TORONTO, Feb. 9, 2021 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors question whether there is enough data and scientific evidence to support easing pandemic restrictions now, given the lack of vaccines and the presence of new variants of COVID-19.
Instead, doctors working on the front lines of the pandemic recommend maintaining existing public health restrictions and reopening schools for another few weeks while assessing:
How the reopening of schools affects transmission of the virus
How quickly the new virus variants are spreading in the community; in Britain, for example, the variant caused a Third Wave worse than the first two
How soon Ontario will get a steady supply of vaccines
"Too many people have died and suffered from this pandemic already," said Dr. Samantha Hill, president of the Ontario Medical Association. "We all want this to be over rapidly but there is no short cut. Everyone, including the government, needs to be making decisions based on science and proven health measures. Otherwise we risk going backward instead of forward."
The OMA will hold a media briefing at 11 a.m. Wednesday discussing the importance of using big data in health care to improve decision-making and accurately predict and improve patient outcomes. Journalists can register here.
The government has announced it will gradually lift the province-wide lockdown and return to the old colour-coded framework in which regions move up and down depending on local outbreaks.
The Ontario Medical Association reiterates its call for stricter enforcement of and adherence to existing public health measures as the most effective way of curbing the pandemic, including:
Steps to ensure people don't travel outside of hotspots to do shopping or personal errands in regions with fewer or no outbreaks
Hiring more contact tracers – the sooner people know they have COVID or may have been exposed to it, the sooner they can isolate and prevent further spread
Ensuring sufficient lab capacity to identify the variants
Expedited rollout of rapid testing and clear plans on how that will happen, in schools, for example
Ensuring plans are in place to administer vaccines as soon as they are available and that none are wasted
Provide paid sick days for all workers so they can stay home if they have COVID or have been exposed, rather than spreading the virus because they need to earn money to buy food
The OMA also urged the government to clarify conflicting advice in its new plan. The plan both strongly advises people to stay home and avoid social gatherings yet it allows non-essential retail outlets to reopen at reduced capacity.
"There are good reasons for optimism, including the anticipated delivery of significantly more vaccines in coming weeks," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "But Ontario still has a very high infection rate and we are starting to see new COVID-19 variants in the community. We must continue to flatten the curve to save lives."
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
Resolve to Protect Your Eye Health: Don’t Go Blind from Glaucoma
New York, NY, February 10, 2021 — It’s the new year and one of your resolutions should be to get your eyes checked, advises Dr. Daniel Laroche, Director of Glaucoma Services and President of Advanced Eyecare of New York. Despite the busyness of the new year, he says it’s still important to stay on top of regular doctor visits, including visits with your eye doctor.
What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by three components:
1. Damage and loss of the retinal ganglions cells and optic nerve described as cupping
2. Loss of visual field
3. Usually increased eye pressure (the mean normal eye pressure is 15mmHG)
People at risk for glaucoma include the elderly, Blacks, people with elevated eye pressure, primary relatives with glaucoma, persons with high myopia, high hyperopia, history of eye trauma and diabetes. Blindness from glaucoma is insidious. In most cases, there is no pain, and the loss of vision occurs slowly from peripheral to central. The central reading vision is not affected until the end, thus most people do not realize it until they have lost a substantial amount of their peripheral vision. In low or normal pressure glaucoma, the central vision may be affected first.
The elevated intraocular pressure damages the optic nerve both mechanically and creates decreased blood flow to the eye. The most identifiable cause of glaucoma is the enlarged lens or cataract in the eye. Early cataract surgery and trabecular bypass has become the best option to stop vision loss in patients with glaucoma. The current use of eyedrops and laser help to lower intraocular pressure but do not address the causative mechanism of the glaucoma being the enlarged lens. Incisional cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery is often needed to truly stabilize glaucoma.
All people should be screened regularly for glaucoma as part of a medical eye exam. Screening should consist of an eye examination consisting of gonioscopy (examination of the drainage angle), intraocular pressure measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometry and a dilated optic nerve examination. If there appears to be any damage to the optic nerve or abnormal pressure, then a visual field test should be performed, and optic nerve photos taken. Persons with thin corneas should be more aggressively monitored and treated for glaucoma as the disease tends to be worse in these patients.
