remission. There’s promise for these engineered T cells to become even more effective in the future with the advent of dual-targeting CAR T cells. And while none of the six FDA approved CAR T therapies are currently used as first-line treatment, developments are underway to establish this innovative technology as a primary line of defense. This is a major step forward for treating B cell cancers, and we can anticipate more to come.

The post The Remarkable Research Of CAR T Therapy: B Cell Cancers appeared first on Medika Life.

Have you ever thought that sound might have colors like white, pink, or brown? The naming may be something new, with the possible exception of white noise used in some therapeutic environments to protect confidentiality.

But the concept of specific sounds and how they may be helpful therapeutically has been receiving renewed attention since a non-scientist, Irv Teibel, began recording nature’s sounds in 1969. The true benefit of these aspects of nature and other sounds in the human aural spectrum would take time to be realized as having broad utility in healthcare or activities that require freedom from distraction.

Noise, or should we refer to it as sound differences according to the wavelength or frequency it comes across, is delineated in several different “colors.“ The colors currently identified include white, green, brown, pink, violet, blue, and gray noise. There’s even red noise, a form of brown noise by another name.

If all of this is confusing, it is understandable. Still, it is an interesting aspect of how sound, a.k.a. noise, might help treat psychological disorders, reduce stress, or assist us in our everyday activities.

Clinicians use white noise machines to mask discussions in their offices. Many small machines producing this audio signal are readily available to anyone. The frequency is 40 Hz to 60 Hz and may vary according to its use. Each noise, except white noise, may have a specific service and produce different effects on anyone listening to it.

Of course, black noise is the absence of sound (silence), as it would usually be called. The intricacies of these noise productions or the physics involved will not be discussed here but only offered as potential research for anyone interested in sound production and how sound may be manipulated for best use in, for example, music in therapeutic settings, work, academic efforts, writing, etc. And sound has found a home in assisting those with ADHD.

Empirically, white noise therapy has been able to improve specific tasks affected by ADHD symptoms, including speech recognition and reading and writing speed. Educational performance is one of the prime areas where any intervention, such as sound utility, might be effective. Without early intervention, this disorder has a negative effect on their lives, their educational efforts, their career opportunities, and also the social interactions they may pursue in the future.

White noise has been used in a variety of settings with several patient populations. It has been found helpful in intensive care to decrease the arousal of patients and help with sleep onset. White noise has also been found to have shown some behavioral and psychological improvements in elderly patients with dementia and schizophrenia.

It is also helpful in word and visual-spatial tasks in young and elderly adults. Students have shown improvement in new word recall compared to periods of silence. In addition to these benefits, white noise has also been proven to have some ability to diminish impulsivity in children with ADHD and working memory.

How might we use sound in our daily lives at home and work? Many will choose to listen to certain types of music to energize them, others another style to create a quiet background against which they want to work. I suppose that’s why an album of recordings of Gregorian chants made the hit list of popular music charts. The album sold four million copies worldwide. The artist Ravi Shankar released his “Chants of India” when a music company wanted to continue their “chants” success.

One experiment tested several sounds to identify which might promote concentration and verbal reasoning in an office environment. The six different sounds were classified into the music group, including running water sound (RW), pure classic music (PM), classic music with lyrics (ML), and noise group, including intelligible speech (IS), mechanical noise of keyboard and printer (MN), and telephone ring (TR).

The varying results were attributed to the task, and the type of sound played. On the one hand, different activities and tasks consumed different mental workload resources, and on the other hand, different types of background sounds might have different effects on each kind of mental workload resource, so that the effects of one background sound might vary when subjects engaged in different jobs.

Summing it all up would indicate that sound and how we utilize it can benefit us in all of our environments. Sound downloads and videos are available for free download (some have fees) at the following:

https://www.freesoundeffects.com/free-sounds/ambience-10005/https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/search/nature/

Other sites are available, but carefully read the terms of use. YouTube has many videos with sound.

The post The “Colors” of Sounds Have an Effect on All of Us appeared first on Medika Life.

My story about painkillers is not a prescription. It’s simply an honest account of my story. What I hope to model is not a step-by-step how-to, because the steps that I’ve chosen may not necessarily be the steps that you choose. Instead, I hope to model self-trust. Over and over again, I’ve found self-trust to be my path to healing. That doesn’t mean I never try something that turns out poorly and then switch gears. In fact, allowing myself to pivot when needed is an essential part of self-trust! As you’ll see in this story…

Chapter 1: The Beginning

I got my first migraine in 2007, on the first day of my very first job as a video editor on a reality TV show. That was also the first time I can remember taking a pill for a headache. I stumbled out of the office to a drugstore, searched the painkiller isle and chose “Excedrin Migraine.” The description on the bottle seemed to match what I was experiencing. Thankfully, it worked — the torturous feeling in my head dissolved into a slight euphoria and I was able to return to work and keep my job. I didn’t think too much of it.