If you have eye pressure or glaucoma and feel that you may be losing vision, Dr. Laroche recommends that you seek the care of a glaucoma specialist for a second opinion. DON’T GO BLIND FROM GLAUCOMA! People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that could lead to blindness if left unchecked need to stay particularly vigilant with their checkups. The pandemic shouldn’t keep you from visiting your doctor, but for patients over 60, Dr. Laroche advises it's better to stay home and do telehealth visits or video consultations until the pandemic flattens. He also encourages people to wear face masks on visits and maintain social distancing, even if they are in a health clinic, and if you’re high-risk, consider adding eye protection when in public spaces.
“Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses. As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts.
“A healthy brain function requires a healthy vision. The brain is our most essential organ, and it allows us to control other organs. Normal and healthy vision contributes to improved learning and comprehension for a better quality of life,” says Dr. Laroche.
About Dr. Daniel Laroche
Dr. Laroche is an exceptional glaucoma specialist in New York. He studied and received his bachelor's degree from New York University and a medical doctorate with honors in research from Weil Cornell University Medical College. He underwent a medical internship at Montefiore Hospital and finished his ophthalmology residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington D.C., where he was the chief resident in his third year. He later completed his glaucoma fellowship at New York Eye and Ear.
Feeling Forwards: Learn How to Harness the Infinite Energy of Your Emotions
"Feeling Forwards helps you find the power within to overcome unbelievable challenges and take a quantum leap forwards." — TONY ROBBINS
New York, NY, February 10, 2021 — Everything you need to transform your life is already within you, asserts bestselling author and personal reinvention coach Elizabeth Gould. Her empowering new book, Feeling Forwards: How to Become the Person Who Has the Life You Want, can help you say farewell to negative habits, release painful beliefs and tap into your full potential by harnessing the infinite energy generated by your emotions.
“Feeling Forwards is a thinking and feeling revolution. It’s not about writing to-do lists or visualizing every step toward a goal,” Elizabeth says. “Feeling Forwards is about living life as the complete person you’ve forgotten you already are and not as the person who’s just waiting to shine.”
The first half of Feeling Forwards is a fascinating deep-dive into the science proving the true power of our emotions, enabling them to travel forward and backward in time, influence pre-programmed computer outcomes, reverse aging, impact crime rates, fast-track personal reinvention and much more. After understanding the effects that our emotions can truly have on our lives, Elizabeth offers practical applications of the strategies in Feeling Forwardsusing real-life examples of those who’ve successfully integrated the principles into their lives.
Woven throughout are Elizabeth’s candid, personal stories of embracing these principles to thrive through several life-threatening events and dramatic personal upheavals.
The result is a refreshingly relatable, actionable guide to help you create the life you genuinely want to live. Feeling Forwards teaches you how to become the person who has the life you want … today. As Elizabeth reveals, “Today is the past of your future.”
About the Author
A bestselling author and founding member of Randi Zuckerberg’s global leadership school at the Zuckerberg Institute, Elizabeth Gould experiences the joy of working with people around the world to unlock their potential. She has spent decades interviewing thousands of successful professionals to understand how they behave to achieve what they want. Her work is endorsed by world-renowned life and business strategist, Tony Robbins. Feeling Forwards is her third book.
New drugs entering Canada at steady rate over past 5 years - Canada still among top 10 OECD countries in terms of access to new drugs
OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 10, 2021 /CNW/ - The latest edition of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) Meds Entry Watch reports that 40 new-to-Canada medicines were approved for market in 2018, of which 22 had reported sales by the end of 2019. This is in line with the annual rate of approximately nine new approvals per quarter since 2015, a trend that continued steadily into 2019.
Internationally, 51 new drugs were first approved in the US, Europe, and Canada in 2018, of which more than two thirds were high-cost and over 60% were treatments for rare diseases. Four of the five top-selling new medicines were approved in Canada in the same year, including the antiviral drug bictegravir (Biktarvy), which alone accounted for over half of total sales for the 51 new medicines by the end of 2019.
This report, produced through the National Prescription Drug Utilization Information System (NPDUIS) research initiative, is the fifth edition in the annual Meds Entry Watch series, which provides the latest information on new medicines entering Canadian and international markets.
Quick Facts
In 2018, Health Canada approved 40 new-to-Canada medicines, of which 22 had reported sales by Q4-2019, accounting for 1.6% of the total Canadian pharmaceutical market. On average, international prices for these medicines were 19% lower than the prices paid by Canadians.
51 new medicines were approved internationally in 2018, of which over 60% had an orphan designation from the FDA and/or the EMA while more than 30% were indicated for the treatment of cancer.
Health Canada had approved 20 of the 51 new medicines by the end of 2019, of which nine had recorded sales in Canada, placing Canada ninth in the OECD and in line with the PMPRB11 comparator countries, most of which have lower average patented medicine prices.
Over two thirds of the new medicines approved in 2018 were high-cost: 13 oncology medicines had costs exceeding $5,000 per 28-day cycle and 21 non-oncology medicines had annual costs exceeding $10,000.
Of the total new medicines approved internationally between 2015 and 2018, 38% had Canadian sales by the end of 2019. This group of medicines accounted for 87% of all new medicine sales in the OECD in Q4-2019, indicating that the higher-selling medicines continue to be among those approved and sold in Canada.
47 new medicines received market authorization in 2019, of which 16 were approved in Canada by Q3-2020. In total, 40% (19) of the 2019 new medicines were orphan-designated while just under a quarter were oncology treatments.
SOURCE Patented Medicine Prices Review Board; Government of Canada
Overpower Negativity, Push Through Adversity Using Tools Outlined in Optimists Always Win!
Philadelphia, PA, February 10, 2021 — Are you ready for a personal and professional reset? Make 2021 your best year yet by learning how to cultivate and nurture a positive mindset every day.
Optimists Always Win!: Moving from Defeat to Life's C-Suite, from award-winning global diversity and inclusion strategist, international inspirational speaker and unstoppable optimist Kimberly S. Reed, delivers the encouragement and the tools to launch the new beginning we all need.
“Difficulties and struggles are unavoidable in life, but a person has complete control over one’s personal response to the situation,” Reed says. “This book offers readers a plan for responding with optimism for both the challenges and blessings that come their way.”
Optimists Always Win! isn’t another collection of platitudes and motivational mumbo jumbo. Reed’s book digs deep into her most powerful principles and life knockouts (LKOs) and walks readers throughan actionable process for building resilience and choosing optimism over anger.
Reed uses her own experiences, including her heroic battle with her mother’s terminal illness and sudden loss as well as her own subsequent battle with cancer, to show readers that it’s possible to rise above pessimism and hopelessness when faced with hardship.
Relying heavily on her faith in God and the optimism that she learned to cultivate, Reed teaches readers 10 “discouragement eliminators,” which helped her succeed not just in her fight against cancer but as she lives each day as her best self.
Reed’s inspirational messages touch on every aspect of life, to help readers grow in their faith, remove self-placed stumbling blocks and adopt the optimistic attitude needed for reaching the C-suite of life.
All book royalties are being donated to the American Cancer Society AstraZeneca Hope Lodge in Philadelphia and to a premier Academic Research Institution for Integrated Breast Cancer Fund and Patient Care.
Author Kimberly S. Reed, MEd, CDP, is an award-winning diversity, equality and inclusion expert, international speaker and corporate trainer. As founder of the Reed Development Group, LLC, she has developed a distinguished reputation as having one of the most distinct and powerful voices on the lecture circuit, engaging audiences on topics ranging from diversity and inclusion and talent innovation, organizational leadership, intrapreneurship, entrepreneurial leadership, and personal and professional development. Reed earned a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and Public Administration from Westchester University; a certification in Global Organizational Leadership, Human Resource Management, from Fox School of Business; a Masters of Education, Adult Organizational Development and Public Policy; and certifications in Training and Development and Communication and Conflict from Temple University. She has also been a senior partner and advisor for one of the world’s leading CEO branding companies, The Ascendant Group.
Optimists Always Win!: Moving from Defeat to Life's C-Suite
Faith and Tenacity Continue to Drive 91-Year-Old Founder of Boston Area Homeless Shelter
Boston, MA, February 10, 2021 — Sylvia Anthony firmly believes that life is a gift from God, and she’s been using her gift to impact more than a thousand homeless women and children through her nonprofit, Sylvia’s Haven, which she launched in 1987. At 91 years young, Sylvia remains steadfastly involved with Sylvia’s Haven, and hopes to inspire others to overcome life’s challenges and pursue their passions.