Chapter 2: Prescription

Migraines popped up occasionally as I continued my new, high-pressure career in television. They were rare though, and I would just take Excedrin to make them go away. It was years before the migraines became frequent enough that I brought it up with a doctor. I was sent to a neurologist who prescribed Sumatriptan (also known as Imitrex) — a common migraine “emergency medication” (meaning, take as-needed, not on a daily basis.) Sumatriptan, I was told, was more effective than over-the-counter drugs and had less chance of causing “rebound headaches.” So, I replaced the Excedrin with Sumatriptan.

Chapter 3: Something’s Gotta Give

Sumatriptan worked well for me and allowed me to continue my life with minimal disturbance for a few more years. But the frequency of headaches continued to gradually increase. 10 years into my journey with migraines, I was getting them up to three times a week. Sumatriptan as-needed was no longer a sustainable plan, partly because the U.S. only allows an allotment of 9 Sumatriptan pills per month (more than that is not advised from a safety standpoint), and partly because they didn’t always work when I took them that often.

So, I went back to the neurologist, and this time the recommendation was daily preventative painkillers. My gut said “no.” There had to be a way out of this ever-increasing spiral of head pain and meds. So, I dove into Googling. Fortunately, a mind-body pain reduction app called Curable, which was only 2 years old at the time, popped up in my searches.

I started down the path of mind-body healing (which you can read about here) and soon began to experience a decrease in migraines! I knew I was onto something and I was excited.

Chapter 4: Keeping Score

As I used the Curable app, I tracked my progress closely, writing down every time that I took a Sumatriptan, and watching the number of pills decrease month by month. Seeing my progress in numbers gave me hope and a reason to believe in it. At first.

But then something happened: One month, instead of decreasing, the number of Sumatriptans went up again. And then decreased. And then increased. And leveled out. And increased again. With the help of several mentors, I was introduced to two key lessons of mind-body healing:

1. Recovery is not a straight line. And expecting it to be a smooth ride only puts pressure on the process, which puts stress on your nervous system, which works against recovery.
2. Keeping score — and defining progress by the number of painkillers — also puts pressure on the process, which increases stress, which works against recovery.

Chapter 5: Letting Go

I gave up my Sumatriptan tracking log. Deleting it from my phone felt scary at first, but I could tell that I needed to let go of this perfectionistic score-keeping.

And I set an intention to change my goal: Instead of aiming for fewer painkillers, my aim shifted to increasing self-acceptance and self-care. By “self-care,” I don’t mean pedicures or massages — although those can be part of it. But I mean actually caring about myself. Loving myself. Listening to myself. Spending time learning how to make myself happy — like you would learn how to care for a beloved.

I also made a decision: I was going to stop viewing painkillers as “bad.” I’d picked up this view from some of the mind-body books and lectures I’d come across: The idea that taking painkillers works against mind-body healing; that it’s a way of “giving away your power.”

Some mind-body practitioners believe that it’s important to wean yourself off of pain meds in order to concentrate on mind-body healing. And others don’t. There’s a variety of opinions out there. The opinion I’ve landed on is this: Being kind to myself and helping myself feel better is my path of healing. When I get a flare and it doesn’t subside within a reasonable amount of time, denying myself a painkiller can feel like self-punishment and perfectionism, and that only brings more distress to my nervous system.

As long as I’m not experiencing detrimental side effects from the meds, and as long as I’m heeding safety protocols and contraindications, I will simply take a painkiller and I won’t agonize about it.

Chapter 6: Hiding the Truth — and Self-Trust

The shift of letting go was exactly what I needed. Life got easier and less fraught. My focus and energy began to shift away from tracking painkillers, and I could redirect my energy toward things I actually care about — work, creativity, family and fun!

But there was one lingering piece still gnawing at me: I wasn’t being completely honest with my clients about how often I still take painkillers. Even up until recently, I’ve used the phrase “once in a blue moon.” When the actual truth is, I tend to take a painkiller about once a week.

It’s been a few years since I’ve had a full-blown migraine, but I still have a tendency toward head tension when I’m stressed. And when the tension doesn’t subside reasonably easily through emotional soothing and release techniques, instead of going through my day with head tension, I take a painkiller.

Since I don’t keep a log anymore, I don’t know exactly how many pills I take. I know that there have been particularly stressful weeks when I’ve taken more than one, and particularly relaxed weeks when I haven’t taken any. But the average seems to be once a week these days. That’s less than it was when I started this healing journey, and I imagine that as my nervous system continues to unwind, there will be a time when I’ll take even less and maybe none. However, I don’t hold that as my goal.

When I first began helping others with chronic pain recovery, I thought it was important to model hope and possibility by emphasizing how much I’ve healed. But what I’ve come to realize is this: Hiding the truth about my relationship with painkillers is driven by perfectionism, fear of judgment and shame. None of these are things I want to model for clients. Whereas trusting myself and accepting my truth lets my nervous system feel safer — which continues to further my healing. And that is something I want to share.

I hope that my story inspires you to bring greater acceptance and self-trust to your journey — whatever yours looks like.

Sending love, gentleness and infinite faith in you,

💖 Anna

The post An Honest Account of My Relationship With Painkillers appeared first on Medika Life.