“When we do the right thing with the right motives, there is no limit to how far we can go with the help of God,” she writes in her poignant memoir, Till the End of Time. “My advice to you is never give up, whatever comes your way; it is all worth it.”
Sylvia had endured a difficult childhood that included an abusive father and a disinterested mother. Sylvia married young and remained in an abusive marriage until a divorce that left her alone to support her three children. Through her ambition and strength of character, Sylvia persevered, building a life for herself and her kids. After raising her children, Sylvia remarried — still, there was a void. She felt a calling to help young women, and her husband, Rick, encouraged her to follow her heart. Initially designed for homeless pregnant women, her shelter opened on January 25, 1987. Sadly, her husband lost his battle with cancer on March 30 of the same year, telling Sylvia before he died to “go get the girls.” And she’s been giving new hope to young, homeless women ever since.
Hers has been a lifetime woven with tragedy and triumph, but at Sylvia’s core burns a powerful source of courage and tenacity. She shares her remarkable story in Till the End of Time, which chronicles her early days as an unwanted child, born at the onset of the Great Depression; through her turbulent first marriage, which blessed her with three children; to finding love and discovering her divine purpose later in life. The book includes a chapter with testimonials from women who have been helped by Sylvia’s Haven, underscoring the impact of her unwavering dedication to others. Till the End of Time is the ultimate love story, woven with heartwarming memories, inspirational anecdotes and life lessons that will inspire readers to share their own God-given gifts with others.
Author Sylvia Anthony was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame on June 15, 2020. Invited to their museum in Seneca Falls, New York, she drove more than 350 miles for the appointment! Shortly thereafter, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who's Who.
A woman of faith, courage, tenacity and love, Sylvia firmly believes that the “golden years” are a time to get busy. As the founder and president of Sylvia’s Haven, a shelter for women and children near Boston, she has helped transform over 1,100 lives in the past three decades. Sylvia refers to her organization as her “magnificent obsession.” Life hasn’t always been easy for Sylvia, but she believes that God not only gives her courage during times of hardship, but also keeps her healthy so that she may realize her dream to open up Sylvia’s Haven locations in all 50 states.
Till the End of Time rose to No.1 in four different categories when it was launched on Amazon and has received 5-star reviews.
For those who have a jam-packed schedule or just don’t enjoy cooking, Evive’s 2-in-1 lunch cubes are the best, vegan-friendly, gluten-free, sugar-free and non-GMO option.
After the success of Evive’s cube-form smoothies, the company disrupted the market with frozen pre-made lunch cubes, made to eat in both bowl and soup form and crafted with organic fruits, vegetables, superfoods and plant-based proteins.
The best part about these is that they are 2-1. You can make it into a soup by simply adding hot water or make it into a bowl by warming it up in a pan and adding it to a lunch base such as cauliflower rice, noodles or quinoa. How great is that? The compact cubes allow you to stack and store in your freezer and pull out at your convenience for a gourmet, delicious meal.
Consumers can purchase online in a box of 12, 24 or 36 products — delivered right to their door at your choice of 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks or at select grocery stores.
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BAM CHILI
There aren’t too many things that can compete with deliciously home-cooked chilli. Enveloping all the traditional ingredients from Mexico, the Bam Chili is loaded with a mash of tasty vegetables, whole corn, quinoa, and jalapeños. Easily enjoy this healthy lunch by simply warming it up on its own or on top of more cooked quinoa. We managed to pack a good level of heat into this plant-based delight, still, the sweet corn balances it all out perfectly. Ready, set, vamanos!
MAC SQUASH
What is the key ingredient in a really good mac ‘n cheese? Mac Squash!! Simply warm and let melt these delicious (and super nutritious) cubes over your favourite short pasta for an ooey-gooey deluxe experience. Thanks to the magical addition of nutritional yeast and other essential plant-based ingredients like butternut squash and cashews, you won’t have to reach for that dull cardboard box to satisfy your cheesy cravings. Indulge in this wholesome and irresistible version instead!
TOM THAI
Some experiences in life are simply unforgettable. Close your eyes and let the incomparable flavours from South East Asia fill your senses with our Tom Thaï lunch cubes. Served wonderfully with your favourite rice or vermicelli noodles, you’ll adore our version of red curry. Savour the wonderful burst in texture from the whole edamame beans paired with the freshness of ginger, delivering a well-balanced bite. And, let us reassure you - the level of spice is suited for everyone at the family table!--
The 12 Phases Emotional Algorithm: The Road To, Through, and Back from Trauma
A traumatic event can shatter your sense of safety and security, and create lasting harm. This is especially true for healthcare workers, many of whom are experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after nearly a year of working on the pandemic frontlines.
“The 12 Phases Emotional Algorithm is a framework that describes the processes that typically occur in your psyche when a traumatic event takes place,” says Dr. Goulston. “It applies not only to healthcare providers but to anyone experiencing intense trauma.”
Phases one through ten describe everything that occurs from the time trauma occurs to the time when PTSD develops. Phases eleven and twelve highlight the journey to recovery and how to get past it. The entire algorithm is the basis for Dr. Goulston’s Surgical Empathy technique. (See attached press release.)
1. Trauma: This is an event of vast proportions that shocks, distresses, and overwhelms you, which temporarily cause you to fight, flee, or freeze mentally and physically. 2. Horror: You see or experience horrific things without having the opportunity to fully feel the horror. This includes shock, surprise, and the inability to comprehend what’s happening. 3. Terror: Your primary focus becomes the survival of your body and psyche. 4. Fragile: You may feel like a windshield in a car that has become cracked, yet not broken. You may feel that the next hit will cause you to “shatter” and never come back. (What is shattered is your prior belief system about your safety and security.) 5. Overriding Panic: Being duty bound by your work causes you to clamp down on any feelings to avoid becoming overwhelmed and freezing as you see others hurting and as you feel your own powerlessness. 6. Suppressed Thoughts: You consciously push whatever you’re tempted to think about out of your conscious mind in order to focus. 7. Repressed Feelings: For the sake of survival, your mind pushes the feelings further down into your unconscious and away from your conscious mind. 8. Focus and Function: You focus and carry on. This is what you now do to live up to responsibilities because there is a higher need at the moment to lead, organize, and unify. You can deal with feelings later. 9. Danger Has Passed: When an acute threat has passed, you may internally relax your guard that has protected you from experiencing intolerable feelings. With that internal guard lowered, the unfelt feelings you repressed and pushed away while the trauma was happening can resurface. Your mind may say I’m safe but your body says, You’re lying. 10. PTSD: PTSD shows up in four major ways: Intrusive Thoughts, Avoidance, Negative Thoughts, and Hyperarousal. You may experience nightmares, anger, irritability, anxiety, hypervigilance, and may be easily startled by loud noises or sudden movement. You may withdraw from social activities, become increasingly isolated, and appear depressed. 11. Disabled or Recovered: You either become further impaired by the trauma you experienced or begin a journey to healing. 12. Healed: You fully reexperience the trauma, along with the full spectrum of emotions and feelings the trauma created, and regain the capacity to feel peace and joy at last.
“Though it can be upsetting or overwhelming to read through the twelve phases that lead to, through, and beyond trauma, do not despair,” says Dr. Goulston. “The algorithm is a powerful key to recovery. When you empathetically revisit these phases one at a time and fully confront your feelings and thoughts at each, the process can help you heal.”
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About the Authors: Mark Goulston, MD, FAPA Dr. Mark Goulston is the coauthor of Why Cope When You Can Heal?: How Healthcare Heroes of COVID-19 Can Recover from PTSD (Harper Horizon, December 2020) and Trauma to Triumph: A Roadmap for Leading Through Disruption and Thriving on the Other Side (HarperCollins Leadership, Spring 2021). He is a board-certified psychiatrist, fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, former assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA NPI, and a former FBI and police hostage negotiation trainer. He is the creator of Theory Y Executive Coaching—which he provides to CEOs, presidents, founders, and entrepreneurs—and is a TEDx and international keynote speaker.
He is the creator and developer of Surgical Empathy, a process to help people recover and heal from PTSD, prevent suicide in teenagers and young adults, and help organizations overcome implicit bias.
Dr. Goulston is the author or principal author of seven prior books, including PTSD for Dummies, Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior, Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone, Real Influence: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving In, and Talking to Crazy: How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life. He hosts the My Wakeup Call podcast, where he speaks with influencers about their purpose in life and the wakeup calls that led them there. He also is the co-creator and moderator of the multi-honored documentary Stay Alive: An Intimate Conversation About Suicide Prevention.
He appears frequently as a human psychology and behavior subject-area expert across all media, including news outlets ABC, NBC, CBS, and BBC News, as well as CNN, Today, Oprah, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune,Harvard Business Review, Business Insider, Fast Company, Huffington Post, and Westwood One. He was also featured in the PBS special “Just Listen.”
Diana Hendel, PharmD Dr. Diana Hendel is the coauthor of Why Cope When You Can Heal?: How Healthcare Heroes of COVID-19 Can Recover from PTSD (Harper Horizon, December 2020) and Trauma to Triumph: A Roadmap for Leading Through Disruption and Thriving on the Other Side (HarperCollins Leadership, Spring 2021). She is an executive coach and leadership consultant, former hospital CEO, and author of Responsible: A Memoir, a riveting and deeply personal account of leading during and through the aftermath of a deadly workplace trauma.
As the CEO of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Hendel led one of the largest acute care, trauma, and teaching hospital complexes on the West Coast. She has served in leadership roles in numerous community organizations and professional associations, including chair of the California Children’s Hospital Association, executive committee member of the Hospital Association of Southern California, vice chair of the Southern California Leadership Council, chair of the Greater Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, board member of the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and leader-in-residence of the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership at California State University Long Beach.
She earned a BS in biological sciences from UC Irvine and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from UC San Francisco. She has spoken about healthcare and leadership at regional and national conferences and at TEDx SoCal on the topic of “Childhood Obesity: Small Steps, Big Change.”
About the Book: Why Cope When You Can Heal?: How Healthcare Heroes of COVID-19 Can Recover from PTSD (Harper Horizon, December 2020, ISBN: 978-0-7852-4462-2, $17.99) is available in bookstores nationwide and from major online booksellers.
Overwhelmed by the Stress of Your Healthcare Job? This Powerful Technique Can Help You Process Your Pain.
COVID-19 could lead to an epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder in healthcare workers. Mark Goulston, MD shares a new approach to helping them heal: Surgical Empathy.
Nashville, TN (February 2021)—There’s growing evidence that healthcare workers are developing post-traumatic stress disorder due to COVID-19. That may be no surprise, given how difficult this past year has been for frontline employees. But Mark Goulston, MD says PTSD is not inevitable. His approach to treating traumatic stress—called Surgical Empathy—helps healthcare providers heal from the inside out.
“Surgical empathy is helpful when a person’s mind is overwhelmed from external stimulus and their internal pain—pain that has been suppressed, unprocessed, and/or undealt with,” says Dr. Goulston, coauthor along with Diana Hendel, PharmD, of Why Cope When You Can Heal?: How Healthcare Heroes of COVID-19 Can Recover from PTSD (Harper Horizon, December 2020, ISBN: 978-0-7852-4462-2, $17.99). “This process uses empathy with surgical precision to meet people where they are and help them ‘feel felt’ and less alone in their feelings.”
When people are finally able to tap into their pain, they can stop coping with it and finally begin to heal, says Dr. Goulston. He compares the healing process to draining an angry abscess that was sutured too quickly, and finally allowing the wound to heal.
The following Surgical Empathy exercise is great not only for healthcare workers but for anyone impacted by COVID-19 or any other traumatic experience. It is based on Dr. Goulston’s 12 Phase Emotional Algorithm, which describes the road to, through, and back from trauma. (NOTE: See attached tip sheet for an overview of the 12 Phase Emotional Algorithm.)
This exercise can be done alone or as part of a group. You can do it repeatedly and each time you will discover new insights that help you move further along your healing journey:
Trauma: Think back to the traumatizing event or events that created a fight, flight, or freeze response in your mind and body when it occurred. As you recall the event(s), make sure that you keep breathing. If you notice your heartbeat or breathing increasing, pause and focus on your breath before continuing to remember the trauma. Remind yourself that you survived and be compassionate toward your former self who was so upset at the time.
Horror: Remember what it was like to feel the utter horror of the event(s). Allow yourself to experience any feelings of horror that you were unable to feel at the time because you had to keep going. Remember to pause if you feel yourself becoming triggered by memories of this horror. If this happens take a few moments to look around and take in your environment. Look for five things you can see (for example: a window, a table, a pen). Think about what you feel (your shirt, your legs, the armrest of your chair), smell (the scent of rain), hear (traffic outside), and taste (the flavor of toothpaste). This will ground you in the present moment.
Terror: Allow yourself to feel the terror you felt as your survival mechanisms (fight/flight/freeze) kicked in. Remember that we are meant to feel fear when we perceive danger. It is totally natural. Feel empathy for your earlier self who felt so afraid (and still feels afraid). With complete compassion and understanding, tell your former self (and your present self) that it is okay to feel afraid and that you are not alone.
Fragile: Lean into the fragility you felt and continue to feel following your trauma. Feel unconditional love, acceptance, and understanding for your earlier self who struggled to hold it together. Remind yourself that you are safe and secure right now, and that what was once shattered can be repaired.
Overriding Panic: Remember how it felt to override a panic response when you saw so many others in need and hurting, while you felt helpless and powerless. Remember being totally overwhelmed with feelings and emotions. Be gentle with yourself and try not to judge the way you reacted or wanted to react.
Suppressed Thoughts: Remember the sheer exhaustion of trying to push aside everything you thought or were thinking. Feel empathy for your former self who had to bypass thoughts of guilt, shame, blame, and self-loathing to survive. Realize that these thoughts are normal to have, and that they don’t make you a weak or shameful person. The thought really isn’t the deed.
Repressed Feelings: To survive a trauma you pushed your feelings down so they would not bubble up into your conscious mind. Now other behaviors may have erupted due to this avoidance. What feelings are your coping behaviors (such as drinking, overeating, irritability) covering up? Spend time with every feeling that comes to mind. Acknowledge them fully and allow them to be felt.
Focus and Function: Remember how it felt to put your own needs aside and rise to the occasion. You may recall the adrenaline rush you felt that helped you keep on going day after day, even as you knew something wasn’t quite right deep inside. Focus on what it was like to put that assault to your inner well-being on the back burner. What did you neglect so you could help patients? What would you like to do for yourself now that you have time to stop and reflect?
Danger Has Passed: The horror and terror you experienced taunt you, and your new normal is a feeling in your body telling you that you must always be alert—especially when you revisit the place where the trauma occurred (most likely your workplace). How does this impact you today? What about your workplace triggers or unsettles you? Work to accept that while your work environment may not be as safe as you previously thought, this does not have to paralyze you or prevent you from living a full life.
PTSD: Immerse yourself in the pain of living with your trauma. Which routines and protective behaviors allow you to function in the world? How do they protect you? What would you do if you were not impacted by post-traumatic stress?
Disabled or Recovered: Can you label the emotions that come up again and again and make you feel stuck? These are the ones that must be fully felt before you can fully recover. With complete compassion, commit yourself to giving your feelings the space to exist. Allow them to be felt and shared and notice how their power begins to fade.
Healed: Finally, experiencing the emotions you pushed away to survive will drain the abscess and enable you to heal. Keep telling yourself that healing is possible and that you can once again feel peace and joy.
It can be frightening to face and process your feelings around what you have experienced during the pandemic, but the payoff is huge. Surgical Empathy can help you reclaim a sense of safety and control over your life and help you to show up fully to do your important work.
“Don’t forget that post-traumatic stress leads to post-traumatic growth,” concludes Dr. Goulston. “Overcoming trauma can bring a new sense of meaning to past events and can deepen your camaraderie and resilience. You may not be there yet, but you can look forward to the day when you feel newly empowered to take life by the horns and truly make it count.”
Tom Brady is officially the oldest player to appear in a Super Bowl at age 43. While the average career span for an NFL quarterback is three years, Brady has been playing for two decades and made his 10th Super Bowl appearance this year. In defying the aging process and achieving peak performance, he follows a rigorous daily routine and health regimen.
Dr. Myles Spar, Chief Medical Officer of Vault Health, is an integrative men’s health specialist and has served as a medical consultant to professional sports leagues— educating players, coaches, and trainers on best practices and preventative measures.
“Any person – of any age, shape, or fitness level – can apply Tom Brady’s principles in their pursuit of health, wellness, and peak performance,” says Dr. Spar.
To illustrate this, he has taken the key principles of Brady’s health regimen and adapted them into actionable tips to help men achieve optimal performance at any age.
Here are his tips to achieve optimal performance at any age, even if you’re not Tom Brady:
1. Eat Nutritious, Well-Balanced Meals and Snacks. Tom Brady micromanages everything that goes into his body. Every calorie, every ingredient, and right down to the time he eats his meals. He’s heavy on vegetables and lean protein and stays away from alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and sugar.
FOR YOU – “Think about what you’re eating, and when. Sweat the details. If you’re making changes, make one small change today and another small change next week. They start to add up, but they have to be sustainable. Remember, garbage calories in, garbage training out. And for those who need extra help shedding body fat or gaining muscle mass, Vault has affordable, easily accessible personalized treatment plans and supplements to help men get the results they desire,” says Dr. Spar.
2. Treat sleep like the priority it is. Brady’s in bed at 8:30 pm every night. He knows quality sleep can improve reaction time, increase overall health, increase focus and accuracy, and prevent mental errors. He naps. He solves a series of brain puzzles before bed to destimulate his brain, allowing him to get to sleep by 9 p.m. and wake up without an alarm.
FOR YOU – Get enough sleep! Besides the above-mentioned sleep benefits, late at night, people make poorer choices with food and alcohol. Shutting it down on the early side can reduce those temptations. Throughout the day, take time to rest when you can. Think about your craft, sport, or work – in a positive way – before going to bed.
“Consult your doctor if you’re still having trouble falling or staying asleep because there are many healthy, natural prescriptions that can help you. For example, the prescription peptide and natural formulation in Vault’s Brain Kit protects the brain from the toxic effects of the stress hormone cortisol and helps build new brain cells. This can improve memory, attention, and sleep,” says Dr. Spar.
3. Hydration is key. After he hops out of bed at 6 a.m., the first thing Brady reaches for is a 20-ounce glass of water infused with electrolytes. Then he sips a smoothie, which typically contains blueberries, bananas, nuts, and seeds. Pretty normal. During his 8 a.m. workout, he drinks more electrolyte-infused water, followed by a post-workout protein shake. When all is said and done, Brady drinks anywhere between 12 to 25 glasses of water a day. (However, he trains a lot harder than the average human being, so the 25 glasses of water make sense for him.)
FOR YOU – In general, you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day. “For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, that would be 75 to 150 ounces of water a day,” says Dr. Spar.
4. Strengthen your overall health with supplements. Tom Brady has talked extensively about the supplements he takes in many interviews, which include whey protein powder, protein bars, multivitamins, probiotics, and a B complex, to name a few.
FOR YOU – “The best thing to do before starting to take any supplements is to consult your doctor, conduct a full self-audit of your mood, physical health, ability to focus, and overall well being throughout the day to properly assess the areas you’d like to improve and what your overall goals are. For example, guys who want to support their general health, increase their energy levels, and burn more fat would greatly benefit from Vault’s Vitamin B12 Mic Fat Burner,” says Dr. Spar.
5. Train your brain, not just your body. Brady spends 15 minutes per day playing brain games, drilling his cognitive speed and pattern recognition. That prep, plus film study gives Brady the special edge he needs to outplay the opposing team’s defense at the line of scrimmage.
FOR YOU - “It’s natural for memory and cognitive function to decline with age, but there are many things you can do to rapidly slow down this process. For guys who want better focus and attention, memory, and mental energy, I usually recommend Vault’s Brain Kit, which includes prescription peptide and a naturally-formulated brain boost supplement that work together to increase cognitive functioning,” says Dr. Spar.
6. Focus on longevity. Every season is predicted to be Tom’s last. Every summer the columnists and commentators declare he’s too old to perform at the top of the sport: He should retire, what else does he have to prove? He should exit on top, with his legacy intact.
FOR YOU – “Forget everyone else’s narrative for your life and your activities. If you still have a passion for your work or your sport, there is no reason to stop. It is also important to remember that once you stop it will be difficult to start back up or reach the level you have already achieved,” says Dr. Spar.
For more information about how men can live a long, healthy life and thwart the negative effects of aging as Tom Brady has successfully done over the years, visit vaulthealth.com/consumer-health.
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